MITCHELL, S.D. - The No. 19 Dakota Wesleyan University football team rebounded in a big way from two straight losses with a statement win over No. 15 Northwestern College on the road last weekend in Orange City, Iowa.
The Tigers move on to Nebraska Wesleyan University at 1 p.m. Saturday at Joe Quintal Field. The matchup will be the last between the two schools as conference foes as NWU will leave the GPAC after the 2015-16 year. The Prairie Wolves upset DWU in Lincoln, Neb., last season with strong defense and the help of several Tiger turnovers. The game is a Blackout and DWU fans are encouraged to wear their black Tiger gear.
The Tigers used a fourth-quarter scoring explosion to pull ahead and top the Red Raiders 27-17. The win put DWU in prime position to make a push for the program's first NAIA playoff appearance since 1992, when the Tigers started with a 10-0 record.
DWU scored all 27 of its points in the fourth quarter with sophomore quarterback Dillon Turner and sophomore wide receiver Hayden Adams putting on a clinic around the end zone. DWU was bottled up until Turner found Adams for a 5-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The two hooked up for two more scores later in the quarter, including touchdowns from 25 and 18 yards.
The game took a big turn in the Tigers' favor after the first Adams' touchdown. On the ensuing Northwestern drive, redshirt junior defensive back Cody Reder picked off a Red Raider pass and returned it for a touchdown to give DWU a lead it did not relinquish. The win was the first for DWU over Northwestern since 2009 and the first for head coach Ross Cimpl.
About the Series
This will be the 20th meeting between Dakota Wesleyan and Nebraska Wesleyan in the all-time series and the final as GPAC foes, as the Prairie Wolves are set to leave the conference after 2015-16. NWU holds a 14-5 advantage in the series, with the Prairie Wolves upsetting the Tigers 24-7 in Lincoln last season.
The NWU defense was the story a year ago, with DWU failing to get going on offense. The Tigers were held to just 285 yards of total offense, and then freshman quarterback Dillon Turner tossed three interceptions.
About the Coaches
Dakota Wesleyan head coach Ross Cimpl is in his fourth season leading the Tigers. His career record is now 27-13 overall. Cimpl, a Wagner, S.D., native, is the fifth winningest coach in more than 100 years of DWU football.
Brian Keller is in his 19th season as the head coach of Nebraska Wesleyan and has a career record of 103-85.
Winning Tradition
With the win over No. 15 Northwestern College last weekend, DWU football is guaranteed a fifth straight winning season for just the third time in school history and first since 1923. The other time came in 1902. DWU will have a chance next season for a sixth straight winning season, which would set a school record.
The Tigers got back to their winning ways last weekend after two straight tough losses, and they did it with defense. The DWU offense was stagnant until a fourth-quarter barrage, but it was the Tiger defense that came up big time after time to keep them in the game. Senior linebacker Brady Bonte was a force in the Northwestern backfield all game and finished with 14 tackles, 12 solo, two sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble. For his efforts, he was named the NAIA Defensive Player-of-the-Week and GPAC Defensive Player-of-the-Week.
About the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves
Nebraska Wesleyan comes into today's game after a bit of a rest with the team's off week coming last weekend. The Prairie Wolves picked up their second GPAC win of the season against Dordt College on Oct. 17 at home, rallying in the fourth quarter to thwart an upset bid by the Defenders.
NWU is led in 2015 by quarterback Ben Green, who is completing 50 percent of his passes for 1,116 yards and six touchdowns to go along with eight interceptions.
The Prairie Wolves rank last in total scoring offense in the GPAC with 17.4 points per game and last in total yardage per game with 289.4. NWU is also allowing the eighth most points per game at 35.6, while the team's rushing defense ranks last, allowing 229.9 yards per game.
