Game Time...No.10 Northwestern College will meet No.7 Langston (Okla.) in a NAIA Football Championship Series-1st Round match-up between top 10 teams this weekend. Kickoff at W.E. Anderson Stadium in Langston, Okla. is scheduled for 2pm. Northwestern is 9-1 on the season and Langston brings an unbeaten 10-0 record into Saturday's game. 

Tickets available at the Northwestern College Athletic office (Pre-sale $10 general / $5 student); tickets also available at the game ($15 general / $10 student)

Tickets also available online at this link: Purchase Online! 

Stadium address: 701 Sammy Davis Jr. Dr.   Langston/Coyle, Okla.  73050

Follow the game live, via the Langston webcast, at this link: Watch Now!  

Listen to the game live, via the KSOU broadcast and the Dean and Brian Show, here: Listen Now!

Live stats will be available here: Live Stats!

All-Time...This will be the first ever match-up between the two teams.

How They Qualified...Northwestern, the runner-up from the Great Plains Athletic Conference, earned the first of four at-large bids in the 16-team NAIA FCS. Langston, the regular season champion of the nine-team Central States Football League (CSFL), earned the league's lone automatic bid into the FCS. 

Playoff History...

    Northwestern: This is the 19th overall postseason appearance for the Red Raiders and first since the 2014 season. Northwestern also qualified in 1972, 1973, 1978, 1979, 1982-85, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2003, 2006 and 2012-24. The Red Raiders have a 20-16 record in the postseason and are 13-5 in first round match-ups (note: the 1987 season was the first the NAIA went to a 16-team format for the championship; from 1978 - 1986, the NAIA had an 8-team championship field, prior to that, it was four-team championship; therefore, the 13-5 record in the first round accounts for the FIRST game played in the postseason by the Red Raiders, whether it be the round of 16, 8 for 4.)  Northwestern has dropped three straight games in the postseason and last advanced out of the first round in 2006.

    Recent NW Playoff History: 
        2014: lost to Missouri Valley (A), 20-17 (2OT)
        2013: lost to Missouri Valley (A), 38-13
        2012: lost to Marian (A), 42-32
        2006: def. Black Hills State (H), 17-10
                  lost to Missouri Valley (A), 33-26   Quarterfinals
        2003: def. Ottawa (H) 36-33
                  lost to Sioux Falls (A) 33-7

    Langston: This is the seventh trip to the NAIA FCS for the Lions and like Northwestern, the first since 2014. Langston owns a 2-6 record in the NAIA postseason and has not advanced out of the first round since 2008, going 0-2 in the opening round since.

    Langston Playoff History:
        2014: lost to Grand View, 38-3
        2009: lost to Lindenwood, 49-14
        2008: def. MidAmerica Nazarene, 20-14
                  lost to Sioux Falls, 50-13
        1994: def. Arkansas Tech 56-42 (Div. I playoff)
                  lost to Northeastern State 3-0 (Div. I quarterfinal)
        1993: lost to Arkansas Monticello, 26-13 (Div. I)
        1973: lost to Abilene Christian 34-6 (Div. I)

Scouting Reports:  

    No.7 Langston Lions: 10-0 overall, 1 of 6 undefeated teams left in NAIA
             Head Coach: Quinton Morgan (2nd year)
             Won Central States Football League Title: 8-0

     2017 Results:
        def. Lincoln University 30-14
        def. Lyon 41-14*
        def. Bacone 36-6*
        def. Texas Wesleyan 34-0*
        def. Lane 27-21
        def. Texas College 44-17*
        def. Arizona Christian 21-20*
        def. Oklahoma Panhandle State 27-14*
        def. SAGU 14-10*
        def. Wayland Baptist 38-19*

    Last Year's Record: 5-1 (2nd), 7-2 overall (ranked 21st in final poll)
    Preseason: picked 2nd in CSFL preseason poll (Arizona Christian was #1)
    Returning Starters: 10 total (4 offense, 5 defense, 1 special teams)
    
    By the Numbers (2017) Conf/NAIA rank (bold-NAIA if top 10)

    Scoring Offense: 31.8 ppg (3rd)     Scoring Defense: 13.5 ppg (1st / 2nd)
    Total Offense: 345 ypg (5th)            Total Defense: 261 ypg (1st / 3rd)
    Rush Offense: 179 ypg (2nd)          Rush Defense: 97 ypg (1st / 8th)
    Pass Offense: 166 ypg (7th)            Pass Defense: 165 ypg (1st / 6th)
    Sacks Given Up: 21 (3rd)                Sacks by: 34 (1st / 4th)
    Turnover Margin: +19 (30 forced, 11 given up)

    2017 Stats Leaders / Conf. rank: (* denotes returning starter)
    Rushing:  Tim Whitfield 87 att., 471yds (8th), 6 TD 
                      Jaylen Lowe  87 att. 306yds, 5 TD
                      Tyree Hanson  65 att. 300yds, 5 TD
     Passing: Jaylen Lowe  88/149, 1,043yds, 11 TD, 0 INT, 104yds/game (7th)
                     Milton Harper  49/96, 591yds, 4 TD, 2 INT
     Receiving: Cedric Jackson  35 catches (6th), 505yds (8th), 5 TD
                        Glenn Irons  21 / 264yds, 3 TD
                       *Michael Andrade  17 / 189 TD
    O-Line: 2 starters return, Christopher Carrillo (All-Conf.), Jay Hura
    Tackles: *Jamarae Finnie  62 (4th)(All-Conference)
                    James Cox  51
                    *Eugene Fuller  47
                    *Michael Smith  46
                     Peter Gordon  43
    Interceptions: *Michael Smith  3
                            Jeffry Reed 2
                            5 players tied w/ 1
    Sacks: *Jamarae Finnie  7.5 (2nd)
                  Malik Argue  5
                  3 players w/ 3

    Other Notes:

    Langston has been ranked in the top 25 all season, beginning at No.22 (preseason), moving into the top 10 (Oct.2) and finishing No.7; they are one of three CSFL teams in the final top 25 (SAGU-18, Panhandle State-24)

   Offensively, the Lions have rushed for 100+ yards in eight of 10 games; have rushed for more yards than opponent in all but two games

    The Lions have thrown for 200+ yards in three of 10 games     
    
    Whitfield had a season-high 175 rushing yards vs Texas College; Jackson had a season-high 193 receiving yards vs Wayland Baptist

    Defensively, Langston has held opponents to under 100 rush yards six times; under 200 yards passing seven times

    No.10 Northwestern College: 9-1, 7-1 (2nd in GPAC)

    Head Coach: Matt McCarty (2nd year as head coach, 13th year as coach with program)
    
    2017 Results: 
     def. Ottawa 41-16
     def. #15 Dickinson State 37-3
     def. Concordia 35-21
     def. Briar Cliff 63-26
     lost to #4 Morningside 48-20
     def. Midland 24-21
     def. Dakota Wesleyan 29-10
     def. #19 Doane 31-24
     def. Dordt 41-23
     def. Hastings, 31-12

    Returning Starters:  12     Starters Lost:  14  (including P, K, PR and KR)
    Letterwinners Returning: 35   Letterwinners Lost: 24   
    Preseason: picked 5th in both coaches' and media poll
    
    By The Numbers: and rank (bold-NAIA if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 35.2 ppg (4th)               Scoring Defense: 20 ppg (2nd)
    Total Offense: 478 ypg (4th)                     Total Defense: 368 ypg  (3rd)
    Rush Offense: 228 ypg (5th)                    Rush Defense: 182 ypg (4th)
    Pass Offense: 250 ypg (3rd)                    Pass Defense: 186 ypg (2nd)
    Sacks Given Up: 11 (3rd / 9th)                         Sacks by: 11 (7th)
    Turnover Margin: +1 (20 forced/19 given up)

    2017 Stats Leaders/GPAC rank: (* denotes returning starter)
    Rushing: *Jacob Kalogonis  225 att./1426yds (3rd/4th), 14 TD, 143yds/game (2nd/3rd)
                     Tyson Kooima   126 att/605yds, 12 TD
    Passing: Tyson Kooima   176/323, 2,492yds (3rd), 20 TD, 8 INT  249yds/game (3rd)
    Receiving: *Levi TeBrink   41 catches (8th), 772yds (4th), 4 TD
                       *J.C. Koerselman  42 catches (7th), 518yds, 3 TD
                        Jared Nelson  30 catches, 422 yds, 7 TD
                       Shane Solberg  29 catches, 418 yards, 5 TD
    Tackles: *Tanner Machacek  73 
                    *Sean Powell  70 
                    *Joey Novotny   70
                    Bryce Van Beek 58
                  *Jacob Jenness  57
    Interceptions: Bryce Van Beek-7 (1st/1st)
                             Jerod Hansen-3 (5th)
    Sacks: *Cody Bauman-5 (3rd)

Other Notes: 
    Red Raiders initally moved up to 15th in the Sept. 25 NAIA poll; currently 10th and highest ranking for the Red Raiders since the 2015 season when they were ninth in the Sept.14 poll.

    Northwestern is going for its 10th win; last 10-win season was in 2006; there have been two 10-win season since 2000, 11 overall

    have scored 20+ points in every game this season (10); matching longest streak since 2005 (last 5) and 2006 (first 5) seasons

    this year's squad averages 5.8yds/carry, most for sure since 1998; 478 yds/game is most for sure since for sure 1998
    
    Kalogonis has 11 100+ yard games for his career, eight in the 2017 season, including five straight; three 200+ yard games

    Kalogonis ranks second all-time in rushing yards/season (1,426yds); behind Dave Perrigo 2,504yds in 2000); 14 TD tied for fourth and most since Theo Bartman (2012)

    Te Brink has three 100-yard receiving games this season; 6 for his career; Koerselman one 100-yard game this season, 2 for career

    Jared Nelson was the first Red Raider to catch four TD passes in a game (for sure since 1998) vs Dickinson State

   Kooima has thrown for 250+ yards in seven of the nine games played this season; 1 300-yard game; has at least one rushing TD in six of nine games

    Kooima ranks 7th all-time in passing yards/season (2,492); 10th all-time in passing TD's/season (20); 12 rushing TD's, most by QB since 1998

        Yards in a Season:
            6th-Davis Bloemendaal 2621
            5th-Jonathan Kodama  2697

        TD Passes in a Season
            9th-Davis Bloemendaal (2012) /Jay McKinstrey (1985)  21
            8th-Craig Hector (2007)  22
            7th-Travis Kooima (2003)  23
            6th-Lee McKinstrey (1983), Adam Tyrell (1994), Curt Krull (1973)-24

    Northwestern has had the edge in total yards in nine of the 10 games played

    Red Raiders have had the advantage in rushing yards in six of nine games; advantage passing in every game
                
    Raider D has given up less than 100 yards in one game; given up less than 200 yards passing in six games, four straight

    16 players earned all-conference honors: