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HOME OF NORTHWESTERN RED RAIDERS ATHLETICS
HONORING CHRIST THROUGH EXCELLENCE IN ATHLETICS
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football-dordt-recap-insidestory-2023
14
Dordt (IA) DOR 5-2 , 5
35
Winner Northwestern NWC 8-0 , 7
Dordt (IA) DOR
5-2 , 5
14
Final
35
Northwestern NWC
8-0 , 7
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
DOR Dordt (IA) 0 7 0 7 14
NWC Northwestern 7 10 18 0 35

Game Recap: Football | | NWC Athletic Communications

McCarty Records 75th Career Win in 35-14 Victory Over the Defenders

Konner McQuillan joins the 3,000-yard rushing club in the win

ORANGE CITY, Iowa – The No. 1-ranked Northwestern College football team (8-0, 7-0 GPAC) recorded their 16th-straight win over the No. 22-ranked Dordt Defenders (5-2, 5-2 GPAC) in the first National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) top-25 clash for the Red Raiders this season. Head coach Matt McCarty picks up his 75th win leading the program with the victory over Dordt; while Konner McQuillan becomes the seventh Red Raider to notch 3,000 career rushing yards.  
"I thought we were able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball," commented McCarty. "Our offense was able to win on first down and that helped us put together scoring drives."
 
To start the contest, Dordt took the opening kick and marched into Red Raider territory in two plays. They would find themselves at the 31-yard line and facing a fourth-and-eight. The Defenders kept the offense on the field, going into the wind, and a big hit from Clayton Bosma (Jr., Sioux Center, Iowa) would prevent a conversion and immediately swing momentum in favor of Northwestern.  
In the first Red Raider drive of the day, Jalyn Gramstad (Jr., Lester, Iowa) and company would march 69-yards on 13 plays to use the big fourth down stop and convert that into a 7-0 lead. The first score of the day would be an 8-yard touchdown toss from Gramstad to McQuillan, as the drive took over eight minutes off the clock.  
Heading into the second quarter, following a Dordt three-and-out, the Red Raiders put together another 10+-play drive which ended in a 29-yard field goal for Eli Stader (Sr., Cedar Grove, Wis.) which made it 10-0. The ensuing drive saw another fourth down for the Defenders and after a time out, Ben Egli (So., Fort Dodge, Iowa) would explode through the line and meet the Dordt ball carrier in the backfield to end the Defender drive, the second coming on downs.
 
Wasting no time once again following the second fourth down stop by the defense, the Red Raider offense marched it down the field (47 yards) in eight plays which was capped off by a six-yard touchdown scamper by McQuillan as Northwestern extended their lead to 17-0 just before the half.
 
"Our crowd was awesome today," said McCarty. "You could hear an audible roar from the crowd multiple times and we love playing in front of the home crowd!"
 
An explosive third quarter saw Northwestern keep the foot on the pedal as 18-straight points pushed the lead to 35-7 at the end of the third quarter. The scoring started with McQuillan's second rushing score of the day, finding the end zone from four yards out. Later in the quarter, a five-yard touchdown reception for Michael Storey (Sr., Spencer, Iowa) made it 30-7, but there would be more on that drive. Pulling out a fancy formation, the Red Raiders lined up with Bosma in the shotgun formation, but it would be Logan Dykstra (So., Lynden, Wash.) who would find Stader in the end zone for a 2-pt conversion to make it 32-7.
 
The busy day for Stader, who on top of his field goal and 2-pt conversion reception, would have seven kickoffs which were all for touchbacks. He would get one more opportunity to put his wide skill set to use. He would convert on a 51-yard field goal – the third 50+-yard field goal of his career – as it would wrap up the Red Raider scoring, making it 35-7 Red Raiders with under three minutes left to play.
 
Dordt would punch it in one more time in the fourth quarter, as Cade Rohwer would find Kade McDaniel for a five-yard touchdown connection, as the final score would prove to be 35-14 Northwestern in the NAIA top-25 clash.
 
"We asked a lot of Kylar today in our scheme and he stepped up by making some good plays."
 
GAME NOTES:
  • Head Coach Matt McCarty picks up his 75th career win leading the Red Raider football program.
  • Konner McQuillan becomes the seventh Red Raider in program history to achieve 3,000 career rushing yards.
  • NWC has won all 16 meetings against the Defenders, dating back to the 2008 season; now 7-0 against the Defenders in Orange City.
  • NWC had 301 yards to Dordt's 287 yards.
  • Dordt held the edge in the passing game (201-173), but NWC held the edge in rushing (128-86).
  • NWC has now recorded an interception in 14-straight games.
  • Jalyn Gramstad was highly proficient through the air, going 20-for-23 (.870) with 161 yards and two touchdowns.
  • He led the rushing attack with his 64 net yards on 15 carries with a long of 26 yards.
  • For the second-straight week, McQuillan led the offense in receiving yards (74) and had one touchdown reception.
  • Austyn Gerard also contributed 56 yards on six catches.
  • Michael Storey brought down a wide-open touchdown reception, moving into a three-way tie for the league lead with nine on the season.
  • Kylar Fritz records his first-career interception in the third quarter.
  • Ben Egli led the team with his 10 tackles (6 solo).
  • It marks his second-career 10+ tackles game for the sophomore.
  • Adam Gubbels moved into a tie for the team lead with his fifth sack of the season.
  • Eli Stader hit his third-career field goal of 50 yards or longer with a 51-yarder today.
  • Later, Stader converted a 2-pt conversion play in the end zone, catching a ball from Logan Dykstra.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Ben Egli
Up Next: The Red Raiders will return remain at Korver Field at De Valois Stadium next weekend (October 28) for a No. 1 vs. No. 2 clash between the Morningside Mustangs (8-0, 7-0 GPAC) with kickoff slated for 1:00 p.m.
Don't forget to follow Northwestern College Athletics on Facebook @nwcraiders, Twitter @nwcraiders, and Instagram @nwcraiders! #RaidersStandOut
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