Mount Marty Football Falls to Dakota Wesleyan in Heartbreaking Final Seconds

The Mount Marty University (MMU) football team suffered a crushing 44-41 loss to the Dakota Wesleyan University (DWU) Tigers in a thrilling, high-scoring matchup at home in Yankton, South Dakota, on Saturday, November 1, 2025. The Lancers (4-5 overall, 3-5 GPAC) scored a field goal to tie the game with no time remaining, but a final-play lateral sequence by DWU resulted in a game-winning touchdown.

The Lancers' offense was explosive, but DWU matched the output with a series of huge passing plays and capitalized on a defensive score.

Key Game Moments & Scoring

The fourth quarter was a shootout, with the teams combining for 27 points.

• 1st Quarter: Malachy Harts scored a 3-yard rushing TD (6-0).

• 2nd Quarter: QB Rugby Ryken hit Rodney Broadnax for a 29-yard TD pass, followed by a successful 2-point conversion to Kyle Hirsch (14-14). Camden Vance added a 23-yard FG (17-14).

• DWU Defensive TD: DWU scored a critical defensive touchdown on a 45-yard fumble recovery (21-17 DWU).

• 4th Quarter Shootout:

  • Moshe Richmond hauled in a 25-yard TD pass (31-24 DWU).

  • James Brinsley scored on a 4-yard TD pass (38-31 DWU).

  • Moshe Richmond scored his second TD on a 3-yard pass (38-38).

  • Camden Vance tied the game 41-41 with a 29-yard field goal as the clock expired.

  • Final Play Heartbreak: DWU executed a series of laterals on the ensuing kickoff, resulting in a 25-yard touchdown pass from Connor Drake to Steven Christion on a play after the clock had expired, giving DWU the 44-41 win.

Offensive and Defensive Breakdown

Mount Marty generated significant offense but struggled with turnovers and containing DWU's deep passing game.

• Quarterback: QB Rugby Ryken had another strong passing performance, throwing for 351 yards and 4 touchdowns. However, he also threw 2 interceptions and was sacked 3 times.

• Receivers: Moshe Richmond was the top target, catching 12 passes for 180 yards and 2 touchdowns. Kyle Hirsch added 5 catches for 83 yards.

• Rushing: Malachy Harts was the lead back, rushing 20 times for 95 yards and a touchdown (4.8 average).

• Defense: The Lancers' defense allowed 441 yards of total offense, including 402 passing yards and 4 passing touchdowns. Brycen Mitchell was the top defender, recording 2 sacks and 2 tackles for loss. Dj Brown added a sack and Daniel Pierce tallied 8 tackles.