ST. BONIFACIOUS, Minn. – University of Northwestern Football took on Crown College in a road conference battle on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles scored 39 points and shut out the Polars through the first three quarters in what would end as a dominant 39-14 victory for UNW, remaining the lone undefeated team in the conference at 5-0. The win secured Northwestern at least a share of the UMAC Championship as well as a ticket to the NCAA DIII Tournament, both for the first time since 2016.
 
On their first drive of the game, the Eagles drove 56 yards on eight plays for their first touchdown of the day. Caden Cantrell (Taylor, Ariz./Snowflake) hit Cameron Morlan (Danville, Calif./Evergreen) for a 20-yard strike to move Northwestern downfield. Jeremiah Staten (South Elgin, Ill./Wheaton Academy) ran through the Polar defensive front from 10-yards out to score and put UNW up 7-0.
 
Northwestern found the end zone again on their next drive. Starting from Crown's own 46-yard line, the Eagles' offense did damage on the ground to set up a 20-yard completion to Damon Clapper (Dallas Center, Iowa/Dallas Center - Grimes). UNW then went back to the ground game as Sivert Klefsaas (Motley, Minn./Staples-Motley) rushed 14-yards to the one-yard line before punching it in on the next play. Up 13-0 and appearing set to kick the extra point, the Eagles caught the Polars off-guard as holder Clapper took the snap and flipped it up to kicker Dom Borges (Tualatin, Ore./Tualatin) who outran the entire Crown defense around the right side into the end zone for a trick two-point conversion.
 
The Polars started to gain some momentum on their next drive, running 14 plays and chewing up 6:15 off the clock. The Eagle defense, however, held Crown to just 48 yards on that drive and held off a Polars' fourth-down attempt to put Northwestern's offense back on the field.
 
The Eagles' offense made good on the stop their defense gave them as UNW drove 78 yards to score their third touchdown of the day. The highlight play of the drive was a 31-yard completion to Mike Bostrom (Brainerd, Minn./Brainerd) to set up UNW at the Polars' eight-yard line. Cantrell then found Clapper in the back left corner of the end zone for six points. Cole Uplegger (New Prague, Minn./New Prague) made his third extra-point of the day to put Northwestern up 22-0.
 
Nathan Fenske (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) cut the ensuing Crown drive short as the senior defensive back intercepted the Polars at midfield and ran it back for a 45-yard pick six, putting the Eagles up 29-0.
 
The UNW defense forced a three-and-out on the next Polar drive. The fourth-down punt from Crown's 31-yard line was a short line drive right at Nic Schultz (Fontana, Calif./Etiwanda) who collected it at the previous line of scrimmage.
 
Working with a short field, UNW ran Klefsaas four times in a row to reach the end zone. With the rushing touchdown and point after, Northwestern led 36-0. The Eagles took that 36-point shutout lead into halftime.
 
UNW added a field goal in the third quarter as Uplegger drilled a 27-yard attempt to increase the Eagles' lead to 39-0. Beau Burk (Ogilvie, Minn./Ogilvie) helped give UNW the field position for the kick with a 27-yard reception on the drive.
 
Crown broke the shutout in the fourth quarter with a 21-yard touchdown pass, but missed the two-point pass to trail 39-6. The Polars made up that lost two-point attempt with a safety later in the quarter. Crown scored once more in the quarter, but Northwestern's lead was more than enough as UNW sealed the 39-14 victory.

Cantrell completed 12-of-15 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown. Klefsaas led the Eagles ground game with 92 yards on 12 carries for a 7.7 yards per carry average and two touchdowns. Burk's 68-yards on five receptions was a team-high.

Jayden Goodwin (New Richmond, Wis./Saint Croix Central) led Northwestern's defense with 11 total tackles, making nine solo tackles and three tackles for loss. The Eagles defensive front racked up 11 tackles for loss and four sacks in the win. Fenske had nine solo tackles and his 45-yard pick six. Mario Hoefer (Charles City, Iowa/Charles City) forced a fumble and had an interception late in the fourth quarter.
 
Up next for Northwestern is a return to Reynolds Field on Saturday, November 12, for their Senior Day and regular season finale against Martin Luther. If the Eagles win that finale, they would clinch the UMAC Championship outright.