Game Time...19th-ranked Northwestern goes for its fourth straight win as they make the trip to Sioux City for a GPAC match-up against Briar Cliff. Kickoff at Memorial Field is scheduled for 1pm. The Red Raiders (1-0, 3-0) are looking to start a season 4-0 for the first time since 2014 and just the second time in 11 years. Briar Cliff comes into Saturday's game with an 0-1 league record, 0-4 overall. 

Follow the game live via the Briar Cliff webcast at this link: Watch Now!  or listen live to the game via the KSOU broadcast at this link: Listen Now! 

All-Time...Northwestern is 14-0 all-time against the Chargers in a rivalry that started in 2003. The Red Raiders have outscored BCU 182-30 in the last five games, recording two shutout wins. 

    2012: 57-7
    2013: 24-17
    2014: 38-0
    2015: 21-0
    2016: 42-6

Last year, Northwestern totaled a season-high 556 yards in earning a 42-6 home win over Briar Cliff in a GPAC match-up played Sept. 24 under the lights at DeValois Stadium. Jonathan Kodama completed 21-of-27 passes for a career-high 336 yards and three touchdowns, T.J. Spykstra caught a pair of touchdowns, Paul Hutson scored a pair of rushing touchdowns and the freshman Jacob Kalagonis reached the endzone for his first career touchdown to highlight the Red Raider offense.

Sam Van Ginkel registered one of the Raider D's three sacks on the day and in doing so, became the program's all-time leader with 30.5 for his career, breaking the old mark (30) set by Riley Kleinhesselink in 2001.

Scouting Reports...

Briar Cliff Chargers: 0-1 (GPAC, 0-4

    Head Coach: Dennis Wagner (1st year)
    2017 Results: lost to Waldorf (62-26), Bethany (36-23), Dakota State (49-33), Midland (56-28)
    2016 Record: 0-8 (9th in GPAC), 1-10 overall
    Returning Starters: 11 total (4 offense, 5 defense, 2 special teams)
    
    By the Numbers (2017) and rank (bold-NAIA if top 10)

    Scoring Offense: 27.5 ppg (8th)                Scoring Defense: 50.8 ppg (9th)
    Total Offense: 363 ypg (8th)                       Total Defense: 562 ypg (9th)
    Rush Offense: 193ypg (9th)                       Rush Defense: 275 ypg (9th)
    Pass Offense: 170 ypg (7th)                       Pass Defense: 286 ypg (7th)
    Sacks Given Up: 13 (9th)                           Sacks by: 2 (T8th)

    2017 Stats Leaders: (* denotes returning starter)
    Rushing: *Noah Ylagan, 78 carries, 448yds, 4 TD (112 yds/game-7th)
                      Kwame Johnson, 65 carries, 305yds, 5 TD (76.3yds/game-9th)
    Passing: *Chance Barlow  18/39  200yds, 2 TD, INT
    Receiving: *Miles Jones  17 catches (6th), 181yds  2 TD
                       Joe Heinrichs  9 catches, 77yds
    Tackles: Markel Roby  32 (T6)
                  Jarod Eastes  31 (9th)
                  LaDarrian Bowman  25
    Interceptions: *Nate Erickson 1 (2016 All-Conference HM)
    Sacks: Hank Glaros 2

    Wagner, in his first year as head coach at BCU, has been coaching at the college level since 1980; has served on the staff at, among others, U of Nebraska, Fresno State, Liberty and the head coach at Wayne State

    Ylagan has three 100-yard games this season

    Miles Jones ranks fourth in the GPAC in punt return average (15 yards/)

#19 Northwestern College: 1-0 (GPAC), 3-0

    Head Coach: Matt McCarty (2nd year as head coach, 13th year as coach with program)
    
    2017 Results: def. Ottawa 41-16, def. No.15 Dickinson State 37-3, def. Concordia 35-21

    Returning Starters:  12     Starters Lost:  14  (including P, K, PR and KR)

    Letterwinners Returning: 35   Letterwinners Lost: 24   

    By The Numbers: and rank (bold-NAIA if top 10)
    Scoring Offense: 38 ppg (6th in GPAC)                      Scoring Defense: 13.3 ppg (1st in GPAC, 2nd NAIA)
    Total Offense: 506 ypg (4th in GPAC)                         Total Defense: 409 ypg  (5th in GPAC)
    Rush Offense: 225 ypg (4th in GPAC)                        Rush Defense: 164 ypg (5th in GPAC)
    Pass Offense: 281 ypg (3rd in GPAC)                         Pass Defense: 245 ypg (5th in GPAC)
    Sacks Given Up: 3 (1st in GPAC)                                Sacks by: 2

    2017 Stats Leaders:
    Rushing: Jacob Kalogonis   65 att./389 yards, 4 TD (130yds/gm-2nd, 5th)
                     Tyson Kooima   35 att./203 yards, 3 TD
    Passing: Tyson Kooima   52/87 for 844 yards, 9 TD
    Receiving: Jared Nelson  12 catches, 218 yards, 5 TD
                      J.C. Koerselman  14 catches, 147 yards, TD
                      Levi TeBrink  6 catches, 187 yards, TD
    Tackles: Sean Powell  25 tck (1st)
                  Bryce Van Beek 18 tck
                  Jacob Jenness   14 tck
    Interceptions: Jerod Hansen  2 INT

Other Notes: 
    Red Raiders moved into the NAIA rankings for first time since 2015 in the Sept. 11 poll
    
    Kalogonis has five 100+ yard games for his career, two in the 2017 season; one 200+ yard game

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

    Kooima ranks 12th in the NAIA in pass efficiency (173.00); throw 9 TD and just one INT this season

    Raider D leads GPAC in scoring (13.3), 2nd in NAIA

    Sean Powell leads the GPAC in tackles (17.5)

    looking to start a season 4-0 for the first time since 2014 and just the second time in 11 years