ST. PAUL, Minn. - On a beautiful fall Saturday in the Twin Cities, the Martin Luther College Football team spoiled Senior Day for the University of Northwestern, eking out a 35-34 win thanks to a fourth-quarter blocked PAT, avenging an early-October loss. After clinching at least a share of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference title last week at Crown, UNW needed to win just one of its final two games to win the championship outright and clinch the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Playoffs. In a back-and-forth, high-scoring affair, the Knights were able to use an electric passing attack to emerge victorious and keeping their chances of catching the Eagles alive, as they are now separated by one game in the UMAC standings with one week to play.
Northwestern got the scoring going right away on its opening possession. After
Elijah Alexander (Minneapolis, Minn./Andover) found
Braeden Little (Ladysmith, Wis./Ladysmith) for 24 yards through the air, UNW used a ground-and-pound approach to get in the end zone.
Keaton Sargent (Manhattan, Mont./Manhattan) had five carries for 25 yards, and Alexander chipped in two for 16, including a 10-yard touchdown dash. Martin Luther scored on its first drive as well to even the score at seven, but the Eagles were able to regain the lead early in the second quarter when Alexander escaped pressure and scampered 50 yards into the end zone for his second rushing score of the afternoon.
The teams began trading punts, but Northwestern had one go awry, as the snap was fumbled, setting up MLC at the UNW 16-yard line. The visitors capitalized, scoring through the air on the second play of the series. A combination of sacks and penalties pushed the Eagles further and further back on their ensuing drive, and Martin Luther was able to march down the field and go ahead 21-14 with just 15 seconds left before halftime.
After Northwestern's defense was able to stifle All-Conference quarterback Brady Turriff, who threw for 324 yards and four touchdowns, on the opening possession of the second half, the offense took advantage. Alexander and Little connected twice for 44 yards, including a 33-yard touchdown strike on a double move, deep over the middle, to tie the score at 21. The defense boosted the momentum with a big fourth-down stop, and the offense answered the bell once again, as Sargent dashed 37 yards to paydirt on 3rd and 2, to put UNW in front, 28-21.
Turriff and the Knights' offense went to work through the air and scored from 14 yards out to once again even the score at 28-all, but the Eagles struck back quickly, as Alexander found Little over the middle, and the sophomore wide receiver darted 60 yards to put the home team back in the lead with 13:22 lef to play. The ensuing PAT was blocked to keep the margin at six, which would prove to be, perhaps, the game's most pivotal play. Martin Luther was able to take over five minutes off the clock and march 81 yards, culminating in Turriff's fourth touchdown pass of the day. MLC's kick was successful, and the 35-34 score would hold, as Northwestern's offense went three-and-out and didn't get the ball back until there were only 23 seconds left on the clock, after another fourth-down stop.
Alexander completed six passes for 138 yards to a touchdown, all to Little, who was the only Eagle to record a reception. UNW did most of its damage on the ground, where Alexander finished with 85 yards and two touchdowns, and Sargent produced 77 yards and a score.
Drake Lindberg (Keystone, S.D./Rapid City Christian) had another terrific game on the defensive end, leading all players with 14 tackles and 3.0 tackles for loss, in addition to a sack.
Austin Ahrendt (Nevis, Minn./Nevis Public) also recorded double-digit tackles with 10, while
Jaquan Ellington (Richland, Ga./Chattahoochee County) and
Michael Montoya (Pueblo, Colo./Central) each chipped in nine.
Gideon Cruver (Fayetteville, Ga./Landmark Christian) tallied 1.5 tackles for loss and
Daniel Khomich (Andover, Minn./Legacy Christian Academy) added 0.5.
Despite suffering their first conference loss of the season, the Eagles are still in pole position when it comes to the race for the UMAC Championship. A one-game lead in hand over Martin Luther and Westminster, Northwestern controls its own destiny and can win the conference with a win at Minnesota Morris, next Saturday at 1:00 PM. UNW could still win with a loss in Morris as well, but would need tiebreakers to break its way.
