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Game Reaction: Brian Lecheler

ST. PAUL -- Northwestern College scored first in Saturday's home opening football game, but Westminster College (Mo.) came back and ran away with the score to beat the Eagles 36-26. NWC faced a 22-13 deficit at halftime, but the Purple and Gold's final touchdown couldn't bring them any closer to 10 points back.

Brian Lecheler (Abbotsford, Wis./Abbotsford) (Abbotsford, Wis./Abbotsford) quickly made a name for himself in the UMAC. Lecheler, a four-year all-American basketball player for the Eagles who put on a helmet for the first time since high school this season, returned two kicks for touchdowns to go with a receiving touchdown in the fourth quarter, accounting for 18 of Northwestern's 26 points in the game.

NWC quarterback Josh Balzer (Shorview, Minn./Mounds View) (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) connected with receiver Chad Rusinkovich (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente) (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente) for the Eagles' first score of the year with 5:10 to play in the first half. Westminster stuffed Northwestern on fourth and goal from the 1-yard line in the home team's first possession, taking the steam out of a solid 61-yard first drive. NWC quickly forced the Blue Jays into a three-and-out, setting up Balzer's seven yard touchdown pass.

Zain Gower put Westminster on the board just 25 seconds later, as he found holes in the Northwestern defense on a screen pass to score on a 67-yard touchdown. Scott Rodgers and James Gladstone then connected on a 14-yard pass to put the Blue Jays up 14-7.

Lecheler's first touchdown came on the ensuing kickoff, as the Eagles newbie waited for his hole to form and then took off for an 84-yard return. The multi-sport athlete's second return -- this one for 90 yards -- brought Northwestern within 10 points at 30-20 midway through the third quarter. After a Carl Givens eight-yard touchdown catch put Westminster up 36-20, Balzer found Lecheler on the left side for an 11-yard score to wrap up the day's scoring.

The Blue Jays were three-for-three on fourth down in the first half, twice finding the end zone when faced with a turnover on downs.

Northwestern finished with 257 yards of total offense, 42 yards better than last week at 25th-ranked Saint John's. Balzer wrapped up his Saturday with 15 completions on 29 attempts to go with 183 yards and two touchdowns. Tim Youtzy (Hinton, Iowa/Hinton) (Hinton, Iowa/Hinton) rushed for 73 yards on 11 carries, one of which went for 38 yards. Rusinkovich caught five passes for 63 yards and a score, while Lecheler added four catches for 43 yards and a touchdown.

317 of Westminster's 373 total yards came through the air as Rodgers often successfully scrambled for time to see his receivers. Rodgers completed 24 of his 30 attempts to go with five touchdowns, which were spread between three receivers. Givens, the 6-2, 210-pound receiver who has had several looks by NFL scouts and earned UMAC Offensive Player of the Week honors last week, caught 10 passes for 92 yards.

Luke Delain (Denmark, Wis./Denmark) (Denmark, Wis./Denmark) was one of four Northwestern defenders to record 10 or more tackles in the game. Delain led the pack with 12, with Evan Entler (Las Vegas, Nev./Mountain View Christian) (Las Vegas, Nev./Mountain View Christian), Kassidy Cook (Postville, Iowa/Postville) (Postville, Iowa/Postville) and Kendall Sommerlot (Pocahontas, Iowa/Pocahontas Area) (Pocahontas, Iowa/Pocahontas Area) earning 11, 11 and 10, respectively.

DeMarco Moorehead and Gus Lyles each led Westminster with eight tackles. Lyles had four tackles for a loss.

Northwestern starts the season at 0-2 (0-1 UMAC), while Westminster adds another win to its 2011 record at 2-0 (1-0 UMAC). The Eagles will return to their home turf of Reynolds Field next week as NWC hosts Presentation College at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 17 for Football Frenzy.