The Simpson College football team put on a show for the home crowd Saturday, defeating the University of Dubuque 27–7 in a statement Homecoming win. Behind a defensive performance and several explosive plays, the Storm improved 4–3 overall and 3–2 in the American Rivers Conference.
Simpson’s defense was the difference throughout the game, as they held the Spartans to one touchdown on five trips to the red zone and forced three second-half interceptions.
Freshman MJ Burks had two of those picks, including one in the end zone, which sealed the win late in the fourth quarter.
Senior linebacker CJ Hangartner set the tone early with two first-quarter sacks, which forced a quick Dubuque punt.
“I could not have gotten a single one of those without the other 10 guys out there,” Hangartner said. “That first defensive drive really shook Dubuque and we kind of just took off from there, playing the game like we know how.”
On the next play, Simpson struck first. Freshman quarterback Jayden Thoreson found sophomore wide receiver Noah Cracraft for an 18-yard touchdown, giving the Storm a 7–0 lead midway through the first quarter.
The defense continued to shine. Dubuque reached the Simpson 1-yard line in the second quarter, but was stopped on fourth down by freshman JJ Martin-England and sophomore Christian Lee. Later, after an interception, the Spartans had another opportunity, but the Storm held again as time expired and kept a 7–0 halftime lead.
Early in the third quarter, Burks intercepted another Dubuque pass and returned it to the 19-yard line. Two plays later, Thoreson and Cracraft connected for a 14-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 14–0.
Dubuque responded with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but Simpson quickly answered. Thoreson hit senior Cole Staska for a 23-yard touchdown on a free play following an offsides penalty.
Sophomore running back Demarico Young put the finishing touch on the win with an 84-yard touchdown run in the final minutes, which sent the Homecoming crowd into a frenzy.
Cracraft now leads the American Rivers Conference in touchdowns, despite missing a game against Wartburg College.
“It feels great,” Cracraft said. “Even though I missed a key matchup against Wartburg, it shows that my coaches and teammates have a lot of trust in me to go out and make plays. I’ve had a chip on my shoulder this season after a slow start, and games like this remind me why we work so hard.”
Cracraft added the victory was about more than just the record.
“It shows that we’re building something special here at Simpson,” he said. “All those early mornings and tough practices paid off, but now we have to get back to work and focus on our next opponent.”
With the win, Simpson evened the all-time series with Dubuque at 36–36–3 and earned its first home victory against the Spartans since 2013.
The Storm will be in action next at Loras on Saturday.
