Jensen breaks record, Cracraft shines as Storm cap perfect home season

INDIANOLA, Iowa – J Jensen III and Noah Cracraft connected for three touchdowns, center Joe Bream added one on the ground, and the Simpson College football team finished off a perfect 5-0 home record with a 29-15 victory over Luther.

Cracraft dazzled with touchdown receptions of 44, six, and 13 yards, pushing his season total to 14, a mark that ties him for third-most receiving touchdowns in a single season. His first score of the day etched Jensen's name in the history books, as it marked the quarterback's record-breaking 78th career passing touchdown.

Bream delivered the dagger with his second rushing touchdown of the year in the fourth quarter, ensuring the Storm (5-5, 4-4 A-R-C) held off a late rally by the Norse (1-9, 0-8 A-R-C).

With the win, Simpson completes its first undefeated home schedule since 2003. The Storm did so by beating Crown (45-7), Loras (66-14), Nebraska Wesleyan (21-14), Buena Vista (24-16) and Luther (29-15), finishing the year with the most wins since 2019.  

SCORING BREAKDOWN

• Simpson opened with a promising drive, advancing 45 yards on 11 plays, but a turnover on downs at Luther's 30-yard line stalled the momentum.
• Luther responded with a methodical 13-play, 70-yard drive, capped by Brett Liljedahl's three-yard touchdown pass to Liam Henry for an early 7-0 lead.
• Luther's defense stood tall in the second quarter, forcing a punt and coming away with two more fourth-down stops. However, Simpson broke through just before halftime, with Jensen finding Cracraft for a 44-yard touchdown that not only tied the game but also secured Jensen's place atop the program's all-time passing touchdown list.
• The Storm seized the lead in the third quarter on a precise, 5-for-5 drive by Jensen, highlighted by a 36-yard reception from Carson Penyich and punctuated by a six-yard touchdown to Cracraft.
• Momentum stayed with Simpson as the offense engineered an 85-yard drive early in the fourth quarter, culminating in Cracraft's third touchdown of the day—a 13-yard grab that made it 21-7.
• Luther countered with a 67-yard response, narrowing the gap to 21-15 on Raul Medrano III's touchdown catch and a successful two-point conversion.
• Simpson iced the game with a 10-play, 79-yard drive, culminating in Joe Bream's five-yard touchdown run and a two-point play.

STAR PERFORMERS

• J Jensen III: 25-for-32, 277 yards, 3 TD
• Noah Cracraft: 12 rec, 137 yards, 3 TD
• Cole Staska: 5 rec, 51 yards
• Briley Hayes: 15 carries, 69 yards
• CJ Hangartner: 7 tackles (1.0 TFL), 1.0 sack, 1 QBH
• Christian Lee: 7 tackles, 3 pass breakups
• Wyatt Schaben: 6 tackles, 1 QBH
• Zach Truitt: 6 tackles
• Nolan Pagel: 5 tackles (1.0 TFL), 0.5 sacks, 3 QBH

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Luther ended the game with negative five rushing yards, the first time Simpson held its opponent to negative rushing yardage in nearly two decades.

NOTES

• J Jensen III officially became the program's leader in career touchdowns with his first touchdown throw of the day, surpassing Taylor Nelson who amassed 77 between 2010-13. Jensen ends his career with 8,562 passing yards (2nd all-time) and 80 passing touchdowns.
• Noah Cracraft caps off a remarkable freshman season with 14 touchdowns, the most by a rookie in program history and tied for the third-highest single season total overall. He finishes his first campaign with 911 receiving yards.
• Wyatt Schaben concludes his collegiate career with 334 tackles in 37 games, ranking third all-time behind Brendan Holmes (369, 2016-19) and Jarrod Young (339, 1993-96).
• Fellow linebacker Zach Truitt also finishes his career ranking top 10 in total tackles, claiming the fifth spot with 271 stops.