SAINT PAUL, MINN.— Scoring seven times on the ground and racking up 342 net rushing yards, the Central College football team defeated the University of Northwestern – St. Paul (Minn.) 51-27 Saturday night.
The Dutch (1-1) averaged 6.2 yards per carry against the Eagles (0-2), rushing on 55 of 64 offensive plays.
Jase Grunder (senior, Tampico, Ill., Prophetstown HS) had 146 yards and four scores on the ground. He had a pivotal 66-yard score at the end of the third quarter immediately after the Eagles had made it a one-score game.
Central started the game with a 2-0 lead after an errant snap by Northwestern went through the end zone. After Central's first touchdown of the season on quarterback
Gentry Dumont's (junior, Solon, Regina Catholic HS) four-yard rush, the defense had another big play when
Andersen McKinzie (sophomore, Aurora, Ill., Aurora Christian HS) forced a fumble that
Dan Nault (sophomore, Aurora, Colo., Lutheran HS) recovered on the Eagle 27-yard line. Central made it 16-0 when Grunder tallied his first touchdown five plays later.
Northwestern took advantage of Dutch miscues to make the score 23-20 at the half, scoring on an interception return touchdown and a hail mary pass into the end zone as the clock expired.
Running back
Cody Klein (junior, Newton) and quarterback
Brett Connolly (sophomore, Plainfield, Ill., Oswego HS) also contributed rushing touchdowns. Dumont ran for 91 yards on nine carries and Klein had 72 yards on 16 rushes.
Dumont and Connolly combined to complete seven of nine passes for 72 yards. Grunder, Klein and tight end
Elam Praises (Elizabeth, Colo., Mountain Vista HS) each had two caches. Wide receiver
Tate Jirovsky (junior, Grundy Center) had a 37-yard catch.
The Dutch controlled the Eagles ground attack, limiting them to 60 net yards on 28 attempts. Linebacker
Clay Saak (junior, Grundy Center) was Central's leading tackler with seven and a pass break-up. Defensive end
Noah Parsons had 1.5 sacks and cornerback
Owen Tomko blocked an extra point attempt.
Central makes the long trip south to Jackson, Mississippi to face Belhaven University at 11 a.m. next Saturday.
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