MARION, Ind. – The No. 6 Indiana Wesleyan football team bested No. 10 Morningside in the Second Round of the NAIA Football Championship Series, 24-21 after Matthew Schager blocked a field goal in the waning seconds. Head Coach Andrew Rode comes away victorious against his former team, and the Wildcats advance to the NAIA FCS Quarterfinals for the second-straight season.
Xander Stokes was voted the Offensive Player of the Game after going 26-42 for 340 yards and two touchdowns. Jamis Carson was voted Defensive Player of the Game after grabbing two interceptions and recovering two fumbles.
- The Wildcats bounced back from a loss in the regular-season finale and now stand at 10-1. The Mustangs fall to 9-3 on the season.
- The defense stepped up just three plays into the game as Jamis Carson stepped in front of a pass and returned the interception to the 20-yard line. However, the Wildcats were stopped on fourth-and-three.
- The Mustangs made it 7-0 after a 10-play, 87-yard drive that took 4:26 off the clock.
- After IWU was stopped, Carson registered his second interception of the quarter, giving the ball back to the home team. Starting on their own four-yard line, the Wildcats covered the field quickly. On first down, Dederrian Williams rushed for three yards. He picked up 33 on the next play, before Stokes found Tidwell for a 60-yard touchdown strike. Josh Clifton's extra point made it 7-7.
- Morningside closed out the scoring in the quarter with a seven-play, 68-yard drive for a 14-7 lead. IWU nearly answered back on the last play of the frame when Stokes hit Blake Brumbaugh for a 70-yard gain.
- Two plays into the stanza, Williams scampered five yards for a touchdown. Clifton knotted the score with the extra point at the 14:48 mark.
- Luke Bays forced a fumble and Carson scooped it up on Morningside's next possession.
- Two possessions later, Stokes found Williams for a 19-yard gain to the visitors' 41-yard line. After being held on third-and-11 from the 20-yard line, Clifton nailed a 37-yard field goal for a 17-14 edge.
- Morningside's next possession was halted with a forced fumble by Robert Hunter and Jamis Carson recovered his second fumble of the game.
- IWU started the third quarter and took 5:15 off the clock on a 12-play, 47-yard drive. During the drive, Stokes galloped for 14 yards, while Isaac Smith hauled in a pair of receptions over 10 yards and Brumbaugh caught a nine-yard pass. However, the possession ended with a 33-yard missed field goal.
- Morningside scored a touchdown on the ensuing possession, going 85 yards over six plays. An 18-yard touchdown pass gave the visitors a 21-17 lead.
- The Wildcats were forced to punt on their next possession, and the Mustangs held the ball the rest of the period. A three-yard rush by Lennx Brown gave the visitors a second-and-seven to start the fourth quarter.
- The Wildcats' defense stepped up, stuffing a fourth-and-nine from the 28-yard line.
- The teams traded punts, and IWU gained possession on its own 38-yard line. Stokes went to work, hitting Tristen Hayes for six yards. Two plays later, Isaiah Gibbs caught a 12-yard pass. Tidwell snagged a 12-yard catch on the next play. Then, Stokes hit Smith for a 29-yard touchdown strike with 8:06 to play for a 24-21 lead.
- IWU forced a three-and-out on the next drive. The Wildcats embarked on a 10-play, 43-yard drive that milked 4:59 off the clock. Facing a fourth-and-one on the 26-yard line, the home team was whistled for a false start. Stokes' pass fell incomplete, giving the Mustangs the ball back with 1:25 to play.
- Three consecutive completions by Morningside put the ball on the IWU 37-yard line. Two more completions by the visitors after a time-out gave the Mustangs a chance to tie with a 40-yard field goal. However, Matthew Shager blocked the field goal, solidifying the win for the Wildcats.
- Stokes led the Wildcats after going 24-of-42 for 340 yards and two scores in the resounding win.
- Tidwell hauled in six receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown, while Smith caught eight passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. Brumbaugh, Gibbs, Hayes and Williams each caught multiple passes in the victory.
- The rushing attack was paced by Williams' 60-yard effort.
- Bays led the defense with 12 total tackles. He now has registered 108 tackles this season, setting a new single-season program record.
- Deven Arevalo posted 10 stops in the victory, while Preston Sykes had a team-high six solo tackles.
- Antonio White had a sack for a four-yard loss.
- Carson was spectacular, registering two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, as well as a pass break-up to go along with five total tackles.
- Clifton hit one-of-two field goals. Campbell had three kickoff returns for 51 yards, while Brumbaugh had one return of 18 yards.
- Nolan Foley registered five punts for an average of 33.2 yards with a long of 43. He placed one inside the 20.
- Campbell returned a punt for 13 yards.
- Morningside had 26 first downs compared to 19 by the Wildcats. IWU was limited to 84 rushing yards in the game, while the Mustangs raced for 276 yards.
- Stokes threw for 340 yards, while the Wildcats limited the opposition to 215 yards through the air.
- The biggest difference in the game were the two interceptions thrown by Morningside and the two fumbles the Mustangs lost.
- Both teams converted five third-down attempts and one fourth-down attempt.
- The win means the highly talented Wildcats are one of eight teams left that have a chance to compete for a National Championship.
- It marks the second consecutive season IWU will compete in the Quarterfinals. Last year, the team bested Benedictine to reach the Semifinals.
- The Wildcats advance to play No. 4 Georgetown College (Ky.) on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 1:00 p.m.
- Links for tickets, video, and stats will be available at IWUWildcats.com.
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