Box Score Box Score

FULTON, Mo. – Northwestern College started its Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) schedule off on a big note on Saturday afternoon, defeating Westminster College (Mo.) 49-7. The Eagles used a huge 223-20 advantage in net rushing yards while overpowering the Blue Jays 499-233 in total yardage.

Northwestern had a 21-0 lead going into halftime and didn't allow Westminster to score a second time after the Blue Jays crossed the goal line on a 16-yard pass to start the third quarter.

Chris Simon-Wallace (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka) put the Eagles on the board in the first period, running into the end zone from five yards out to cap off a four-play, 56-yard drive that took just two minutes off the clock. 12 minutes later, midway through the second quarter, Matt Dammann (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) doubled NWC's score as his 16-yard touchdown pass from Josh Balzer (Shorview, Minn./Mounds View) and an Ethan Zepp (Grimes, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) successful point-after attempt gave the Purple and Gold a 14-0 advantage. Before time expired in the same quarter, Balzer connected with Tim Youtzy (Hinton, Iowa/Hinton) on a 27 yard passing play that allowed the Eagles to lead 21-0 at the break.

After Westminster's lone score of the game, Northwestern went right back to work, scoring 28 unanswered points. Youtzy punched in on a rush from the one-yard line before Zach Markwith (Honolulu, Hawaii/St. Louis) and Josh Sinnen (Waconia, Minn./Waconia) caught matching 16-yard TD passes from Balzer. Despite 13:40 left to play in the game, Sinnen ended the day's scoring with a two-yard run to finish off a six-play, 66-yard drive.

In addition to the large gap in rushing yardage and total yards, NWC doubled up Westminster in first downs, 29-14.

Balzer missed on just four of his 21 passing attempts, finishing the game with 275 yards and four touchdowns. Markwith and Brian Lecheler (Abbotsford, Wis./Abbotsford) each caught four passes, with Markwith totaling 75 yards and Lecheler 73. The three-headed rushing attack of Simon-Wallace, Sinnen and Youtzy combined for 231 yards on the ground, each scoring once.

Defensively, Joey Bauman (Kerkhoven, Minn./Kerkhoven Murdock Sunburg) had a team-high 13 tackles for the Eagles, while fellow linebacker Kendall Sommerlot (Pocahontas, Iowa/Pocahontas Area) added 10 more. Marshall Repp (Minburn, Iowa/Perry) picked off Blue Jays quarterback Joe Plassmeyer in the fourth quarter while as a team, the Northwestern defense recorded eight tackles for a loss.

The win will go in the books as an upset for Northwestern (1-1), who finished 13 points behind Westminster in the UMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, which was released in mid-August. Despite finishing third in the poll, the Blue Jays were just three points behind first place-St. Scholastica while receiving three first place votes. Westminster shut out Rockford College 40-0 on the road to start the 2012 season last Saturday.

After an 11-hour bus ride home from the heart of Missouri, NWC will gear up for another lengthy road trip next weekend when the Eagles play a nonconference game against Presentation College in Aberdeen, S.D. on Saturday at 1 p.m.