Game Time...No.7 Northwestern makes the trip to Sioux Center for a match-up against Dordt this weekend. Kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 12 at Open Space Park is scheduled for 1pm. Both teams are coming off their bye week; Northwestern is 3-0 in the GPAC, 4-0 overall. Dordt is 2-1 in conference play, 3-2 overall. 

Follow the game live, via the following:

    Watch the Game (Dordt webcast) | Live Stats
    
    Listen Live (KSOU broadcast) | 

All-Time..The Red Raiders are 11-0 all-time against Dordt, dating back to the first match-up in 2008. 

    Last Five Games vs Dordt: 
    2018: 40-28 win
    2017: 41-23 win
    2016: 64-16 win
    2015: 47-7 win
    2014: 46-17 win

Last Year...Tyson Kooima threw for a career-high 377 yards in leading #4 Northwestern to a 40-28 win over Dordt in a game played last year at DeValois Stadium. 

Kooima completed 28-of-40 passes for 377 yards and two touchdowns, surpassing his previous best of 316 yards against Concordia last season. He threw a pair of touchdown passes and also matched his career high with 95 rushing yards and two scores. Kooima accounted for the final three scores against the Defenders, passing for two and running the final touchdown in from 40 yards out on a crucial fourth down in the closing minutes.

Shane Solberg was Kooima's preferred target, setting a then-career high for receptions (13) and yards (186) while also catching the game-winner, a 41-yard strike with 8:58 left to go in the final. Solberg's 13 catches was the most by a Red Raider for sure since the 1998 season and the 186 receiving yards was tied for the fifth most all-time. 

The Raider D forced three turnovers, all three on interceptions, and held the Defenders' offense to 311 yards, nearly 150 yards below their average per game. Bryce Van Beek nabbed two picks and Logan Richard totaled one interception. 

Tied at 28 heading into the fourth quarter, Northwestern went ahead for good on a beautiful 41-yard touchdown pass from Kooima to Solberg with just under nine minutes left to play. The Raider D stifled Dordt's offense over the final 15+ minutes, forcing two turnovers, two punts and a turnover on downs on their final five possessions. Northwestern iced the game with a 40-yard run by Kooima on fourth-and-two with 1:13 left to go. 

Northwestern totaled 524 yards of offense, 147 rushing and 377 through the air. Kalogonis totaled 21 carries for 47 yards and two touchdowns and also caught seven passes for 89 yards and a score. Canon Flores totaled four catches for 57 yards and Jared Nelson caught two passes for 32 yards. 

Sean Powell led the Raider D with 11 tackles, including eight solo stops. Garrett Sayler was in on eight tackles and both Logan Richard and Justin Faber accounted for six tackles. Carter Van Gorp added three tackles and one quarterback sack. 

Dordt was led by Keithen Drury with 21 carries for 106 yards and a touchdown. Brock Lamle rushed for 41 yards completed 9-of-17 passes for two touchdowns and three interceptions. Levi Jungling was the top pass catcher with six receptions for 96 yards and a score. 

Last Time Out...Both teams are coming off their bye week and last played on the final Saturday in September (28th). Northwestern gained nearly 500 yards of offense in defeating Jamestown 45-6 on Homecoming. Jacob Kalogonis rushed for a season-high 179 yards and matched his career best with three rushing touchdowns, accomplished three other times. Tyson Kooima completed 15-of-24 passes for 260 yards and three scores to compliment the ground game. Cade Moser proved to be the preferred target, catching six passes for a career-high 152 yards and two touchdowns, also a career high.

Defensively, the Red Raiders held Jamestown to under 200 yards of offense, forced one turnover and registered a season-high three quarterback sacks. Special teams also excelled as Braxton Williams converted all six extra points, made 1-of-2 field goals, totaled five touchbacks and limited the Jimmies return game. Tanner Machacek led the Raider D with nine tackles and tallied one of the three quarterback sacks. Tanner Oleson totaled six stops and both Sean Powell and Jacob Sprague had five stops. 

Dordt gained nearly 800 yards of total offense in its 57-22 drubbing against Dakota Wesleyan on Sept. 28. The Defenders accounted for most of the yards on the ground (563) as Noah Clayberg gained 22 yards on 20 carries to go with one touchdown. The dual-threat quarterback also threw for over 100 yards and two scores. 

Scouting Reports...

Dordt University Defenders: 2-1 (GPAC), 3-2 overall         Head Coach: Joel Penner (4th year)
The Defenders have won two straight games coming into this weekend's match-up against Northwestern, earning big wins over both Jamestown (41-16) and Dakota Wesleyan (57-22). Dordt also has a 30-9 win over Waldorf in a non-conference game in week two. Their losses are to ranked teams, Keiser (Fla.) and Morningside. 

Penner, in his fourth season as the Defenders head coach, guided his teams to a pair of five-win seasons (2016 and 2017) and then to a program-best 7-3 record last year. They finished third in the GPAC and were ranked 23rd in the final NAIA poll. Dordt was picked third in this year's preseason poll and returns 11 starters (5 offense, 6 defense) from last year's team.

By the Numbers: (GPAC / NAIA Rank-if top 10)
Offense (5 starters return)                          Defense (6 starters return)      Special Teams (1 starter returns)
PPG – 32.6pts (3rd)                                       PPG – 27.4 (5th)                        4/7 FG
YPG – 460 (3rd / 9th)                                     YPG – 400 (9^th)                         15/19 PAT
     Rush-342 (1st/2nd)                                   Rush-206 (8^th)                           KR – 18.6 / (5^th)
     Pass-118 (9^th)                                           Pass-193 (5th)                           PR – 15 / (4^th)
+4 TO margin                                                 6 QB sacks                                Punt – 37/ (4th)
7 sacks given up                                            24/62, 39% 3^rd down (7th)
27/61, 44% 3^rd down (3rd)

Statistical Leaders: (GPAC rank)
Levi Schoonhoven - 88 rush, 631yds (1st / 7th), 4 TD, 7.2yds/carry (All-Conference)
Noah Clayberg - 28 rush, 269yds, 1 TD, 9.6yds/carry
                         -11/20 passes, 164yds, 2 TD
Jake Dodge - 9 catches, 92yds, 2 TD
Levi Jungling - 7 catches, 138yds, TD (All-Conference)
Justin Urquidez - OL (All-Conference)
Elliott VanKekerix - 39 tackles (5th)
Josh Mrazek - 29 tackles (All-Conference)
Nathan Kabongo - 23 tackles (All-Conference)
Jalen Antonio Placide– 22 tackles
Connor Bosma - 20 tackles, 3 INT (T1st)

#7 Northwestern Red Raiders: 3-0 (GPAC), 4-0 overall        Head Coach: Matt McCarty (4th year)
The Red Raiders climbed to the No.7 spot in this week's NAIA coaches' poll in spite of being off last weekend. They are one of two teams from the GPAC recognized in the Oct. 7 coaches poll (Morningside). Northwestern has wins over Valley City State, Midland, Dakota Wesleyan and Jamestown this season.

Offense (GPAC / NAIA rank-if top 10)     Defense                                  Special Teams
PPG – 42.5 (2^nd/8^th)                                  PPG – 11.3 (2nd / 6th)              6/7 FG
YPG – 470 (2^nd/7th)                                   YPG – 300 (4^th)                       20/21 PAT
     Rush-161 (4^th)                                         Rush-143 (6^th)                       KR – 26.4yds/return (1st)
     Pass-309 (2^nd/7th)                                   Pass-157 (3^rd)                       PR – 16.4yds/return (3rd)
+3 TO margin                                            8 QB sacks (T7th)                     Punt – 34/attempt (9th)
6 sacks given up                                       26/65, 40% 3^rd down (8th)
21/46, 45% 3^rd down (2nd/8th)

Statistical Leaders: (GPAC rank)
Jacob Kalogonis – 82/508yds (3^rd), 7 TD, 3 100-yard games in 2019
Tyson Kooima – 69/111, 1,180yds (2^nd / 4th), 11 TD, 2 INT; 2 300-yd games in 2019
Shane Solberg – 25 catches (6th/10th), 406yds (6th), 5 TD; 2 100-yard games in 2019
Cade Moser – 20 catches (8^th), 459yds (3rd/10th), 3 TD; 2 100-yard games in 2019
Braxton Williams – 6/7 FG, long of 48 yards; 20/21 PAT
Marcus Rens – 12 punts, 33.8yds/attempt (8^th)
Tanner Machacek – 38 tackles (2nd), 2.5 QB sacks (8th)
Sean Powell – 35 tackles (4th)
Brett Moser – 25 tackles, 2 INT (T2nd)