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Football

St. Thomas hands Eagles 41-0 loss

Box Score

ST. PAUL (Nov. 15, 2008) -- Northwestern's first-ever football game against the University of St. Thomas didn't turn out the way Eagles fans had hoped for, as the Tommies handled NWC in a 41-0 final at Reynolds Field. Saturday was the first game since 2004 in which Northwestern had been shutout and the first time since 1998 that the Eagles were unable to score on their home field.

St. Thomas quarterback Greg Morse found Jake Friederichs twice in the first quarter for touchdowns, both capping off drives that lasted over four minutes apiece. Colin Tobin ran for a three-yard score before Ben Wartman was the recipient of another Morse touchdown pass, making the score 28-0 in the Tommies' favor at halftime.

After a scoreless third quarter, Mike Duncombe added more insurance for UST, rushing for a pair of touchdowns to make the final score 41-0.
 
St. Thomas more than tripled NWC in total yards, owning a 475-149 advantage. The Eagles, who have been able to produce a balanced rushing and passing attack in almost every game this season, struggled on the ground, earning a mere 18 rushing yards on 28 carries. The Tommies, in turn, amassed 294 yards via the rush.

NWC's Zach Tarter (Crystal Falls, Mich./Forest Park High School) (Crystal Falls, Mich./Forest Park) went 15 for 36, recording 167 yards. The junior quarterback struggled to find time, as St. Thomas found its way through the Eagles' offensive line in a hurry, as evidenced by their five sacks.

Kyle Thomforde (Northfield, Minn./Northfield High School) (Northfield, Minn./Northfield) led Northwestern with six catches for 63 yards. Cody Crum (Rushville, Ill./Rushville Industry) (Rushville, Ill./Rushville-Industry) hauled in four more catches for 45 yards.

Morse, a freshman who has emerged as UST's quarterback of the future as of late, finished 14 of 24 for 153 yards and three touchdowns while playing just over two quarters. Wartman rushed 22 times for 116 yards.

Defensively, David Kleiner (Lakeville, Minn./Bethany Academy) led NWC with 13 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss.  Kyle Nash (Fergus Falls, MN/Hillcrest Lutheran Academy) (Fergus Falls, Minn./Hillcrest Lutheran Academy) had 10 tackles, while Luke Delain (Denmark, Wis./Denmark) (Denmark, Wis./Denmark) and Andrew Magaard (Ogilvie, Minn./Ogilvie High School) (Ogilvie, Minn./Ogilvie) each had 10.

With the loss, Northwestern falls to 8-2 overall (4-0 UMAC). St. Thomas closes out its season at 7-3 (5-3 MIAC) in the team's first year under head coach Glenn Caruso.

Thankfully, the Eagles won't have to end their season after today, as the National Christian College Athletic Association's (NCCAA) Victory Bowl awaits. The Eagles will most-likely play Malone University (Canton, Ohio) in a game on Friday or Saturday of next week. An official Victory Bowl announcement will be made on Monday, Nov. 17. Stay tuned to nwceagles.com for the details.
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