SIOUX CENTER, Iowa - The No. 22 Dakota Wesleyan University football team earned its first shut out of the season, defeating Dordt College 27-0 Saturday in the final game of the year for the Tigers.
With the win the 2013 Tiger football team became just the third team in school history to win at least eight games.
“To be able to win our last four games and finish 8-3 says a lot about our team,” Wesleyan football coach Ross Cimpl said. “I am glad that our guys were able to finish well and be a part of DWU football history.”
The Tigers’ season ends after not receiving an at-large bid for the NAIA playoffs. The Great Plains Athletic Conference received two bids, with Morningside and Northwestern each earning a spot. Both teams beat the Tigers in 2013.
“We knew it was a long shot,” Cimpl said. “Those two losses early in the season and then not really competing against Morningside hurt us.”
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Cimpl said DWU finished 20th in the final regular-season NAIA poll.
Sophomore linebacker Brady Bonte led the way for the DWU defense with seven tackles and one sack.
Senior defensive lineman Eric Gruis and freshman Cody Bonte also had seven tackles.
“Our guys did a good job of executing the scheme well today,” Cimpl said. We didn’t do anything too fancy or too crazy the guys just did their jobs.”
Junior running back Francois Barnaud topped the 100-yard mark for the ninth time this season.
The conference’s leading rusher finished with 158 rushing yards and one touchdown on 29 carries. Barnaud’s lone touchdown run came in the fourth quarter, when he reached pay dirt on a 6-yard jaunt.
Barnaud ended the regular season with a school-record 1,893 yards on the ground, good for second in the nation with 172.1 yards per game.
DWU senior wide receiver Anthony Muilenburg also reached the end zone Saturday.
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Muilenburg, who played his last game of his Wesleyan football, scored on a 52-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jon Bane in the second quarter. Muilenburg finished the game with 74 yards on four catches, while Bane completed 12 of 23 passes for 189 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
“We did some good things offensively,” Cimpl said. “We had some big plays and we put some points up on the board. Dordt did a good job defensively.”
The Tigers (8-3, 7-2 GPAC) ends the regular season in third place behind Morningside and Northwestern.
