GAME INFORMATION
Score: Keiser 34, No. 24 Dordt 21
Records: Keiser University (1-0), No. 24 Dordt (0-1)
Location:  Open Space Park Football Field, Sioux Center, Iowa
Time of Game: 8:00 PM
Weather: 70 degrees, Clear Skies  

A strong first half on both ends of the football carried the Keiser football team to a 34-21 road victory over No. 24 Dordt Thursday night in their 2019 season opener. The victory marked Keiser's first road win in school history over a ranked opponent.

Keiser scored fast and often in the first half and the defense pitched a shutout as they led 24-0 at the break.

The Defenders attempted a comeback late in the second half, but the game was already in hand by that point.
Sophomore quarterback, Eli Mathews was near perfect throwing the football on the night as he finished 20-of-21 passing for 256 yards and three touchdowns. Mathews also chipped in 73 yards on the ground, which was a career high.

Asfunso Elam led the Seahawks rushing attack with 81 yards on 23 carries and a score. Traionn Jones and Caleb Walls both posted career highs in receiving yards with 100 and 99 respectively. Walls also added a touchdown.

Defensively, Keiser went toe-to-toe with Dordt's high-powered triple option offense and came out the victors. Mitchel Desulme led the way with seven tackles followed by Victor Alvarez Jr. with six. Senior linebacker, Ronnie Bennett came away with the lone sack on the night for Keiser and recovered a fumble.

Sun Division Defensive Freshman of the Year, Sage Chen-Young was back to his old habits, coming away with his seventh career interception.
 
First Quarter Highlights
Keiser 10, Dordt 0

• Dordt won the toss but deferred to the second half allowing the Seahawks to open with the first possession of the game.
• After an interception by Dordt was nullified due to an offsides call, Keiser made their second life count as Logan Robinson capped off a 10 play 61-yard drive with a 38-yard field goal to give the Seahawks the early 3-0 lead with 10:16 remaining.
• The Defenders offense seemed poise to answer on the ensuing possession as they marched right down the field to the Keiser four-yard line before coughing up the ball. Ronnie Bennett came away with the recovery for the Seahawks.
• A 29-yard completion by Mathews to Jones put the Keiser offense in business once again on their ensuing drive. Mathews ultimately connected with Jaylen Arnold in the back corner of the endzone for a nine-yard score, extending the Seahawks lead to 10-0 with 3:19 remaining. The score capped off an 11 play 95-yard drive.
• The Defenders were able to move the chains once on their next drive, but that's all they could muster up as Corey Lamy and Mitchel Desulme combined to hold running back, Levi Schoonhoven short of the line to gain on third down to force a punt.

Second Quarter Highlights
Keiser 24, Dordt 0

• The Seahawks opened the second quarter at the Dordt 13-yard line and continued their red-hot play.
• A fourth-and-two looked to slow down the Keiser offense, but Tremane Gabriel came through with the conversion to extend the drive and Walls recorded his first touchdown of his career two plays later as Mathews found him from 30-yards out to cap off a 12 play 94-yard drive to make it 17-0, Keiser with 9:43 remaining.
• Dordt moved the ball inside Seahawks territory on the next possession, but Alvarez came up with a big stop on fourth-and-one to force a turnover on downs.
• The Seahawks ensuing possession stalled, but Keiser would get the ball right back courtesy of a Chen-Young interception. The pick put Keiser at the Dordt 31-yard line.
• A big 21-yard completion by Mathews to Jones setup Keiser at the Dordt two-yard line before Elam punched it in on the next play, giving the Seahawks a 24-0 lead with 49 seconds left in the first half. Elam's score finished off a four-play 31-yard drive.
• The Defenders were unable to put together a scoring drive at the end of the half as the Seahawks led 24-0 at the break.

Third Quarter Highlights
Keiser 31, Dordt 8

• Dordt opened the second half with the ball and after the drive looked promising, Ronnie Bennett recorded his first sack as a Seahawk and helped put the Defenders offense behind the chains.
• Keiser's lone mistake of the night on offense came when Mathews and Elam fumbled the handoff exchange and gave the Defenders the ball deep inside Seahawk territory at the 26-yard line.
• Dordt capitalized on the turnover as Schoonhoven rushed it in from six-yards out and also punched in the two-point conversion to make it 24-8, Keiser at the 8:23 mark of the third. The score finished off a three play 26-yard drive.
• With the Defenders trying to capture some momentum, Mathews silenced the crowd with a first down run on third-and-12 and kept the drive alive.
• Keiser was faced with a fourth-and-two from the Dordt 10-yard line and were set to kick a field goal, but after a Seahawks timeout, Head Coach Doug Socha decided to gamble and go for it.
• That gamble paid off as Elam got the first down and Keiser would punch it in on the next play as Arnold hauled in his second receiving touchdown of the game from eight yards out to make it 31-8 Keiser with 2:51 left in the third. Arnold's catch wrapped up a 12 play 65-yard drive.
• Dordt's offense moved quickly on their ensuing possession ending the quarter at the Seahawk 14-yard line.

Fourth Quarter Highlights
Keiser 34, Dordt 21

• The Defenders opened the fourth quarter of play with a touchdown as quarterback, Tyler Reynolds found the endzone from a yard out to cut the Seahawks lead to 31-15 with 14:21 left in the game.
• Facing a third down on their ensuing possession, the Seahawks needed to keep the drive alive and Mathews did just that finding Jones for a 29-yard completion. Keiser ultimately settled for a Robinson 39-yard field goal to up their lead to 34-15 with 9:47 remaining in the game. Robinson's kick finished off a nine play 47-yard drive.
• Dordt responded on their ensuing drive but took out a large chunk of the clock as Schoonhoven capped off a 14 play 77-yard drive to trim the lead to 34-21 with 4:17 remaining.
• Looking to stay alive in the game, Dordt attempted an onside kick but could not get it past 10 yards and the Seahawks took over.
• Cade Socha came up with a crucial 13-yard catch on third down to keep the Seahawks ensuing drive alive and later Mathews converted a quarterback sneak on fourth down, sending the Seahawks into victory formation.

UP NEXT
Keiser will remain on the road for their next contest as they'll head to Laurinburg, N.C., for a matchup with the Knights of St. Andrews. Kickoff is set for Saturday, Sept. 7, at 1:30 p.m.

GAME NOTES

• Keiser is now 2-0 in season openers
• The Seahawks are now 4-3 all-time on the road
• With the win, Keiser moves to 2-2 all-time against top 25 opponents
• Mathews was near perfect throwing the ball as he finished 20-of-21 passing
• Jones and Walls each recorded career highs of 100 yards and 99 yards receiving respectively
• After recording 25 turnovers a season ago, the Seahawks defense picked up right where they left off forcing two on Thursday night
• Offensively, Keiser was 7-of-13 on third down and 3-of-3 on fourth down
• The Seahawks outgained the Defenders 472-378 on the night