LAMONI, Iowa — No. 4 Grand View University weathered an early scare to extend its absolute dominance over Heart of America Athletic Conference rival Graceland University, riding a 28-point second-quarter explosion to a 52-20 victory on Thursday night at Huntsman Field.
The definitive victory preserves the defending NAIA national champions’ perfect historic record against the Yellowjackets, moving the all-time head-to-head streak to a staggering 14-0 dating back to 2012.
Yellowjackets Flash Early, Vikings Strike Fast
The atmosphere in Lamoni was electric early on as Graceland refused to be intimidated by the top-five visitors. After a scoreless opening frame that featured only a 22-yard field goal from Grand View’s Nathan Hamilton, the Yellowjackets’ offense found its rhythm. Quarterback TJ Shanks engineered a precise drive, capping it off with a 4-yard touchdown strike to Marlon Prout Jr. to push Graceland ahead 7-3.
The lead, however, was short-lived.
Faced with adversity, the powerhouse Vikings responded with a masterclass in complementary football. Grand View completely flipped the momentum of the game by capitalizing on crucial special teams miscues and defensive takeaways. The defining play of the surge came when Grand View’s Jon Hatchittblocked a Graceland punt and returned it cleanly into the end zone, igniting a sequence of 28 unanswered second-quarter points that left the Yellowjackets reeling before halftime.
Balanced Attack Overcomes Graceland Air Raid
Statistically, Graceland proved it could move the ball against the formidable Grand View defense, racking up 393 yards of total offense. Shanks and the passing game accounted for 347 of those yards, consistently finding soft spots in the secondary.
Ultimately, self-inflicted wounds doomed the upset bid. Graceland committed four turnovers and were flagged for nine penalties, repeatedly stalling promising drives and giving a lethal Grand View offense short fields.
The Vikings showcased their trademark balance, churning out 434 total yards. With backup quarterback Jack Jepson managing the offense with surgical precision, Grand View kept the Yellowjackets off-balance. Jepson finished the night an efficient 14-of-19 passing for 198 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, running back Bryant Williams anchored the rushing attack, punishing the interior line for 87 yards and a score.
Box Score
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
Grand View| 3 | 28 | 14 | 7 | **52** |
Graceland | 0 | 7 | 7 | 6 | **20** |Looking Ahead
With the victory, Grand View improves to 6-1 on the season as they continue their march toward another postseason run. The Vikings return home to Des Moines next weekend to host Culver-Stockton Collegeon Saturday, October 24, with kickoff scheduled for 12:00 PM CDT.
Graceland will look to regroup on the road as they travel to Peru, Nebraska, to face Peru State College on Saturday, October 24, at 2:00 PM CDT.
Photos by Corey Perrillioux