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Raiders Finish in the Top 20 For the Sixth Straight Year

Heading into the 2008 season, the Red Raider football team set it sights on returning to the NAIA postseason Championship Series where they lost in the quarterfinals in 2006 and just narrowly missed out in 2007. Northwestern finished the 2007 season Jansenwith an 8-2 record, tied for second within the GPAC and ranked 15th in the final NAIA poll but got bumped out of the 16-team postseason series. Head Coach Orv Otten, in his 14th season with NWC, returned 16 starters and 33 letter winners, led by All-Americans defensive end Cody Van Sloten (Doon, Iowa) and linebacker Nate Jansen (Orange City, Iowa). The tradition-rich Raiders, one of the winningest teams in the NAIA, began the year ranked 13th in the preseason poll, one of three GPAC teams in the top 25. After an impressive 7-1 start to the season, NWC moved up to eighth and looked primed for another postseason berth. In the end, however, the Raiders lost their last two games and the postseason once again eluded them as they finished 2008 with a 7-3 record and ranked 18th in the final poll.

Coach Otten’s squad opened the season at Dordt, a team playing its first ever varsity game and a program just three years old. In front of nearly 5,000 fans, the Raiders won the first ever “Tractor-Series Trophy” by the score of 42-0. Northwestern struck early as Matt Roesner (Orange City, Iowa) connected with Seth Moen (Inwood, Iowa) for a 48-yard touchdown pass on their first offensive play. The Raider D was equally impressive, giving up just 56 yards and forcing 10 Defenders’ punts. An early top-20 showdown was up next as the Raiders hosted seventh-ranked Morningside and the game lived up to its pregame hype. Both teams held the lead but it was Morningside who came away victorious, 26-21.

Northwestern dropped one spot to 14th heading into the next game against a very good Nebraska Wesleyan squad in Lincoln, Neb. The Raiders scored 10 straight points during the second and third quarters and managed to hold on to a 17-15 win to mark the 100th career victory for Coach Otten. The Raiders followed with five more wins, improving to 7-1 on the season, and outscored opponents 202-35 during the win streak. Two players, Cody Van Sloten and Taylor Malm, received individual recognition as GPAC players of the week.

Moving up to eighth in the NAIA poll, the Raiders traveled to Sioux Falls, S.D., to take on the top-ranked and undefeated Cougars. Despite an outstanding defensive effort, the Raiders’ offense never got rolling and Northwestern lost, 19-0. Still, with a home date remaining against Dakota Wesleyan, the12th-ranked Raiders were in great position for a postseason berth. On a snowy and blustery afternoon, however, the visiting Tigers grabbed an early 7-0 lead and never trailed as they defeated Northwestern, 17-6, for their first-ever win over the Raiders. The loss dashed the hopes of any postseason for Otten’s squad.

VanSlotenNorthwestern finished the season ranked third in the GPAC in scoring offense, averaging just under 29 points per game, while the defense was its usual stingy self, giving up just 11.2 points per game. Individually, 19 players were named all-conference, led by defensive player of the year Nate Jansen. The senior, who also earned first team All-American honors, totaled 61 tackles, seven sacks and three interceptions. Jansen closed out his career with 251.5 tackles, the second highest total since 1998. Cody Van Sloten earned first team honors and VSN All-American accolades, closing out his career with 24.5 sacks and 46 tackles for a loss. Caleb Van Otterloo (Le Mars, Iowa) also earned first team honors after posting 36 tackles and two interceptions at cornerback. Three Raiders, Jon Handsaker (Radcliffe, Iowa), George Barnes (Mesa, Ariz.) and Grant Hegstad (Sanborn, Iowa), were named NAIA Scholar- Athletes.