Bartlett's 3 TDs, suffocating defense lead Storm past Buena Vista

INDIANOLA, Iowa -- Tanner Krueger connected with Sam Bartlett for three of his four touchdown passes, Noah Bruckner and Joe Meyer ran for 100 yards apiece and the defense pitched a shutout as the Simpson football team beat Buena Vista 46-0 on Saturday at Buxton Stadium.

The Storm (3-1, 2-0 American Rivers) started fast and never let up, getting long touchdown passes from Krueger to Bartlett on the team's first two possessions. Krueger hit the fifth-year senior on a 51-yard seam route on the second play from scrimmage then tossed a 68-yard strike to give Simpson a 14-0 lead less than 4 minutes into the game.

Krueger finished with 328 yards passing, distributing 193 to Bartlett and 109 to Joe McNally. On the ground, Noah Bruckner ran for 122 and two touchdowns and Joe Meyer went for 113.

Offensively, the Storm racked up 588 yards on 90 plays. Defensively, Simpson held Buena Vista to a season-low 172 yards. The Beavers (2-2, 0-2) managed just 15 yards rushing after averaging better than 190 yards in the first three games.

Bruckner scored his first touchdown on a 1-yard plunge with 1:47 left in the first quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, Buena Vista returner Jalen Moore let the ball land at the 1. He tried to retrieve the ball to take a knee in the endzone but the officials ruled the play a safety for a 23-0 Simpson lead.

Krueger threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to McNally in the second quarter to make the score 30-0 at halftime. In the second half, Simpson got a 37-yard field goal from Zach Kreider, a 22-yard touchdown catch by Bartlett and a 3-yard scoring run by Bruckner.

Bartlett has eight touchdown catches through four games this season, just six shy of the school record of 14 set by Dusty Kain in 2003.

Buena Vista's only potential score was taken off the board due to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Late in the second quarter, Moore jumped in front of Krueger's pass in the flat and returned the interception 81 yards for a score. But the officials flagged Moore for excessive celebration at the 15-yard line and Buena Vista eventually turned it over on downs when Chris Bowles and Michael Connor sacked Colton Kenney on fourth down.

Carter Paterson and Brendan Holmes led the defense with seven tackles apiece. Connor finished with five stops, 1.5 sacks and an interception. Parker Schenk added a pick and a pass breakup.

Notes
• Sam Bartlett has eclipsed 100 yards receiving in 3 of 4 games.
• After allowing an average of 265 yards rushing through the first two games, the Simpson defense has allowed just 73.5 in the last two.
• Simpson's defense held Buena Vista to just 33 yards in the first half.
• In the last two meetings between Simpson and Buena Vista, the Storm have outscored the Beavers 102-7 while outgaining them 1,287-430.

Up Next
Simpson travels to Lincoln, Neb. to face unbeaten Nebraska Wesleyan on Saturday, Oct. 5. The Prairie Wolves (3-0) were idle Saturday. Nebraska Wesleyan is receiving votes in the American Football Coaches Association Top 25 Poll.