IWCC FALLS SHORT AS FINAL DRIVE STALLS AT 9 YARD LINE

WAHPETON, N.D. – Iowa Western squandered multiple opportunities and its chances to advance to the postseason at the same time Saturday.

The Reivers turned the ball over five times and gave it up on downs inside its opponent’s 25-yard line twice in the final quarter, including in the closing seconds, in a 24-19 loss to North Dakota State College of Science.

IWCC (3-4) three-game winning streak ended on a muddy field in Bute Alumni Stadium. The Wildcats (5-3 overall, 3-3 MFC) leapfrogged the Reivers in the standings and kept their own postseason hopes alive with their fourth consecutive victory.

“Honestly, I don’t know if I’ve ever been this disappointed,” IWCC coach Scott Strohmeier said. “The kids battled through as much adversity in that game as we’ve ever been through. And then to have a chance to win it, we just didn’t didn’t execute at the end.”

Iowa Western had four turnovers in the first 17 minutes of the game, yet still had a first-and-goal from the 9 with a chance to win inside the final minute. Three plays later, the Reivers were still at the 9 and failed to convert on fourth down when Austin McBeth’s pass sailed behind running back Kevis Streeter with eight seconds remaining.

It was the second time IWCC gave the ball up on downs in the fourth quarter. An incomplete pass on a fourth-and-5 from the NDSCS 24 on the opening play of the period ended another Reiver threat.

The Wildcats turned two Iowa Western turnovers into scores in the first half to take a 14-7 lead. The Reivers pulled to within one on a Shane Prater TD reception before giving up a 39-yard scoring run to NDSCS tailback Keith King with 1:07 remaining in the second quarter.

IWCC cut into the 21-13 halftime deficit by scoring on its first drive of the third period. A 1-yard run by Dominque Corder made it a two-point game, but the Reivers failed on a two-point attempt to tie.
Still, they seemed to be in control when they marched into Wildcat territory late in the quarter before the drive stalled at the NDSCS 24. The Wildcats tacked on a field goal to make it 24-19 with 8:53 to play then retained possession by kicking the ball off an IWCC player and recovering it on the ensuing kickoff.

NDSCS, which got 113 rushing yards from King, ran the clock inside of five minutes before giving it up. McBeth then led the Reivers from their own 19 to the Wildcat 9 by converting two third downs and a fourth down on the way.

He was stopped after a 2-yard gain on the first play from inside the 10, then threw an incompletion on second-and-goal from the 7. Streeter, who had 176 rushing yards and a 79-yard first-half touchdown, was then stopped for a 2-yard loss on third down to set up the final play.

McBeth ran a play fake, rolled to his right and threw back for Streeter on the left. There wasn’t a defender around him, but the pass was behind him and fell incomplete.

NDSCS needed to snap the ball only once to run the final seconds off the clock.

“I felt the whole time we were going to win that game,” Strohmeier said. “It came down to that last play, and we just didn't execute."

Iowa Western (3-4) 7 6 6 0 – 19
NDSCS (5-3) 7 14 0 3 – 24

ND: Cecil Doe 11 pass from Cole Lanham (Sergio Garcia kick)

IW: Kevis Streeter 79 run (Daniel Biddick kick)

ND: James Fields 26 pass from Lanham (Garcia kick)

IW: Shane Prater 7 pass from Austin McBeth (pass failed)

ND: Keith King 39 run (Garcia kick)

IW: Dominique Corder 1 run (pass failed)

ND: Garcia 34 FG

Individual Statistics

RUSHING: IW - Kevis Streeter 24-176, Dominique Corder 4-40, Jaimie Goldsmith 6-30, Kyle Schuett 1-5

PASSING: IW - Austin McBeth 21-33-0 223

RECEIVING: IW - Anthony Thompson 9-83, Marcus Sullivan 5-73, Shane Prater 4-47, Matt Thayer 2-16