Box Score

MORRIS, Minn. – A late game score made what could have been a long bus ride home a little quicker for the University of Northwestern on Saturday as the Eagles left Morris, Minn. with a 50-45 victory over the University of Minnesota Morris. UNW scored a touchdown with 46 seconds left in regulation to overcome a 45-44 deficit after having allowed 21 unanswered points to improve to 3-1 in UMAC play.

Scoring was hardly a problem at Big Cat Stadium for either team as the Eagles and Cougars combined for 95 points in 60 minutes. Three of the four quarters featured an addition of at least 27 points to the scoreboard and yet, the Northwestern defense held Morris' rushing attack to 53 yards, marking the fourth straight game that the Eagles have contained their opponent to 81 yards or less on the ground.

UNW found itself leading 10-0 after the first quarter. Coming off a 200-yard game last week against Crown College, Josh Sinnen (Waconia, Minn./Waconia) got things going with a two-yard scoring run six minute into the affair. Kicker Kevin Langmade (Prescott, Wis./Prescott)'s leg saw plenty of use on the day, starting with a successful point-after-touchdown conversion following Sinnen's rush before a 33-yard field goal capped off a 10-play, 65-yard buffer to wrap up the quarter.

Northwestern got the ball right back after the field goal as Austin Warner (Fridley, Minn./Fridley) forced a fumble that wound up in the hands of Luke Sommerlot (Pocahontas, Iowa/Pocahontas Area ) at the Morris 32-yard line. Six plays later, Jacob Fletcher (Moorhead, Minn./Park Christian) made good on a one-yard quarterback sneak across the goal line, pushing the Eagles' advantage to 17-0.

Morris finally got on the board midway through the second period when Donnie Mavencamp, who started his first game under center for the Cougars, connected with Roumy Desir for a 31-yard scoring play.

Fletcher and Co. were back at it again in the second as the Eagles responded offensively after another forced fumble by the UNW defense deep in Minnesota Morris territory. With Northwestern inside the Cougars 10-yard line, Fletcher hit Caleb Couwenhoven (Blaine, Minn./Fridley) in the end zone, and Langmade's kick made it a 24-6 ballgame in the Purple and Gold's favor. Morris decided to have the final say in the half though, as the Cougars marched 66 yards in the final 3:31 of the quarter to score a touchdown and a two-point conversion to produce a 24-14 halftime score.

Northwestern, who kicked off to start the game, didn't do itself any favors at the beginning of the second half as a Cody Kielsa (Howard Lake, Minn./Rogers) fumble on the kick return gave Morris the ball on the Eagles' 25-yard line. UMM took advantage of the turnover and its field possession, as Antwar Ashley rushed into the end zone to cut the UNW lead to just three points at 24-21.

Sinnen scored his second touchdown of the day on Northwestern's next drive, but not before a 37-yard pass from Fletcher to Joe Sutton (Minneapolis, Minn./Benilde St. Margaret's) to ultimately set up the scoring play. Sinnen's TD was the second in a string of four combined drives by the two teams that finished with a score. Morris kicked a field goal of their own before the Eagles' Zac Cash (Highlands Ranch, Colo. /Mountain Vista ) got his name in the books with a four-yard touchdown scamper that gave UNW a bit of a buffer at 37-24.

The day's scoring was far from over, thanks in part to Northwestern's defense, which forced its third fumble of the day on Morris' first play in the Cougars' ensuing drive. UNW needed just one play to add to its point total on offense with Fletcher and Couwenhoven hooking up again, this time for a 32-yard score to increase the lead to 44-24 with 1:12 to play in the quarter.

As Cougar fans began to pack their warm clothing and head for the exits, their team started to dig into the Eagles' cushion in a big way. The Mavencamp and Desir connection was good for two more scores from 37 and 33 yards out, and suddenly the home team was within six with 3:37 to play.  Northwestern's insurance policy started to trickle away less than a minute later as Sinnen lost a fumble of his own, giving Minnesota Morris the ball back at the Eagles' 32-yard line. The Cougars' offense was riding on Mavencamp's shoulders as the freshman either passed or ran for five straight plays before Dustin Spohn crossed the goal line on a two-yard rush with the clock reading 1:59. The point-after kick attempt was good, and Morris was suddenly ahead by a point at 45-44.

With Northwestern starting on its own 39-yard line, Fletcher marched the Eagles down the field in 1:07, converting two key third down plays along the way, before putting what wound up to be the winning touchdown pass in Sutton's hands on a seven-yard play. UNW went for a two-point conversion of its own as a six-point lead following a potential PAT make would make no difference on the scoreboard, but Fletcher's pass to tight end Daniel Schultz (Eden Prairie, Minn./) went awry, leaving a Northwestern defense in charge of the five-point lead with 42 seconds left in regulation.

Mavencamp got the Cougars to midfield, but his pass to Danny Kernan on fourth and six went incomplete and the Eagles lined up in victory formation for one play before the final horn sounded.

While Morris had more first downs in the game, Northwestern owned a difference of three minutes and change in time of possession. The Eagles excelled in the ground game (212 yards), while Morris blew the door open in the passing attack (404 yards).

Fletcher finished with his best statistical line of the season thus far, completing 20 of 31 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Both Sutton and Couwenhoven went over 100 yards receiving, with Sutton catching 10 passes for 156 yards and a score. Couwenhoven added 105 yards on seven receptions with two TDs. Sinnen had his third straight 100-yard game as the Eagles junior rushed 22 times for 141 yards, with Cash adding 50 yards on the ground.

While no Eagle recorded double digit tackles, reigning National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Defensive Player of the Week Cameron Cox (Becker, Minn./Becker) shined on defense again as the freshman led UNW with nine tackles and a half sack. In addition to recovering the Morris fumble in the second quarter, Sommerlot returned an interception for 41 yards midway through the fourth.

Mavencamp's 404-yard performance was a Cougars record, but that was about all Morris had to celebrate statistically as Spohn led the team with 34 yards on the ground.

Now 3-2 overall in 2013, Northwestern returns home next week for another UMAC battle, this time against the College of St. Scholastica, who is currently tied atop the league standings after the Saints beat MacMurray College 42-6 on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Reynolds Field.