DUBUQUE, Iowa – Nebraska Wesleyan and Dubuque combined to score 89 total points and compile nearly 1,100 yards of total offense in an American Rivers Conference football shootout in which the Prairie Wolves fell 54-35 on the road Saturday (Oct. 27) to the Spartans at Chalmers Field.
 
Dubuque (6-2, 5-1 A-R-C) jumped out to a 34-7 lead in the first half as Spartan quarterback Sean Duffy threw five first half touchdowns and passed for over 300 yards in the opening 30 minutes.  NWU was able to pull within two touchdowns in the third quarter but each time the Prairie Wolves scored, the Spartans responded with more big plays.
 
On their first possession of the game, Dubuque score in only six plays with Duffy finding Kody Riemer for a 35-yard TD.  Duffy found AJ Hunter for a 23-yard TD pass later in the quarter as Dubuque was out to a quick 14-0 lead.
 
NWU got on the board with 16 seconds left in the first quarter when Jonathan Curti hit Bradley Pelkey for a 4-yard fade pattern in the back of the end zone.  It was the first of three TD connections between Curti and Pelkey on the day.  Pelkey became the first NWU receiver since 2014 to catch three touchdowns in a game.
 
After three more TD passes from Duffy extended the Dubuque lead to 34-7, NWU mounted one last drive before halftime.  Shaka Taylor capped the four-play drive with a 15-yard TD reception from Curti.
 
In the third quarter, the NWU defense got a key stop when Jake Kittle recorded his second interception of the game as Heath Hovendick deflected the Spartan pass.  On the next play, Curti found a streaking Pelkey for a 56-yard TD reception to pull the Prairie Wolves within 34-21 with 9:25 left in the third quarter.
 
Dubuque needed only three plays on their next drive to respond as Dwayne Allen Jr raced 79 yards for a touchdown.  Emmanuel Jenkins caught a 29-yard TD pass from Duffy later in the quarter as the Spartans got back ahead by 26 and the lead was too much to overcome.  Pelkey made his third TD catch in the 3^rd quarter, this time on a 9-yard connection from Curti.
 
The final touchdown for the Prairie Wolves was in the 4^th quarter when Shaka Taylor lined up in the wildcat and went around right end then pulled up and fired a pass 34-yards downfield to Alex Mathis who caught his first career touchdown.
 
The Spartans were very efficient on offense, but not with their usual high powered running game.  Dubuque finished with 609 total yards, gaining 367 through the air and 242 on the ground. Duffy finished 24-31 for 367 yards with six touchdowns. 
 
NWU had 486 total yards and scored the most points they have put up in any game this year.  The Prairie Wolves passed for 363 and rushed for 123.
 
Curti was 22-41 passing with a season-high 329 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions.  Shaka Taylor rushed for 79 yards on 18 carries, threw a TD pass and caught three passes for 25 yards and a TD.  His touchdown gave him 27 for his career, which is tied for the school record.
 
Pelkey had a huge game catching six passes for 107 yards with three TDs.  Pelkey moved to 5^th on the NWU career charts with 16 touchdowns.
 
Jake Kittle and Heath Hovendick both had nine tackles to lead the Prairie Wolves defense.
 
Nebraska Wesleyan will close out the 2018 season next Saturday playing host to Buena Vista University on Senior Day.