SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Morningside Mustangs showed once again why they are one of the top football programs in the NAIA.
Joe Dolincheck threw for 417 yards and five touchdowns as Morningside defeated Kansas Wesleyan 58-21 in a quarterfinal game of the NAIA Football Championship Series on Saturday afternoon at Elwood Olsen Stadium.
Despite the loss it was another banner season for KWU. The Coyotes ended the season with an 11-2 record, were 9-1 in the Kansas Conference and shared the title with Southwestern and Bethel (their third title in four years) and advanced to the NAIA quarterfinals for the third time in four years.
Wesleyan has a 44-4 record – 37-3 in the KCAC – over the last four seasons.
Saturday, though, the Coyotes ran into a perennial NAIA powerhouse in Morningside that's seeking its third national title in the last four years, was in the final four last year, and has won the rugged Great Plains Athletic Conference championship 11 consecutive seasons.
Dolincheck, a senior and the NAIA's leading passer, was 31 of 45 passing and no interceptions. He completed passes to 11 different receivers, led by Austin Johnson with seven catches for 153 yards and seven touchdowns – all in the first half.
Morningside (12-0) entered the game leading the NAIA in scoring (59.5 points), total yards (636) and passing yards (390.5) per game. The Mustangs also ranked second in rushing yards (245.5).
Morningside scored touchdowns on its first five possessions of the game, four on Dolincheck passes, two to Johnson of 35 and 28 yards. The Mustangs led 21-0 after one quarter and took a 38-7 lead into the locker room at halftime with Dolincheck throwing for 346 yards and four scores.
Wesleyan's touchdown came early in the second quarter when quarterback Isaiah Randalle (JR/Sacramento, Calif.) scrambled 10 yards into the end zone on third down. Aaron Main (JR/Tulsa, Okla.)'s point after kick made it 21-7 Morningside with 12:09 left in the half. The play capped an 82-yard, 12-play drive that was highlighted by Randalle's 33-yard completion to Eren Jenkins (FR/Chicago, Ill.).
Morningside took advantage of two short fields and scored touchdowns on its first two possession of the second half – Dolincheck throwing his fifth touchdown pass for the second score.
The Coyotes broke through again late in the quarter, though, going 75 yards on four plays – the final 54 yards on a Randalle to Drevon Macon (JR/Los Angeles, Calif.) pass. Macon caught the pass, eluded a defender and sprinted into the end zone, making it 52-14 with 3:36 left in the quarter.
Morningside scored its final touchdown one play after Randalle was sacked at the KWU 1 on a fourth-down play but Wesleyan answered with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with Randalle's 12-yard touchdown pass to Stevie Williams (SR/Los Angeles, Calif.) with 2:12 left in the game.
It was a milestone contest for the irrepressible Williams, who surpassed Zach McClain and became the university's career receptions leader. He tied McClain's record with a 5-yard catch early in the first quarter and broke the record with an 11-yard reception late in the third quarter.
Williams, who had five catches for 52 yards Saturday in his final game as a Coyote, is also KWU's career leader in receiving yards and departs with 176 receptions for 3,423 yards. He fell five touchdown catches shy of tying Trent Poe-Evans career record 48.
Randalle, the KCAC's Player of the Year and Co-Offensive Player of the Year, was 21 of 41 for 311 yards and two touchdowns along with the rushing touchdown. Jenkins caught seven passes for 83 yards and Macon had four for 118 yards. Nick Allsman (SO/Belleville, Kan.) led the ground game with 43 yards on 11 carries.
Defensively Julian Urioste (FR/Portales, N.M.) had 14 tackles and DeVante Gabriel (JR/Spring, Texas) 12 for KWU.
Morningside finished with 554 total yards, its second lowest total of the season and had 137 yards rushing – 108 below its average. Wesleyan had 325 total yards.