RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesAug. 22—MITCHELL — The Dakota Wesleyan University football team enters the 2026 season with a clear objective: get the running game going.
The Tigers finished last in the Great Plains Athletic Conference a season ago in rushing yards per game at 59.5, rushing touchdowns with three and rushing yards per attempt at 2.0. Those numbers contributed to an offense that finished third-to-last in the GPAC in scoring at 17.5 points per game and second-to-last in total offense at 283.9 yards per game.
With the season opener set for Saturday, Aug. 29, against rival Dakota State in Madison, DWU is hoping a more experienced offensive line combined with a new lead back can help change those numbers.
Junior Landon Iverson is stepping into the starting running back role after serving primarily as a backup last season. The 5-foot-6, 180-pound Hot Springs product appeared in all 11 games and finished with 100 rushing yards. He was fourth on the team in carries behind junior quarterback Jed Jenson and running backs Koby Kayser and Lane Darrow in 2025, who both graduated.
Now, Iverson is being counted on to carry a larger share of the workload.
"We just have to get better every day, and everybody on the team knows we didn't have the best run game last year so that has been kind of our aiming point this fall camp, especially for our offensive line," Iverson said. "The coaches have preached and emphasized that throughout the spring and now in fall camp, so we have been doing everything we can during these last few months to get this run game going this year."
Behind Iverson, the Tigers have several younger players competing for opportunities. Junior Kaden Froehlich, a 5-foot-9, 180-pounder from Pierce, Nebraska, saw action last season and is pushing for a bigger role. Sophomore Gus Scott, also listed at 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, gives DWU another intriguing option. The Brandon Valley product is being used in multiple spots, including running back and slot receiver, giving the Tigers a player who can contribute both as a runner and pass catcher.
Jayden Acosta has also made progress during fall camp. The 5-foot-8, 185-pounder from Summerville, South Carolina, enters his sophomore campaign looking to earn a share of the carries.
For DWU head coach Alex Kretzschmar, however, the running backs are only one part of the equation. The Tigers return three starting offensive linemen in Carson Kruggel, Brock Dyer and Gavin Pischke, providing a more experienced group up front. Paul Cline, who appeared in eight games last season, is also competing for a starting spot.
Kretzschmar believes that experience could be critical after DWU struggled to establish consistency on the ground a year ago.
"Communication up front is first and foremost the most important part for our rushing attack," Kretzschmar said. "We were young last year on the offensive line, so that may have led to not rushing the ball as well as we might have hoped for. It starts with them and it ends with them, if we want to have a better running game."
Kretzschmar is also expecting competition among the running backs to push the entire group forward.
"Throughout camp we have seen every running back have their moments. And we believe, although things didn't go the way we wanted them to a year ago, that unit has really stepped up so far," Kretzschmar said. "Landon is our lead guy, and some other guys that have been pushing him are Kaden Froehlich and Gus Scott. They have both been running really hard in practice, and Gus is also doing a little bit of wide receiver. He's a more versatile guy, but all three bring a little something to the table and we need to make sure we put them in the best position to succeed."
That versatility could give the Tigers more ways to attack opposing defenses, while Iverson's emergence provides a defined starting point in the backfield. There is still plenty to prove. DWU's running backs are relatively inexperienced, and the offensive line must translate its returning experience into better production when the games begin.
But the Tigers believe the pieces are coming together. The first opportunity to show that progress comes Aug. 29 against Dakota State, when DWU will look to establish its identity on the ground from the opening snap.
"All in all, we have all been pretty solid and pushed each other to be the best that we can be," Iverson said. "We just cheer each other on, and we have good competition. We each bring something different, and it's up to us to bring that out on the field come game days."
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