DES MOINES, IOWA – 2^nd seeded Grand View University hosted the 6th-seeded Morningside Mustangs in a semifinal rematch. The Vikings would resume the revenge tour with a gritty 36-13 win to advance to the 2024 NAIA National Championship game for the second time in four years and the third title game in program history.

The Grand View Vikings football team took control early against Morningside, dominating the first half. Quarterback Jackson Waring set the tone with a 59-yard pass to Aisea Toki, setting up Dalten Van Pelt's 3-yard touchdown just minutes into the game. Waring continued to shine, breaking free for a 52-yard run late in the first quarter and finishing the drive with a 4-yard touchdown to give the Vikings a 14-0 lead.

In the second quarter, Morningside seemed poised to score with a promising drive into Grand View territory, but Aaron Brown's momentum-shifting sack forced the Mustangs to miss a 38-yard field goal. Capitalizing on the defensive stop, Grand View marched 80 yards in seven plays, with key passes from Waring to Jordan Kumm and Corey Phillips. Van Pelt capped the drive with a 29-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 21-0.

Morningside responded with an 8-play, 65-yard drive, capped by Zack Chevalier's 2-yard touchdown pass to Griffin Kraft, cutting the lead to 21-7 with 4:30 left in the half. The Vikings' defense came up big, forcing a safety on a mishandled punt, sending Grand View into halftime with a 23-7 advantage.

After Morningside added 6 points to open the second half, Grand View's Kody Kruschwitz answered with a 58-yard punt, forcing the Mustangs into a long drive. The Vikings' defense came through again as Daviere Jones intercepted Chevalier at the 11-yard line. The offense capitalized with a 2-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 29-13 at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth, Morningside made one last push, reaching the Grand View 24-yard line, but the Vikings' defense held strong, forcing three incompletions to end the drive on downs. Grand View sealed the win when Waring connected with Toki on a 52-yard pass, with Toki snagging it one-handed for the touchdown, pushing the lead to 36-13 and putting the game out of reach.
 
GAME NOTES

• Jackson Waring (Passing): 13 completions on 20 attempts, 220 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, with a long of 59 yards.
• Grand View Rushing: 39 attempts for 251 yards, 4 TDs, and a 5.4-yard average, led by Jackson Waring with 83 yards and 1 TD.
• Aisea Toki (Receiving): 6 receptions for 145 yards, 1 TD, with a long of 59 yards.
• Dalten Van Pelt (Rushing): 9 carries for 53 yards and 3 TDs, including a 29-yard touchdown.
• Defensive Standout: John Argo with 11 total tackles (6 solo, 5 assisted), including 1 pass breakup.
• Kody Kruschwitz (Punting): 4 punts for 162 yards, averaging 40.5 yards per punt with a long of 58 yards.
• Daviere Jones picked it off in the 3rd quarter to set the Vikings up for their first scoring drive of the second half. 
• Both teams had 21 first downs, but Grand View had 15 rushing first downs compared to Morningside's 7.
• Grand View rushed for 212 yards on 39 attempts (5.4 avg) with 4 TDs, while Morningside had 74 yards on 25 attempts (3.0 avg) with no rushing TDs.
• Morningside passed for 266 yards on 28 completions, while Grand View passed for 220 yards on 13 completions. The Vikings held the Mustangs 80.9 under their passing average.
• Grand View totaled 432 yards (59 plays, 7.3 avg), while Morningside had 340 yards (75 plays, 4.5 avg).

WORDS WITH WOODLEY
 

TALK IT OVER WITH TOKI 


HIGHS OF THE SEMIS 

UP NEXT
Grand View earned themselves a trip to Durham with the win against Morningside. The Vikings and Keiser, the top two seeds in the NAIA FCS, will square off for the NAIA National Title on Saturday, December 21^st, at 12:00 PM EST (11:00 AM CST).
 

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