Courtesy of Midland Athletics
FREMONT, Neb. – Back on its home turf at Heedum Field, Midland University hosted No. 23 Northwestern College in a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) battle on Saturday. The Warriors and Red Raiders entered the day tied for fourth in the conference and played to a deadlock in regulation before the visitors spoiled the upset bid, scoring a touchdown on their first possession of overtime after a defensive stop. The victory moves Northwestern into sole possession of fourth place, while Midland falls back a game.
After exchanging stalled drives to open the game, the Red Raiders went 60 yards in six plays for the first score. Colby Duncan connected with Tanner Schouten for a 34-yard touchdown pass, and after a Gianna Bennett extra point, Northwestern led 7-0.
Midland was stopped on its next two drives while forcing a punt in between. Early in the second quarter, Samias Pickett forced a fumble, and Jay Ballard recovered to set up the Warrior offense at the Northwestern 22-yard line.
Four plays later, Brody Johnson’s pass narrowly cleared a defender’s reach and found TJ Covington in the back of the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown. Payden Alexander‘s PAT was good, tying the game at 7-7 with 11:45 left in the half.
After trading possessions, Northwestern took over with 1:26 left at the Midland 40-yard line. The Red Raiders’ drive stalled at the six, but Bennett converted a 23-yard field goal to give her team a 10-7 lead at the break.
Midland opened the second half with a strong drive, going 68 yards in 11 plays for the go-ahead score. Johnson found a seam and scampered into the end zone from 11 yards out. Alexander’s kick was good, and Midland led 14-10 midway through the third.
Northwestern responded with a lengthy drive of its own, covering 83 yards in 17 plays and converting a key fourth down at the end of the quarter. Duncan found Sam Remmerde for a seven-yard touchdown with 12:29 remaining. Bennett’s PAT made it 17-14 Red Raiders.
With time winding down, Midland stayed alive with two clutch fourth-down conversions. Johnson connected with Tae Marks for a 37-yard gain on 4th-and-14, then hit Covington for five yards on 4th-and-4 to the 32. After three incomplete passes, Alexander lined up for a 48-yard field goal with 15 seconds left. With the wind at his back, he drilled it through the uprights to tie the game at 17-17.
Northwestern couldn’t mount a return on the ensuing kickoff, sending the game to overtime.
In the first overtime, Midland’s offense lost eight yards, forcing Cameron Spicer to attempt a 50-yard field goal after Alexander left with an injury. His kick was short and left, keeping the score tied. Northwestern’s ensuing possession ended abruptly as Midland forced and recovered a fumble at the 16-yard line to extend the game.
The Red Raiders struck first in the second overtime. On the sixth play, Duncan found Carson Ness for a six-yard touchdown. The two-point try failed, leaving Northwestern up 23-17.
Midland’s possession mirrored the Red Raiders’ drive. Tyson Denkert caught a pass and rushed on consecutive plays to set up a 4th-and-1 at the 16. Out of the wildcat, Denkert attempted a pass to Ali Gbaja-Biamila, but the defender arrived as the ball did, jarring it loose to seal Northwestern’s 23-17 win.
“Give Northwestern credit — their defense played phenomenal,” said head coach Jeff Jamrog. “We had a tough time blocking them in pass protection and in the run game. We put ourselves in great position there at the end with Payden Alexander‘s kick to get it to overtime. I really thought once we got there, we’d win it. Very disappointed we weren’t able to finish it off, but proud of the effort and fight to get us there.”
Johnson led Midland’s offense with 208 total yards, completing 19 of 37 passes for 174 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Marks caught two passes for 43 yards, Denkert had seven catches for 43, and Covington hauled in three for 26 yards, including the score.
On the ground, Denkert added 44 yards on 16 carries, while Isaiah Tucker had two carries for 10 yards. Midland finished with 34 net rushing yards.
Northwestern totaled 329 yards of offense — 191 through the air and 138 on the ground. Duncan threw for all 191 yards and three touchdowns while leading the team with 69 rushing yards. Ness caught seven passes for 66 yards and a score, Schouten had three catches for 44 yards and a touchdown, and Remmerde added two catches for 10 yards and a score.
Ballard anchored Midland’s defense with 11 tackles and a fumble recovery. Carter Wagneradded eight tackles, while Zayne Wilson and Dom Rohleder each had six. For Northwestern, Ben Egli led with seven tackles and Jackson Smythe added six, as the Red Raiders recorded five sacks.
Midland (4-5, 4-4 GPAC) will look to bounce back next week in its final road game of the season at Dakota Wesleyan (4-5, 3-5 GPAC). Kickoff is set for Saturday, Nov. 8, in Mitchell, South Dakota.
