SIOUX CENTER, IA — Key plays late in the fourth quarter and overtime pushed the Doane Tigers to a win Saturday over the Dordt Defenders in Doane's first road game of 2022. 

The Tigers won the game 13-10 in overtime in a back-and-forth defensive struggle. 

Doane started out slow, turning the ball over on its opening possession in its own territory. Dordt took advantage of the good field position, scoring a touchdown on a five-yard run by Connor Dodd to take a 7-0 lead. 

Both offenses would continue to struggle as the next eight drives resulted in six punts and two blocked field goals. 

Then halfway through the second quarter, Doane got its first touchdown of the season as Cruz Kirwan connected on a short pass to Brehan Lambert who took it 51-yards to the end zone. After that, the defenses took back over, sending the game into the half tied at 7. 

The defensive struggle continued into the second half. Of the seven drives combined between the Tigers and Defenders in the third quarter, six resulted in punts. The other ended with a 35-yard field goal by Dordt's Fulton Gunderson to take a 10-7 lead. 

In the fourth quarter, the teams started by trading punts then interceptions. Doane then had the ball down 10-7 with just under 10 minutes left in regulation. The Tigers took two minutes off the clock, but missed a 46-yard field goal, keeping the Defenders out in front. 

Doane's defense forced a three-and-out giving the offense another shot with 6 minutes left. The Tigers drove down the field, but got picked off in the end zone. With just over 4 minutes left, Dordt continued to hang on to its lead. 

The Tiger defense again got off the field in just three plays. This time the Tigers had three minutes and one timeout to work with from its own 32. The offense this time came through marching 52 yards in 12 plays, converting three third-downs in the process, to get in field goal range. 

Freshman Kicker Kelen Meyer — who had two kicks blocked and missed another earlier in the game — converted from 33-yards out as time expired to tie the game at 10. 

In overtime, Dordt started on offense and drove inside the 10. Facing a second and goal at the five, the Tigers stuffed the Defenders. On third down, Dordt ran an option outside to Dodd — the same play they had scored on in the first quarter — but were held short of the goal line. 

On fourth and goal at the one yard line, the Defenders opted to go for the touchdown rather than attempting a field goal. The Tiger D stood its ground, keeping Dordt out of the end zone and off the score board. 

Just needing a field goal to win, Doane picked up four yards on three plays and set up Meyer for a game-winning 38-yard field goal which the freshman converted. 

Doane used three quarterbacks in the game, Michael Pulliam, Cruz Kirwan and Karsen Reimers. The three combined to go 15-25 for 125 yards, 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions. Kirwan had the TD pass while Reimers led the game-tying drive at the end of the fourth quarter. 

The Tigers rushed for 89 yards on the day. Frazzie Wynn led the way with 66 rushing yards. 

Doane's defense held the option-offense of Dordt to 176 yards on 46 carries. That's well below the Defenders season average of 290 rush yards. 

The Defenders utilized two QBs and had two throws by running back Anthony Trojahn. They compiled a state line of 7-25 for 76 yards and an interception. 

With the win, Doane is now 2-1 on the season. The Tigers travel to North Dakota next Saturday for a showdown with the Jamestown Jimmies.