Game Time...No.5 Northwestern returns home for the first time in nearly a month when they host Doane on Saturday, Oct. 26 for a GPAC match-up. Kickoff on Korver Field is scheduled for 1pm. Moving up to fifth in this week's NAIA coaches' poll, Northwestern is tied with Morningside for first place in the current GPAC standings with a 5-0 record, 6-0 overall. Doane is currently third in the GPAC at 4-2, 4-4 overall.

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All-Time...Northwestern holds a 19-15-2 all-time record against Doane, dating back to the 1982 season. The Red Raiders are 3-2 against Doane over the last five years, 6-4 over the last 10.

    Last Five Games:
    2018: 28-21 W
    2017: 31-24 W
    2016: 24-12 L
    2015: 28-21 L
    2014: 17-10 (OT) W

In 2018...Jacob Kalogonis rushed for a season-high 196 yards and three touchdowns while an opportunistic Raider D forced four turnovers in leading 5th-ranked Northwestern to a 28-25 win over  (RV) Doane last season for Homecoming. 

Kalogonis shouldered the load offensively for Head Coach Matt McCarty's squad, totaling 196 yards on 31 carries, averaging over six yards per attempt. Kalogonis reached the end-zone three times against Doane, scoring on runs of 40, one and two yards, to push his career rushing touchdown total to 30, tying Theo Bartman for eighth place all-time.

The Raider D, best in the GPAC in total yards allowed, gave up 299 yards and forced Doane into four turnovers, intercepting Tigers' quarterback Jack Kalina three times while also recovering a fumbled snap. 

Northwestern totaled 362 yards on offense, 230 rushing and 132 through the air. Tyson Kooima completed 13-of-22 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 55 yards. Shane Solberg led the receiving corps with five catches for 37 yards and a touchdown. Both Jared Nelson and Cade Moser totaled three catches each.

Defensively, Logan Richard led the way with a career-high nine tackles and also broke up two passes. Sean Powell accounted for eight stops and both Tanner Machacek and Jed Van't Hof totaled seven tackles. Sayler, Bryce Van Beek and Noah Van't Hof all nabbed interceptions.

Kalina led the Doane offense with 217 passing yards and two touchdowns while Cameron Vitosh totaled seven catches for 92 yards and a score. Chayton Crow had a big day for the Tigers' defense with 12 tackles, 2.5 for a loss. 

Scouting Reports...

    Doane Tigers: 4-2 (3rd), 4-4 overall        Head Coach: Chris Bessler (2nd year)

The Tigers had their three-game win streak snapped by Dordt last weekend, losing at home to the Defenders 61-0. Doane gave up over 600 yards, 400 rushing, and its struggles carried over to the offense as well, totaling 124 yards against Dordt. Doane is currently third in the GPAC with a 4-2 record, 4-4 overall, with wins over Concordia, Hastings, Dakota Wesleyan and Jamestown. 

Bessler, a former all-conference linebacker for Doane in 1990-93, returns for his second season as the team's head coach after serving as the defensive coordinator since 2007. Bessler returns 13 starters (5 offense, 6 defense, 2 special teams) from a 2018 team that finished fourth in the GPAC at 5-4, 6-4 overall. Doane last reached the NAIA postseason in 2016, losing to Eastern Oregon in the first round, and ended the year ranked 10th.

By the Numbers: (GPAC / NAIA Rank-if top 10)
Offense (5 starters return)                  Defense (6 starters return)  Special Teams (2 starters return)
PPG – 17.5pts (9th)                              PPG – 31 (7th)                        5/10 FG
YPG – 228 (6th)                                    YPG – 409 (8th)                      17/18 PAT
     Rush-63 (10th)                                    Rush-158 (6th)                     KR – 17.6 / (7^th)
     Pass-165 (7th)                                     Pass-251 (9th)                     PR – 16.4 / (3rd/6th)
-6 TO margin (9th)                                18 QB sacks (1st / 4th)            Punt – 35/ (7th)
22 sacks given up (8th)                         42% 3^rd down (9th)
29% 3^rd down (7th)

Statistical Leaders: (GPAC rank)
Jamaine Derogene - 71/249 rush yds, 3 TD
Drake Davidson - 96/187, 1,168yds (6th), 9 TD, 4 INT
Cayden Beran - 37 catches (2nd), 536yds (4th), 2 TD
Izaiah Celestine (2 100-yard games) 23 catches, 532yds (9th), 4 TD
                  17.4yds/punt return (2nd/2nd), TD
Brandon Gannon (returning starter)  17 catches, 131yds, TD
Josh Baker (returning starter)  14 catches, 154yds
Sam Vanderslice, Alex Bruner - OL returning starters
Connor O'Toole - 56 tackles, 1 QB sack
Garrett Fries - 50 tackles
Anthony Malone (2nd team all-conference)- 48 tackles, 2.5 sacks
Riley Homolka - 3.5 sacks, 39 tackles

#5 Northwestern Red Raiders: 5-0 (GPAC), 6-0 overall        Head Coach: Matt McCarty (4th year)

The Red Raiders are set to play their first and only home game in the month of October. Since their 45-6 win over Jamestown for Homecoming on Sept. 28, Northwestern has had its bye week and two wins on the road against Dordt and Concordia. They are 5-0 in the GPAC, 6-0 overall, and are one of 10 teams still unbeaten in the NAIA.

In last week's 20-14 road win over Concordia, Shane Solberg became the program's all-time leader in receiving yards (2,573), surpassing Chad Netten (1994-97). The junior broke the record on a 17-yard reception early in the fourth quarter. Solberg, who is just four receptions shy of Netten's career mark of 162, extended his streak of games with at least two catches to 22 and has five games with 10+ catches in his career.

Offense (GPAC / NAIA rank-if top 10)     Defense                              Special Teams
PPG – 37.5 (3rd)                                  PPG – 10.8 (1st / 3rd)              8/9 FG
YPG – 449 (3rd/8th)                             YPG – 297 (4^th)                       27/28 PAT
     Rush-166 (4^th)                                       Rush-157 (2nd)                 KR – 23.9yds/return (1st/10th)
     Pass-282 (2^nd/9th)                                 Pass-140 (5th)                  PR – 14.4yds/return (4th)
+4 TO margin                                        11 QB sacks (9th)                   Punt – 34/attempt (9th)
10 sacks given up (4th)                         39% 3^rd down (7th)
36/75, 48% 3^rd down (2nd/5th)

Statistical Leaders: (GPAC rank)
Jacob Kalogonis – 112/690yds (2nd), 8 TD, 4 100-yard games in 2019
Tyson Kooima – 108/177, 1,631yds (2^nd / 9th), 14 TD, 4 INT; 2 300-yd games in 2019
Shane Solberg – 39 catches (2nd), 657yds (2nd/6th), 5 TD; 3 100-yard games in 2019
Cade Moser – 24 catches, 504yds (8th), 3 TD; 2 100-yard games in 2019
Braxton Williams – 8/9 FG, long of 48 yards; 27/28 PAT
Marcus Rens – 16 punts, 33.9yds/attempt (8^th)
Tanner Machacek – 58 tackles (2nd), 3.5 QB sacks (3rd)
Sean Powell – 49 tackles (4th), 1.5 sacks
Brett Moser – 37 tackles, 2 INT (T2nd)