# 2023 Northwestern Red Raiders football team

The 2023 Northwestern Red Raiders football team is an American football team that represented Northwestern College of Orange City, Iowa, as a member of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) during the 2023 NAIA football season. In their eighth year under head coach Matt McCarty, the Red Raiders compiled a 14–1 record (10–0 against conference opponents), won the GPAC championship, and were ranked No. 1 among all NAIA programs at the end of the regular season.
The Red Raiders advanced to the NAIA football playoffs where they received a bye in the first round and defeated Dordt Defenders (7-0) in the second round, the Saint Xavier Cougars (34-17) in the quarterfinals, and the GeorgetownTigers in the semifinals. Northwestern lost to Keiser in the NAIA Championship Game on December 18 by a score of 31 to 21.
The 2022 team won the NAIA championship, and the Red Raiders compiled a 28-game winning streak dating back to the second game of the 2022 season.
Key players on the 2023 team include junior quarterback and co-captain Jalyn Gramstad, senior running back and co-captain Konner McQuillan, and senior wide receiver Michael Storey. Gramstad was named 2023 GPAC Offensive Player of the Year, and Matt McCarty was named GPAC Coach of the Year. A total of nine Northwestern players received first-team honors on the All-GPAC team, including Gramstad, McQuillen, and Storey, as well as offensive linemen Jawan Grant and Patrick Gottburg, long snapper Ty Shafer, defensive lineman Jacob Dragstra, linebacker Ben Egli, and defensive back Cody Moser.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 1:00 p.m. | at Concordia (NE) | No. 1 | Bulldog StadiumSeward, NE | W 48–35 | 1,800 |
| September 9 | 6:00 p.m. | at Drake* | No. 1 | Drake StadiumDes Moines, IA | W 27–24 $^{OT}$ | 3,526 |
| September 16 | 1:00 p.m. | Doane | No. 1 | Korver Field at De Valois StadiumOrange City, IA | W 51–7 | |
| September 23 | 7:00 p.m. | at Mount Marty | No. 1 | Crane Youngworth StadiumYankton, SD | W 42–0 | 1,693 |
| September 30 | 1:00 p.m. | at Midland | No. 1 | Heedum FieldFremont, NE | W 42–21 | |
| October 7 | 1:30 p.m. | Hastings | No. 1 | Korver Field at De Valois StadiumOrange City, IA | W 45–7 | |
| October 14 | 1:00 p.m. | at Briar Cliff | No. 1 | Memorial FieldSioux City, IA | W 37–8 | |
| October 21 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 22 Dordt | No. 1 | Korver Field at De Valois StadiumOrange City, IA | W 35–14 | |
| October 28 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 3 Morningside | No. 1 | Korver Field at De Valois StadiumOrange City, IA | W 34–20 | |
| November 4 | 1:00 p.m. | at Dakota Wesleyan | No. 1 | Joe Quintal FieldMitchell, SD | W 49–28 | |
| November 11 | 12:00 p.m. | Jamestown | No. 1 | Korver Field at De Valois StadiumOrange City, IA | W 40–11 | |
| November 25 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 14 Dordt* | No. 1 | Korver Field at De Valois StadiumOrange City, IA (NAIA second round) | W 7–0 | |
| December 2 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 12 Saint Xavier (IL)* | No. 1 | Korver Field at De Valois StadiumOrange City, IA (NAIA quarterfinal) | W 34–17 | |
| December 9 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 4 Georgetown (KY)* | No. 1 | Korver Field at De Valois StadiumOrange City, IA (NAIA semifinal) | W 35–10 | |
| December 18 | 11:00 a.m. | vs. No. 3 Keiser* | No. 1 | Durham County Memorial StadiumDurham, NC (NAIA Championship Game) | L 21–31 | |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from NAIA Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||