Red Raiders Trip up Broncos
Hastings - The Hastings College football team got off to a strong start against NAIA No. 8 Northwestern on Saturday only to fall 21-7 on a blustery afternoon at Lloyd Wilson Field.
With the way the wind was blowing, field position was going to play a major factor and it showed right from the get go.
On the Red Raiders first possession as they began the game going into the wind, AJ Hall (SO/Mariposa, CA) picked off Craig Bruinsma and returned it to the Red Raider 29-yard line.
As the Bronco offense took the field behind backup quarterback Jason Gaines (SO/Papillion, NE), the Northwestern defense lived up to its No. 1 ranking holding the Broncos to a Nick Giaffolione 45-yard field goal that he missed wide right.
After swapping possessions a few times, Hastings would finally take advantage of the wind as Jake Fowler (SO/Hastings, NE) would break through for a 42-yard run down to the Red Raider 3-yard line. Then Gaines would find Noah Housh (SO/Lincoln, NE) on the fade as Housh was able to keep his toes down giving the Broncos the 7-0 lead.
With the teams switching sides, Northwestern would begin to take advantage of the wind at its backs striking on its second possession of the second quarter as Bruinsma would find Landon Johnson wide open for a 38-yard touchdown to tie the game at 7-7 with 12:00 remaining in the first half.
Hastings would have trouble moving the ball into the wind and be forced to punt and Northwestern would mount a drive all the way to the Bronco 6-yard line before Jacob Tarr (FR/Chaparral, CO) would intercept Bruinsma in the back of the end zone to keep the game tied 7-7.
But Gaines would fumble on the ensuing Bronco possession and this time the Red Raiders would take full advantage as Brady Timmer would score from four yards out to give NWIC the 14-7 lead.
That score would hold into the third quarter and the Broncos would go into the wind and field position would favor the Red Raiders as the Broncos would be unable to keep them out of the end zone.
Northwestern would mount a 10-play 67-yard drive capped off by a Levi Ettleman to make it 21-7 late in the third quarter.
Hastings would catch a break at the end of the third quarter when Jordan Clancy (SO/Hastings, NE) would recover a fumble setting the Broncos up at the Red Raider 38-yard line. But Gaines would be intercepted two plays later ending the drive before it could get started.
The Broncos would finish the game with 142-yards of total offense while the Red Raiders had 378.
Fowler finished the game with a team high 79-yards rushing on 12 carries.
Jacob Tarr would finish the day with 12 tackles while Kelly McBride (SO/Austin, TX) added 10.
Hastings is now 4-4 (3-4) on the year and will be back in action Saturday Nov. 8 hitting the road to take on Dordt with kick-off set for 1:00 p.m. in Sioux Center, IA.
