Lincoln, NE - Nebraska Wesleyan football kicks off its 2025 season this weekend with a prime-time game at Dakota State.

LOCATION, GAME TIME, LIVE STREAM & LIVE STATS
Saturday's game will be played at Brian Kern Family Stadium, in Madison, South Dakota. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. Dakota State will live stream the game and carry live stats.

SCOUTING NEBRASKA WESLEYAN
Nebraska Wesleyan enters Saturday night looking to set the tone for the 2025 season, returning a solid core of talent from last year's squad. Offensively, the Prairie Wolves bring back a dynamic running back duo in Nathan Athouris and Trystin Myers. Despite dealing with injuries, the pair combined for 771 rushing yards on 159 carries and four touchdowns last season. At quarterback, Connor White returns to lead the offense after throwing for 1,696 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024. While the loss of star receiver Cole Siems could take some getting used to, the Prairie Wolf offense returns Joey McLaughlin, who finished tied for the team lead in touchdowns with three. Jahiem Felder also returns as the team's top pass catcher after logging 27 receptions for 231 yards. On defense, linebacker Hunter Hanke is coming off a breakout 2024 season. He totaled 42 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one interception, and two forced fumbles. Fellow linebacker Juan Donoso also returns after recording 51 tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble last year. In coverage, Terrell Davis will look to build on a strong season where he led the team with six pass breakups and added one interception. As a team, Nebraska Wesleyan averaged 17.6 points and 316.9 yards per game on offense. Defensively, the Prairie Wolves allowed 32.1 points and 386.1 yards per game.

HEAD COACH BRIAN KELLER
Coach Brian Keller enters his 30th season at the helm of Nebraska Wesleyan football in 2025, continuing a legendary run as the winningest coach in program history. A Nebraska Wesleyan graduate and former player, Keller has led his alma mater since 1996, compiling a career record of 132-150 over 29 seasons.

SATURDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Saturday will mark the third consecutive season that Nebraska Wesleyan opens its season under the lights. The Prairie Wolves are 1-1 in their last two season openers—defeating Austin College 19-7 in 2023, before falling to Dakota State 41-25 in last year's opener.

IMPRESSIVE RECORD IN NON CONFERENCE ROAD GAMES
Since 2018 the Black and Gold have played seven non conference road games, posting a 5-2 record. NWU has outscored its seven opponents 186-151.

SCOUTING DAKOTA STATE
Dakota State enters Saturday 0-1, after falling to Dakota Wesleyan 16-14, last weekend. The Spartans finished the game with 337 yards of offense. Defensively, Dakota State allowed just 70 yards of offense in the loss. The Spartans are led by Josh Anderson, in his 17th season.

SERIES HISTORY AGAINST DAKOTA STATE
Saturday will mark the second meeting between Dakota State and Nebraska Wesleyan. The Spartans won the only prior match-up, 41-25, in Lincoln in 2024.