Nov. 1—MITCHELL — Following two tough weeks on the field, Dakota Wesleyan football will look to rebound in a big way against a new foe on Saturday.
The Tigers are on the road to take on new Great Plains Athletic Conference member Waldorf (Iowa) for the first time in program history. DWU, having previously faced two nationally ranked teams in as many weeks, will look to bounce back with a victory against a Warriors team hungry for their first win of the year.
Here’s a look at the Tigers’ matchup on Saturday:
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Bolstorff Field in Forest City, Iowa.
Records: DWU 2-6 (2-5 GPAC); Waldorf 0-8 (0-7 GPAC)
Coaches: DWU’s Alex Kretzschmar (2-6, first season); Waldorf’s Tyler Chapa (4-15, second season)
All-time series: First recorded meeting between teams
Last time out: DWU is coming off a 34-7 loss on the road against No. 9-ranked Northwestern (Iowa) last week. Waldorf had a tough-luck loss last week, falling to Briar Cliff (Iowa) 35-28.
Notes: In the latest Massey Ratings, DWU is ranked at No. 55 and Waldorf is at No. 86 among NAIA schools. … Waldorf is the newest member of the GPAC, having joined the conference prior to the start of the season. The school was a member of the North Star Athletic Association from 2014 through 2024, and the now-defunct Midwest Collegiate Conference and Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference prior. … Warriors head coach Tyler Chapa previously served as an assistant coach under current DWU defensive coordinator Chris Bessler in 2018 at Doane University (Neb.), when Bessler was head coach.
About DWU: The Tigers come into the game with the fourth-best running game in the conference in terms of yardage, averaging 161.4 yards per game on the ground. … Red zone efficiency continues to be an area the team has worked on, with DWU’s 57% red zone percentage the 10th lowest in the NAIA. The Tigers are 12-of-21 in chances. … Landon Ruesink recorded his second interception of the year last week against Northwestern. He co-leads the Tigers in interceptions and pass breakups (six) with Mikey Hart. … Grayson Hanson has the fourth-most tackles in the conference with 66 total tackles, a career-best. Hanson also has a career-best 4.5 tackles-for-loss. … Mason Barnhard picked up his first career collegiate touchdown last week for DWU’s lone points of the game. He’s second on the team in catches (20) and receiving yards (261). … DWU owns a 40% third-down conversion rate, which is seventh in the GPAC.
About Waldorf: Waldorf has the lowest-scoring offense in the conference, averaging 11.8 points per game. The Warriors also average a conference-low 246.3 yards per game. … The defense will pounce on loose footballs during the game, leading the conference with 10 fumble recoveries. However, Waldorf’s turnover margin is at minus-1. … Starting quarterback Louis Williams does it all, having thrown for 918 yards on the year along with leading the Warriors with 279 rushing yards. He has seven passing touchdowns, which is 11th in the conference. … Wide receiver Bryce Jones has the most yards from scrimmage on the team, having caught 25 passes for 396 yards and three touchdowns. … Defensive lineman Neeko Page will try and disrupt the backfield, with his two sacks and 4.5 tackles-for-loss leading the Warriors.
Next: Dakota Wesleyan will honor its graduating seniors in the final home game of the season against Briar Cliff at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9, at Joe Quintal Field. Waldorf also hosts its Senior Day against No. 6-ranked Morningside at 1 p.m. Saturday.
GPAC schedule
Saturday, Nov. 2
No. 9 Northwestern at No. 6 Morningside, 1 p.m.
No. 10 Dordt at Briar Cliff, 1 p.m.
Hastings at Concordia, 1 p.m.
Midland at Mount Marty, 1 p.m.
