Mustangs outlast Arizona Christian in NAIA championship series

Photo by Jonah Gleason, Morningside Sports Information Intern

SIOUX CITY, IOWA – Calling the conditions for today's National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Football Championship Series First Round game between Morningside and Arizona Christian favorable for either team would be a stretch, but the Mustangs were certainly less uncomfortable in the 25 degree temperatures with 21 mile per hour winds. That discomfort would prove to be worth it for the team from Iowa, as it escaped with a 35-18 win.

What the winds did do as they whipped through Elwood Olsen Stadium, is make attempts at playing the ball in the air difficult, illustrated by the teams' net yards per pass play, 2.2 for Morningside and 4.7 for Arizona Christian, who found some success via the screen pass. The Mustangs had the advantage in total offense, though, with 326 yards to the visitors' 210.

Kale Bird and Lennx Brown split time as signal callers for Morningside, with Brown's legs proving to be an asset as he scampered for 67 yards on 10 attempts, including a touchdown. Bird proved to be a more versatile threat, throwing for 31 yards and a touchdown and rushing for 15 yards and a matching score. 

Carrying the ground game, though, was Ryan Cole, the offensive player of the game. Cole carried the ball 44 times for 208 yards and two touchdowns, with a long of 46 yards. 

The Mustangs had just four catches in the game, with Zach Norton pulling down two for 11 yards and a score and Joshua Simmons grabbing the other pair, good for nine yards.

Morningside's special teams were difference makers in the game, with the Mustangs snuffing every Firestorm attempt to score a PAT, including Jalen Portis getting a clean block on ACU's first attempt. Justin McElligott booted the ball on fourth down eight times, with a long of 52. McElligott's kicks were downed inside the 20 twice, including a punt that was downed on the ACU 1 yard line. Chase Carter was also perfect on PATs, going five-for-five. 

The Mustangs' defensive unit was an unrelenting force, recording five tackles for loss and eight quarterback hurries in the game, forcing a fumble and recording two interceptions. Weston Schultz, the defensive player of the game, was credited with seven quarterback hurries, the forced fumble, half a sack, and seven total tackles. Joshua Miller recorded 13 tackles, and Isaac Pingel had seven. Jonah Kollbaum had 1.5 of Morningside's two sacks and Dijion Walls had two interceptions, which were returned for 72 yards. Walls' second snare set up Morningside's final score, coming with 4:25 to play.

Morningside, now 11-0, moves to the NAIA FCS Quarterfinal Round, hosting Keiser University on Saturday, Nov. 26, with kickoff taking place at noon. Morningside will accept donations of canned or other non-perishable food and cash donations in place of admission, with the collected donations going to the Food Bank of Siouxland and other local organizations that help fight food insecurity.