EUREKA, Ill. – The University of Northwestern football team made history Saturday, as the Eagles captured the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference title and earned their first-ever NCAA Playoff berth with a 37-15 win at Eureka College.

The Eagles finish the regular season 9-1 overall and 8-1 in league play and will have a bye week before they find out who they will be matched up with in the first round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs on Sunday, Nov. 13. It is Northwestern's first outright conference championship since 2008. The Eagles earned a share of the conference crown in 2012.

Northwestern scored in every quarter, including a 20-point fourth quarter to blow the game open and run away with the victory.

Freshman Gavin Welch (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo) continued to make his presence felt in his rookie season, as the wideout hauled in a 16-yard strike from senior Corban Halbur (Richfield, Minn./Richfield) with five minutes and change to play in the first quarter to give the Eagles an early lead. Ben Lyons (North Olmstead, Ohio/Ohio Distance & Electronic Learning Academy) split the uprights on a 27-yard field goal attempt early in the second quarter to extend Northwestern's lead to 10-0.

After Eureka answered with a rushing touchdown just before the break to cut the deficit to three (10-7), Payton Bowdry (Minneapolis, Minn./South) made it a two-score game with the lone points of the third quarter, as the freshman found paydirt from seven yards out with 9:08 to play in the third.

BJ Foster (Charles City, Iowa/Charles City) scored the first of his pair of touchdowns with 8:21 to play in the fourth on a 3-yard plunge to put the score at 23-7. Looking like the game was out of reach, Eureka answered with a touchdown and 2-point conversion with 4:29 remaining to make it a one possession game.

Foster would then put the game away, as the sophomore scored on a spectacular 25-yard scamper before Austin Stubbs (Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) put the finishing touches on the win with a 97-yard pick-six to give UNW a 37-15 win. It was Stubbs' second interception on the day.

Ben Greener (Foley, Minn./Home School) (13) and Daniel Stratton (Lucerne Valley, Calif./Lucerne Valley) (11) led the defensive charge, as both finished with double-digit tackle totals. Aaron Regnier (Hawley, Minn./Hawley) picked off a pass and recorded six stops. Gideon Burnham (Alexandria, Minn./Jefferson) posted a pair of sacks and Ben Burkett (Adel, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) blocked a Eureka field goal attempt to contribute to the defensive effort.

Foster finished the day with 86 yards rushing on 19 carries, while Corban Halbur (Richfield, Minn./Richfield) went 10-for-27 for 136 yards. Cody Carlson (Dallas Center, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) grabbed a pair of receptions for 60 yards and Zach Duerwachter (La Crescent, Minn./La Crescent) caught four passes for 32 yards.

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