Nov. 7—MITCHELL — Two games remain for the Dakota Wesleyan University football program in the 2025 season, both at home.
First up for the Tigers in kicking off their season-ending homestand is Midland. Separated by one game in the Great Plains Athletic Conference standings, DWU is trending upward behind back-to-back wins, while the Warriors enter on a two-game skid.
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Here’s a look at DWU’s matchup on Saturday:
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Joe Quintal Field
Records: DWU 4-5 (3-5 GPAC); Midland 4-5 (4-4 GPAC)
Coaches: DWU’s Alex Kretzschmar (8-12, second season); Midland’s Jeff Jamrog (62-42, 10th season).
All-time series: Midland leads the series 22-16.
Last meeting: Midland scored a go-ahead touchdown with less than four minutes to play and held on for a 21-20 win over DWU on Sept. 28, 2024, in Fremont, Nebraska.
Last time out: Both squads are coming off overtime contests. DWU knocked off in-state rival Mount Marty 44-41 on Nov. 1 in Yankton. Meanwhile, Midland came up on the losing end of a 23-17 final score at home against No. 23-ranked Northwestern.
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Notes: DWU is 2-2 at home, while Midland is 2-3 on the road this season. … Each of the past two meetings was decided by a single point. The Tigers won 33-32 the last time the Warriors visited Mitchell. … In the Nov. 3 edition of the NAIA Football Performance Indicator, Midland ranked No. 40 nationally, while DWU was close behind at No. 44. A week ago, the Warriors were No. 32 with the Tigers at No. 53.
About DWU: The Tigers had a pair of all-GPAC weekly honorees coming off the win over Mount Marty. Quarterback Connor Drake went 26-for-39 for 402 yards with four touchdowns and one interception in his first start of the season to earn offensive player of the week status. Meanwhile, Cody Winslow garnered a defensive player of the week nod after posting seven total tackles, including 3 1/2 for loss with 2 1/2 sacks. He also forced a fumble that was returned for a touchdown and blocked an extra point attempt. … With a 12-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter last week, Koby Kayser ended the Tigers’ 10-game drought without a score on the ground. DWU went 305 carries between finding the endzone. … The Tigers are looking to win a third game in a row for the first time since a four-game streak in September 2023. The second win of that streak was against Midland.
About Midland: Quarterback Brodey Johnson has 21 passing touchdowns, a top-15 mark nationally, against just four interceptions this season. Johnson put up a 424-yard, seven-touchdown performance against Concordia on Sept. 27. He’s coming off a 166-yard game against Northwestern during which he went 18-for-36 with one touchdown and one interception. … Midland has a pair of top-10 pass catchers in the GPAC in Tae Marks and T.J. Covington. Both have more than 30 receptions and 500 yards on the season, combining for 14 touchdowns. … Running back Tyson Denkert averages 132.1 all-purpose yards per game, a top-20 individual mark in the country. He has 506 rushing yards, the sixth-best total in the GPAC, along with more than 250 receiving yards and 400 kick/punt return yards. … Defensive lineman Beau Lacroix is fifth in the GPAC with five sacks and seventh in total tackles for loss with nine. … Defensive back Zayne Wilson is one of six players in the conference with two fumble recoveries. Midland is tied for fifth nationally with nine total fumble recoveries.
Next: DWU is back at Joe Quintal Field one more time for its season finale against Hastings on Nov. 15. Midland finishes its season at home against Mount Marty.
GPAC schedule
Saturday, Nov. 8
Doane (Neb.) at Northwestern (Iowa), noon
Concordia (Neb.) at Dordt (Iowa), 1 p.m.
Briar Cliff (Iowa) at Waldorf (Iowa), 1 p.m.
Mount Marty at Morningside (Iowa), 1 p.m.
