ST. PAUL – Holding just a 10-7 lead heading into the locker room, the University of Northwestern football team exploded for 21 third quarter points en route to defeating visiting Martin Luther College (0-4, 0-3) 38-20 on Homecoming Saturday at Reynolds Field. The Eagles improve to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play.

Kyle Anenson (Chanhassen, Minn./Chanhassen) – who had a monster afternoon – opened the conference tilt in style, as the senior took the opening kickoff 85 yards to the house to put UNW up 7-0 early. Reigning UMAC Special Teams Player of the Week Ben Lyons (North Olmstead, Ohio/Ohio Distance & Electronic Learning Academy) then extended UNW's lead to 10-0 after connecting on a 32-yard field goal.

Shortly before halftime, MLC became the first team this season to score on the Eagles' stout defense, as the Knights found the end zone on a five-yard pass to cut into UNW's lead heading into halftime.

With a 10-7 lead coming out of the locker room, UNW put up 21 points in the third quarter to cushion its lead to 31-14. Anenson scored on touchdown runs that covered four and 25 yards to account for Northwestern's offensive production. Andrew Smith (Henning, Minn./Henning) followed the scores with a pick six, halting a MLC drive deep in Knights territory.

Freshman Payton Bowdry (Minneapolis, Minn./South) had a big day on the ground, including a game-sealing eight-yard touchdown run that featured the Minneapolis native hurdling a defender on his way to crossing the goal line. Bowdry rushed 17 times for 97 yards on the ground, while Anenson covered 70 yards on 11 carries.

Ben Greener (Foley, Minn./Home School) tallied another double-digit tackle total, recording a game-high 15 stops, while also recovering a fumble. Gideon Burnham (Alexandria, Minn./Jefferson) totaled 10 stops to contribute to the defensive effort.

Corban Halbur (Richfield, Minn./Richfield) finished 13-of-21 for 190 yards with Cody Carlson (Dallas Center, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) hauling in seven of those completions. Carlson racked up 69 receiving yards.

The Eagles will look to stay perfect on the season when they head to Mount Pleasant, Iowa, next Saturday for a contest with Iowa Wesleyan. Fans can find more information at www.unweagles.com.