DURHAM, N.C. — Keiser (Fla.) used a dominating run game and a stifling defense to claim its first NAIA Football Championship Series title, ending a 27-game win streak by Northwestern (Iowa).
The Seahawks amassed 373 yards on the ground led by Most Outstanding Player Jaden Meizinger's 261 on 22 carries with a touchdown in a 31-21 win over the Red Raiders.
Meizinger broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown run right up the middle on the first play from scrimmage to set the tone for Keiser. Nico Cavanillas pushed the lead to 10 with 7:00 left in the second with a 31-yard field goal at the end of a nine-play, 66 yard drive that ate up over six minutes of the quarter with 41 yards coming on seven running plays.
"We worked so hard and I really can't explain it," said Meizinger. "We're just a bunch of underdogs and are really resistant."
The Seahawk defense added a takeaway at the 6:15 mark of the second with a strip sack of Jalyn Gramstad at the 14-yard line, which was punched into the endzone by Andrew Burnette four plays later.
"These kids have done such a great job," said coach Doug Socha. "We have a saying 'ride the wave' and they did it through all the momentum swings."
Gramstad and the Red Raiders took advantage of a Kylar Fritz interception at the Keiser 45 with 1:43 left in the second quarter with a six-play drive that ended with a six-yard touchdown pass to Austyn Gerard with 29 seconds left in the half.
Northwestern was held to 26 rushing yards gained on 14 attempts in the first half which netted -13 yards due to sacks. An offense that racked up the most first downs in the NAIA this season was held to just eight in the first half and 118 total yards with over a third coming on the final drive.
Clayton Bosma came away with an interception in the end zone on Keiser's first possession of the second half and the Red Raiders followed it up with their biggest play of the game, a 39-yard completion from Gramstad to Michael Story. The drive didn't result in points, but Eli Stader's 38-yard punt was downed at the Keiser 1-yard line.
Story had a game-high 121 receiving yards on six catches.
Meizinger got the Seahawks out of the shadow of their own goalpost with a 53-yard run on first down. Four plays later, it was Justin Wake making his first start at quarterback, finding Maurico Porcha for a 30-yard touchdown to go up 24-7 with 5:17 left in the third.
Wake finished 10-of-15 passing for 117 yards. Porcha was the top receiver with 45 yards on two catches.
The Red Raiders attempted to rally in the final frame on Gramstad's second touchdown of the game, a 53-yard strike to Konner McQuillan with 10:54 left to make it 24-14 with 10:54 left. The Red Raiders then recovered an onside kick and seven plays later, McQuillan scored from two yards out to get within a field goal with 7:06 left.
Keiser ended the thoughts of a Northwestern comeback with a 77-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Louis Lubin III. Lubin III also had an interception in the endzone at the 5:02 mark of the final frame to help secure the win.
Gramstad was 15-of-34 through the air for 287 yards and was the leading rusher for Northwestern with 47 yards, but was sacked four times.
"Our guys don't flinch, our coaches did a great job, but most important our players stayed calm and found a way," said Socha.
Maddox Aprile was the Most Outstanding Defensive Player with a solo sack and two assisted sacks among his six total stops.
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