November 13, 2021
Photos credit by Karen Giles
ABERDEEN, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) and Presentation (S.D.) faced weather challenges with sleet early in the game and windy conditions in the North Star Athletic Association regular-season finale Saturday afternoon at Swisher Field. The Trojans jumped to a 14-0 lead and held off the Saints by the score of 16-14 to secure their first winning season since 2017. DSU also earned their first NSAA road victory this season, as well as their first road win since Aug. 28 with a 6-0 victory at Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.).
Dakota State finished their 2021 season with an overall record of 6-4. The Trojans, coupled with Waldorf's (Iowa) 48-7 home defeat to No. 19 Dickinson State (N.D.) 48-7 Saturday, finished in a two-way tie for third in the NSAA football standings with 5-3 record. Presentation ended their season winless in 11 games and eight NSAA contests (0-11 overall record, 0-8 NSAA).
The Trojans improved their all-time series record of 11-2 with the Saints, winning the last seven meetings.
Noah Guse established a pair of school records in the third quarter with an interception. Caleb Nielsen also established a career record in punting after the conclusion of the game.
FIRST QUARTER
- Both teams were forced to punt on their first possession of the game.
- DSU's Marcus Vanden Bosch intercepted PC Hunter Giffrow's pass at PC's 16-yard line. He returned it for 15 yards to PC 1-yard line with ten minutes, thirty-five seconds on the clock.
- Jack Anderson rushed for a 1-yard touchdown on the next play to give Trojans a 6-0 lead with 10:29 to go in the first period. Dakota State made it 7-0 after a successful PAT extra-point kick by Caleb Nielsen.
Nielsen recorded a 47-yard punt to PC's 8-yard line with 7:41 left in the first quarter. PC was forced to punt on the ensuing possession, recording a 5-yard punt to PC's 21-yard line with 5:33 to go.- Two plays later, Zach Brooks connected to Cooper McDermott for a 19-yard touchdown pass with 4:47 to go in the first quarter. Nielsen's PAT extra-point kick was good as DSU ballooned their lead to 14-0.
SECOND QUARTER
- Saint Tristan Lewis intercepted DSU Brooks' pass at DSU's 42-yard line and returned it for 41 yards to DSU's 1-yard line with 6:40 to go before halftime.
- Breken Green followed up with a 1-yard touchdown run on the next play for the Saints. Luiz Ferreira's PAT extra-point kick was good as PC trailed 14-7.
- Both teams were unable to score for the rest of the first half.
THIRD QUARTER
Facing third-and-6 situation on PC's 39-yard line, Giffrow was sacked by DSU's Mahdi Benalshaikh for 21-yard loss.- The Trojans extended their lead to 16-7 after a safety after a bad snap by the Saints' punting team with 12:54 on the clock. Presentation recorded a negative 35 yards on the first drive of the second half.
- A school record was set late mid-way through the third quarter by Guse. He caught his eighth interception of the season at DSU's 38-yard line with 6:32 to go in the third.
- Guse's eighth interception set a single-season school record, breaking the previous single-season record of seven interceptions set by three different players – Josh Button (1993), Jeff Rensch (1991), and Rick Tibbits (1978).
- Guse also accumulated a total of 19 interceptions during his career at Dakota State, breaking the previous all-time of 18 interceptions by Rensch from 1988-91.
- Dakota State led 16-7 by the end of the third quarter, despite being unable to convert a fourth-down situation play on PC's 17-yard line on the last play of the quarter.
FOURTH QUARTER
- Presentation went on to march the field by recording 14 plays for 75 yards in 6:20 to kick off the fourth quarter. Giffrow threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Green with 8:32 remaining. Ferreira's PAT extra-point kick was good as the Saints trimmed the Trojans' lead to 16-14.
- PC Ferreira missed a 55-yard field goal with two seconds remaining, securing the victory for the Trojans.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Brooks finished the game by going 15-of-27 for 135 passing yards with a touchdown for Dakota State.
- Cole Sylliaasen caught six passes for 62 yards for the Trojans. McDermott added three receptions for 21 yards and a touchdown. Michael Hybertson had a 21-yard reception.
- Brenner Furlong rushed 11 times for 30 yards for DSU. Anderson had seven rushes for 10 yards and a touchdown. Gavin Holland rushed three times for 11 yards.
- Nielsen recorded eight punts for 322 total yards, averaging 40.3 yards per punt for Dakota State. Six of his punts landed inside the 20-yard line.
- Nielsen established an all-time punt average of 40.9 yards per punt (222 total punts for 9,073 yards), breaking the previous all-time record holder by Don Simon with 38.5 yards punt yards per average from 1990-93 (189 total punts).
- Benalshaikh tallied six tackles and a quarterback sack of 21 yards loss for the Trojans. He also recorded a forced fumble. Blake Duran added six tackles.
- Vanden Bosch and Conner Tordsen each tallied five tackles. Vanden Bosch and Guse each recorded an interception. Guse finished the game with four solo tackles.
- Ed Fritzler had a sack for 11 yards loss for Dakota State.
- Giffrow was 15-of-30 for 121 passing yards for PC. Marshal Chace added a pass completion for 22 yards. He also had five catches for 36 yards.
- Kevin Wright caught three passes for 37 yards for the Saints. Benjamin Heather caught a 22-yard reception. Green had two catches for 15 yards with a touchdown. He also rushed 23 times for 73 yards with a touchdown.
- Ferreira registered nine punts for 319 yards, averaging 35.4 yards per punt. His three punts landed inside the 20-yard line.
- Braxton Bates led Presentation's defense with eight tackles. Lane Bourdon, Hasani Lewis, and T. Lewis each added five tackles. Bourdon had a quarterback sack of 11 yards loss.
- T. Lewis finished the game with two interceptions and returned it for 41 yards for PC.
TEAM COMARISONS
- Both teams recorded 14 first downs in the game. The Trojans converted 3-of-13 on third downs situations compared to the Saints 2-of-14 third-down conversions.
- PC recorded 203 total offensive yards compared to DSU 196 total offensive yards. The Saints had 143 passing yards to Trojans 135 passing yards.
- Dakota State outrushed Presentation 61-60.
- The Saints had the ball control for 33 minutes, 45 seconds. The Trojans maintained possession for 26 minutes, 15 seconds.
FARWELL TO DSU SENIORS
UP NEXT
Stay tuned to the Dakota State's athletic website on dsuathletics.com for the 2022 football season schedule and games.
Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director
