ST. PAUL, MINN. – The University of Northwestern football team matched up with Westminster in Saturday afternoon UMAC action. The Eagles put together an early 10-0 lead and never trailed, downing the Blue Jays 27-17 in final scoring. Blake Mitchel connected on two field goals for UNW, the second coming from 37-yards.

Northwestern moves to 3-6 on the year and 3-4 in the UMAC. Westminster ends their season with a 4-6 record and a 4-4 finish in league action. The Eagles lead the all-time series with the Blue Jays, 11-3 and have won six straight dating back to 2014.

UNW put together their strongest start of the season, scoring on the opening drive after Ryan Flanigan (River Falls, Wis./River Falls) completed a 75-yard pass to Evan Pruitt (Temecula, Calif./Rancho Christian). An extra point from Blake Mitchell (Watertown, S.D./Watertown) was good to give Northwestern a 7-0 lead just 20 seconds into play.
 
The Eagles extended the lead after a nine-play drive resulted in a field goal attempt from Blake Mitchell (Watertown, S.D./Watertown). The sophomore's 22-yarder was good to put UNW up 10-0. 

In second quarter play, senior Payton Bowdry (Minneapolis, Minn./South) gave Northwestern their largest lead of the game. The senior running back rushed for a quick yard to record his ninth touchdown of the year. Bowdry would record his tenth late in the fourth quarter and currently sits tied for the most rushing TDs in the league this season.

The Blue Jays would get on the board for the first time on a 10-play touchdown drive with under three minutes remaining in the half. Westminster was first to score following the break on a field goal, closing the scoring gap to seven (17-10).
 
An action packed fourth quarter resulted in a 37-yard field goal from Blake Mitchell (Watertown, S.D./Watertown), a 12-yard touchdown rush from Payton Bowdry (Minneapolis, Minn./South) and a late score from the Blue Jays. The Eagle lead was enough to secure the 27-17 final victory.

Sophomore quarterback Ryan Flanigan (River Falls, Wis./River Falls) completed five passes for 108 yards, while senior Payton Bowdry (Minneapolis, Minn./South) led the running efforts – picking up 105 yards on 23 attempts.
 
On the defensive end, Ethan Bush (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) put together a standout performance. Bush had a team-best eight tackles, with 2.5 for a loss of nine yards. The junior also recorded a sack, forced a fumble, recorded an interception and broke up a pass.

UNW recognized 14 seniors prior to the start of Saturday's game. Congratulations to Nick Swore (Grand Rapids, Mich./North Pointe Christian), Trevor Lundberg (Houston, Minn./Houston), Seth Johnson (Westlake Village, Calif./Oaks Christian), Payton Bowdry (Minneapolis, Minn./South), Evan Pruitt (Temecula, Calif./Rancho Christian), Marcus Scarbrough (Pine City, Minn./Pine City), Jacob Brown (Blaine, Minn./Blaine), Tanner Smith (Backus, Minn./Pine River-Backus), Austin Pavelka (Pine City, Minn./Pine City), Colton Christmann (Kindred, N.D./Kindred), Mitchel Magee (Little Falls, Minn./Little Falls Community), James Gentile (Las Vegas, Nev./Calvery Chapel), Tyler Crabb (Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Grandview Christian) and Caleb Nowak. Their impact and leadership have been felt both on and off the field.

Northwestern will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 16 when they travel to Mount Pleasant, Iowa to take on Iowa Wesleyan University. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m. noon – marking UNW's final contest of the 2019 season.

For all things Northwestern football, visit www.unweagles.com or follow along on Twitter and Instagram at @unwfb.