The Raider football team kept their undefeated record alive after a hard-fought victory on the road against Concordia. Northwestern defeated the Bulldogs 20-14 on Oct. 19 in Seward, Nebraska. Following the win, NW moved to 7-0 a week later defeating Doane 23-3. Concordia is now 3-5 after losing to Dordt in the following week.
It was a record-setting day for the fifth-ranked Raiders, as junior wide receiver Shane Solberg became NW’s all-time leader in receiving yards. Solberg used a 10-catch, 179-yard outing to put his total up to 2,573 yards in his career. After a slow start by NW that saw Concordia take a 7-0 lead into the second quarter, the Raider offense struck early in the second to tie the game. Following a nine-play drive, junior quarterback Tyson Kooima found sophomore WR Brendan Zeutenhorst in the end zone, his first touchdown reception as a Red Raider.
NW got the ball back after a strong defensive outing, leading to an 85-yard drive capped off by a one-yard touchdown run for running back Garrett Packer, reaching the end zone for the first time in his collegiate career.
With Concordia threatening near the midway point of the quarter, sophomore defensive back Liam Stubbe picked off Jake Kemp’s pass to keep the Raiders’ 14-7 lead safe into the half.
The second half remained competitive, as the third quarter went scoreless until NW kicker Braxton Williams sent the ball through the uprights after a pair of big pass plays and a 15-yard rush extended the lead to 10 going into the final segment.
Another methodical drive by the Raiders their next time out set up a short field goal for Williams, which he once again converted to give NW a 20-7 lead. Concordia used a late-game push to facilitate a comeback effort, but was unable to recover the onside kick, cementing the victory for the Red Raiders.
Solberg led the way for the team’s offense, finishing with 10 catches for 179 yards. RBs Jacob Kalogonis, Garrett Packer and Leonardo Lima Silveira combined for 127 yards on the ground, and Kooima went 23-39 with 287 yards and a touchdown pass. It was another stifling performance by the Raider linebackers, as Tanner Machacek finished with 13 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles complemented by Sean Powell’s eight tackles and an interception. NW is back in action at Briar Cliff on Saturday, Nov. 2 before returning home for their final two games of the regular season.
