Elite Eight - Perennial powers collide Saturday
A spot in the 2018 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' final four is on the line Saturday, Nov. 24.
Game details: Kickoff between the top-seeded and number one ranked Morningside College Mustangs (13-0) and No. 17-ranked St. Xavier University of Illinois (9-3) is 12 p.m. at Elwood Olsen Stadium … Live audio, stats, and video are accessible via links at www.msidemustangs.com, the Internet home of Morningside College athletics … It's the fourth meeting between the two national powers, as the Maroon has won all three previous contests including a 52-7 roll last season … Two of the winningest active coaches in the NAIA are leading their teams into action. SXU head coach Mike Feminis (175-65) and Mside head coach Steve Ryan (168-40) are both among the best 10 in wins and winning percentage.
Mustang Marks: Ryan's program has seen plenty of success in recent seasons in regards to quarterfinal round decisions. They captured six of their last seven opportunities … The roadmap to Morningside's 20th all-time postseason victory Nov. 17 featured offensive and defensive stars aplenty. The Mustangs didn't disappoint their home crowd. The trail started on the arm of senior quarterback Trent Solsma (SR/Dakota Dunes, SD). Resuming a stalwart collegiate career, he threaded the proverbial needle throughout the day, hitting on 28 of 38 attempts for 368 yards, marking the ninth time this season he's been above 300 yards, to go along with four touchdown strikes. A well-earned Offensive Player of the Game honoree in the wake of a 49-20 victory over No. 16 seeded Rocky Mountain College of Montana, Solsma also used his feet to rush for another score, part of an afternoon in which he increased a remarkable streak to 26 consecutive games in which he's connected on two-or-more touchdown passes. The offensive story didn't stop there, though. Senior wide receiver Connor Niles (SR/Sioux City, IA) was again his classmate's favorite target to the tune of three pay dirt stops, 190 yards, good for his fourth successive triple-digit contest, and 13 catches and junior wide receiver Bo Els (JR/Erie, CO) and sophomore wide receiver Reid Jurgensmeier (SO/Wahoo, NE) kept the Battlin' Bears defensive unit guessing Solsma's passing patterns. Els grabbed six receptions for 81 yards and scored a touchdown, and Jurgensmeier received four passes for 75 yards. Sophomore running back Arnijae "AP" Ponder and the Maroon ground game was rolling, too. Ponder scored twice and carried the ball 21 times for 131 yards for his eighth triple-figure yardage total. Individual standouts were as numerous on the defensive end. Junior linebacker Chase Nelson (JR/Beatrice, NE), gaining Player of the Game honors to join Solsma, kept himself in the backfield of the visitors on several occasions with two forced fumbles, a thundering sack, and a tackle and a half for losses to go with four quarterback passing hurries. Other top numbers came from senior defensive back Xavier Spann (SR/Lakeland, Florida) who garnered his sixth interception and fourth pick-off in the last six games; junior defensive back Deion Clayborne (JR/Sioux City, IA) who led the tackle chart with nine; and junior linebacker Joel Katzer (JR/Wellsville, KS), senior linebacker Jesse Faltys (SR/Dodge, NE) and sophomore defensive lineman Niklas Gustav (SO/Hamburg, Germany) who added sacks to Nelson's hit … Solsma, who set a new single-season national mark for touchdown passes last weekend (59), can add the career record to his large cadre of honors with three scoring strikes. His 152 are just two behind current record holder Austin Dodge of Southern Oregon (154 – 2011-14).
Semifinal Saturday – Match-ups and kickoff times for the Saturday, Dec. 1, clashes will be set later this weekend at the conclusion of the quarterfinals.