Football coach Steve Ryan broke the record for career football coaching victories at Morningside when the fourth-ranked Mustangs defeated No. 13 Ottawa University 42-21 in the first round of the 2014 NAIA Championship Series Saturday.

The victory puts the Mustangs, this year’s Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) co-champion, in next Saturday’s NAIA Championship Series Quarterfinals against Missouri Valley. Morningside will host the game against the team that ousted Northwestern in double overtime Saturday.
Ryan as a 119-34 record in 13 seasons at Morningside. He had been tied with Jason Saunderson, who compiled a 118-93-11 record as the college’s head coach from 1912-41, for the most career coaching wins at Morningside. Ironically, Ryan’s record breaking victory came against the school where he had his first collegiate coaching job. Ryan had been an assistant coach at Ottawa before he came to Morningside.
The Mustangs, who improved their record to 10-1, wore down the Braves with a rushing attack that produced 396 yards. Morningside, which leads the nation with averages of 58.5 points, 672.8 yards total offense, and 363.5 yards rushing per game, piled up 644 yards total offense against the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) champions.