Zac Schleuger is the GPAC Defensive Player of the Week after his standout effort in the Mustangs’ 27-7 win against Northwestern.

Zac Schleuger, a 6-2, 220 lb. senior linebacker from Wesley, Iowa, has been named the Hauff Mid-America Sports/Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Mustangs 27-7 victory against 15th-ranked Northwestern College last Saturday in Orange City, Iowa.

Schleuger had nine tackles with five solos and four assists to top the Mustangs’ tackle chart for the third game in a row. He scored the Mustangs’ first touchdown of the game when he picked off a Jonathan Kodama pass in the second quarter and returned the theft 38 yards for a touchdown.

Schleuger’s nine tackles against Northwestern came following 13-tackle performances each of the last two weeks against the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Dordt College. Schleuger is atop the Mustangs’ tackle chart for the third season in a row with team-high totals of 23 solos, 20 assists, and 43 total tackles to go along with four tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 15 yards, one quarterback sack, one interception, and one pass breakup.

Schleuger has 273 tackles, 44.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 128 yards, 7.5 quarterback sacks, 11 pass breakups, three interceptions, and five blocked kicks during his collegiate career. He is on pace to break the Morningside record of 50 career tackles for a loss set by Marshall Barney from 2008-11.

Morningside will take a 4-1 record into this Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. Homecoming game against Hastings College.