Dakota Wesleyan's Ball-Hawking Defense Powers 3-0 GPAC Start

The Tigers pace NAIA football with 15 takeaways and 10 interceptions through four games, opening conference play unbeaten for the first time since 2015.

Dakota Wesleyan has opened Great Plains Athletic Conference play at 3-0 for the first time since 2015, and a defense that thrives on disruption is driving the turnaround. The Tigers sit near the top of several NAIA statistical categories and are well beyond the takeaway numbers they posted a year ago.

In Saturday's 37-3 victory over Briar Cliff, Dakota Wesleyan forced four turnovers — three interceptions plus a recovered fumble — and added nine tackles for loss, five sacks and six pass breakups. A last-second field goal kept the Tigers from their first GPAC shutout since 2013. The win moved DWU to 3-1 overall.

Through four games, the Tigers rank first in the NAIA with 15 takeaways, including a national-best 10 interceptions. The five fumble recoveries sit tied for fifth nationally, and both figures top the GPAC. For comparison, the 2025 team managed nine interceptions and five fumble recoveries across 11 games. DWU also leads the GPAC in rush defense, allowing 63.8 yards per game — eighth nationally and more than 45 yards better than the next team in the league.

Individual standouts include Trevor Sladky, whose four interceptions are tied for most in the nation, and Mikey Hart, tied for third with six pass breakups. Linebacker Reed Rus, a Mount Vernon product who transferred from South Dakota, is tied for second nationally with seven tackles for loss, six of them sacks. The defense has also fed the offense: DWU has scored five touchdowns and three field goals on possessions following takeaways, with four more touchdowns coming after three-and-outs.

The schedule stiffens from here, with road trips to No. 18 Midland and No. 8 Morningside next, followed later by home dates against No. 16 Dordt and No. 22 Northwestern. "The pride is immense right now," defensive lineman Carter Skogsberg said. "We promised ourselves, even going back to the winter, that we wanted to be a top team in the GPAC as far as defense goes."