Matt Hagge’s 2-point conversion pass to Ben Iske fell incomplete with 44 seconds remaining in the game and Nebraska Wesleyan fell just short of the upset as 14th-ranked Northwestern College defeated NWU, 17-15, in GPAC football action on Saturday night (Sept. 20) at Abel Stadium in Lincoln, Neb.

The Prairie Wolves now fall to 0-3 for the first time since 1996 and only the second time since the 1977 season.

NWU trailed 17-9 when they regained possession at the Northwestern 44-yard line with 1:56 to play in the game. Hagge rushed for a first down to the 30-yard line, then completed a pass to Brandon Taute down to the 14-yard line. On second down, Hagge found Taute in the back of the end zone and he made a diving catch to pull the score within two points. The two catches were Taute’s first of his career. However, the 2-point conversion failed, and NWU suffered another devastating loss to the Red Raiders.

In six of the last nine meetings between the two teams, the game has been decided by four points or less, with Northwestern winning all nine. The victory for the Red Raiders gives head coach Orv Otten his 100th career victory.

The story of the game was the two team’s defensive efforts. Neither team could muster any offense as Northwestern had 170 yards and NWU had 168 total yards. The Prairie Wolves had completed just one pass prior to the final drive of the game when they completed three.

NWU got on the board first as Zach Egger connected on a 37-yard field goal to give NWU a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, Taylor Malm returned the kick 96 yards for a touchdown.

On the next possession, the Prairie Wolves marched down to the Northwestern 16 yard line. Ryan Hawthorne rumbled five yards but fumbled the ball. Jordan Stutzman recovered the ball and ran 11 yards to paydirt. The PAT kick was blocked, and that proved to be a key play in the ballgame.

Northwestern would add a field goal in the second quarter to lead 10-9 at half. On the first play of the second half, the Red Raiders drove 70 yards in 19 plays and capped the drive with a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Cary Overholt to go up 17-9.

NWU finished with 124 yards rushing on 46 attempts. Jordan Stutzman had 61 yards on 14 carries and fullback Ryan Hawthorne had 44 on 10 attempts. Hagge ran the ball 16 times, but had a net of only three yards. He also struggled through the air going 4-21 for 44 yards with a TD.

The Red Raiders only had 74 rushing yards on 37 attempts and Overholt was 10-25 for 96 yards.

Defensively, NWU was led by Jim Tvrdy who had 11 total tackles, with 2.5 tackles-for-loss and 1.0 quarterback sack.