No. 3 Mustangs collect 708 total yards in win

Photo courtesy of Gene Knudsen '71

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Morningside football delivered an offensive showcase on Saturday, tallying 708 total yards in a 58-17 victory over Briar Cliff at Memorial Field. The Mustangs averaged 13.1 yards per play, setting a new single-game school record for offensive efficiency.

Quarterback Zack Chevalier directed the attack with 370 yards passing and four touchdowns. He connected on an 89-yard strike to Drew Sellon in the second quarter and later found Griffin Kraft twice and Jakob Nelson once for scores. Sellon led all receivers with 184 yards on just four catches, averaging 46.0 yards per reception. That set a new Morningside single-game record (minimum three receptions). He broke the previous mark set by Trae Johnson in 2005.

"Zack did a really good job of not making bad decisions," said coach Steve Ryan on the KMNS-AM postgame show. "We held onto the ball much better. There were a lot of things I felt much better about."

The rushing game was just as effective. Max Hough broke free for 192 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, including an 83-yard sprint late in the third quarter. Juven Hudson added a 27-yard touchdown run, and Ty Cozad capped the scoring with a five-yard plunge in the fourth. In all, Morningside finished with 302 yards on the ground, averaging 10.4 yards per carry.

Morningside's defense held Briar Cliff to 42 rushing yards on 22 attempts and forced two turnovers. Cade Harriman and Jack Brickhouse led the way with 10 and nine tackles, respectively, while Landry Phipps and Teyel Lowe each contributed sacks.

The Mustangs scored on eight different possessions and had six players find the end zone. They outscored the Chargers 34-7 in the second half.

With the win, Morningside improves to 1-1 overall and 1-0 in GPAC play. The Mustangs have a bye week before returning home Saturday, Sept. 20, to host Midland at 1 p.m.