ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. – The University of Northwestern football team (2-0, 1-0) used a stout defensive effort to upend Crown College (0-2, 0-1), 21-0, Saturday night at KleinBank Stadium. The Eagles, who have yet to give up a score in 2016, held the host Storm to 156 total yards of offense, while Northwestern racked up 314 yards.

UNW got on the scoreboard in the first quarter when sophomore BJ Foster (Charles City, Iowa/Charles City) found paydirt, scoring from three yards out to give the Eagles an early advantage. Foster carried for a game-high 105 yards on 20 rushes to lead the ground attack.

The Eagles added on to their lead late in the second quarter when senior signal caller Corban Halbur (Richfield, Minn./Richfield) hooked up with freshman Gavin Welch (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo) on a 10-yard strike through the air to cushion UNW's lead to two scores heading into the locker room. Halbur finished the night 16-of-25 for 198 yards.

UNW added an insurance score early in the fourth on Joseph Gutierrez (Bakersfield, Calif./East Bakersfield)'s 14-yard scamper. Ben Lyons (North Olmstead, Ohio/Ohio Distance & Electronic Learning Academy) tacked on his third PAT of the night to put the score at 21-0 and the UNW defense remained dominant to help the Eagles start the season 2-0.

Andrew Smith (Henning, Minn./Henning) had a big night in the secondary, picking off a pair of passes from his safety position. Ben Greener (Foley, Minn./Home School) once again paced the Northwestern defense, tallying seven tackles. Gideon Burnham (Alexandria, Minn./Jefferson) recorded three tackles for loss, including a pair of sacks.

Cody Carlson (Dallas Center, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) had a monster game on the perimeter, as the senior captain hauled in 10 receptions for 137 yards, while fellow senior Zach Duerwachter (La Crescent, Minn./La Crescent) racked up 41 yards on three catches.  

The Eagles will return home to host Minnesota Morris next Saturday. The contest will also mark the annual Football Frenzy event on campus, with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. at Reynolds Field. Fans can find more information at www.unweagles.com.