Tyson Kooima threw for three touchdowns and the Raider Defense overwhelmed Jamestown in leading No.7 Northwestern to a 49-7 rout of the Jimmies in the GPAC opener for both teams.
Northwestern improves to 2-0 overall, 1-0 in conference play, while Jamestown moves to 1-2 on the season, 0-1 in the GPAC.
Kooima completed touchdown passes to three different receivers and threw for 227 yards while rushing for 49 yards and a score to lead the Red Raider offense. This was the fifth time that Kooima threw for three touchdowns in a game during his NWC career. The sophomore threw touchdown passes of 35 yards to
Cade Moser, of 40 yards to
Shane Solberg and a six-yard strike to
Jared Nelson.
Bryce Van Beek, last year's NAIA leader in picks, nabbed a career-high three interceptions, returning one 49 yards for a defensive touchdown in the second quarter, to highlight the defensive effort. The Raider D limited Jamestown to just nine first downs and 93 yards passing for the game.
After punting on its opening possession, Northwestern scored a touchdown on its next four and five of its next six offensive series. The five touchdowns scored by the offense, coupled with Van Beek's interception return for a score, put the the Red Raiders in front 40-0 by halftime.
Northwestern began its scoring with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Kooima to freshman wideout
Cade Moser to cap an eight-play, 80-yard drive and a 6-0 lead. Following a bad snap on a Jamestown punt, Northwestern took over at the Jimmies nine-yard line and punched it in three plays later with a
Jacob Kalogonis five-yard run. Leading 13-0, Northwestern made the score 19-0 by the end of the quarter when Kooima hooked up with
Shane Solberg for a 40-yard scoring reception with two minutes left in the first.
Van Beek made the score 26-0 when the senior defensive back picked off a Jordan Mann pass and returned it 49 yards for a score, recording the Raiders' first defensive score of the season. After another Jamestown punt, Kooima escaped pressure and scampered 24-yards for a touchdown and 33-0 lead. Northwestern capped its first half scoring with a Kooima to
Jared Nelson six-yard touchdown pass with 4:23 left in the first half.
Braxton Williams accounted for the only points in the third quarter when the sophomore converted a 35-yard field goal attempt and 43-0 lead. Jamestown scored its only touchdown when Tanner Mathern ran it in from one-yard out, finishing off an 11-play, 75-yard drive early in the fourth quarter. The Red Raiders came back with their final touchdown when
Matt Williams scored his first touchdown as a Red Raider with a four-yard run.
Northwestern totaled 478 yards of offense compared to 200 for the Jimmies. Kalogonis finished the game just five yards shy of his second consecutive 100-yard game with 18 carries for 95 yards and a touchdown. Williams rushed five times for 38 yards and Kooima carred four times for 49 yards. The sophomore quarterback completed 13 / 26 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns while Solberg led the receiving corps with five catches for 92 yards and a score. Both Moser and Nelson totaled three catches each.
Noah Van't Hof and
Justin Faber led the Raider D with seven tackles each while
Tanner Machacek and
Sean Powell totaled six tackles each. Van Beek matched the Red Raiders single game record with three interceptions, matching both Grant Mosier (vs Dana in 2007) and Justin Wohlert (vs Concordia in 2014).
Northwestern will host Midland for its home opener next weekend, Sept. 15, at 1pm.
