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Northwestern College Athletics

Northwestern College
HOME OF NORTHWESTERN RED RAIDERS ATHLETICS
HONORING CHRIST THROUGH EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
Nike
football-briar-cliff-recap-2023
37
Winner Northwestern NWC 7-0 , 6-0 GPAC
8
Briar Cliff (IA) BCU 2-5 , 2-4 GPAC
Winner
Northwestern NWC
7-0 , 6-0 GPAC
37
Final
8
Briar Cliff (IA) BCU
2-5 , 2-4 GPAC
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
NWC Northwestern 10 7 7 13 37
BCU Briar Cliff (IA) 0 0 0 8 8

Game Recap: Football | | NWC Athletic Communications

McQuillan Dominant as No. 1 Northwestern Sprints Past Briar Cliff

Michael Storey goes over 4,000 career receiving yards in the win

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The gloomy overcast skies in Sioux City didn't hinder the top-ranked Northwestern College football team (7-0, 6-0 GPAC) made it 21-straight wins over the Briar Cliff Chargers (2-5, 2-4 GPAC) with a 37-8 victory from Memorial Field. Michael Storey became just the third Red Raider to eclipse 4,000 career receiving yards and Konner McQuillan set new career-highs in rushing scores (3) and longest run (73 yards) and accounted for four total touchdowns.  
"We were able to adapt and do enough to earn a win today," noted head coach Matt McCarty. "We made some big plays when we needed to and defensively, we were able to control the line of scrimmage and the run game."
 
It was the Red Raider defense that stole the show in the first half of the contest, holding the Briar Cliff offense to just four first downs and 52 total yards of offense in the first half.  
 
Reminiscent to last week against Hastings, it was a 10-0 ballgame after the first 15 minutes of play. The defense came to play from the opening snap as Morris Hofer (Sr., Onida, S.D.) and Jessen Reinking (Jr., Kingsley, Iowa) would sack Charger quarterback Brock Saya on the first play from scrimmage. Eli Stader (Jr., Cedar Grove, Wis.) got the scoring started with a 27-yard field goal and later Jalyn Gramstad (Jr., Lester, Iowa) would scamper 16 yards for the first touchdown of the game with under a minute left in the first quarter. What proved to be the only completion to Storey (Sr., Spencer, Iowa) in the first quarter – a 42-yard that put NWC at the Briar Cliff 8-yard line – was enough to put Storey over the 4,000 career receiving yards mark.
 
"Mike's been a consistent playmaker for us since he stepped on the field as a freshman," said McCarty on Storey achieving 4,000 career receiving yards. "He's an ultimate competitor and one of the best to wear a Red Raider uniform."
 
The second quarter would only see one score as McQuillan (Sr., Leavenworth, Kan.) would find the end zone for the first of three times on the day, a one-yard score completing a seven-play, 67-yard drive. Northwestern would take a 17-0 lead into the locker room at the break. The Red Raiders held the Chargers to just four first downs in the first 30 minutes of play, while holding the Chargers to just 52 total yards of offense. Of those 51 first half yards, Briar Cliff only mustered one rushing yard.  
The second half proved to be all Red Raiders, despite Briar Cliff putting up their only score of the game in the fourth quarter. Northwestern wore down the Chargers and more big plays began to emerge. The third quarter also saw just one score as a 10-yard scamper from McQuillan – his second score of the day – finished off an eight-play, 78-yard drive in just over three minutes (3:18). The Red Raiders would hold a 24-0 lead through three quarters of action.
 
Early in the fourth, the most sustained drive of the day for the Chargers ended with six points, and a two-point conversion successful, would make it 24-8 with 12:38 to play.
 
The final scores of the day would prove to be explosive plays for the Red Raiders, both being 45+-yard touchdown scores. The drive immediately ensuing the Briar Cliff score, the Red Raiders one-upped the home team with a two-play, 75-yard scoring drive (00:45) as McQuillan broke off a career-long 73-yard touchdown run for his career-high third touchdown score. The final score of the day came off a Charger turnover on downs as a 48-yard strike from Gramstad to McQuillan made it 37-8 Red Raiders. Northwestern would melt the clock on the next possession, all seven and a half minutes, with seven plays for 63 yards.
 
"Konner made some big plays when we needed him to today," said McCarty. "He's a threat to score every time he touches the ball."  
GAME NOTES:
  • Michael Storey records 4,000 career receiving yards with his first catch of the afternoon.
  • Konner McQuillan set new career-highs in rushing scores (3) and longest rush (73 yards, TD).
  • Ben Kingery notched his first-career 10+ tackle game with a career-high 12 tackles to pace the NWC defense.
  • Cody Moser picks up his NAIA-leading sixth interception of the season (tied with D. McClinton, Peru State (Neb.)).
  • Moser has now recorded an INT in four-straight games.
  • The Raider defense held the Chargers to just 34 net yards rushing, the second lowest number of rushing yards allowed this season (30 vs. Doane).
  • Northwestern eclipsed 500 yards of offense for the third time this season.
  • McQuillan lead the Red Raider rushing attack for the fifth-time (third-straight game) this season with 123 yards on 11 carries.
  • Moreover, he led the receiving attack with his 92 receiving yards on five receptions.
  • He accounted for four total scores, three rushing and a 48-yard TD reception from Gramstad.
  • Jalyn Gramstad threw for 300+ yards for the third time this season (and career) with 330 yards on 16-for-24 passing and one TD score.
  • For the fourth time this season, NWC recorded four sacks as a team and 10 tackles for loss.
  • Adam Gubbels led the charge with two tackles for loss and a sack.
  • Along with Moser, Tristan Mulder recorded his first interception of the season.
  • Mulder and Trystin Voss both forced a fumble.
  • NWC has won every single meeting in series history (21-0).
  • Matt McCarty improves to 8-0 against Briar Cliff and picks up win No. 74 in his career.
PLAYER OF THE GAME 
Konner McQuillan
Up Next: The Red Raiders will return to Korver Field at De Valois Stadium next Saturday, October 21 to host the No. 22-ranked Dordt Defenders (5-1, 5-1 GPAC) in the Battle for Sioux County with kickoff slated for 1:00 p.m. from Orange City.

Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut
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