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Dakota State University

Scoreboard

7
Dakota State DSU 5-4, 4-3 NSAA
33
Winner Valley City State Univers VCSU 8-2, 6-2 NSAA
Dakota State DSU
5-4, 4-3 NSAA
7
Final
33
Valley City State Univers VCSU
8-2, 6-2 NSAA
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
DSU Dakota State 7 0 0 0 7
VCSU Valley City State Univers 7 7 0 19 33

Game Recap: Football |

Guse ties pair of school records in DSU's 33-7 NSAA football setback at VCSU

November 6, 2021

VALLEY CITY, N.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) faced Valley City State (N.D.) for the second time this season in the North Star Athletic Association football action.  Holding a 14-7 lead after three quarters, the Vikings used a 19-0 fourth-quarter outburst to defeat the Trojans by the score of 33-7 to earn a season series split. 

Noah Guse set a pair of school records in the game, tying for most interceptions in a single season as well as all-time interceptions.

Dakota State fell to 5-4 overall record and 4-3 NSAA conference record.  Valley City State, receiving votes in the latest NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25 national poll, finished their 2021 season with an overall record of 8-2 and 6-2 record in the league.

FIRST QUARTER

  • Valley City State kicked off the opening drive with 12 plays for 75 yards in nearly six minutes.  The Vikings used back-to-back running plays of 18- and 10-yards by Justin Bice to move the ball to DSU's 35-yard line.
  • Jalen Pfeifer connected to Michael Cornelious for a 4-yard touchdown pass, giving the Vikings its first lead of the game at 6-0.  Nico Magana followed up with a successful PAT extra-point kick to make it 7-0 in favor of VCSU with 9:01 on the clock.
  • Guse caught his seventh interception of the season with 2:51 remaining in the game.  He caught the interception on VCSU's 39-yard line as the Trojans regained possession.
  • Guse tied a single season record of seven interceptions with Rick Tibbits (1978), Jeff Rensch (1991), and Josh Button (1993).  Guse also tied the all-time school record of 18 interceptions with Rensch (1988-91).
  • The Trojans would answer with a touchdown from the interception.  Zack Brooks threw an 11-yard pass to Dajshon Keel for a first-down on VCSU's 24-yard line.  Brenner Furlong followed with an 8-yard rush and Brooks' 11-yard rush to VCUS's 5-yard line.
  • Furlong ran for a 3-yard touchdown with 28 seconds left in the first quarter.  Caleb Nielsen followed up with the PAT extra-point kick as the Trojans knotted the game at 7-7.

SECOND QUARTER

  • Braedon Wallenstein kicked off the second quarter with an interception from Pfeifer's pass with 14:46 on the clock on VCSU's 29-yard line.  DSU was unable to convert their scoring opportunity from the turnover.
  • Valley City State was forced to punt on the next possession.  Marcus Vanden Bosch blocked Pfeifer's punt and was recorded by DSU's Cody Brown on VCSU's 38-yard line with 8:39 to go in the second quarter.
  • Dakota State turned the ball on down as VCSU's defense halted the Trojans on a 4th-and-1 situation on VCSU's 10-yardline with 6:47 to go before halftime.
  • The Vikings marched down the field with 12 plays for 88 yards in 5:44 on the ensuing possession.  Pfeifer connected to Cornelious for the second time, this time an 11-yard touchdown pass with 1:03 left before halftime.  Magana added the PAT extra-point kick to make it 14-7 in favor of the Vikings.
  • DSU's Nielsen was unable to convert a 52-yard field goal as near halftime as the Vikings held a 14-7 lead.

THIRD QUARTER

  • Both Valley City State and Dakota State recorded a combined five punts to kick off the third quarter.
  • Jahidi West intercepted DSU Brooks' pass at VCSU's 36-yard line with 9:35 to go in the third.
  • The Vikings registered 11 plays for 44 yards in 6:12 in the next possession but was turned on downs by Trojans' defense.  Marcus Vanden Bosch recorded a tackle-for-loss on DSU's 20-yard line with 3:23 to go in the third quarter.
  • The third quarter ended as Pfeifer threw a 37-yard pass to Benjamin Dumond on a third-and-10 situation on DSU's 47-yard line to DSU's 10-yard line.
  • VCSU holds a 14-7 lead after three quarters.

FOURTH QUARTER

  • Pfeifer rushed for a 1-yard touchdown to balloon VCSU's lead to 20-7 with 13:21 remaining.  Magana followed up with the PAT extra-point kick to make it 21-7.
  • Dakota State suffered a turnover on the ensuing possession.  Jerrod Williamson intercepted DSU's pass and returned it for a 'Pick Six' touchdown of 30 yards with 13:08 on the clock.  Magana's kick was no good as VCSU widen their lead to 27-7.
  • The Vikings halted the Trojans to move the ball on DSU's 38-yard line with 8:12, turning the ball on downs.
  • VCSU answered on the next drive with six plays for 38 yards in 3:22 as Pfeifer threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Dumond with less than five minutes left.  The PAT kick by Magana was blocked by Guse as the Vikings ballooned their lead to 33-7.
  • Valley City State outscored Dakota State 19-0 in final 15 minutes of the game.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

  • Josh Giles finished the game by going 4-of-10 for 58 yards, while Brooks was 7-of-14 for 50 yards for Dakota State.
  • X'zaveious Mathis had a 38-yard reception for DSU.  Keel added three catches for 35 yards.  Cole Sylliaasen had a 12-yard reception. 
  • Gavin Holland rushed four times for 14 yards.  Furlong had a rushing touchdown.  Jack Anderson had three rushes for nine yards. 
  • Nielsen averaged 43.0 yards per punt for Dakota State.  He recorded six punts for 258 total yards.  He had two punts landed inside the 20-yard line.
  • Gustavo Bonilla and Guse each tallied 10 tackles for the Trojans.  Guse tallied four tackles-for-loss of five yards, an interception, a pass break-up, and a blocked PAT extra-point kick.  Wallenstein had an interception.
  • Devonte Murphy recorded eight tackles for DSU.  Vanden Bosch and Brown each had six tackles.
  • Pfeifer completed 27 passes in 39 attempts for 231 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions for the Vikings.  He also rushed 18 times for 49 yards and a touchdown.  Dumond had eight receptions for 80 yards with a touchdown.  Cronelious caught six catches for 72 yards and two touchdowns.
  • VCSU's Bice rushed 16 times for 58 yards and caught eight passes for 53 yards.
  • Sal Avila led the Vikings with 10 tackles and two quarterback sacks.  Marshaun Jones and Riley Gerhardt each had 1.5 quarterback sacks.  Williamson had an interception.

TEAM COMPARISONS

  • Valley City State racked up 335 total offensive yards and limited Dakota State to 121 total offensive yards.  The Vikings threw for 231 yards compared to the Trojans 108 passing yards.  VCSU rushed for 104 yards, while the Trojans had 13 rushing yards.
  • VCSU produced 22 first downs in the game.  DSU recorded eight first downs.  Valley City State converted 10-of-15 third downs, while Dakota State was 1-of-10 on third down situations. 
  • The Vikings racked up seven quarterback sacks of 41 yards loss.
  • Valley City State maintained the ball for 38 minutes, 14 seconds.  Dakota State had a time possession of 21 minutes, 43 seconds.

UP NEXT

Dakota State wraps up their regular-season schedule next Saturday as they visit Presentation (S.D.) in the North Star Athletic Association contest.  Kick-off is set for 1 p.m. at Swisher Field in Aberdeen, S.D.

Nick Huntimer, Dakota State University Sports Information Director

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