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Kylie Macziewski
Diego Lopez totaled 107 receiving yards and a touchdown in Luther's win over Simpson.
33
Winner Luther LUTHER 1-4 , 1-2
23
Simpson SIMFB 0-4 , 0-2
Winner
Luther LUTHER
1-4 , 1-2
33
Final
23
Simpson SIMFB
0-4 , 0-2
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
LUTHER Luther 7 12 0 14 33
SIMFB Simpson 14 3 0 6 23

Game Recap: Football |

Norse weather Storm for 33-23 win

First victory for Luther in football since 2019

INDIANOLA, Iowa  – The wait is over. For the first time in the Joe Troche era, the Luther College football team has a "W" to its name. The Norse won their first football game of the 2022 season, the first of head coach Troche's career, and the first since 2019 Saturday afternoon, as they upended Simpson College 33-23 in Indianola, Iowa. With the win, Luther is now 1-4 overall and 1-2 in American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) play. 

TAMING THE STORM
The Norse's hunger has been on display all season long, as they fought tooth and nail for Troche's first win of his head coaching career. It finally came to fruition on Saturday, as Luther came from behind to defeat Simpson 33-23. At the start, though, it looked like the Norse were destined for another barn burner, as the two teams scored a combined 21 points in the first quarter. The Storm scored 14 of those 21 first quarter points, holding a 14-7 lead over Luther after the opening 15 minutes of play. 

The Norse, though, would go on to outscore Simpson 12-3 in the second quarter, allowing Luther to walk into the locker room with a 19-17 first half lead. After the Storm scored with 45 seconds remaining in the first, the Beau Cornwell (Iowa City, Iowa / West Branch) led Norse marched right down the field for a 79-yard drive, which ended in an Aiden Daminani (Mesa, Ariz. / Mountain View) touchdown. The score cut the Simpson lead to 14-13 before the Storm made it 17-13 with a field goal at 2:03. It was the last time Simpson would score for nearly two full quarters. The Norse, meanwhile, weathered the Storm perfectly, waiting until the very last moment to strike and claim a lead they would never relinquish. With 20 seconds remaining in the half, Cornwell connected with Blake Storby (Lake Mills, Iowa / Lake Mills Community) for a six-yard touchdown pass, giving Luther a 19-17 lead headed into the locker room at half. 

Neither team scored points in the third quarter, as the Norse clung to their 19-17 lead entering the fourth and final quarter of the game. Luther went ahead and extended its two point lead to 26-17, as Cornwell found Diego Lopez (Hazel Green, Wis. / Southwestern) for a 23-yard touchdown roughly 45 seconds into the quarter. Three minutes later, the Norse defense made it 33-17, as Matt Canada (Tempe, Ariz. / Marcos De Niza) scored his second touchdown of the season after a 51-yard fumble recovery to give Luther a double-digit lead.

Of course, things got interesting in the closing 10 minutes. The Storm eventually found the red zone for the fourth time all day, scoring a touchdown with 7:53 remaining to make it 33-23 Norse. The Luther defense, though, held strong in the closing seven minutes. Though Simpson threatened, the home team was unable to find the end zone. As the Storm were unable to convert on a 3rd and nine with four seconds left, the Norse stormed the field, celebrating their well-earned 33-23 victory. 

TOP NORSE

  • Beau Cornwell (Iowa City, Iowa / West Branch) three for over 300 yards Saturday afternoon, tallying 307 total with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Cornwell also scored a touchdown with his legs, as he accounted for the first six points of the game for Luther. 
  • Vershon Brooks (Brighton, Colo. / Brighton) gained 123 yards on the ground as the top running back, while Diego Lopez (Hazel Green, Wis. / Southwest) was Cornwell's top receiver, tallying 107 receiving yards on eight targets with one touchdown.
  • Matt Canada (Tempe, Ariz. / Marcos De Niza) tallied two tackles and returned a fumble for a 51-yard touchdown in Saturday's victory. 
  • Brayden Daly (Gilbert, Ariz / Mesquite) led the team with 12 (five solo, seven assists) tackles Saturday afternoon.

UP NEXT
The Norse will return home for a Homecoming match up with Coe College. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Legacy Field in Carlson Stadium in Decorah, Iowa. 

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