STORM LAKE, Iowa – In an action-packed season-finale thriller at J. Leslie Rollins Stadium, the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves outlasted the Buena Vista Beavers 45-35 on Saturday. Powered by a relentless ground attack, opportunistic defense and clutch execution down the stretch, NWU closed its season with a victory, finishing 2-8 overall and 2-5 in A-R-C play.
Keaton Erdmann put together a monster performance, throwing for 242 yards and a touchdown while adding 158 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. Hezekiah Johnson also found the end zone twice on the ground, while Kevin Prosser contributed 85 rushing yards and a touchdown to go with 26 receiving yards and a touchdown through the air. Jalen Pickens led the Prairie Wolves with 50 receiving yards on two catches. Defensively, Trent Howell and Kelby Zimmerman each came away with an interception. As a team, NWU dominated on the ground, piling up 327 rushing yards while holding Buena Vista to just 70.
Buena Vista received the opening kickoff and marched down to the NWU 31-yard line, but Aaron Christian missed a field goal to end the drive. The Prairie Wolves made the Beavers pay on their first possession, as Erdmann broke loose for a 42-yard touchdown run to put NWU ahead 7-0.
The Prairie Wolves struck again with a two-play, 50-yard drive, capped by a 16-yard touchdown pass from Erdmann to Prosser. NWU took a 14-0 lead with just over three minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Buena Vista answered just over a minute later with a 24-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 14-7. The Beavers then capitalized on an interception to even the score at 14-14, as Brett Garcia connected on a six-yard touchdown pass.
Nebraska Wesleyan responded in the second quarter. Erdmann found the end zone again, this time on a 22-yard touchdown run, to give the Prairie Wolves a 21-14 advantage with 8:06 remaining in the half.
BVU answered on its final drive of the half, with Garcia connecting with Johnny Messerly for a 13-yard touchdown to tie the game at 21-21. Jace Winkler had a chance to put NWU ahead before halftime, but his 29-yard field goal attempt sailed wide as the teams headed to the locker room deadlocked.
Coming out of the break, NWU drove down to the Buena Vista 15-yard line, but Erdmann's fourth-down pass fell incomplete, giving the Beavers possession.
The Prairie Wolves eventually regained the lead when Johnson punched in his first touchdown of the afternoon at the 6:13 mark, putting NWU ahead 28-21.
Nebraska Wesleyan continued to build momentum with a methodical 16-play, 68-yard drive that chewed more than six minutes off the clock. Prosser capped the possession with a three-yard touchdown run, extending the Prairie Wolves' lead to 35-21.
With 11:07 remaining, Garcia threw an interception to Zimmerman, giving NWU possession at the Buena Vista 13-yard line. Johnson made the most of the opportunity, breaking into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown to push the Prairie Wolves' advantage to 42-21.
After Buena Vista answered with a touchdown, Nataly Miller connected on an 18-yard field goal to extend the Prairie Wolves' lead to 45-28. With the kick, Miller became the first woman in Nebraska Wesleyan history to score a point for the Prairie Wolves.
Howell then came up with an interception on the first play of Buena Vista's next drive, giving the Prairie Wolves another defensive takeaway. The Beavers added a late eight-yard touchdown pass from Garcia to Sabastian Dennis, trimming the final margin to 45-35.
The Prairie Wolves closed the 2026 season with a 2-8 overall record and a 2-5 mark in A-R-C play.
