LINCOLN, Neb. – After finding the end zone and converting a two-point attempt in the second overtime, Simpson stopped the Prairie Wolves on fourth down to secure a 57-49 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon in Lincoln.
Quarterback Keaton Erdmann went 14-of-38 for 217 yards passing with an interception. Running back Hezekiah Johnson led the Prairie Wolves on the ground with 23 carries for 135 yards, while Jalen Pickens paced the receiving corps with four catches for 60 yards. Defensively, linebacker Hadley Hudson led the team with 12 tackles, followed by Owen Long with nine.
Nebraska Wesleyan won the coin toss and elected to defer its decision until the second half. The Storm received the opening kickoff to begin the afternoon.
Simpson opened the game showcasing a little bit of everything, mixing production from Conner Hangartner and Hank Wilmes with a few nice catches through the air. A 10-play drive covering 69 yards resulted in paydirt as Wilmes found the end zone on a two-yard run, putting the Storm ahead 7-0 with 9:05 remaining in the first quarter.
The Prairie Wolves were unable to respond, going three-and-out after a holding penalty put the offense behind schedule.
With 7:11 remaining in the opening quarter, Simpson quarterback Evan Weber found wide receiver Noah Cracraft wide open for a 74-yard touchdown, marking the beginning of a big afternoon for Cracraft. The two-play, 80-yard drive extended the Storm's lead to 14-0.
On fourth-and-1 from the NWU 37-yard line, a hard count from Erdmann drew a Simpson defender offsides to extend the Prairie Wolves' drive. Johnson eventually punched it in from two yards out, giving Nebraska Wesleyan some momentum back and cutting the deficit to 14-7 with 3:13 remaining in the quarter.
The Prairie Wolves added a 32-yard field goal from Jace Winkler to pull within four at 14-10.
NWU continued to find ways to generate offense, this time turning to a little trickery. Erdmann handed the ball to wide receiver Ian Gebhardt on a fly sweep before Gebhardt pulled up and found a wide-open Erdmann for a five-yard touchdown pass on third-and-5. The connection gave the Prairie Wolves their first lead of the afternoon, 17-14, with 58 seconds remaining in the first half. The eight-play, 80-yard drive featured Gebhardt's third passing touchdown of the season on a trick play.
Nebraska Wesleyan carried its 17-14 advantage into halftime.
The Prairie Wolves' defense came out of the break and forced a stop to open the second half. However, Erdmann was sacked on third down on NWU's ensuing possession, forcing another punt.
Simpson continued to move the ball with ease offensively, putting together another businesslike drive. The five-play possession covered 63 yards and ended with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Weber to Lawson Langford, giving the Storm a 21-17 lead with 5:10 remaining in the third quarter.
Simpson added two more touchdowns to extend its advantage to 35-17 before Erdmann answered with a two-yard touchdown run. He then found Gebhardt for the two-point conversion, trimming the deficit to 35-25.
The Storm found the end zone again before Gebhardt provided another spark for the Prairie Wolves, returning the ensuing kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown. The two-time A-R-C Special Teams Player of the Week has now returned a punt or kickoff for a touchdown in three consecutive weeks.
Minutes later, Erdmann found the end zone for the second time on the ground, bringing Nebraska Wesleyan within three at 42-39 with 2:45 remaining.
With the Prairie Wolves needing one more opportunity, Brody Parks launched an onside kick that ricocheted off the helmet of a Simpson returner. Brice Eloume recovered for NWU, giving the Prairie Wolves possession with a chance to take the lead.
Nebraska Wesleyan was unable to capitalize, turning the ball over on downs and giving the Storm another opportunity to put the game away. However, Weber fumbled the first snap of the ensuing drive, handing the Prairie Wolves another chance.
Winkler made the most of the opportunity, drilling a 22-yard field goal with 32 seconds remaining to cap a six-play, 39-yard drive and even the score at 42-42.
Neither team could pull away in regulation, sending the contest into overtime. Both teams found the end zone in the first overtime period before Simpson ultimately secured the victory in double overtime, 57-49.
The Prairie Wolves will hit the road next Saturday for their season finale against Buena Vista in Storm Lake, Iowa. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m., with the game streamed on the American Rivers Sports Network.
