Score: No. 12 Keiser Seahawks 38, No. 2 Grand View 21
Records: Keiser (10-3), Grand View (13-1)
Location: Williams Stadium (1,000) - Des Moines, Iowa
Time of Game: 2:45
Weather: Partly Sunny, 20 degrees.
For the first time in program history, the Keiser football team will play for the NAIA National Championship after defeating the No. 2-ranked Grand View Vikings, 38-21, on Saturday afternoon.
Led by the Offensive Player of the Game,
Jaden Meizinger, Keiser racked up 149 yards on the ground while holding the Vikings to -13 yards rushing. Meizinger scored three rushing touchdowns on 41 carries for 162 yards. Quarterback
Shea Spencer threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns. The Keiser defense picked off two passes in the game, one by
Tivon Sutton (the Defensive Player of the Game) and the other by
Louis Lubin III.
Keiser 7, Grand View 0
- The Vikings started with ball on the first drive of the game and were held to just 26 yards on eight plays.
- After a punt by Kody Kruschwitz pinned the Seahawks deep in their own territory (KU 8-yard line), Keiser drove 92 yards on 10 plays to break the scoreless tie.
- Shea Spencer connected with Michael Robinson for a 48-yard touchdown pass with 7:00 on the game clock to give the Seahawks the early lead.
- Chance Gagnon converted the extra point to make it a 7-0 contest.
- Again the Seahawk's defense limited GVU's offense, holding the Vikings to just 29 yards on their next possession.
- Keiser continued to move the ball and looked to register its second score of the quarter.
- On the seventh play of Keiser's drive, Jaden Meizinger broke a 51-yard run down to the GVU 10-yard line but a big hit by Jianni Angulo forced a fumble and a KU turnover as time expired in the first quarter.
Keiser 21, Grand View 7
- The Vikings failed to take advantage of the Seahawks turnover, going three-and-out to start the quarter.
- Three drives later, Meizinger found the endzone with a 10-yard run at the 8:34 mark.
- The touchdown and made extra point extended the Keiser lead to two scores.
- The Vikings responded with touchdown of their own as Johnny Sullivan found Seth Juhl for a 65-yard touchdown, making it a 14-7 game with 4:58 left in the half.
- Keiser's offense was not done, taking the ball 65 yards on 11 plays capped off by a one-yard run by Meizinger with 29 seconds on the game clock.
- The drive featured eight carries by Meizinger, who tallied 47 of the team's 65 total yards.
- Grand View tried to cut into Keiser's lead with a 44-yard field goal attempt on the last play of the half but the kick sailed wide left as the Seahaks took a 14-point lead into halftime.
Keiser 28, Grand View 14
- On the third drive of the third quarter, Keiser notched their its fourth touchdown of the game when Spencer hooked up with Robinson for the second time.
- The score was a 66-yard bomb that ended a three-play, 70-yard drive that took up only 1:11.
- Gagnon's fourth successful extra-point try made it 28-7 with 9:39 on the game clock.
- On the ensuing possession, Grand View marched 75 yards on eight plays, scoring its second touchdown of the game.
- Sullivan completed a 17-yard touchdown pass to Nick Danielson with 7:07 remaining in the third.
- The Seahawks closed out the third, driving down the field with nine consecutive plays, moving deep into Viking's territory as the third quarter ended.
Keiser 38, Grand View 21
- Two plays into the final 15 minutes of action, the Seahawks pushed their lead to 31-14 following a 37-yard field goal by Gagnon (14:51).
- The Vikings made it a 10-point game when Sullivan found Juhl for 60 yards and a touchdown with 10:06 left in the game.
- The Seahawks were forced to punt following a three-and-out on the next drive.
- However, Keiser got the ball back after a Tivon Sutton interception gave the Seahawks the ball at the GVU 17-yard line with 7:39 on the clock.
- The Seahawks took advantage of the Vikings turnover as Meizinger scored his third touchdown of the game on a three-yard run.
- The touchdown and made extra point gave the Seahawks a 38-21 lead with 4:07 left to play.
- Grand View looked to cut into the Seahawk lead on the next drive but Louis Lubin III ended all hopes of a Vikings comeback with the interception of his Keiser career.
- With the ball, Keiser ran out the clock, advancing to the NAIA National Championship for the first time in program history.
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- The Seahawks moved to 10-3 on the year with the win on Saturday.
- It marks the program's first 10-win season.
- With the win, Keiser advanced to the NAIA National Championship for the first time in program history.
- Saturday's victory was the third straight for Keiser over a Top-5 team (defeated No. 1 Morningside in the Quarterfinals, 29-28, on November 26; defeated No. 4 Bethel [TN] in the First Round, 27-17, on November 19).
- The Seahawks are now 3-3 all-time versus Top-5 teams.
- With a win over the No. 2-ranked Vikings, Keiser has now defeated the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 4 seeds in this year's tournament.
- With the win, the Seahawks improve to 6-3 in the NAIA Football Championship Series and 1-1 in the Semifinals.
- Saturday was the first meeting between Keiser and Grand View.
- The Seahawks are now 3-0 all-time versus teams from the state of Iowa.
- With the win, Keiser remains undefeated in NAIA action this season (10-0).
- The Seahawks are the last remaining team with no losses in NAIA action.
- Jaden Meizinger, the Semifinals Outstanding Offensive Player of the Game, rushed for 162 yards on 41 carries with three touchdowns.
- With his 162 yards, Meizinger has now rushed for over 1,000 yards this season.
- It marks the first time in program history that Keiser has had two running backs with 1,000 yards in the same season.
- Linebacker Tivon Sutton, the Semifinals Outstanding Defensive Player of the Game, a key interception in the fourth to seal the victory for the Seahawks.
- The Keiser defense held GVU to -13 yards rushing on the day.
- The Seahawks have allowed just 44 yards rushing combined in the NAIA Football Championship Series.
- Keiser won the turnover battle for the ninth straight game, forcing three - two INTs. The Seahawks have forced 32 turnovers this season.
- Wide out Michael Robinson had a career day with 114 yards receiving on only two catches - both touchdowns.
- Coming into the game, GVU allowed just 55.0 yards rushing per game and 6.1 points per game - Keiser rushed for 149 yards and scored 38 points.
- Shea Spencer: 17-of-26 passing for 274 yards and two touchdowns.
The Seahawks will head to Durham, North Carolina, to take on the Northwestern Raiders in the NAIA National Championship Game on Saturday, December 17.
