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B.J. Batterton, a 6-2, 260 lb. senior offensive center from Des Moines, Iowa, has been named to the first-team of the 2005 NAIA All-America football team.

In addition to Batterton, the Mustangs’ Craig Fobbe, a 6-2, 225 lb. senior quarterback from Maple Lake, Minn.; Trae Johnson, a 6-3, 200 lb. senior wide receiver from San Bernardino, Calif.; and Jared Small, a 5-10, 190 lb. junior placekicker from Sioux City, were named to the All-America second-team.

Photo of B.J. Batterton Batterton, a four-year starter, was the blocking standout for a high powered Morningside offense that led the nation in scoring with an average of 42.3 points per game and also topped the nation with averages of 533.0 yards total offense and 383.4 yards passing per game. Batterton did not allow a quarterback sack all season.

Batterton earned NAIA honorable mention All-America honors as a junior.
Fobbe, also a NAIA honorable mention All-American last year, passed for 4,885 yards this past season to break the former NAIA national record of 4,616 yards passing by Jon Kitna of Central Washington University in 1995.

Photo of Craig Fobbe Fobbe was this year’s NAIA national leader with averages of 375.8 yards passing and 375.0 yards total offense per game. He completed 300 of 487 pass attempts for 4,885 yards with 41 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. Fobbe set new Morningside single-season records for completions, yards passing, touchdown passes, a completion percentage of 61.6 percent, and 4,875 yards total offense. Fobbe set Morningside single-game records with 31 completions, 501 yards passing, and 510 yards total offense when the Mustangs defeated Evangel University 54-21 in the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Playoffs. He threw a school-record six touchdown passes when the Mustangs blasted St. Ambrose University 58-7 in the opening round of the NAIA National Playoffs.

Fobbe completed 851 of 1,504 pass attempts for 11,623 yards and 89 touchdowns during his Morningside career; all school records. He is also Morningside’s all-time career leader with 11,693 yards total offense and with a completion rate of 56.6 percent.

Photo of Trae Johnson Johnson was the NAIA national leader with an average of 146.9 pass reception yards per game. He caught 81 passes for school-record totals of 1,910 yards and 21 touchdowns. Johnson, who averaged a whopping 23.6 yards per catch, also set new Morningside single-season records with 22 touchdowns and 132 points scored. His 81 pass receptions was the second highest single-season total in Morningside history.

Johnson had seven 100-yard reception games during the season, including a school-record 287-yard performance against St. Ambrose in the opening round of the NAIA National Playoffs. Johnson also tied a Morningside single-game record with four touchdown receptions in the St. Ambrose game.

Johnson, who joined the Mustangs for the 2005 season as a transfer from the University of South Dakota, ended his career as the fourth leading receiver in Morningside history with his 1,910 career yards.

Photo of Jared Small Small kicked a school-record 56 PATs in 60 attempts and made eight of 10 field goal attempts with a long of 34 yards to rank third on the Mustangs’ scoring chart with 80 points. He ranked second nationally with an average of 7.3 kick scoring points per game.

Morningside’s Chad Hustedt, a 6-2, 190 lb. sophomore defensive back from Galva, Iowa; Mike Winklepleck, a 5-10, 190 lb. senior defensive back from Sioux City; and Cory Wirth, a 6-3, 230 lb. senior fullback from Tabor, Iowa, were all named to the NAIA All-America honorable mention list. Wirth made the team as a tight end.

Hustedt was the Mustangs’ leading tackler with 74 solos and 67 assists for 141 total tackles. He also led the team with six pass interceptions and three forced fumbles and ranked third on the team with seven pass breakups. Hustedt led the Mustangs with seven double figure tackle performances and was their leading tackler in eight of their 13 games.

Winklepleck intercepted five passes during the 2005 season to become Morningside’s all-time career leader with 20 interceptions. He was the Mustangs’ fifth leading tackler this past season with 30 solos and 39 assists for 69 total tackles. Winklepleck’s statistics also included six pass breakups, five tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 12 yards, two fumble recoveries, 1.5 quarterback sacks, and one forced fumble. Winklepleck also earned honorable mention NAIA All-America honors as a sophomore and was a second-team All-American as a junior.

Wirth caught 63 passes for 775 yards and six touchdowns and averaged 12.3 yards per catch. Wirth, who converted eight of 10 PATs and kicked a 34-yard field goal as the Mustangs’ backup placekicker, was the Mustangs’ fourth leading scorer with 59 points.

Wirth finished his career with 161 receptions for 1,922 yards to rank third in Morningside history in both categories.

Morningside posted a 12-1 record during the 2005 season to set a school record for victories in a season. The Mustangs were Great Plains Athletic Conference champions with a perfect 10-0 league slate, were ranked No. 3 in the nation in the final NAIA regular season poll, and advanced to the semifinals of the NAIA National Playoffs.

Click here for complete 2005 NAIA All-America Football Team.

Johnson Named To All-America First-Team

Trae Johnson, a 6-3, 200 lb. senior wide receiver from San Bernardino, Calif., was named to the first team of the 2005 Don Hansen’s Football Gazette NAIA All-America football team.

Johnson was the NAIA national leader with an average of 146.9 pass reception yards per game. He caught 81 passes for school-record totals of 1,910 yards and 21 touchdowns. Johnson, who averaged a whopping 23.6 yards per catch, also set new Morningside single-season records with 22 touchdowns and 132 points scored. His 81 pass receptions was the second highest single-season total in Morningside history.

Johnson had seven 100-yard reception games during the season, including a school-record 287-yard performance against St. Ambrose University in the opening round of the NAIA National Playoffs. Johnson also tied a Morningside single-game record with four touchdown receptions in the St. Ambrose game.

Morningside’s Craig Fobbe, a 6-3, 225 lb. senior quarterback from Maple Lake, Minn.; B.J. Batterton, a 6-2, 260 lb. senior offensive center from Des Moines, Iowa; Chad Hustedt, a 6-2, 190 lb. sophomore defensive back from Galva, Iowa; and Mike Winklepleck, a 5-10, 190 lb. senior defensive back from Sioux City, were all named to the second team.

Fobbe passed for 4,885 yards to break the former NAIA national record of 4,616 yards passing by Jon Kitna of Central Washington University in 1995. Fobbe was the NAIA national leader with averages of 375.8 yards passing and 375.0 yards total offense per game. He completed 300 of 487 pass attempts for 4,885 yards with 41 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. Fobbe set new Morningside single-season records for completions, yards passing, touchdown passes, a completion percentage of 61.6 percent, and 4,875 yards total offense.

Batterton, a four-year starter, was the blocking standout for a high powered Morningside offense that led the nation in scoring with an average of 42.3 points per game and also topped the nation with averages of 533.0 yards total offense and 383.4 yards passing per game. Batterton did not allow a quarterback sack all season.

The Mustangs’ Shawn Robinson, a 6-4, 300 lb. junior offensive tackle from Bettendorf, Iowa, was named to the Football Gazette All-America honorable mention list.

Click here for the complete 2005 Don Hansen's Football Gazette NAIA All-America Team.

Seven Mustangs Make NAIAFootball.Net Honor Team


B.J. Batterton	Trae Johnson

Morningside had seven players named to the 2005 NAIAFootball.Net All-America football team as selected by Dannelly Media.

The Mustangs were represented on the first team by offensive lineman B.J. Batterton and wide receiver Trae Johnson.

In addition, quarterback Craig Fobbe and tight end Cory Wirth were named to the second team, wide receiver Damon Mothershead and defensive back Chad Hustedt were tabbed to the third team, and defensive back Mike Winklepleck was named to the fourth team.

Batterton, a 6-2, 260 lb. senior offensive center from Des Moines, Iowa, was the offensive line standout for a Morningside team that led the nation with an average of 42.3 points per game and also topped the nation with averages of 383.4 yards passing and 533.0 yards total offense per game.

Johnson, a 6-3, 200 lb. senior wide receiver from San Bernardino, Calif., was the Mustangs’ top pass receiver with 81 receptions for school-record totals of 1,910 yards and 21 touchdowns. He averaged 23.6 yards per catch and was the NAIA national leader with an average of 146.9 reception yards per game.

Fobbe, a 6-3,225 lb. senior quarterback from Maple Lake, Minn., passed for 4,885 yards this season to break the former NAIA national record of 4,616 yards by Jon Kitna of Central Washington University in 1995. He completed 300 of 487 pass attempts with a school-record 41 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. Fobbe was the NAIA national leader with averages of 375.8 yards passing and 375.0 yards total offense per game.

Wirth, a 6-3, 230 lb. senior from Council Bluffs, Iowa, caught 63 passes for 775 yards and six touchdowns.

Mothershead, a 5-10, 190 lb. junior wide receiver from Sioux City, caught 72 passes for 1,093 yards and eight touchdowns.

Hustedt, a 6-2, 190 lb. sophomore safety from Galva, Iowa, was the Mustangs’ leading tackler with 74 solos and 67 assists for 141 total tackles. He also led the team with six pass interceptions and three forced fumbles and ranked third on the team with seven pass breakups.

Winklepleck, a 5-10, 190 lb. senior safety from Sioux City, collected 30 solo and 39 assists for 69 total tackles to go along with five interceptions, six pass breakups, five tackles for losses of 12 yards, 1.5 quarterback sacks, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble.

The official NAIA All-America team will be released by the NAIA on Jan. 17.

Morningside posted a 12-1 record to set a school record for victories during the 2005 season. The Mustangs were Great Plains Athletic Conference champions with a perfect 10-0 league record, were ranked No. 3 in the nation in the final NAIA regular season poll, and advanced to the semifinals of the NAIA National Playoffs.

Click here for the complete 2005 NAIAFootball.Net All-America football team.

Mustangs Announce Award Winners

Craig Fobbe, a 6-3, 225 lb. senior quarterback from Maple Lake, Minn., received the Most Valuable Player Award for the Morningside College football team at the Mustangs’ 2005 awards banquet held Saturday. Fobbe received the award for the second year in a row.

Fobbe passed for 4,885 yards this season to break the former NAIA national record of 4,616 yards passing in a season by Jon Kitna of Central Washington University in 1995. Fobbe completed 300 of 487 pass attempts for 61.6 percent with 41 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. He established new Morningside single-season records for completions, yards passing, touchdown passes, completion percentage, and total offense with 4,875 yards. Fobbe was the NAIA national leader with averages of 375.8 yards passing and 375.0 yards total offense per game.

He set new Morningside single-game records with 31 completions, 501 yards passing, and 510 yards total offense when Morningside defeated Evangel University 54-21 in the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Playoffs and set a school record with six touchdown passes in the Mustangs’ 58-7 opening round playoff win against St. Ambrose University.

Fobbe is Morningside’s all-time career leader with 11,623 yards passing, 851 pass completions, 89 touchdown passes, and 11,693 yards total offense.


Trae Johnson	Chad Hustedt

In addition, Trae Johnson received the Offensive MVP Award and Chad Hustedt received the Defensive MVP Award.

Johnson, a 6-3, 200 lb. senior wide receiver from San Bernardino, Calif., caught 81 passes for school-record totals of 1,910 yards and 21 touchdowns. He averaged 23.6 yards per catch and was the NAIA national leader with an average of 146.9 reception yards per game. He also established new Morningside single-season records with 22 touchdowns and 132 points scored.

Johnson had seven 100-yard reception games during the season, including a school-record 287-yard performance with a school-record tying four touchdown receptions in the Mustangs’ 58-7 NAIA Playoff win against St. Ambrose.

Hustedt led the Mustangs with seven double figure tackle performances and was their leading tackler in eight of their 13 games.

Photo of Kyle Ortegren Kyle Ortegren, a 5-10, 195 lb. senior wide receiver from Oskaloosa, Iowa, received the Mustang of the Year Award based on character. Ortegren, a two-time NAIA All-American and Morningside’s all-time career leader with 219 receptions for 2,976 yards, missed the majority of the season after he tore the ACL in his knee during the first half of the Mustangs’ 43-0 win against Nebraska Wesleyan University on Oct. 1.

Ortegren returned to the field later in the season and caught three passes for 36 yards in the Mustangs’ 35-13 win against Hastings College on Oct. 29, but then aggravated the injury during the next week of practice and missed the rest of the season.

Morningside’s other award winners were:

Outstanding Offensive Lineman – B.J. Batterton, a 6-2, 260 lb. senior from Des Moines, Iowa.

Outstanding Defensive Lineman – Tyler McClellan, a 5-11, 260 lb. junior from Schleswig, Iowa.

Outstanding Linebacker – Drew Hahn, a 5-11, 220 lb. junior from Cherokee, Iowa.

Outstanding Offensive Back – Cory Wirth, a 6-3, 230 lb. senior fullback from Tabor, Iowa.

Outstanding Wide Receiver – Damon Mothershead, a 5-10, 190 lb. junior from Sioux City.

Outstanding Defensive Back – John Zevenbergen, a 6-2, 190 lb. senior from Hinton, Iowa.

Outstanding Special Teams Player – David Pink, a 6-0, 190 lb. freshman linebacker from St. Ansgar, Iowa.

Morningside enjoyed its greatest football season in school history during the 2005 campaign. The Mustangs posted a 12-1 record to set a school record for victories in a season, were Great Plains Athletic Conference champions with a perfect 10-0 league slate, were ranked No. 3 in the nation in the final NAIA regular season poll, and advanced to the semifinals of the NAIA National Playoffs.

Mustangs Enjoy Banner 2005 Season

Best Season Ever
Morningside was one of the nation’s elite football teams during the 2005 season. The Mustangs finished with a 12-1 record to set a school-record for victories in a season, were Great Plains Athletic Conference champions with a perfect 10-0 league slate, were ranked No. 3 in the nation in the final NAIA regular season poll, and advanced to the semifinals of the NAIA National Playoffs.

2005 Morningside Scoreboard
Morningside 48, Midland Lutheran 18
Morningside 52, Northwestern 6
Morningside 49, Doane 7
Morningside 43, Nebraska Wesleyan 0
Morningside 42, Dakota Wesleyan 9
Morningside 27, Sioux Falls 26
Morningside 44, Concordia 7
Morningside 35, Hastings 13
Morningside 35, Briar Cliff 9
Morningside 49, Dana 27
NAIA National Playoffs
Morningside 58, St. Ambrose 7
Morningside 54, Evangel 21
Saint Francis 42, Morningside 14

Best Offense In The Nation
Morningside was the highest scoring team in the nation in the NAIA with an average of 42.3 points per game. The Mustangs were also the NAIA national leader with averages of 383.4 yards passing and 533.0 yards total offense per game. The Mustangs established new single-season records with 550 points scored, 31 rushing touchdowns, 4,984 yards passing, 42 touchdown passes, and 313 pass completions.

The Mustangs set single-game school records with 695 yards total offense against Dana College, 32 pass completions and 514 yards passing against Evangel University, and six touchdown passes against St. Ambrose University. The Mustangs also tied a school single-game record when they intercepted five passes in their 58-7 opening round NAIA Playoff win against St. Ambrose.

Fobbe Breaks NAIA National Record
Craig Fobbe, a 6-3, 225 lb. senior quarterback from Maple Lake, Minn., passed for 4,885 yards this season to break the former NAIA national record of 4,616 yards passing by Jon Kitna of Central Washington University in 1995.
Fobbe was the NAIA national leader with averages of 375.8 yards passing and 375.0 yards total offense per game. Fobbe completed 300 of 487 pass attempts for 4,885 yards with 41 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. He set new Morningside single-season records for completions, yards, touchdowns, a completion percentage of 61.6 percent, and 4,875 yards total offense. Fobbe set new Morningside single-game records with 31 completions, 501 yards passing, and 510 yards total offense against Evangel and six touchdown passes against St. Ambrose.

Fobbe completed 851 of 1504 pass attempts for 11,623 yards with 89 touchdowns and 50 interceptions during his Morningside career. He is Morningside’s all-time career leader in completions, yards passing, touchdown passes, and with a completion rate of 56.6 percent and with 11,693 yards total offense.

Johnson Leads Nation In Receiving Yards
Trae Johnson, a 6-3, 200 lb. senior wide receiver from San Bernardino, Calif., was the NAIA national leader with an average of 146.9 pass reception yards per game. Johnson caught 81 passes for school-record totals of 1,910 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also set new Morningside single-season standards with 22 touchdowns and 132 points scored.

Johnson had seven 100-yard reception games during the 2005 season, including a school-record 287-yard performance against St. Ambrose in the Mustangs’ opening round NAIA Playoff win. Johnson also tied a Morningside single-game record with four touchdown receptions in the St. Ambrose game.

Ortegren Breaks Reception Yardage Record
Although he missed the majority of the season with a knee injury, Kyle Ortegren, a 5-10, 195 lb. senior wide receiver from Oskaloosa, Iowa, saw enough action to become Morningside’s all-time leader with 2,976 career pass reception yards. Ortegren also finished his career as the Mustangs’ all-time leader with 219 career receptions.

Ortegren is Morningside’s all-time leader with 51 career kickoff returns and 1,105 career kickoff return yards.

Winklepleck Is All-Time Interception Leader
Mike Winklepleck, a 5-10, 190 lb. senior safety from Sioux City, intercepted five passes during the 2005 season to become Morningside’s all-time career record holder with 20 interceptions. Winklepleck began the season tied with Jay Depner, who had 15 interceptions from 1978 to 1981, as Morningside’s all-time interception leader.

Jaminet Breaks Punt Return Marks
Cody Jaminet, a 5-11, 185 lb. junior wide receiver from Sioux City, set Morningside single-season records with 51 punt returns and 396 punt return yards and became the Mustangs’ all-time punt return leader with 91 career returns and 783 career return yards.

Jaminet returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown in the Mustangs’ Nov. 5 victory against Briar Cliff University for the longest kickoff return in Morningside history.

Zevenbergen Sets Pass Breakup Records
John Zevenbergen, a 6-2, 190 lb. senior cornerback from Hinton, Iowa, had a school-record 16 pass breakups this season, including a single-game record seven breakups against Briar Cliff. Zevenbergen is also Morningside’s all-time career leader with 40 pass breakups.

Childress Has Record 15 Rushing Touchdowns
Tyler Childress, a 5-11, 190 lb. freshman running back from Alvord, Iowa, led the Mustangs with 15 rushing touchdowns during the 2005 season for the highest single-season total in Morningside history.

Small Boots Record 56 PATs
Photo of Jared Small Jared Small, a 5-10, 190 lb. junior kicker from Sioux City, made a Morningside single-season record 56 PATs during the 2005 season. Small, who also made eight of 10 field goal attempts, scored 80 points to rank among the NAIA kick scoring leaders with an average of 7.3 points per game.

Reigle Is Mustangs’ Leading Rusher
Nick Reigle, a 6-0, 195 lb. sophomore running back from Madison, Neb., was the Mustangs’ leading rusher with 888 yards in 172 attempts for the fifth highest single-season total rushing total in Morningside history.

Hustedt Tops Mustangs’ Tackle Chart
Chad Hustedt, a 6-2, 190 lb. sophomore safety from Galva, Iowa, was the Mustangs’ leading tackler during the 2005 season with 74 solos and 67 assists for 141 total tackles. He also led the team with six pass interceptions and three forced fumbles and ranked third on the team with seven pass breakups.

Hustedt led the Mustangs with seven double figure tackle performances and was their leading tackler in eight of their 13 games.

Tallant Is Quarterback Sack Leader
Dusty Tallant, a 6-1, 230 lb. senior defensive lineman from Sterling, Neb., was the Mustangs’ top pass rusher with a team-high 4.5 quarterback sacks and four quarterback hurries.

Ryan Is AFCA Region Coach Of The Year

Photo of Steve Ryan Morningside head football coach Steve Ryan has been named the 2005 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Region 4 Coach of the Year.

Ryan is one of five AFCA Division II Region Coach of the Year winners. Division II is comprised of NCAA Division II and NAIA institutions.

Ryan guided Morningside to its greatest football season in school history during the 2005 campaign. The Mustangs posted a 12-1 record and were ranked third nationally in the final regular season NAIA poll. Morningside, the champion of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) with a perfect 10-0 record, advanced to the semifinals of the NAIA National Playoffs before it lost 42-14 against second-ranked University of Saint Francis. The Mustangs toppled No. 14 St. Ambrose University 58-7 and No. 10 Evangel University 54-21 in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Ryan was named the 2005 and 2004 GPAC Coach of the Year. He was named the 2004 NAIA Football.net National Coach of the Year after he guided the Mustangs to an 8-3 record for their first-ever appearance in the NAIA National Playoffs.

He has a 28-16 career record for a .636 winning percentage at Morningside and is the first Morningside football coach to have a career record of .500 or better since Clayton Droullard’s teams had a 16-16-1 record from 1951 to 1954.

Ryan guided Morningside to a 5-5 record in 2002 in his first season with the Mustangs to snap the team’s streak of 15 consecutive losing seasons.

He was previously an assistant coach at Ottawa University. Ryan is a 1989 graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois, where he was a four-year letterwinner and a three-year starter as a linebacker. Ryan received his master’s degree from National-Louis University in 1997.

The 2005 Regional Coach of the Year winners will be recognized at the AFCA Coach of the Year Dinner on Jan. 10 at the 2006 AFCA Convention in Dallas, Texas. The AFCA National Coach of the Year winners will be announced at the dinner.

Mustang Season Ends In NAIA Semifinals


Tyler Childress	Trae Johnson

In a classic matchup between the nation’s No. 1 offense against the No. 1 defense, the defense came out on top when the University of Saint Francis defeated Morningside 42-14 in a battle of undefeated teams in the semifinals of the NAIA National Playoffs on Saturday at Fort Wayne, Ind.

Saint Francis, 13-0 and ranked second in the nation, will move on to the NAIA National Championship Game on Dec. 17 at Savannah, Tenn. The Cougars will meet No. 1 ranked Carroll College, which toppled No. 4 University of Sioux Falls 55-0 in the other semifinal.

Morningside, ranked third in the nation, completed its greatest season in school history with a 12-1 mark.

The Cougars, who entered the game with the nation’s No. 1 defense in total yards allowed per game, put the clamps on a Morningside offense that entered the game as the NAIA national leader with averages of 44.7 points, 395.2 yards passing, and 550.2 yards total offense per game.

The Mustangs were held to 327 yards total offense and were kept off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter.

"Saint Francis had the best defense we have seen all season without question," said Morningside head coach Steve Ryan. "They were the only team able to slow us down like that all year."

"We struggled to throw the ball in the first half which limited some of the things we could do," Ryan said. "One thing that hurt us early in the game was our inability to run the ball in short yardage situations when it was third and one or fourth and one. We missed getting some key first downs because of that."

"They were able to put a lot of pressure on our quarterback which limited what we could do with our passing game, plus we didn't execute very well today," Ryan said.

Saint Francis was able to keep the Mustangs' two main offensive weapons in check. Craig Fobbe, the NAIA national passing and total offense leader, was held to a season's low 242 yards passing, while wide receiver Trae Johnson, who had 22 catches for 550 yards in the Mustangs' prior two playoff victories, was limited to three catches for 85 yards, all in the second half.

"Saint Francis put a lot of pressure on us with their blitzing and stunting and forced me to get rid of the ball quicker than I wanted to," Fobbe said. "They played well and didn't give us as many opportunities to get the ball to Johnson as we normally have. It was a combination of their double teaming him and us not executing. Other teams tried to double cover him as well this year; they just weren't as effective at it as Saint Francis was."

The Mustangs trailed 21-0 at the intermission after a first half where they failed to capitalize on the opportunities they were given. Fobbe completed a 14-yard pass to Cory Wirth to give the Mustangs a first down at the Saint Francis 39-yard line in the first quarter, but they failed to advance the ball any further. Morningside took over from the Cougars’ 40-yard line on its next possession, but that drive ended in one play when the Cougars’ Paul Carter intercepted a Fobbe pass at the goal line.

Saint Francis took a 6-0 lead when Adam Denning crashed into the end zone from two yards out with 8:30 left in the first quarter after the Cougars had started their second drive of the game from the Mustangs’ 47-yard line.

The Cougars scored twice in the second quarter to stretch their advantage to 21-0. Denning scored his second touchdown of the game with a four-yard run on the first play of the second quarter, followed by a two-point conversion pass from Chris Bramell to Derrick Alderman to make it 14-0.

Bramell, named the Offensive Player of the Game, made it 21-0 with a two-yard run with 8:43 left in the quarter to cap an 11-play, 61-yard drive.

Morningside drove from its own 35-yard line to the Cougars’ 30 after Bramell’s touchdown, but the drive ended when the Cougars crashed into the Mustangs’ backfield to drop Tyler Childress for a one-yard loss when the Mustangs went for it on fourth-and-one.

The Mustangs drove to the Cougars’ 41-yard line late in the second quarter after Fobbe completed an 18-yard pass to Wirth, but the Mustangs fumbled the ball away on the next play.

Saint Francis stretched its lead to 28-0 on a five-yard touchdown run by Alderman with 7:43 left in the third quarter. The score was set up by a 38-yard pass from Bramell to Zach Rainey.

Morningside’s offense finally struck for a big play on the next to last play of the third quarter when Fobbe and Johnson hooked up on a 45-yard bomb to put the ball on the Saint Francis 16-yard line. A 10-yard pass from Fobbe to Wirth and a two-yard face mask penalty on the Cougars gave the Mustangs a first-and-goal at the two-yard line. The Mustangs got on the scoreboard two plays later when Childress crashed into the end zone from one yard out with 14:13 left in the game for his 15th rushing touchdown of the season to cut the deficit to 28-7.

The Cougars answered when Denning scored his third touchdown of the game on an 11-yard run to finish off a nine-play, 71-yard drive.

Morningside scored again in the fourth quarter when Fobbe completed a 38-yard touchdown pass to Johnson with 8:25 left in the game to narrow the gap to 35-14. It was Fobbe's 41st touchdown pass of the season and Johnson's 21st TD reception and 22nd touchdown of the season, all school records.

Fobbe finished with 20 completions in 39 attempts for 242 yards. Wirth led the Mustangs receivers with seven catches for 66 yards. Damon Mothershead had six catches for 50 yards and Johnson caught three passes for 85 yards.

Nick Reigle led the Mustangs' rushing attack with 55 yards in 14 carries.

Chad Hustedt

Bramell passed for 189 yards and rushed for 96 yards in 11 attempts to help Saint Francis finish with 514 yards total offense. Denning rushed for 83 yards and three touchdowns in 14 carries and Michael Ledo ran for 66 yards in 12 attempts. Morningside held the Cougars' Cory Jacquay, a 2004 NAIA first-team All-American as well as the 2004 NAIA National Player of the Year, to just 20 yards in 10 attempts. Jacquay did lead the Cougars' pass receivers with four catches for 50 yards.

Chad Hustedt had a career-high 18 tackles for the Mustangs' defense, including 10 solo stops. Dusty Tallant and E.J. Infanger also finished in double figures with 11 and 10 tackles, respectively.

K.J. Johnson led the Cougars' defense with seven tackles, including five solo stops, while Brian Kurtz, named the Defensive Player of the Game, had six tackles and a fumble recovery.

Click here for complete game statistics.

Fobbe Breaks National Record In Playoff Win;

Mustangs To Travel To Saint Francis For Semifinals

Photo of Craig Fobbe Craig Fobbe broke the NAIA national record for passing yards in a season during the Mustangs’ 54-21 victory against Evangel University during Saturday’s quarterfinal round of the NAIA National Playoffs in Sioux City.

Fobbe passed for a school-record 501 yards to raise his season’s total to 4,643 yards to break the former NAIA national record of 4,616 yards by Jon Kitna of Central Washington University in 1995.

Fobbe, who passed for five touchdowns in the win against Evangel, broke his own former school single-game record of 476 yards passing he set against Dana College in the Mustangs’ regular season finale on Nov. 12. Fobbe also had a school-record 510 yards total offense against Evangel to break his former school record of 477 yards total offense in this year’s opener against Midland Lutheran College on Sept. 3.

Fobbe received the Offensive Player of the Game Award as selected by the media.

The Mustangs, ranked third in the nation, will take a 12-0 record into next Saturday’s NAIA Semifinals against second-ranked University of Saint Francis at Fort Wayne, Ind. Top-ranked Carroll College will host fourth ranked University of Sioux Falls in the other semifinal.

Fobbe threw touchdown passes of 15 and nine yards to Trae Johnson, six and 47 yards to Damon Mothershead, and seven yards to Cory Wirth to raise his season’s total to a school-record 40 touchdown passes. He finished the contest with a school-record 31 completions in 46 attempts.

The only negative in Fobbe’s performance came in the fourth quarter when Evangel’s Cedric Dewberry, the Defensive Player of the Game Award winner, intercepted a Fobbe pass to snap a streak of 190 consecutive passes Fobbe had thrown without an interception.

Johnson, who caught nine passes for a school-record 287 yards in the Mustangs’ opening round 58-7 win against St. Ambrose, led the Mustangs with 13 catches for 263 yards to raise his season’s totals to 78 catches for 1,825 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Wirth added seven receptions for 87 yards and Mothershead had six catches for 99 yards.

Tyler Childress led the Mustangs’ rushing attack with 22 carries for 106 yards.
Chad Hustedt led the Mustangs defense with nine tackles.

Morningside’s defense forced five turnovers. John Zevenbergen had three of the takeaways with two fumble recoveries and an interception. Mike Winklepleck had the others with a fumble recovery and interception.

Click here for complete game statistics.

Mustangs Roll In Playoff Opener


Trae Johnson	John Zevenbergen

Morningside's football team used a record-breaking performance to crush St. Ambrose University 58-7 in the first round of the NAIA National Playoffs on Saturday at Elwood Olsen Stadium.

The Mustangs, 11-0, will learn Sunday who their opponent will be in the NAIA quarterfinals scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 26.

Morningside's Trae Johnson and John Zevenbergen received the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Game Awards as selected by the members of the media who covered the game. Johnson caught nine passes for 287 yards and four touchdowns, while Zevenbergen had two interceptions to help the Mustangs tie a team record with five interceptions in the game.

Johnson set a Morningside single-game record with his 287 reception yards to shatter the former school record of 220 yards in a game by Ken Hoogensen against the University of South Dakota in 1964. Johnson caught TD passes of 54, 70, 80, and 18 yards to tie the Morningside record for touchdown receptions in a game previously set by Steve Schroeder against Missouri Western in 1970 and by Dan McClannahan against the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 1971. The four touchdowns raised Johnson's season's total to 19 touchdowns to break the former Morningside record of 16 touchdowns in a season by Connie Callahan in 1949. He raised his season's scoring total to 114 points to break the former Morningside record of 111 points in a season by Jerry Johnson in 1917.

Aside from his four touchdown passes to Johnson, Mustang quarterback Craig Fobbe also tossed TD passes of 16 yards to Damon Mothershead and 15 yards to Scott Watson to finish with a school-record six touchdown passes. He broke the Mustangs' former record of five TD passes in a game previously set by Fobbe against Concordia University this season and by Pat Murphy against Missouri Western in 1970 and by Mike Junck against Nebraska-Omaha in 1971.

Fobbe finished with 23 completions in 29 attempts for 453 yards for the third highest single-game passing yardage total in Morningside history and raised his season's total to 250 completions to break the Mustangs' former record of 240 completions in a season he set last year. Fobbe, the NAIA national passing and total offense leader, raised his season's school-record totals to 4,126 yards passing, 4,121 yards total offense, and 35 touchdown passes.

Aside from Zevenbergen's two interceptions, the Mustangs also had pass thefts from Tyler McClellan, Chad Hustedt, and Mike Winklepleck en route to their record-tying five interceptions. The interception by Winklepleck was the school-record 19th of his Morningside career.

All five interceptions came against St. Ambrose starter Jeff Kietzman, who had thrown only eight interceptions in the Fighting Bee's 10 regular season contests. Kietzman, who entered the game as the nation's third leading passer with an average of 274.2 yards per game, was limited to just 108 yards on his 18 completions.

Fobbe hasn't thrown an interception in his last 147 attempts and has been picked off just once in his last 239 attempts.

Morningside, which scored a touchdown on a one-yard run by Tyler Childress on its opening possession of the game, led 10-0 after the first quarter and then broke the game open with a 27-point second stanza.

The Mustangs led 58-0 before St. Ambrose avoided a shutout when Ryne Foster recovered a Morningside fumble and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown.

Childress was the Mustangs' leading rusher with 69 yards in 20 carries.

Aside from Johnson's monster game, the Mustangs also received a big game from Mothershead, who had six catches for 91 yards.

Hustedt led the Mustangs' defense with 13 tackles, while Drew Hahn also made double figures with 11 tackles.

Click here for complete game statistics.

Mustangs Dominate All-GPAC Selections


Craig Fobbe	Steve Ryan

Craig Fobbe, a 6-3, 225 lb. senior quarterback from Maple Lake, Minn., is the 2005 Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Player of the Year to headline the 2005 All-GPAC Football Team as selected by the league’s head coaches.

In addition, Morningside’s Steve Ryan is the 2005 Hauff Mid-America Sports/GPAC Coach of the Year. The head coach and his record-setting quarterback helped lead the Mustangs to the 2005 GPAC Championship with an unblemished 10-0 record. The Mustangs will take a No. 3 national ranking into this Saturday’s first round of the NAIA National Playoffs with a 1 p.m. home game against St. Ambrose University.

Ryan, who has a 26-15 career record for a .634 winning percentage in his four seasons at Morningside, was also the 2004 GPAC Coach of the Year, while Fobbe was the 2004 GPAC Co-Player of the Year.

Fobbe is among a group of 10 Morningside players selected to the All-GPAC first-team. The Mustangs’ other first-team selections are wide receiver Trae Johnson, tight end Cory Wirth, offensive linemen B.J. Batterton and Shawn Robinson, defensive lineman Tyler McClellan, linebacker E.J. Infanger, defensive backs Chad Hustedt and Mike Winklepleck, and kick return specialist Cody Jaminet. Fobbe, Wirth, Batterton, Infanger, and Winklepleck are all repeat first-team selections from 2004.

Fobbe amassed school-record totals of 3,673 yards passing and 3,664 yards total offense and is the NAIA national leader in both categories. He also has a school-record 29 touchdown passes against only six interceptions. Fobbe completed 227 of 374 pass attempts for 60.7 percent and finished the regular season with a streak of 118 consecutive pass attempts without an interception and only one interception in his last 210 attempts.

Fobbe passed for over 300 yards in eight of the Mustangs’ 10 contests and topped the 400-yard mark four times, including a school-record 476 yards when Morningside defeated Dana College 49-27 in its regular season finale. He tied Morningside single-game records with five touchdown passes in a 44-7 win against Concordia University on Oct. 22 and with 30 completions in a 27-26 win against the University of Sioux Falls on Oct. 15. Fobbe is Morningside’s all-time career leader with 10,411 yards passing, 10,482 yards total offense, and 77 touchdown passes.


Trae Johnson	Cory Wirth

Johnson, a 6-3, 200 lb. senior from San Bernardino, Calif., has caught 56 passes for school-record totals of 1,275 yards and 14 touchdowns. Johnson is averaging 22.8 yards per catch and is the NAIA national leader with an average of 127.5 reception yards per game. He is the Mustangs’ leading scorer with 15 touchdowns and 90 points and is only one touchdown shy of the Morningside single-season record of 16 touchdowns by Connie Callahan in 1949.

Wirth, a 6-3, 230 lb. senior from Council Bluffs, Iowa, has caught 44 passes for 576 yards and five touchdowns. Wirth ranks fourth in Morningside history with 142 career receptions and third with 1,723 career reception yards.


B.J. Batterton	Shawn Robinson

Batterton, a 6-2, 260 lb. senior center from Des Moines, Iowa, and Robinson, a 6-4, 300 lb. junior tackle from Bettendorf, Iowa, are the offensive line standouts for a Morningside team that leads the nation with averages of 376.0 yards passing and 534.5 yards total offense per game and ranks second in scoring offense at 42.4 points per game. Both did not allow a quarterback sack all season.


Tyler McClellan	E.J. Infanger

McClellan, a 5-11, 260 lb. junior from Schleswig, Iowa, leads the Mustangs with 7.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 19 yards and ranks second on the team with 3.5 quarterback sacks. His statistics also include eight solos and 19 assists for 27 total tackles, one interception, and one fumble recovery.

Infanger, a 6-1, 225 lb. sophomore from Salmon, Idaho, is the Mustangs’ third leading tackler with 18 solos and 49 assists for 67 total tackles. He leads the Mustangs with two fumble recoveries and ranks second on the team with seven tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 16 yards. He has two pass breakups and 1.5 quarterback sacks.


Chad Hustedt	Mike Winklepleck

Hustedt, a 6-2, 190 lb. sophomore safety from Galva, Iowa, tops the Mustangs’ tackle chart with 53 solos and 48 assists for 101 total tackles. Hustedt also leads the Mustangs with five interceptions and two forced fumbles and ranks second on the team with seven pass breakups.

Winklepleck, a 5-10, 190 lb. senior safety from Sioux City, is Morningside’s all-time leader with 18 career interceptions. He ranks fourth on the Mustangs’ tackle chart with 27 solo stops and 32 assists for 59 total tackles to go along with five tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 12 yards, six pass breakups, three interceptions, 1.5 quarterback sacks, and one fumble recovery.

Cody Jaminet

Jaminet, a 5-11, 185 lb. junior wide receiver from Sioux City, has averages of 26.5 yards on kickoff returns and 7.4 yards on punt returns. He returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown in the Mustangs’ 35-9 win against Briar Cliff University on Nov. 5 for the Mustangs’ first touchdown kickoff return since the 1994 season.

Jaminet also made the All-GPAC second-team as a wide receiver. He caught 47 passes for 654 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season. Jaminet is the seventh leading receiver in Morningside history with 105 career receptions and ranks ninth in school history with 1,399 career reception yards.

Damon Mothershead, a 5-10, 190 lb. junior wide receiver from Sioux City, also made the All-GPAC second-team after he caught 54 passes for 853 yards and five touchdowns. Mothershead has caught 92 passes for 1,286 yards during his Morningside career to rank 10th in school history in both categories.

Morningside had several players named to the All-GPAC honorable mention list. They are Nick Reigle, a 6-0, 195 lb. sophomore running back from Madison, Neb.; Dusty Tallant, a 6-1, 230 lb. senior defensive lineman from Sterling, Neb.; John Zevenbergen, a 6-2, 190 lb. senior defensive back from Hinton, Iowa; Saul Salinas, a 5-9, 170 lb. senior defensive back from Alamo, Texas; Kyle Ortegren, a 5-10, 195 lb. senior wide receiver from Ottumwa, Iowa; Matt Butler, a 6-1, 265 lb. sophomore offensive lineman, from Rapid City, S.D.; and Dallas Browning, a 5-11, 220 lb. junior linebacker from Drexel, Mo.

Click here for the complete 2005 All-GPAC Football Team.

Fobbe Is GPAC Offensive Player Of The Week

Craig Fobbe, a 6-3, 225 lb. senior quarterback from Maple Lake, Minn., has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Football Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Mustangs’ 49-27 win against Dana College last Saturday.

He earned the GPAC Offensive Player of the Week honor for the third time this season.

Fobbe completed 25 of 43 pass attempts for a school-record 476 yards against Dana to break his former school record of 471 yards passing in the Mustangs’ 48-18 win against Midland Lutheran College on Sept. 3 of this season. Fobbe threw four touchdown passes with scoring strikes of 19 and 21 yards to Trae Johnson, 55 yards to Damon Mothershead, and four yards to Justin Hargens.

He has passed for school-record totals of 3,673 yards and 29 touchdowns and amassed a school-record 3,664 yards total offense this season. Fobbe is the NAIA national leader with averages of 367.3 yards passing and 366.4 yards total offense per game. He is also Morningside’s all-time career leader with 10,411 yards passing, 10,482 yards total offense, and 77 touchdown passes.

Fobbe will lead the 10-0 Mustangs into the opening round of the NAIA National Playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 19, when Morningside hosts St. Ambrose University to a 1 p.m. kickoff at Elwood Olsen Stadium.

Mustangs 3rd In Final Regular Season Poll

Morningside College is ranked No. 3 in the nation in the NAIA’s final regular season football poll released Sunday, Nov. 13.

The Mustangs, who completed a 10-0 regular season with a 49-27 triumph against Dana College this past Saturday, are the 2005 Great Plains Athletic Conference champions.

Morningside will host St. Ambrose University, ranked 14th in the final poll, in the first round of the NAIA National Playoffs on Saturday, Nov. 19. Kickoff will be at 1 p.m. at Elwood Olsen Stadium.

Click here for the complete final regular season NAIA Top 25.

Watts Earns Academic All-District Honors

Steven Watts, a 5-11, 185 lb. senior punter from Council Bluffs, Iowa, has been named to the second-team of the 2005 ESPN The Magazine College Division Academic All-District VII football team. The teams are selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Watts has a 3.46 cumulative grade point average at Morningside. He is majoring in biology teaching.

He has punted 35 times for 1,324 yards this season for a career-high average of 37.8 yards per punt. His longest punt this season went for 54 yards.

Morningside will take a 9-0 record and a No. 3 NAIA national ranking into this Saturday’s regular season finale against Dana College at 1 p.m. at Elwood Olsen Stadium.

Eligible players for the ESPN The Magazine All-Academic teams must be of at least sophomore status and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher.

Zevenbergen And Jaminet Receive GPAC Honors


John Zevenbergen	Cody Jaminet

John Zevenbergen, a 6-2, 190 lb. senior cornerback from Hinton, Iowa, and Cody Jaminet, a 5-11, 185 lb. junior wide receiver from Sioux City, have been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for their performances in last Saturday's 35-9 win against city rival Briar Cliff.

The two players each scored early touchdowns to spot the Mustangs a 14-0 lead before their offense took the field for the first time. Jaminet returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown, then Zevenbergen intercepted a pass on Briar Cliff's fourth play from scrimmage and returned the theft 37 yards for a touchdown.

Zevenbergen finished the contest with three solo tackles, two assists, and a whopping eight pass breakups. His coverage skills helped limit Briar Cliff's Michael Turner to just 28 yards on five receptions. Turner had entered the game ranked among the NAIA national leaders with an average of 94.0 reception yards per game.

Jaminet's 93 yard kickoff return was Morningside's first touchdown return since Keith Green returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown against Mankato State University in 1994. Jaminet also had six punt returns for 48 yards. He raised his season's punt return total to 277 yards, putting him within 50 yards of the Morningside single-season record total of 327 yards he set last year.

Morningside will take a 9-0 record into this Saturday's regular season finale against Dana College at 1 p.m. at Elwood Olsen Stadium.

Fobbe Named NAIA National Offensive Player Of The Week


Craig Fobbe	E.J. Infanger

Craig Fobbe, a 6-3, 225 lb. senior quarterback from Maple Lake, Minn., has been named the NAIA National Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Mustangs’ 27-26 victory against the University of Sioux Falls this past Saturday in a matchup between the third and fourth ranked teams in the nation in the NAIA.

In addition, Fobbe and teammate E.J. Infanger, a 6-1, 225 lb. sophomore linebacker from Salmon, Idaho, were named the Great Plains Athletic Conference’s (GPAC) Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week.

Fobbe completed 30 of 46 pass attempts for 401 yards and two touchdowns to tie a Morningside record for pass completions in a game and amass the second highest single-game passing yardage total in school history. His touchdown passes were strikes of 12 and 10 yards to Damon Mothershead.

Fobbe earned NAIA National Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time in his career. He also received the award last season when he had 337 yards passing and 364 yards total offense in a 45-0 win against Dakota Wesleyan University.

Infanger collected a game-high 11 tackles, including five solo stops, to go along with a quarterback sack and two fumble recoveries. His second fumble recovery came on the defensive play of the game when the Cougars turned the ball over after they had driven to the Mustangs’ one-yard line with less than four minutes left in the game.

Morningside’s victory ended a 40-game GPAC winning streak for Sioux Falls that dated back to the 2001. The Mustangs, 6-0 for the first time in school history, will travel to Seward, Neb., this Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. game against Concordia University.

Mustangs Prevail In National Showdown


Damon Mothershead	Dallas Browning

Morningside staged a goal line stand late in the fourth quarter to hold off the University of Sioux Falls 27-26 on Saturday at Elwood Olsen Stadium and end the Cougars' 40-game GPAC winning streak.

The game was a showdown between two of the top ranked teams in the nation in the NAIA ranks between the No. 4 Mustangs and the third-ranked Cougars. Morningside is now 6-0 for the first time in school history and the only undefeated team left in the GPAC. Sioux Falls, the four-time defending GPAC champion, dropped to 6-1.

Morningside led 27-26 late in the game when Sioux Falls faced a second and goal from the Mustangs' one-yard line with just under four minutes left. The Cougars gave the ball to running back Mike Dvoracek, a second-team All-American in 2004, who coughed the ball up to the Mustangs' E.J. Infanger after a big hit by Dallas Browning caused the fumble.

The Mustangs were able to run out the clock after two pivotal third down conversions. The first came when Craig Fobbe completed a 45-yard pass to Damon Mothershead on third and nine from the Mustangs' five-yard line. The Mustangs were faced with a third-and-11 three plays later when Sioux Falls was penalized for pass interference. The penalty gave the Mustangs another first down with just over one minute left and with Sioux Falls out of timeouts.

Fobbe, the NAIA national leader in total offense and passing, finished with another big day by passing for 401 yards for the second highest single-game passing yardage total in Morningside history. Fobbe tossed touchdown passes of 10 and 12 yards to Damon Mothershead. Fobbe completed 30 of 46 attempts without an interception to tie a school record for pass completions in a game.

Mothershead finished with career highs of 10 receptions and 142 yards, while Trae Johnson had seven catches for 170 yards and Cory Wirth caught eight passes for 74 yards.

Cody Jaminet led the Mustangs' rushing attack with a 39-yard touchdown reverse that came on the first play of the second quarter to open the game's scoring.

Sioux Falls battled back to take a 13-7 lead on a pair of touchdown passes from Joe Wright to reigning first-team All-American Dusty Hovorka.

The Mustangs answered with two touchdown passes of their own with the TD passes from Fobbe to Mothershead to take a 21-13 lead at the intermission.

Sioux Falls closed withihn 21-19 on a 30-yard TD pass from Wright to Michael Warren with 9:45 left in the third quarter, then went on top 26-21 when Robbie Tiff blocked a Morningside punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown with 1:53 left in the third stanza.

Morningside went ahead to stay, 27-26, on a three-yard touchdown run by Tyler Childress with 9:08 left in the game to cap a 12-play, 54-yard drive.

Infanger, who made the Mustangs' game-saving fumble recovery, played his best game of the season with a game-high 11 tackles, including five solo stops, to go along with a quarterback sack, two fumble recoveries, and two tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses of seven yards.

The exploits of Infanger and rest of the Mustangs' defense limited Dvoracek, one of the nation's leading rushers, to 25 yards in 14 carries for an average gain of just 1.8 yards per carry. His longest run of the game went for just eight yards.

Morningside will travel to Seward, Neb., next Saturday for a 1:30 p.m. game against Concordia University.

Click here for complete game statistics.

Fobbe Honored By GPAC

Photo of Craig Fobbe Craig Fobbe, a 6-3, 225 lb. senior quarterback from Maple Lake, Minn., is the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Offensive Football Player of the Week after his record-setting performance in the Mustangs’ season opening 48-18 victory against Midland Lutheran College last Saturday.

Fobbe broke Morningside’s single-game records with 471 yards passing and 477 yards total offense. He broke the former Morningside records of 392 yards passing by Pat Murphy against South Dakota State University in 1970 and 451 yards total offense by Mike Junck against the Kearney State in 1971.

Fobbe completed 22 of 35 pass attempts with four touchdowns against Midland Lutheran. He passed for 198 yards on just four completions in the first quarter alone. His touchdown passes were strikes of 78 and 13 yards to Trae Johnson, 45 yards to Cody Jaminet, and 11 yards to Kyle Ortegren.

Morningside, ranked 12th nationally in the NAIA pre-season poll, will host No. 20 Northwestern College on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Mustangs 12th In NAIA Pre-Season Poll

Morningside College is ranked 12th nationally in the NAIA football pre-season poll released on Aug. 16.

The Mustangs are coming off one of their best seasons in school history following an 8-3 finish in 2004 where they tied a school record for wins in a season and made their first-ever appearance in the NAIA National Playoffs.

Morningside is one of four teams from the GPAC in the NAIA pre-season ratings. The University of Sioux Falls is ranked fifth, Hastings College is 13th, and Northwestern College is 20th.

The Mustangs will open the 2005 season on Saturday, Sept. 3, with a 7 p.m. game against Midland Lutheran College at Fremont, Neb.

Click here for the entire NAIA Pre-Season Top 25.