|
Rohde Attends Sugar Bowl As Member Of Good Works Team
Mustangs Break Defensive School Records During 2011 Campaign
Henderson Named To AFCA All-America Team
Two Mustangs Named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes
Muschall And Sitzmann Named Academic All-Americans
Ryan Named AFCA Regional Coach Of The Year
Mustangs Lose To St. Francis In NAIA Playoffs
Henderson Named GPAC Defensive Player Of The Year
Mustangs Blitz Briar Cliff 59-7 To Wrap Up GPAC Championship
Four Mustangs Named To Academic All-District Team
Henderson Named GPAC Defensive Player Of The Week For Third Time
Henderson Named GPAC Defensive Player Of The Week
Goforth And Henderson Receive GPAC Awards
Nikkel Named GPAC Offensive Player Of The Week
Muschall A Semifinalist For Campbell Trophy
Mustangs Win At Midland On "Hail Mary" Pass
Henderson And Maxey Earn Player Of the Week Honors
Mustangs Ranked 5th In NAIA Pre-Season Poll
Mustangs Picked No. 1 In GPAC Pre-Season Poll
 |
 |
Colby Henderson |
Marshall Barney |
Colby Henderson, a 5-11, 175 lb. junior defensive back from Wakefield, Neb., has been named the 2011 Beyond Sports College Network (BSN) NAIA National Defensive Player of the Year as one of the headliners on the 2011 BSN NAIA All-American Football Team.
Henderson, the 2011 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Defensive Player of the Year, led the nation in interceptions this season with a school-record 11 pass thefts that he returned for a school-record 372 yards and four touchdowns.
Aside from leading the Mustangs in interceptions, Henderson also topped the team with two blocked kicks and was second on the team with six pass breakups. Henderson was the Mustangs’ fifth leading tackler with 41 solos and nine assists for 50 total tackles, including three stops behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 19 yards.
In addition to Henderson, the Mustangs placed Marshall Barney on the BSN All-American second-team and Fred Jones on the BSN All-American third-team.
Barney, a 5-11, 210 lb. senior linebacker from Logan, Iowa, was the Mustangs’ leading tackler with 45 solos and 37 assists for 82 total tackles. He also led the Mustangs with five quarterback hurries, 7.5 quarterback sacks, and school-record totals of 20.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 78 yards. He ranked ninth nationally with his 20.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
 |
Fred Jones |
Jones, a 5-8, 215 lb. junior running back from Stockton, Calif., was the Mustangs’ leading rusher with 211 carries for 1,157 yards and 10 touchdowns for an average of 5.5 yards per carry. His 1,157 yards rushing was the sixth highest single-season total in Morningside history. Jones was the eighth leading rusher in the nation with an average of 105.2 yards per game. He rushed for over 100 yards in seven of the Mustangs’ 11 contests.
The Mustangs’ Jared Goforth, Preston Ives, and John Kirwan were all named to the BSN All-American honorable mention list.
Goforth, a 6-0, 195 lb. junior defensive back from Polk City, Iowa, led the Mustangs with seven pass breakups to go along with 23 solos and 28 assists for 51 total tackles, three tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 15 yards, and two interceptions.
Ives, a 5-10, 170 lb. sophomore kick return specialist from Sioux City, had 16 kickoff returns for 409 yards for an average of 25.6 yards per return and 31 punt returns for 283 yards for an average of 9.1 yards per return.
Kirwan, a 6-2, 265 lb. senior defensive lineman from Sioux City, led the Mustangs with two forced fumbles to go along with 11 solos and 21 assists for 32 total tackles, 5.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 23 yards, three quarterback hurries, and one quarterback sack.
Morningside posted a 9-2 record, won the GPAC championship, and made its eighth consecutive appearance in the NAIA Championship Series during the 2011 campaign. The Mustangs have a 77-18 record for a .811 winning percentage since the start of the 2004 season.
Click here for the complete 2011 BSN NAIA All-American Team
 |
Photo courtesy of Allstate
Colby Rohde led a group of children from the YMCA of Greater New Orleans in some football drills as a member of the 2011 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team |
Morningside’s Colby Rohde attended the 2012 Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 3 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, La., as a member of the 2011 Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team.
Rohde, a senior tight end from Wathena, Kan., and the other 22 members of the Good Works team were introduced at halftime.
The members of the 2011 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team surprised more than 150 children from the YMCA of Greater New Orleans at Tad Gormley Stadium on Jan. 2. Each member of the Good Works Team coached a small group of kids in various football drills and assisted in playing games of two-hand touch football.
For 20 years the award has recognized a select group of college football players committed to making a difference in their communities. A program-record 132 players were nominated for the 2011 team and from that list an 11-member team comprised of players from NCAA Division I-A and an 11-member team comprised of players from NCAA Divisions I-A, II, III and the NAIA were selected.
Rohde was selected to the Good Works Team for his mission work. Following the major earthquake that struck Haiti in January 2010, Rohde spearheaded the fundraising and organized and led a group of Morningside students that went to Bois De Lance, Haiti, that summer to assist with building an orphanage to house over 50 homeless children. Rohde organized another group that returned to Bois De Lance this past June to assist with building homes for widows and single mothers.
Aside from Rohde, the other members of the Divisions I-AA, II, III, and NAIA Allstate AFCA Good Works Team were: Byron Bell of Carson-Newman, Cory Nikkel of Central, Jacob Heppner of Central Methodist, Stoy Hall of Drake, David Melms of Macalester, Kellen Cox of Missouri Southern State, Justin Belotti of North Dakota, Yaser Elqutub of Northwestern State, Matt Greenhalgh of Rhode Island, and Ricky McClain of SUNY Maritime.
The members of the Division I-A Allstate AFCA Good Works Team were: Robert Griffin of Baylor, Chris Potter of Boise State, Brian Lockridge of Colorado, Aron White of Georgia, Jacob Lewellen of Kentucky, Jared Crick of Nebraska, Alexander Netter of Northwestern, Dayne Crist of Notre Dame, Matt Barkley of Southern California, Wayne Tribue of Temple, and Emmanuel Acho of Texas.
The Allstate AFCA Good Works Teams were established in 1992 by the College Football Association, recognizing the extra efforts made by college football players and student support staff off the field. AFCA became the governing body of the award in 1997 and continues to honor college football players who go the extra mile for those in need. Allstate partnered to present the award starting with the 2008 season.
Morningside College posted a 9-2 record during the 2011 football season for its eighth consecutive winning season. The Mustangs won the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) championship with an 8-1 league record, were ranked sixth nationally in the final NAIA regular season poll, and made their eighth consecutive post-season appearance in the NAIA Championship Series, where they lost 21-17 against the University of St. Francis in the opening round.
The Mustangs have a 77-18 record for a .811 winning percentage since the start of the 2004 season.
Morningside 35, Valley City State 17
Morningside 21, Northwestern 10
Nebraska Wesleyan 30, Morningside 23
Morningside 28, Midland 27
Morningside 31, Doane 16
Morningside 28, Dakota Wesleyan 26
Morningside 34, Hastings 14
Morningside 70, Dordt 0
Morningside 28, Concordia 7
Morningside 59, Briar Cliff 7
NAIA Championship Series
St. Francis 21, Morningside 17
Morningside broke two team defensive records during the 2011 season. The Mustangs’ pass rush produced 32 quarterback sacks to break the former school record of 31.5 sacks in 1984. Morningside also set a new school record with 518 interception return yards to break its former single-season standard of 493 yards in 2007.
The Mustangs limited their opposition to an average of just 15.9 points per game to rank 10th nationally in team scoring defense. Morningside’s defense was especially impressive against the run by allowing an average of just 79.1 yards per game to rank third nationally. Morningside’s opponents averaged only 2.3 yards per rushing attempt. The Mustangs allowed averages of 192.5 yards passing and 271.5 yards total offense per game.
Morningside’s offense scored at a rate of 34.0 points per game. The Mustangs scored a season’s high 70 points in a 70-0 victory against Dordt College on Oct. 29 and scored at least 30 points in five of their 11 contests. The Mustangs averaged 196.0 yards rushing, 202.6 yards passing, and 398.6 yards total offense per game.
Colby Henderson, a 5-11, 175 lb. senior defensive back from Wakefield, Neb., was the NAIA national leader with 11 interceptions. Henderson’s 11 interceptions broke the former Morningside single-season record of 10 pass thefts in a season by Dwight Sann in 1969. Henderson returned his interceptions for a school-record 372 yards and four touchdowns for an average of 33.8 yards per return. He broke the former Morningside single-season record of 300 interception return yards by Chad Hustedt in 2007.
Henderson, who joined the Mustangs last year as a transfer from NCAA Division II University of Nebraska-Kearney, has 16 interceptions during his Morningside career to move within striking distance of the Mustangs’ career record of 22 interceptions by Ryan Oetken from 2005-08.
Marshall Barney, a 5-11, 210 lb. senior linebacker from Logan, Iowa, was a frequent visitor into the opponents’ backfield. Barney led the Mustangs with five quarterback hurries, 7.5 quarterback sacks, and school-record totals of 20.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 78 yards. Barney ranked ninth nationally with his 20.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and broke the former Morningside single-season records of 17.5 tackles for a loss by Brett Nickolite in 2007 and 71 tackle for a loss yards by Marshall Tuttle in 2010. Barney finished his career with 50 tackles for a loss to break the former Morningside career record of 46.5 tackles for loss by Nickolite from 2006-09.
Barney was the Mustangs’ leading tackler during the 2011 season with 45 solos and 37 assists for 82 total tackles.
Fred Jones, a 5-8, 215 lb. junior running back from Stockton, Calif., was the Mustangs’ leading rusher in the 2011 season with 211 carries for 1,157 yards and 10 touchdowns for an average of 5.5 yards per carry. His 1,157 yards was the sixth highest single-season total in Morningside history. Jones was the eighth leading rusher in the nation with an average of 105.2 yards per game. He ran for over 100 yards in seven of the Mustangs’ 11 contests, including a season’s high 179 yards against Briar Cliff University on Nov. 12.
Kyle Nikkel, a 6-6, 220 lb. freshman quarterback from Pella, Iowa, cracked the Mustangs’ starting lineup as a rookie and passed for 1,468 yards and 18 touchdowns. He completed 124 of 208 pass attempts for 59.6 percent. Nikkel passed for season’s highs of 249 yards and five touchdowns in a 59-7 win against city rival Briar Cliff in the Mustangs’ regular season finale. Nikkel threw one of the most dramatic touchdown passes in school history with a 50-yard “Hail Mary” to Kyle Schuck on the last play of the game to give the Mustangs a 28-27 come-from-behind win against Midland University on Sept. 24.
Joel McCabe, a 6-1, 225 lb. sophomore J-back from Jefferson, S.D., led the Mustangs with 34 pass receptions during the 2011 campaign. His receptions went for 294 yards and three touchdowns for an average of 8.6 yards per catch.
Kyle Schuck, a 6-2, 180 lb. sophomore wide receiver from Cherokee, Iowa, had 29 pass receptions and led the Mustangs with 502 reception yards, six touchdowns, and an average of 17.3 yards per catch.
Zach Maxey, a 6-4, 215 lb. freshman kicker from Sioux City, made eight of 14 field goal attempts with a long of 47 yards and converted 47 of 48 PAT attempts to lead the Mustangs in scoring with 71 points. He ranked ninth nationally in kick scoring with an average of 6.5 points per game.
Preston Ives, a 5-10, 170 lb. sophomore wide receiver from Sioux City, was the Mustangs’ top kick return specialist with 31 punt returns for 283 yards for an average of 9.1 yards per return and 16 kickoff returns for 409 yards for an average of 25.6 yards per return. Ives ranked 13th nationally with his average of 25.6 yards per kickoff return.
 Morningside College is ranked ninth nationally in the NAIA post-season football poll.
The Mustangs finished the season with a 9-2 record, were Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) champions, and made their eighth consecutive post-season appearance in the NAIA Championship Series, where they dropped a 21-17 opening round contest against the University of St. Francis.
Morningside is one of three teams from the GPAC ranked in the NAIA Post-Season Top 25. Northwestern College is ranked 17th and Doane College is ranked 19th.
Click here for the complete NAIA Top 25.
 Colby Henderson, a 5-11, 175 lb. junior defensive back from Wakefield, Neb., has been named to the 2011 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) NAIA Coaches All-America Team.
Henderson, the 2011 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Defensive Player of the Year, led the nation in interceptions this season with a school-record 11 pass thefts that he returned for a school-record 372 yards and four touchdowns. Henderson broke the former Morningside records of 10 interceptions by Dwight Sann in 1969 and 300 interception return yards by Chad Hustedt in 2007. He averaged a whopping 33.8 yards per interception return.
Aside from leading the Mustangs in interceptions, Henderson also topped the team with two blocked kicks and was second on the team with six pass breakups. Henderson was the Mustangs’ fifth leading tackler with 41 solos and nine assists for 50 total tackles, including three stops behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 19 yards.
One of Henderson’s best games of the season came in the post-season when he had nine tackles, two interceptions, and a pass breakup to earn the Defensive Player of the Game award in the Mustangs’ 21-17 opening round loss against the University of St. Francis in the NAIA Championship Series. Henderson was named the Hauff-MidAmerica Sports/GPAC Defensive Player of the Week three times and the Hauff-MidAmerica Sports/GPAC Special Teams Player of the Week one time during the regular season.
Henderson joined the Mustangs last season as a transfer from NCAA Division II University of Nebraska-Kearney. He has amassed 103 tackles, 16 interceptions, and nine pass breakups during his Morningside career. Henderson will enter his senior campaign six interceptions shy of the Morningside school-record total of 22 career interceptions set by Ryan Oetken from 2005-08.
Morningside posted a 9-2 record, won the GPAC championship, and made its eighth consecutive appearance in the NAIA Championship Series during the 2011 campaign. The Mustangs have a 77-18 record for a .811 winning percentage since the start of the 2004 season.
The AFCA has selected All-America teams since 1945. The association selects All-America teams for the NAIA and all divisions of the NCAA. The AFCA started selecting an NAIA only team in 2006.
Click here for the complete 2011 ACFA NAIA Coaches All-America Team.
 |
 |
Kyle Kepplinger |
Matt Muschall |
Kyle Kepplinger and Matt Muschall have been named 2011 Daktronics-NAIA Football Scholar-Athletes.
Kepplinger, a 6-1, 225 lb. senior tight end from Scotland, S.D., has a 3.57 cumulative grade point average (GPA) with majors in biology and chemistry.
Muschall, a 6-1, 255 lb. senior defensive lineman from Omaha, Neb., has a 3.81 cumulative GPA with majors in engineering physics and applied computer science. Muschall was named a first-team Capital One College Division Academic All-American earlier this year.
Student-athletes must be of at least junior academic status and have a minimum GPA of 3.50 in order to be eligible for Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.
Morningside posted a 9-2 record, won the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) championship, and made its eighth consecutive post-season appearance in the NAIA Championship Series during the 2011 season. The Mustangs have a 77-18 record for a .811 winning percentage since the start of the 2004 season.
Click here for the complete list of 2011 Daktronics-NAIA Football Scholar-Athletes.
 |
 |
Matt Muschall |
Jordan Sitzmann |
Matt Muschall and Jordan Sitzmann have been named to the 2011 Capital One Academic All-America College Division Football Team as selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Muschall, a 6-1, 255 lb. senior defensive lineman from Omaha, Neb., was named to the Academic All-America First Team, while Sitzmann, a 6-1, 190 lb. sophomore punter from Le Mars, Iowa, was named to the Academic All-America Second Team.
Muschall has a 3.81 cumulative grade point average (GPA) with majors in engineering physics and applied computer science. Muschall led the Mustangs with five quarterback hurries this past season. He had seven solos and 12 assists for 19 total tackles, including 4.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 17 yards and 1.5 quarterback sacks.
Sitzmann has a 3.85 cumulative GPA with a major in business administration. Sitzmann punted 39 times for 1,270 yards for an average of 32.6 yards per punt this past season. His longest punt was a 57-yarder.
Athletes must be of at least sophomore academic status, be a starter or significant reserve, and have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher to be eligible for Capital One Academic honors.
Morningside posted a 9-2 record and was the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) champion this season en route to an eighth consecutive post-season appearance in the NAIA Championship Series, where it lost 21-17 against the University of St. Francis in the opening round.
Click here for the complete 2011 Capital One Academic All-America College Division Football Team.
 Morningside College head football coach Steve Ryan has been named the 2011 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) NAIA Region 4 Co-Coach of the Year.
Ryan shares the award with Doane College head coach Matt Franzen.
Ryan guided the Mustangs to a 9-2 record and the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) championship this past season. He led the Mustangs to an eighth consecutive post-season appearance in the NAIA Football Championship Series, where Morningside lost 21-17 in the opening round against the University of St. Francis.
Ryan has an 85-30 career record for a .739 winning percentage over the past 10 seasons for the highest victory rate in Morningside history. His 85 victories is the second highest total in Morningside history.
He was also named the AFCA Region Coach of the Year in 2005.
 |
 |
Colby Henderson |
Fred Jones |
The University of St. Francis staged a fourth quarter rally for the third game in a row to move on from the opening round of the NAIA Championship Series with a 21-17 victory over host Morningside College on Saturday at Elwood Olsen Stadium.
The 11th-ranked Fighting Saints, co-champions of the Mid-States Football Association Midwest League, improved to 10-2 with a victory in their first post-season appearance in 24 years. Sixth-ranked Morningside, champion of the Great Plains Athletic Conference, bowed out at 9-2 while making its eighth consecutive post-season appearance. Saturday’s opening round setback ended a streak where the Mustangs had advanced to at least the quarterfinals for six years running.
Morningside took a 17-14 lead into the fourth quarter and the lead stood until Fighting Saint quarterback E.J. White delivered a 69-yard touchdown bomb to Lexus Jackson for the deciding touchdown with 6:56 left in the game.
It was the second long scoring pass for White, who was named the Offensive Player of the Game. White had thrown a 56-yard touchdown pass to Elliott Allen with 3:57 left in the second quarter to send the guests into the intermission with a 14-10 lead.
White finished with 10 pass completions in 24 attempts for 165 yards and rushed for an additional 76 yards in 20 carries to finish with 241 yards total offense.
White threw two interceptions, which were both picked off by Colby Henderson, who was named the Defensive Player of the Game. Henderson, who also had nine tackles and a pass breakup, finished the campaign with a school-record 11 interceptions to break the former Morningside single-season standard of 10 pass thefts by Dwight Sann in 1969.
Morningside finished with a 437-375 advantage in total offense, but turnovers were the Mustangs’ undoing. Morningside fumbled the ball away twice, while Pete Damiani, James Bowman, and Toney Brown all had interceptions.
The Mustangs also had some early missed opportunities after a bad snap on a St. Francis punt and a Fighting Saint fumble enabled the Mustangs to start their first two drives from the guests’ nine and 34-yard lines. However, the Mustangs’ only points from the two early miscues came on a 35-yard field goal by Zach Maxey that put them up 3-0 with 11:05 left in the first quarter.
St. Francis took its first lead when Anthony Hubert broke loose for a 43-yard touchdown run to go up 7-3 with 6:37 left in the first quarter.
Morningside answered one minute later on a three-yard touchdown pass from Kyle Nikkel to Tyler Sinsabaugh to move in front 10-7 with 5:31 left in the opening period. The touchdown was set up by a 33-yard kickoff return by Henderson, a 20-yard pass from Nikkel to Kyle Schuck, and a 12-yard run by Fred Jones.
White’s 56-yard touchdown strike to Elliott put the guests back in front 14-10 by the intermission.
Morningside took its last lead when backup quarterback Carter Ridenour took over for a shaken up Nikkel and led the Mustangs on a five-play, 40-yard drive that he capped himself with a two-yard touchdown run at the 10:49 mark of the third quarter that put the hosts up 17-14. The touchdown came one play after Ridenour had found Colby Rohde open for a 29-yard completion.
The Mustangs twice moved into St. Francis territory after the Fighting Saints’ fourth quarter go-ahead score, but ran out of downs at the 23 and 38-yard lines.
Morningside’s Jones was the game’s leading rusher with 152 yards in 27 carries, while Nikkel completed 21 of 41 pass attempts for 203 yards. The Saints pressured Nikkel into three interceptions and sacked him twice.
The 152-yard day by Jones pushed his season’s total to 1,157 yards.
Martelle Prince collected a game-high 14 tackles for the Saints’ defense. Damiani, Jesse Groover, and Drew Tondini all had 11 stops.
Aaron Roberg led the Mustangs with 11 tackles, including a quarterback sack.
Box
 |
 |
Colby Henderson |
Steve Ryan |
Colby Henderson has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Defensive Player of the Year to highlight the Mustangs’ selections on the 2011 All-GPAC Football Team as selected by the league’s head coaches.
Morningside head coach Steve Ryan was named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Coach of the Year after he led the Mustangs to this year’s league championship with an 8-1 league record. Morningside has an overall record of 9-1 and will take a No. 6 NAIA national ranking into this Saturday’s contest against the University of St. Francis in the opening round of the NAIA Championship Series.
Ryan, who also earned GPAC Coach of the Year honors in 2004 and 2005, is in his 10th season at Morningside, where he has an 85-29 career record for a .746 winning percentage for the highest victory rate in Morningside history. He has led the Mustangs to eight consecutive appearances in the NAIA Championship Series.
Henderson’s exploits have played a major role in the Mustangs’ success this season. He is the NAIA national leader with nine interceptions that he has returned for a school-record 333 yards for an average of 37.0 yards per return, including four touchdown runbacks. His nine interceptions are one shy of the Morningside single season record of nine pass thefts by Dwight Sann in 1969. Aside from leading the team in interceptions, Henderson also tops the Mustangs with two blocked kicks and is third on the team with five pass breakups. He has 41 total tackles, including 34 solo stops.
He was named the GPAC Defensive Player of the Week three times during the regular season and was also the GPAC Special Teams Player of the Week after he returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown in the Mustangs’ 28-26 win against Dakota Wesleyan University.
In addition to Henderson, the Mustangs placed seven other players on the All-GPAC First Team. The Mustangs’ other first-team selections are Cole Albright, a 6-2, 296 lb. junior offensive lineman from Bronson, Iowa; Marshall Barney, a 5-11, 210 lb. senior linebacker from Logan, Iowa; Jared Goforth, a 6-0, 195 lb. junior defensive back from Polk City, Iowa; Preston Ives, a 5-10, 170 lb. sophomore punt return specialist from Sioux City; Fred Jones, a 5-8, 215 lb. junior running back from Stockton, Calif.; John Kirwan, a 6-2, 265 lb. senior defensive lineman from Sioux City; and Charlie Murphy, a 6-3, 230 lb. senior tight end from Sioux City.
Barney and Goforth are both repeat selections from last year’s All-GPAC First Team, while Kirwan moved up from last year’s second team.
Albright is the blocking standout for an offensive line that has helped the Mustangs average 35.7 points and 394.8 yards total offense per game, including 196.3 yards rushing per contest.
Barney is the Mustangs’ leading tackler with 42 solos and 33 assists for 75 total tackles. He is also the team leader with 7.5 quarterback sacks, five quarterback hurries, and school-record totals of 19 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 71 yards. He is also the Mustangs’ all-time career leader with 48.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Despite missing two games with an injury, Goforth leads the Mustangs with seven pass breakups, is second with two interceptions, and is the team’s sixth leading tackler with 44 tackles, including 20 solo stops.
Ives has 29 punt returns for 271 yards for an average of 9.3 yards per return. He also has 15 kickoff returns for 380 yards for an average of 25.3 yards per return.
Jones has rushed for 1,005 yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns in 184 attempts for the sixth highest single-season rushing yardage total in Morningside history. He is averaging 5.5 yards per carry and has run for over 100 yards six times this season, including a high of 179 yards in last Saturday’s 59-7 win against city rival Briar Cliff University.
Kirwan has a team-high two forced fumbles to go along with three quarterback hurries, five tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 22 yards, one quarterback sack, and 27 total tackles.
Murphy has five pass receptions for 103 yards and three touchdowns for an average of 20.6 yards per catch.
In addition to their eight first-team selections, the Mustangs placed Taylor Johnson, Nate McDonald, Matt Muschall, Colby Rohde, and Kyle Schuck on the All-GPAC Second Team.
Johnson, a 6-0, 215 lb. junior linebacker from Arlington, Neb., has 46 tackles, including 27 solo stops, to go along with four quarterback sacks, 12 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 52 yards, one interception, and one pass breakup.
McDonald, a 6-4, 240 lb. senior offensive lineman from Underwood, Iowa, was a key member for one of the GPAC’s premier offensive lines.
Muschall, a 6-1, 255 lb. senior defensive lineman from Omaha, Neb., has a team-high five quarterback hurries to go along with 17 tackles, four tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 16 yards, and 1.5 quarterback sacks.
Rohde, a 6-3, 205 lb. senior slot back from Wathena, Kan., has 13 pass receptions for 142 yards and one touchdown for an average of 10.9 yards per catch.
Schuck, a 6-2, 180 lb. sophomore wide receiver from Cherokee, Iowa, has 25 pass receptions for a team-high 437 yards and six touchdowns for an average of 17.5 yards per catch.
Morningside’s Tim Herman, a 6-6, 305 lb. sophomore offensive lineman from Crete, Neb.; Ryan Klein, a 5-10, 181 lb. senior defensive back from Wakefield, Neb.; Dillon Robinson, a 5-11, 175 lb. freshman running back from Underwood, Iowa; Marcus Smith, a 6-0, 205 lb. sophomore defensive lineman from Crete, Neb.; and Tyler Winter, a 6-3, 290 lb. senior offensive lineman from Fort Dodge, Iowa, were all named to the All-GPAC honorable mention list.
Click here for the complete 2011 All-GPAC Football Team.
 |
 |
Kyle Nikkel |
Fred Jones |
Morningside wrapped up sole possession of the 2011 GPAC football championship when it routed city rival Briar Cliff 59-7 on Saturday at Elwood Olsen Stadium.
The Mustangs finished the regular season with a 9-1 overall record and an 8-1 mark in the GPAC to win their second league title since they entered the league. The Mustangs won their second GPAC crown since they entered the league in 2003. They were also GPAC kingpins in 2005.
Morningside will advance to the NAIA National Championship Series and will learn its opening round opponent when first round pairings are announced Sunday afternoon.
Morningside improved its all-time record against the Chargers to 9-0 and the outcome was never in doubt as the Mustangs scored points on seven of their nine first half possessions to take a 45-0 lead into the intermission.
The Mustangs used a balanced mix to roll up 601 yards total offense with 304 yards on the ground and 297 yards through the air. The Morningside defense, meanwhile, limited Briar Cliff to just 143 yards and stuffed the Chargers’ offense for just eight yards in the opening half.
The Mustangs’ offensive headliners were Kyle Nikkel, Fred Jones, and Dillon Robinson. Nikkel passed for 249 yards and five touchdowns, Jones rushed for 179 yards and a pair of touchdowns in 19 attempts, and Robinson caught four passes for 100 yards and a touchdown.
Jones, who had the 11th highest single-game rushing yardage total in school history, raised his season’s total to 1005 yards to become the sixth 1000-yard rusher in Morningside history.
Morningside opened the scoring parade with a 30-yard field goal by Zach Maxey with 10:18 left in the first quarter. Robinson caught a 47-yard touchdown pass from Nikkel and Jones broke loose for a 27-yard touchdown run later in the quarter to put the Mustangs in front 17-0 after a first quarter that saw the Mustangs rack up a staggering 221 yards total offense.
 |
Marcus Smith |
The Mustangs blew the game open with a four-touchdown second quarter, all on passes from Nikkel. The Mustangs’ freshman quarterback delivered scoring strikes of four yards to Tyler Sinsabaugh, 12 yards to Joel McCabe, 58 yards to Nate Berger, and 12 yards to Preston Ives. The 58-yard pass to Berger was the Mustangs’ longest pass completion of the season.
Morningside made it 52-0 on a five-yard touchdown run by Jones with 9:26 left in the third quarter and capped its scoring on a five-yard touchdown run by Levi Owen to go up 59-0 with 3:39 left in the game.
Briar Cliff avoided a shutout when reserve quarterback P.J. Quiroga tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Bryce Harshman with just 32 seconds left in the game.
Morningside sacked Briar Cliff quarterback Tom Traficanti four times, including two sacks from Marcus Smith. Marshall Barney and Taylor Johnson also had sacks, while Ben Rickord and Zach Ruiz each had interceptions.
Chris Calvillo topped the Mustangs’ tackle chart with two solos and four assists for six total tackles, while Cole Boger had five solos, all on kickoff coverage.
Box
Morningside College’s Jared Goforth, Matt Muschall, Aaron Roberg, and Jordan Sitzmann have all been named to the 2011 Capital One Academic All-District V Football Team as selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
All four players will be placed on the national ballot for the 2011 Capital One Academic All-America Football Team.
Goforth, a 6-0, 195 lb. junior defensive back from Polk City, Iowa, has a 3.35 cumulative grade point average (GPA) with a major in business administration.
Muschall, a 6-1, 255 lb. senior defensive lineman from Omaha, Neb., has a 3.81 cumulative GPA with majors in engineering physics and applied computer science.
Roberg, a 6-0, 205 lb. sophomore linebacker from Grand Island, Neb., has a 3.78 cumulative GPA with a major in business administration.
Sitzmann, a 6-1, 190 lb. punter-defensive back from Le Mars, Iowa, has a 3.85 cumulative GPA.
Athletes must be of at least sophomore academic status, be a starter or significant reserve, and have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher to be eligible for Capital One Academic honors.
 Colby Henderson, a 5-11, 175 lb. junior defensive back from Wakefield, Neb., has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Mustangs’ 28-7 victory against Concordia University last Saturday in Seward, Neb.
Henderson scored the first touchdown of the game with an 88-yard interception return for his fourth interception TD run back of the season. Aside from the interception, Henderson also had four solo tackles, an assisted tackle, and blocked a pair of Concordia field goal attempts.
He is the NAIA national leader with nine interceptions to put him one shy of the Morningside school record of 10 interceptions in a season by Dwight Sann in 1969. Henderson has a school-record 333 interception return yards for an average of 30.7 yards per return. Henderson broke the former Morningside single-season record of 300 interception return yards by Chad Hustedt in 2007.
Henderson received the GPAC Defensive Player of the Week honor for the third time this season. He has also been the GPAC Special Teams Player of the Week this season.
Morningside will take an 8-1 record into its regular season finale against Briar Cliff University this Saturday at Elwood Olsen Stadium.
 Colby Henderson, a 5-11, 175 lb. junior defensive back from Wakefield, Neb., has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the sixth-ranked Mustangs’ 34-14 victory against Hastings College last Saturday in Sioux City.
Henderson had two interceptions, two tackles, and a pass breakup in the Mustangs’ triumph. He returned his first interception 32 yards for a touchdown to tie the score at 7-7 with 23 seconds left in the first quarter. It was his third interception touchdown return this season. Henderson is the NAIA national leader with eight interceptions and is within two pass thefts of the Morningside single-season record of 10 interceptions by Dwight Sann in 1969.
Henderson received the GPAC Defensive Player of the Week award for the second time this season. He was last week’s GPAC Special Teams Player of the Week after he returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown in the Mustangs’ 28-26 win against Dakota Wesleyan University.
Saturday’s triumph against Hastings improved the Mustangs’ record to 6-1 overall and 5-1 in the GPAC to put them in a tie with Doane College atop the league standings. Morningside will travel to Sioux Center, Iowa, this Saturday for a 1 p.m. game against Dordt College.
 |
 |
Jared Goforth |
Colby Henderson |
Jared Goforth, a 6-0, 195 lb. junior defensive back from Polk City, Iowa, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Defensive Player of the Week and Colby Henderson, a 5-11, 175 lb. junior defensive back from Wakefield, Neb., has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Special Teams Player of the Week for their performances in the eighth-ranked Mustangs’ 28-26 victory against previously unbeaten Dakota Wesleyan University last Saturday in Mitchell, S.D.
Goforth had two interceptions to go along with three solo tackles, two assisted tackles, and a pass breakup against the 13th-ranked Tigers in his first game action since missing two games with an injury.
Henderson scored two of the Mustangs’ four touchdowns against Dakota Wesleyan with a 67-yard punt return and a 55-yard interception return. Henderson received the GPAC Defensive Player of the Week award earlier this season after he returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown in the Mustangs’ 28-27 win against Midland University on Sept. 24.
Morningside climbed to 4-1 in the GPAC with the victory against Dakota Wesleyan to move into a three-way tie with Dakota Wesleyan and Doane College for first place in the GPAC standings. The Mustangs will take a 5-1 overall record into this Saturday’s 1 p.m. home game against Hastings College.
 Kyle Nikkel, a 6-6, 220 lb. freshman quarterback from Pella, Iowa, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Mustangs’ 31-16 Homecoming victory against 13th-ranked Doane College this past Saturday.
Nikkel came off the bench to complete 11 of 17 pass attempts for 165 yards and three touchdowns to help lead the ninth-ranked Mustangs to a 31-16 Homecoming victory over No. 13 Doane College to hand the Tigers their first loss of the season.
Nikkel’s touchdown passes were throws of 33 yards to Dillon Robinson, 14 yards to Charlie Murphy, and 26 yards to Kyle Schuck.
He has completed 27 of 46 pass attempts (58.7 percent) for 322 yards and five touchdowns in two games this season.
Morningside, which moved up to No. 8 in this week’s NAIA national poll, will take a 4-1 record into a game against Dakota Wesleyan University, ranked 13th with a 5-0 record, this Saturday at 1 p.m. in Mitchell, S.D.
 Matt Muschall, a 6-1, 255 lb. senior defensive lineman from Omaha, Neb., was one of 127 semifinalists for the 2011 William V. Campbell Trophy (formerly known as the Draddy Trophy) endowed by HealthSouth, and one of the candidates for the 2011 National Football Foundation (NFF) National Scholar-Athlete Awards.
The semifinalists were announced on Sept. 29 by the NFF and the College Football Hall of Fame.
Muschall has a 3.81 cumulative grade point average (GPA) with majors in engineering physics and applied computer science.
Muschall has collected five tackles, including 1.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage for losses of three yards, to go along with one fumble recovery and one quarterback hurry for the Mustangs’ defense so far this season. He earned honorable mention All-Great Plains Conference honors last season when he was the Mustangs’ co-leader with two forced fumbles and ranked among the team leaders with three quarterback sacks and three quarterback hurries.
The NFF Awards Committee will select up to 16 finalists that will be announced on Oct. 26. Each finalist will be recognized as part of the 2011 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class and receive an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship. The Campbell Trophy winner, who will have his scholarship increased to $25,000 and receive a 25-pound bronze trophy, will be announced live at the NFF’s Award Dinner on Dec. 6 at the prestigious Waldorf=Astoria in New York City.
Morningside’s Beau Kildow was one of the national finalists for the 2009 Campbell Trophy, which was awarded to the University of Florida’s Tim Tebow.
Click here for the complete list of 2011 Campbell Trophy Semifinalists.
 |
 |
Kyle Nikkel |
Kyle Schuck |
Kyle Nikkel threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Schuck as time expired and Zach Maxey added the PAT to complete one of the most exciting comebacks in Morningside football history when the 11th-ranked Mustangs shocked No. 9 Midland University 28-27 to spoil the Warriors’ Homecoming on Saturday in Fremont, Neb.
The Mustangs’ winning touchdown came just moments after Midland had taken a 27-21 lead with just 20 seconds left in the game on a 15-yard TD pass from Greg Panelli to Derrick Middleton to break a 21-21 tie. However, the Warriors’ Tanner Jones missed the PAT to open the door for the Mustangs.
Morningside’s Preston Ives fielded a short kickoff and returned the ball 29 yards to midfield to set up the winning touchdown heave from Nikkel to Schuck.
The Mustangs, who had been upset 30-23 by Nebraska Wesleyan University the previous Saturday, appeared headed for their second straight defeat when a nine-yard touchdown pass from Panelli to Luke Procopio on the first play of the fourth quarter put the Warriors in front 21-3.
The Mustangs had mustered only 73 yards total offense through the first three quarters as the freshman Nikkel displayed growing pains while forced into his first varsity service after an injury kept starter Jordan Jacupke out the contest. Jacupke was one of four starters who missed the game with injuries, joining J-back Joel McCabe and defensive stalwarts Jared Goforth and Chris Calvillo on the sidelines.
Nikkel and the rest of the Mustang offense started to click in the final 15 minutes. First a 45-yard kickoff return by Ives advanced the ball to the Midland 38-yard line. The Mustangs scored seven plays later on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Nikkel to Dillon Robinson to close within 21-10 with 12:09 left in the game.
The Morningside defense then got into the scoring act when Colby Henderson picked off a Panelli pass and returned the theft 20 yards for a touchdown to pull the Mustangs within 21-18 with 4:07 left in the game.
The Morningside defense forced the Warriors into a three-and-out and the Mustangs took over on their own 40-yard line with 2:59 left in the game.
A 10-yard completion from Nikkel to Colby Rohde and a 15-yard personal foul penalty against Midland moved the Mustangs into field goal range, from where the freshman Maxey connected from 47 yards out with 54 seconds left to tie the game at 21-21.
It took Midland just two plays to answer when Panelli completed a 63-yard pass to Kyle Fries that set up his 15-yard TD pass to Middleton on the next play before Nikkel’s 50-yard “Flutiesque” strike to Schuck that will go down in Morningside lore.
Nikkel finished with 16 completions in 29 attempts for 157 yards. James Brook was his favorite target with nine catches for 57 yards. Robinson paced the Mustangs’ rushing attack with 59 yards in 11 carries.
The Mustangs’ fourth quarter rally enabled them finish with 234 yards total offense compared to 393 yards for the Warriors.
Chris Tate topped the Mustangs’ tackle chart with seven solos and four assists for 11 total tackles to go along with an interception. Ryan Klein and Marshall Barney each had nine tackles, while Zach Ruiz had eight stops and a quarterback sack. Henderson had four tackles to go along with his 20-yard touchdown interception return.
Morningside improved its record to 3-1 and will have a week off before it hosts Doane College for Homecoming 2011 on Saturday, Oct. 8.
 |
 |
Colby Henderson |
Zach Maxey |
Colby Henderson, a 5-11, 175 lb. junior defensive back from Wakefield, Neb., and Zach Maxey, a 6-4, 215 lb. freshman kicker from Sioux City, have been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Defensive Player of the Week and Special Teams Player of the Week for their performances in last Saturday’s 28-27 Morningside victory against ninth-ranked Midland University.
Henderson intercepted a pass and returned the theft 20 yards for a touchdown to help rally the Mustangs from a 21-3 fourth quarter deficit. The interception was Henderson’s fourth of the season to put him among the NAIA national leaders. He also had one solo and three assisted tackles, including a tackle for a loss of eight yards when he trapped the Warriors’ Kahlid Waters in the backfield on a pass completion in the second quarter.
Maxey kicked a pair of 47-yard field goals, including a pressure kick with 54 seconds left that tied the score at 21-21. Maxey is five-for-six on field goal attempts and a perfect 12-for-12 on PATs so far this season.
Morningside, 3-1, will play its next game on Saturday, Oct. 8, when it hosts Doane College for Homecoming 2011.
 Morningside is ranked fifth nationally in the NAIA pre-season football poll released on August 8.
The Mustangs are coming off a banner 2010 season where they finished 10-2 and reached the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Championship Series. Morningside has a 68-16 record for a .810 winning percentage since the start of the 2004 season and has made seven consecutive appearances in the NAIA National Championship Series, advancing to at least the quarterfinal round each of the past six years.
Morningside is one of three teams from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) ranked in the NAIA Pre-Season Top 25. Aside from Morningside, Northwestern College is ranked 14th and Midland University is ranked 17th.
Morningside will open the 2011 season on the road with a 7 p.m. game against Valley City State University on Thursday, Sept. 1, in Valley City, N.D.
Click here for the complete NAIA Pre-Season Top 25.
 Morningside College has been tabbed the pre-season favorite in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Football Coaches Pre-Season Poll announced at the 2011 GPAC Football Media Day held Wednesday in Sioux City.
The Mustangs received seven of the 10 first place votes to top the poll with 79 points. Northwestern College received the other three first place votes and finished second in the voting with 74 points. Morningside and Northwestern will square off on Saturday, Sept. 10, in Orange City, Iowa.
The GPAC will crown a new champion this season after five-time defending champion University of Sioux Falls’ departure to join the NCAA Division II ranks. Morningside won the GPAC championship in 2005 to mark the only time since 2001 that Sioux Falls did not win the league title.
The Mustangs are coming off a banner 2010 season where they posted a 10-2 record and finished second in the GPAC with a 9-1 league mark.
The Mustangs will open the 2011 season on the road with a 7 p.m. game against Valley City State University on Thursday, Sept. 1, in Valley City, N.D.
Morningside has a 68-16 record for a .810 winning percentage since the start of the 2004 season and has made seven consecutive appearances in the NAIA National Championship Series. The Mustangs have advanced to at least the quarterfinal round of the NAIA National Championship Series each of the past six years.
Click here for the complete poll results.
|
