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Dakota State University

Scoreboard

15
Iowa Wesleyan IOWA WES 1-7 , 0
53
Winner Dakota State DAKOTA S 5-3 , 4
Iowa Wesleyan IOWA WES
1-7 , 0
15
Final
53
Dakota State DAKOTA S
5-3 , 4
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
IOWA WES Iowa Wesleyan 12 3 0 0 15
DAKOTA S Dakota State 7 18 7 21 53

Game Recap: Football |

Trojans shake off slow start, roll to 53-15 home finale victory over IWU

October 23, 2021

Photos credit by Karen Giles, Mike Black, Keelan Williams

MADISON, S.D. – Despite trailing 15-7 in the early second quarter Saturday in the North Star Athletic Association football contest with newcomer Iowa Wesleyan, Dakota State (S.D.) scored 48 straight points to earn a 53-15 home finale victory at Trojan Field.  The Trojans scored a season-high points, as well as racking up a season-high 443 offensive yards.

Dakota State won their second straight game to raise their overall record to 5-3.  The Trojans moved into a two-way tie for third place with No. 23-ranked Valley City State (N.D.) after their 14-7 home setback to six-time defending champion Dickinson State (N.D.) Saturday.  Iowa Wesleyan fell to 1-7 overall record and 0-3 NSAA conference record.

DSU wrapped up their home schedule with a 4-1 record, despite a home opener defeat to NCAA Division III Wisconsin-La Crosse.  The Trojans completed a perfect 4-0 home record against members of the North Star Athletic Association for the first time in program history since the league formed in 2013-14.

The Trojans tied their most home victories with four since since 2015 (DSU finished 4-2 record at Trojan Field that season). 

FIRST QUARTER

  • Iowa Wesleyan got on the scoreboard first as Kendal Parker recovered a fumble from a quarterback sack and returned it for 27 yards for a touchdown.  George Chapple's PAT extra-point kick was no good as the Tigers led 6-0 with twelve minutes and thirty-two seconds on the clock.
  • Dakota State was unable to score on the next possession, despite recording nine plays for 28 yards in 4:21.  Caleb Nielsen's 54-yard field goal was no good with 8:11 on the clock.
  • IWU scored on the ensuing possession, highlighted by a 25-yard pass from Gavin Esquivel to David Timmons and a 20-yard pass from Esquivel to Jaden Harris.
  • Esquivel hit a 15-yard touchdown pass to Damian Tanelus with 5:06 left in the first quarter.  The Tigers led 12-0 after a failed 2-point PAT try.
  • The Trojans snapped their scoring drought as Jay Skogerboe hit an 81-yard kick-off return for touchdown.  Nielsen followed up with a successful PAT extra-point kick as DSU trailed 12-7 with 4:53 left in the first quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

  • Iowa Wesleyan produced 13 plays for 65 yards in 4:08 (from 2:35 left in the first quarter) and had to settle for a 32-yard field goal by Chapple.  IWU extended their lead to 15-7 with 13:27 on the clock.
  • Dakota State answered by recording 10 plays for 69 yards in 4:12 to knot the game, highlighted by an opening play of 26-yard pass from Ja'Sem Atonio to Austin Lake to IWU's 43-yard line.
  • Brenner Furlong rushed for a 2-yard touchdown with 9:15 left in the second quarter.  The Trojans tied the game at 15-15 as Lake threw a pass to Cole Sylliaasen for a successful 2-point PAT attempt.
  • With the Trojans ball to start the drive on their own 9-yard line, Atonio threw a 71-yard pass to Cooper McDermott to IWU's 20-yard line. 
  • DSU had to settle for a 35-yard field goal by Nielsen as the Trojans earned an 18-15 lead with 3:19 remaining before halftime.
  • The Tigers were forced to punt on the ensuing possession.  DSU began their next possession on their own 42-yard line and opened with a 42-yard pass from Atonio to Sylliaasen to IWU's 18-yard line.
  • Atonio connected to Dajshon Keel for a 6-yard touchdown pass with five seconds left before halftime.  Nielsen added the PAT extra-point kick as the Trojans ballooned their lead to 25-15.

THIRD QUARTER

  • Nico Feroni returned a 'Pick Six' interception return for touchdown of 33 yards as the Trojans widen their lead to 31-15.  Nielsen made it 32-15 in favor of DSU after a successful PAT extra-point kick with 10:36 on the clock.
  • Nielsen also hit a game-long punt of 58 yards for Dakota State with less than five minutes to go in the third quarter.
  • Dakota State led 32-15 by the end of the third quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

  • Dakota State added another touchdown in the fourth quarter, thanks to 12 plays for 78 yards in 5:59.  The scoring drive highlighted back-to-back 15-yard passes from Zach Brooks to McDermott and Keel, respectively. 
  • Brooks rushed for a 1-yard touchdown, followed by Nielsen's PAT extra-point kick to put Trojans up 39-15 with 5:09 remaining.
  • The Trojans made it 46-15 after a game-long 56-yard touchdown rush by Dylan Johnson.  Nielsen added the PAT extra-point kick with 1:36 remaining.
  • Max Sonne produced DSU's second 'Pick Six' interception return for touchdown.  He registered a 56-yard interception return for touchdown with 43 seconds left.  Nielsen hit a successful PAT extra-point kick to make it 53-15 DSU.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

  • Atonio was 8-of-16 for 158 yards with a touchdown for Dakota State.  He also rushed eight times for 17 yards.  Brooks added 9-of-16 for 114 yards.  He had a rushing touchdown.
  • McDermott caught seven passes for a career-high 130 yards for DSU.  Lake added three catches for 58 yards.  Sylliaasen had a 40-yard catch.  Keel recorded two catches for 21 yards. 
  • Furlong rushed 15 times for 43 yards and a touchdown for the Trojans.  Jack Anderson added 12 runs for 38 yards.  Johnson rushed twice for 62 yards and a toucddown.
  • Nielsen finished the game with three punts for 129 yards, averaging 43.0 yards per punt.  Two of his punts were inside the 20-yard line with two touchbacks.  He also had nine kick-offs for 484 yards (53.8 yards per kick-off) with five touchbacks.
  • Gustavo Bonilla led the Trojans' defense with 11 tackles.  He registered 2.5 tackles-for-loss of four yards.  Conner Tordsen and Mahdi Benalshaik each tallied six tackles. 
  • Esquivel was 22-of-42 for 233 yards with a touchdown and an interception for the Tigers.  Harris had five receptions for 77 yards.  Shomari Wilson had a 37-yard reception.  David Timmons had three catches for 34 yards.  Tanelus had two receptions for 24 yards and a touchdown.
  • Hezekiah Hunter rushed 14 times for 23 yards for Iowa Wesleyan. 
  • Major Niccum led IWU with 11 tackles.  Parker added 10 tackles and two quarterback sacks.  Chris Hawthorne tallied nine tackles.  Kaylan Galavo had a sack and a forced fumble.

TEAM COMPARISONS

  • Dakota State racked up 25 first downs in the game compared to Iowa Wesleyan 13 first downs.  The Trojans converted 8-of-19 on third down (44 percent), while the Tigers were 7-of-19 third downs (37 percent).
  • DSU piled up 443 offensive yards and held IWU to 288 total offensive yards.  The Trojans threw 272 yards, while the Tigers recorded 288 passing yards.  DSU rushed 171 yards and held IWU to 34 rushing yards.
  • Dakota State registered a total of 207 return yards in the game.  Iowa Wesleyan had 52 total return yards.
  • Iowa Wesleyan was whistled for 13 penalties of 124 yards.  Dakota State committed eight penalties for 77 yards. 
  • DSU maintained ball control for 34 minutes, 9 seconds.  IWU had a time possession of 25 minutes, 51 seconds.

UP NEXT

Dakota State takes a week off next week.  The Trojans return to action on Saturday, Nov. 6 as they visit Valley City State for the second NSAA conference meeting of the season.  Kick-off from the Shelly Ellig-Lokken Stadium is set for 2 p.m.

Iowa Wesleyan heads home next Saturday (Oct. 30) as they host Presentation (S.D.) with a 2 p.m. kick-off in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director

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