MORNINGSIDE UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL
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Austin Johnson Caleb Schweigart Jamal Jones Lonell Boyd, Jr. Bryson Freeberg Michael Payne Tyler Wingert Zach Norton Cajon Greene Joe Dolincheck Joshua Miller Braden Drehle Ben Steffens Weston Schultz Kaden Ladwig Jon Andreasen Chase Carter Jalen Portis Caden Ochsendorf Logan Macumber Ben Chelsvig Anthony Sims Cooper Von Seggern Drew Bessey Michael Minor Jake Taute Matt Strecker Jack Sievert Brody Nelson Sione Tuifua Isaac Bower Isaac Pingel Carter Anderson Colton Dreith Jack West Colton Irlbeck Jacob Murphy Hayden Thilges Tyler Anderson Colby Roos Haden Mendel Christian Riha Hunter Behrens Riley Lindberg Mason Williams Jason Hahlbeck Dylan Miller Tristin Johnston Reid Jurgensmeier Aiden Queen Laken Harnly Gage Haake Brady Schlaeger Carson Wadle Zack Keller Dominick Barrett Jonah Kollbaum Zach McKee
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Sioux Falls, S.D. Omaha, Neb. Adelanto, Calif. St. Louis, Mo. Neola, Iowa Omaha, Neb. Holstein, Iowa Sioux Falls, S.D. Oklahoma City, Okla. Bellevue, Neb. Lincoln, Neb. Waynesville, Mo. Spirit Lake, Iowa Mason City, Iowa Ida Grove, Iowa Lincoln, Neb. Knoxville, Iowa St. Louis, Mo. Amboy, Minn. Elkhorn, Neb. Story City, Iowa Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Wisner, Neb. Palmyra, Neb. Omaha, Neb. Cedar Park, Tex. Columbus, Neb. St. Ansgar, Iowa Beatrice, Neb. Barrow, Alaska Massena, Iowa Spencer, Iowa Blair, Neb. Storm Lake, Iowa Davenport, Iowa Templeton, Iowa Sioux Falls, S.D. Kansas City, Mo. Ida Grove, Iowa Sioux City, Iowa Worthing, S.D. Omaha, Neb. Manning, Iowa Fremont, Neb. Omaha, Neb. O’Neil, Neb. Ankeny, Iowa Osceola, Neb. Wahoo, Neb. Fremont, Neb. Lincoln, Neb. Stapleton, Neb. Spencer, Iowa Dexter, Iowa Wilber, Neb. Baltimore, Md. Bronson, Iowa Hawarden, Iowa
Head coach: Steve Ryan Assistant coaches: Andrew Rode, Casey Jacobsen, Nathan Turner, Jay Schlichte, Taylor James, Darius Hicks, Klayton Nordeen, Deion Clayborne, Roger Jansen
e g a t i r e H p i h Champions SECOND HALF RALLY FUELS MORNINGSIDE TO 2021 TITLE Unflappable. Never nervous. Calm. Cool. Collected. Any word or phrase that describes toughness under pressure graced a determined 2021 Morningside University football team Saturday, Dec. 18. Trailing Heart of America Conference foe Grand View College 28-21 in latter stages of the third quarter inside Durham County Memorial Stadium, head coach Steve Ryan’s Mustangs produced a 17-point run over the final 21-plus minutes to salt away a third National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championship in the last four years. The 38-28 victory concluded the program’s third unbeaten campaign in the same span. Mside’s comeback route was predicated on a bedrock secondhalf defense. Junior defensive back Lonell Boyd, Jr. (St. Louis, Mo.) and senior defensive back Drew Bessey (Palmyra, Neb.) slowed what had been a red-hot Vikings’ passing attack with a pair of interceptions. Co-defensive coordinators Casey Jacobsen and Nate Turner’s unit stopped the visitors twice on downs to aid the Mustangs’ offense. Morningside’s offense clicked into high gear with the Grand View offense stalled. After Boyd, Jr.’s takeaway, the home team marched 82 yards to close the third period and begin the final frame with a touchdown. Senior running back Anthony Sims (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) bowled in from a yard out to help knot the score at 28-28. Bessey stepped in front of a Viking aerial on the ensuing Grand View possession to give the ball back to the offense. Seven plays and 66 yards later, a 34yard scoring strike from senior quarterback Joe Dolincheck (Bellevue, Neb.) to senior wide receiver Reid Jurgensmeier (Wahoo, Neb.) proved to be the eventual winning score. Junior placekicker Chase Carter (Knoxville, Iowa) added the final three points to finish the comeback. Headliners, as has been the case throughout the year, were numerous. Sims found the end zone three times as part of a 27-carry, 145-yard evening that led him to Offensive Player of the Game accolades.
2021 NATIONAL
s n o i p m a h C Dolincheck, working around two interceptions, managed a robust 405 yards through the air with two scores, as Jurgensmeier hauled in the gamewinning score as part of 13 receptions for 216 yards. Senior linebacker Jalen Portis (St. Louis, Mo.) added his name to the Player of the Game awards, picking up defensive honors with five tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. NOTES: Sims’ three-score outing was his ninth multiple-touchdown effort. He became just the second running back in program history to score 30-or-more rushing touchdowns. He closed his sparkling career with 65, which ranks second … Dolincheck fired a touchdown pass in a 39th straight game. His 400-yard-plus passing total was his second in the last three appearances, as he extended a personal run of multiple-touchdown totals to 16 in a row … Bessey’s interception that led the winning touchdown drive was the 10th of his career, making him the 13th Morningside player to total 10-or-more … Jurgensmeier’s 216-yard total was the second-highest single-game of his remarkable career receiving cadre.
Coaches STEVE RYAN
Head Coach
Ryan has guided the Mustangs to a 208-41 record for an 83.5 winning percentage in 20 seasons for the most football coaching victories and the highest victory rate in Morningside history. Ryan has led the Mustangs to 18 consecutive post-season appearances in the NAIA National Championship Series, where the team has advanced to at least the semifinals eight times in the last 10 years and gathered three national championships. He has led the Mustangs to 12 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) championships, including their current run of 11 consecutive league titles. Ryan is a four-time NAIA/American Football Coaches Association National Coach of the Year. He earned his first such accolade in 2012 when the Mustangs went 13-1 and appeared in the national championship for the first time; his second occurred in 2018 as the Maroon rolled through an unbeaten campaign en route to the school’s first national title, his third was earned in 2019 following Morningside›s second successive unbeaten campaign and national championship, and his fourth was gained following an unbeaten 2021 and third national championship. He›s also a member of the AFCA›s Board of Directors. Ryan is a 10-time GPAC Coach of the Year, receiving the honor in 2004, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. He received AFCA NAIA Region 4 Coach of the Year recognition in 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020,and 2021 and was the 2004 NAIA Football.net National Coach of the Year. Ryan’s Mustangs made their first appearance on the NAIA national stage in 2004 when they posted an 8-2 record, achieved a No. 12 national ranking, and secured their first-ever berth in the NAIA National Championship Series. Ryan is a 1989 graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois, where he was a four-year letter winner and a three-year starter as a linebacker. He received his master’s degree from National-Louis University in 1997. Steve and his six children: Madison, Kali, Kelsi, Jenna, Gabrielle, and William, reside in Sioux City.
American Football Coaches NAIA Assistant Coach of the Year honoree, has had his defensive units consistently ranked among the nation’s finest. As an example, Morningside led the nation in scoring defense in the 2012 season with an average of only 13.2 points per game. The Mustangs held eight of their 14 opponents to single-digit scoring totals, including four shutouts. Aside from leading the nation in scoring defense, the Mustangs ranked second in the NAIA in rushing defense (66.9 yards per game), set a school record with 34 quarterback sacks, and held their opponents to a minuscule average of 2.1 yards per rushing attempt. Jacobsen’s 2018 group was just as difficult for opposing offenses to solve, ranking in the national top five in fewest points allowed (15.8 pg - No. 3), total yardage allowed (264.7 ypg - No. 4) and rushing yards allowed (105.3 - No. 5). Before his promotion to defensive coordinator, Jacobsen’s special teams were routinely ranked in the top 10 nationally in numerous categories, including kickoff coverage and blocked kicks. His tutelage led to many school records being broken in the special team categories of place kicking, kickoff returns, and punt returns. Jacobsen previously coached at Buena Vista University, where he was the Beavers’ defensive line coach during the 2003 season and an assistant offensive line coach during the 2002 campaign. He is a 2002 graduate of Buena Vista, where he was a three-year letter winner and a three-year starter as an offensive center. Casey and his wife, Heidi, reside in Sioux City with their five children: Hogan, Kelynn, Owen, Annabelle, and Margaret.
NATHAN TURNER
Co-Defensive Coordinator Nathan Turner, named the Mustangs’ codefensive coordinator following the 2010 season, has 15 years of coaching experience at Morningside. Turner is also the Mustangs’ defensive line coach and strength & conditioning coach.
Jacobsen, named Morningside’s co-defensive coordinator following the 2010 campaign, is the dean among the Mustangs’ assistant coaches with 18 years of service. He was the special teams coordinator from 2005-10 and has coached both the outside and inside linebackers in his tenure at Morningside.
Turner, a 2019 FootballScoop.com Coordinator of the Year awardee, has aided Morningside’s defensive unit in being one of the country’s best year-in and year-out. As an example, in 2012, Morningside led the nation in scoring defense by yielding an average of only 13.2 points per game. The Mustangs held eight of their 14 opponents to single-digit scoring totals, including four shutouts. They also ranked second in the NAIA in rushing defense (66.9 yards per game), ninth in pass efficiency defense (98.60), and 16th in total defense (297.4 yards per game). The unit set a school record with 34 quarterback sacks and held their opposition to a minuscule average of 2.1 yards per rushing attempt. The 2018 group was just as difficult for opposing offenses to solve, ranking in the national top five in fewest points allowed (15.8 pg - No. 3), total yardage allowed (264.7 ypg - No. 4) and rushing yards allowed (105.3 - No. 5).
Jacobsen, a 2019 FootballScoop.com Coordinator of the Year and 2021 Spring
He was previously the running backs coach and video coordinator at Eastern Oregon University.
CASEY JACOBSEN
Co-Defensive Coordinator
Turner graduated from Eastern Oregon in 2004. He was one of the Mountaineers’ team captains in 2003. That season he was the recipient of Eastern Oregon’s Iron Man Strength and Big Team Little Me awards. He and his wife, Sarah, reside in Sioux City.
ANDREW RODE Offensive Coordinator Rode joined the Morningside University staff in April 2020. He was named FootballScoop. com’s 2021 NAIA Coordinator of the Year. En route to a third national championship for the program, he helped guide the Mustangs offense to 600 yards per game, with almost an extra first down to spare. They raced for 8,517 yards (608.4 per game) on 904 plays (9.42 per play) and 103 touchdowns over 14 games. Morningside led the NAIA in passing offense and ranked 10th in rushing offense. No team averaged more first downs than Morningside’s 31.7 per game, converted more third downs than Morningside’s 56 percent, or scored more points than Morningside’s 55.6 per game. The Mustangs topped the 60-point mark five times and the 700-yard mark on three occasions and did so in the same game once: an 84-7 bludgeoning of Briar Cliff, in which they threw for 332 yards (on 29 attempts) and added 378 yards on the ground, for a total of 710 yards on 74 snaps. He previously spent five seasons at the Concordia University of Michigan. In four of those five campaigns, the Cardinals averaged better than 28 points per game in four seasons which included 28.1 in 2019 which led them to their third straight National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ postseason appearance. That total was part of an impressive three-year span where CU also compiled averages of 33.1 ppg in 2018 and 36.1 ppg in 2017 to help aid in the playoff achievements. As part of that roll, Rode was tabbed the MidStates Football Association’s Mideast Assistant Coach of the Year in 2017. Prior to his stint in Ann Arbor, Rode was on the staff at National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Greenville College for five years where he helped the program
go 16-4 in his final two seasons as an offensive coordinator. The stratospheric run was due, in large part, to a rushing attack that was ranked third in the nation both years. Andrew and his wife, Joy, were married in 2011 and have three children Alice, Everest, and McKinley. They reside in Sioux City.
JAY SCHLICHTE
Offensive Line Coach
Schlichte joined Morningside’s football staff in February 2019. He leads the offensive line and run game strategies for the program. He had previously served as a special teams coordinator and tight end coaches at NCAA Division III University of Dubuque for two seasons before arriving in Sioux City. Schlichte earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Minnesota at Duluth in the spring of 2015 and a Master’s degree from the University of Dubuque in the spring of 2017.
DARIUS HICKS
Special Teams Coordinator Hicks returned to the Mustangs’ football coaching roster in May 2019 as co-leader of the defensive backs group. He was on head coach Steve Ryan’s staff from 2014-17 holding down roles as a student coach and defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator. Hicks journeyed to NCAA Division II Emporia State University in 2018-19 where he was the cornerbacks coach and assistant special teams coordinator. In his playing days for the Mustangs, Hicks was an all-Great Plains Athletic Conference honoree as a senior and played on a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ national runner-up team as a junior.
coaches continued TAYLOR JAMES
Special Teams Coordinator
DEION CLAYBORNE
Assistant Coach
James joined Morningside’s coaching staff prior to the 2017 season following a standout playing career for the Mustangs. James, who joins fellow assistant Darius Hicks in coaching the Mustangs’ defensive backs, collected 186 tackles, five interceptions and eight pass breakups during his playing career. He graduated from Morningside in 2017 with a major in business administration. James was a three-year starting defensive back for the Mustangs and a second-team All-GPAC performer as a senior when he was the Mustangs’ third leading tackler with 51 stops to go along with three interceptions and five pass breakups. He was the team’s fourth leading tackler with 70 tackles as a junior and ranked fifth on the team with 56 tackles as a sophomore. Taylor, his wife, Keely, and daughter, Saige, reside in Kingsley.
ROGER JANSEN
Assistant Coach
Jansen joined the Mustangs staff in the summer of 2020. He aids with defensive coaching. He’s also the program’s equipment manager. He is a legend in the local high school gridiron coaching fraternity, having led Sioux City Bishop Heelan High School to 166 wins, a program record. That total included two Iowa High School Athletic Association state championships (2008/2013); four runner-up endings (2007, 2010, 2012, 2014), and 16 playoff appearances over three separate tenures at the helm. Roger and his wife, Roxanne, reside in Sioux City and are parents to two daughters, Allison and Taylor, and one son, Austin.
The former defensive backfield standout returns to Morningside in a new role aiding fellow first year assistant Klayton Nordeen in working with the running backs. Clayborne made a massive impact for the Mustangs as a student-athlete. He was a member of the back-to-back national championship squads of 2018 and 2019 along with earning National Football Foundation Hampshire Society academic and all-Great Plains Athletic Conference playing accolades along with an NAIA Championship Series Player of the Game award.
KLAYTON NORDEEN
Assistant Coach
The former defensive backfield standout returns to Morningside in a new role aiding fellow first year assistant Deion Clayborne in working with the running backs. Nordeen made a massive impact for the Mustangs as a student-athlete. He was a member of the back-to-back national championship squads of 2018 and 2019 along with earning National Football Foundation Hampshire Society academic and all-Great Plains Athletic Conference playing accolades along with an NAIA Champions of Character notation.
Dancin’ to Durham PASSING THE TEST - MUSTANGS AERIAL ATTACK SENDS THEM TO SEMIFINALS Morningside University scored touchdowns on its first five drives Saturday, Nov. 27, and didn’t look back en route to a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ Championship Series quarterfinal round victory.
STOUT DEFENSIVE EFFORT SENDS MORNINGSIDE TO NATIONAL TITLE TILT The tried but true adage that defense wins championships was on full display Saturday, Dec. 4. Head coach Steve Ryan’s Mustangs, seeking a third trip to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ finale in the last four years, turned to a bend-but-don’t break unit for a good share of the 60 minutes at Elwood Olsen Stadium. Number four seeded and Great Plains Athletic Conference rival Northwestern College may have out-gained their hosts 454-405 and had a two first down advantage at the game’s end, but the numbers that mattered most belonged to second-seeded Mside 28-19 on the scoreboard as celebration ensued with the final clock’s tick. Northwestern’s high-flying offense managed just one visit to the end zone in seven red-zone tries. Four other attempts netted field goals, with the other three being turned away by a missed field goal, fumble, and interception. Meanwhile, the home side crashed paydirt four times, as senior running back Matt Strecker recorded Offensive Player of the Game accolades with two touchdowns as part of a 15-carry, 65-yard afternoon. Senior quarterback Joe Dolincheck added up the other two touchdowns, hitting sophomore wide receiver Zach Norton, who ran wide open down the middle of the field on a 69-yard paydirt connection, and senior tight end Sione Tiufua on a seven-yard scoring strike. Senior linebacker Tyler Wingert, the Defensive Player of the Game, had a day to remember. He posted 19 tackles, his seventh doubledigit mark of the year, and accounted for a pass break-up and tackle for loss. Fellow senior linebacker Jalen Portis was also a thorn in the Red Raiders side with an interception, four tackles for losses, and a sack. Sophomore linebacker Isaac Pingel (fumble recovery), junior defensive back Jamal Jones (interception), and senior defensive lineman Carter Anderson (one and a half sacks) also figured in prominently.
Riding the arm of senior quarterback Joe Dolincheck throughout 60 minutes on the home FieldTurf at Elwood Olsen Stadium, head coach Steve Ryan’s Mustangs, the number two national postseason seed, opened up a 38-7 halftime advantage towards a 58-21 victory over 10th-seeded Kansas Wesleyan University. Dolincheck, surpassing the 12,000-yard and 125-touchdown career milestones to spotlight Offensive Player of the Game honors, went for 417 yards and five scores, topping an offense that collected more than 550 yards to highlight a fifth straight advancement to the national last four. Senior wide receiver Austin Johnson returned to the field in a big way with two touchdowns as part of a seven-catch, 153-yard afternoon. Fellow senior wideout Reid Jurgensmeier, becoming only the second receiver in program history to reach 70 touchdowns with one end zone visit, also hauled in seven catches, with his yardage total sitting at 77. Sophomore Zach Norton and senior Caleb Schweigart also collected four-or-more receptions with four each. Ryan’s crew, improving to 12-0, needed every bit of the aerial circus. The home side’s running attack was limited to 137 yards. However, senior running back Matt Strecker and freshman backfield mate Ryan Cole managed to crash into the visiting end zone three times. The Mustangs defense proved stout again, too. Kansas Wesleyan didn’t generate two of their scoring drives until the late stages, as four sacks, five tackles for losses, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three pass breakups, and three opposing quarterback
Dancin’ to Durham hurries kept the usually-potent Coyote offense off schedule. Senior linebacker Jalen Portis was tabbed Defensive Player of the Game, compiling two sacks and two tackles for losses among his eight total tackles. Tyler Wingert, Portis’ position and classmate, also was part of eight tackles. Defensive linemen Zack Keller and Dominick Barrett, also Class of 2022 members, added to the sack totals with one apiece. NOTES: Morningside’s tradition-rich history continued along within the offensive totals. It was the fifth time they’ve reached 50-or-more quarterfinal round points further to celebrate the program’s 30th all-time playoff triumph… Despite missing an extra point, junior placekicker Chase Carter ran his current string of made field goals to nine.
SECOND HALF STORY – KEY RUN SENDS MORNINGSIDE TO QUARTERFINALS Senior wide receiver Caleb Schweigart and junior defensive back Lonell Boyd, Jr. couldn’t have been more apropos selections for Players of the Game Saturday, Nov. 20. With a back-and-forth heavyweight title tilt raging between the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for the first 30 minutes at Elwood Olsen Stadium, the upperclassman pair both put their handprints on the outcome. And in significant ways. Schweigart took a punt midway through the third period and weaved through the Ottawa (Arizona) University special teams defense. Eighty-three happy yards later, with the home crowd roaring in approval, he found himself in the end zone virtually
untouched to continue what would be a game-deciding 21-0 run for the No. 2-ranked Mustangs in the NAIA Championship Series opener. Boyd, Jr.’s opportunity occurred on the ensuing drive with the wily No. 15-seeded Sprit looking to answer as they had seemingly done at each turn. Mside’s defense kept OUAZ out of the end zone and, after a bad snap, Boyd, Jr. got through the line and emphatically blocked a field goal attempt, securing a 49-38 advantage. Two touchdowns later for the home side and head coach Steve Ryan’s program had won an opening-round playoff game for the 16th time in 18 attempts, toppling OUAZ 63-38. Morningside’s defense proved vital in the second 30 minutes, too, beyond what Boyd, Jr., did in special teams. After Ottawa scored on its first drive of the third quarter for a 38-35 lead, co-coordinators Casey Jacobsen and Nate Turner’s unit stopped the visitors four times on downs and forced them into a punt while only allowing an average of fewer than five yards per play. They managed two sacks and eight tackles-for-losses. Among the individual leaders were senior linebacker Tyler Wingert, registering his fifth 10-or-more tackles outing of the season (19) to equal his single-game careerhigh he achieved the week before at Dakota Wesleyan University; Boyd, Jr., who added an interception, a tackle for loss and a breakup to his Player of the Game resume; junior defensive back Jamal Jones finishing with 11 tackles and two break-ups; sophomore Isaac Pingel tallying 11 tackles, a half-a-tackle for loss and two breakups; and senior linebacker Jalen Portis adding ten tackles and one tackle-for-loss. The offensive heroes for the Mustangs proved to be many as well. Reigning Great Plains Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year Joe Dolincheck was laser-sharp, going 25-for-35 for 360 yards and three touchdowns; the backfield combination of senior Anthony Sims and freshman Ryan Cole produced five rushing touchdowns; and the upperclassman-themed wide receiver group of senior Reid Jurgensmeier, senior Austin Johnson and Schweigart each hauled in five-or-more receptions. Morningside (11-0) advances into the national quarterfinals Saturday, Nov. 27, at 12 p.m. against an opponent to be determined at Elwood Olsen Stadium. NOTES: Schweigart’s punt return scamper for six moved him into a tie for the career and single-season school records alongside former standout Connor Niles (three career/two single-season) … Junior placekicker Chase Carter resumed his impressive recent stretch, going nine-for-nine in extra points and averaged nearly 50 yards on his kickoff attempts … Morningside’s opening-round playoff point production is nothing new. Since 2015, Ryan’s program has hit 50-or-more points five times with a current roll of three straight years.
ELEVEN IS HEAVEN – THRILLING ROAD WIN ADDS TO HISTORIC GPAC CHAMPIONSHIP RUN Fans of big plays and touchdowns got their money’s worth and more Nov. 6. A long-awaited tussle between National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ No. 2-ranked Northwestern College and No. 3-ranked Morningside University lived up to pre-game billing going down the final minute inside a packed De Valois Stadium on NWC’s campus. While the better than 1,000 yards of gains and 104 combined points that the two Great Plains Athletic Conference powerhouses assaulted the scoreboard with were sparkling, there were, tucked inside those digits, big defensive and special teams efforts on a sun-splashed early November afternoon. Junior placekicker Chase Carter increased his streak of made extra points to 32 and also made good on field-goal attempts of 44 and 40 yards, proving his back-to-back league Special Teams Player of the Week awards. His 13 points of contributions proved vital to head coach Steve Ryan’s team turning aside the rival Red Raiders 55-49 to the joy of a big Mustangs contingent gathered on the stadium’s east side and locking up Mside’s 11th straight conference championship. Co-defensive coordinators Casey Jacobsen and Nathan Turner received big plays from several sources, too. Senior linebacker Tyler Wingert picked off a tipped ball late in the fourth quarter to end a Northwestern march as part of an eight-tackle and three tackles for loss day; senior defensive end Weston Schultz wrangled down elusive home signal-caller Tyson Kooima for a sack; and senior defensive lineman Zack Keller worked his way through the Red Raider offensive line for two tackles for losses out of three total to headline the unit’s accolades. Meanwhile, the offensive agency of Dolincheck, Sims, and Jurgensmeier was in its usual form on the other side of the ball. Senior quarterback Joe Dolincheck threw for 366 yards and three touchdowns, with senior wide receiver Reid Jurgensmeier and his big frame being the target at several key moments that led him to 10 receptions for 188 yards and three scores. Senior running back Anthony Sims proved a battering ram to the home team defense, pounding away with 31 carries for 173 yards and four touchdowns. His final two scores, one a breakaway 46-yard bolt to paydirt and the other a dash around end for three yards and a score, kept Northwestern at arm’s length down the stretch. NOTES: Carter’s 44-yard field goal that closed out the first half scoring tied him for the seventh-longest made kick in program history.
e n o st e l i M A Meeting An impressive number related to a 19th straight Battle for the Saddle victory for Morningside University Saturday, Oct. 16. Also, a set of digits on the mind of everyone clad in maroon at Memorial Stadium on a sunny early fall afternoon. It signified head coach Steve Ryan joining an elite fraternity in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The 84-7 output against Briar Cliff University earned him the title of the 11th head coach to reach 200 career victories. “This is just a tribute to all of the student-athletes I’ve been fortunate enough to coach and the coaches I’ve been able to work alongside during my career,” Ryan noted postgame. “It’s part of the continuality of the success we’ve been able to maintain at Morningside. It all goes back to so many people I’ve had the chance to see after today’s game --- individuals who have gone on to do so much in their lives.” Before the post-game celebration of a historic victory, the team’s work done on the field was just as memorable. Among the numbers that stood out beyond the 84 points, a record in the series versus the Chargers and most points in a game since the 2015 squad put up 86 against Nebraska Wesleyan, were 44 first downs, 710 total yards of offense, just 154 yards of total offense allowed, three takeaways, five sacks and 14 tackles for losses. The offensive outpouring enabled two other milestone marks. Senior running back Anthony Sims became the fourth rusher in program history to reach the 3,000-mark during an eightcarry, 46-yard, two-touchdown day. Senior quarterback Joe Dolincheck moved into the Mustangs’ 10,000 passing yardage club as the fourth-such member. He went 16-of-23 for 263 yards with three touchdowns. Dolincheck and Sims were just two of the many contributors to enable Mside to keep pace with rival Northwestern atop the loop standings. They were joined by junior running back Michael Minor (15 carries – 147 yards); freshman running back Ryan Cole (two rushing touchdowns); senior wide receivers Caleb Schweigart, Reid Jurgensmeier, and Austin Johnson and senior tight end Sione Tuifua (one receiving touchdown apiece) with Jurgensmeier and Schweigart each hauling in 73 yards; senior defensive lineman Dominick Barrett (six tackles, one sack, and three tackles for losses); senior linebacker Tyler Wingert, junior linebacker Garrett Hoagland, senior defensive lineman Logan Schuelke and freshman Breckin Peters who joined Barrett with a sack; and Wingert, senior defensive back Drew Bessey and sophomore linebacker Isaac Pingel (one interception each). All of those pluses allowed Morningside to roar out to a 56-0 halftime lead and not look back. “The first half was something from our guys,” Ryan said. “We played so well across all facets to stake ourselves to that advantage.”
Building A Foundation A special victory in the Battle for the Saddle and what that win meant to the person who has developed the football program into one of the nation’s elite programs occurred Oct. 16 at Memorial Stadium. Head coach Steve Ryan reached 200 wins as part of a record-setting 84-7 victory over crosstown conference rival Briar Cliff University. A podcast as part of the Down The Mside Line series had five former Morningside University football student-athletes looks at the roots of the development of the winning culture on and off the gridiron in the wake of that victory.
Fans, friends and alumni of Morningside University can tune in to the complete Down The Mside Line catalog of episodes by searching on the Apple and Spotify podcast applications on their smartphones or by visiting podbean.com and searching for Down The Mside Line. The direct link to the Coach Ryan reflections episode is https:// downthemsideline.podbean.com/e/memories-of-a-milestone-coachryan-200th-win-reflections/.
Awards AFCA/NAIA Coach of the Year Steve Ryan
AFCA/NAIA Region Four Coach of the Year Steve Ryan
FootballScoop.com Coordinator of the Year Andrew Rode
Associated Press Little All-America Joe Dolincheck, 1st Team Jason Hahlbeck, 1st Team Anthony Sims, 1st Team Tyler Wingert, 1st Team Chase Carter, 2nd Team Reid Jurgensmeier, 2nd Team Weston Schultz, 2nd Team
GPAC Coach of the Year Steve Ryan
NAIA/AFCA All-Americans Joe Dolincheck, 1st Team Chase Carter, 2nd Team Jason Hahlbeck, 2nd Team Reid Jurgensmeier, 2nd Team Tyler Wingert, Honorable Mention
NAIA Player of Year Joe Dolincheck
NAIA Players of the Week Joe Dolincheck Anthony Sims Chase Carter
NAIA Championship Series Players of the Game Anthony Sims Jalen Portis (Twice) Matt Strecker Tyler Wingert Joe Dolincheck Caleb Schweigart Lonell Boyd, Jr.
NAIA Champions of Character for NAIA Championship Series
GPAC Player of the Year Joe Dolincheck
GPAC All-Conference Joe Dolincheck, 1st Team Tyler Anderson, 1st Team Lonell Boyd, Jr., 1st Team Chase Carter, 1st Team Jason Hahlbeck, 1st Team Jamal Jones, 1st Team Reid Jurgensmeier, 1st Team Weston Schultz, 1st Team Caleb Schweigart, 1st Team Anthony Sims, 1st Team Tyler Wingert, 1st Team Carter Anderson, 2nd Team Dominick Barrett, 2nd Team Hunter Behrens, 2nd Team Zach Norton, 2nd Team Jalen Portis, 2nd Team Sione Tuifua, 2nd Team Drew Bessey, Honorable Mention Colton Irlbeck, Honorable Mention Austin Johnson, Honorable Mention Michael Payne, Honorable Mention Caleb Schweigart, Honorable Mention Mason Williams, Honorable Mention
Cooper Von Seggern (Twice) Jake Taute Matt Strecker
The Morningside University experience cultivates a passion for lifelong learning and a dedication to ethical leadership and civic responsibility.
GPAC Players of the Week Tyler Wingert (Three Times) Chase Carter (Three Times) Reid Jurgensmeier Caleb Schweigart Anthony Sims Drew Bessey Austin Johnson Joe Dolincheck
CoSIDA Academic All-American Reid Jurgensmeier
CoSIDA Academic All-District Reid Jurgensmeier
@NAIAFball on Twitter Players of Week Tyler Wingert Joe Dolincheck Jalen Portis Anthony Sims
Morningside University 2021 NAIA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 2021 GREAT PLAINS ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS Sept. 4
Morningside 63, Concordia 7
Oct. 30
Morningside 70, Jamestown 7
Sept. 11
Morningside 56, Doane 14
Nov. 6
Morningside 55, Northwestern 49
Sept. 18
Morningside 56, Mount Marty 7
Nov. 13
Morningside 52, Dakota Wesleyan 7
Oct. 2
Morningside 59, Midland 14
Nov. 20
Morningside 63, Ottawa (Ariz.) 38
Oct. 9
Morningside 62, Hastings 7
Nov. 27
Morningside 58, Kansas Wesleyan 21
Oct. 16
Morningside 84, Briar Cliff 7
Dec. 4
Morningside 28, Northwestern 19
Oct. 23
Morningside 34, Dordt 28
Dec. 18
Morningside 38, Grand View 28