UNK football falls to NW Missouri Southern on Homecoming

KEARNEY, Neb. (Press Launch) – The thirteenth/14th-ranked Northwest Missouri State Bearcats ran for 301 yards and 4 touchdowns, bought a late fourth down cease and transformed a late third right down to rally previous No. 31/19 Nebraska Kearney, 28-24, Saturday afternoon at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium.

Northwest (7-2) retains its NCAA Division II playoff hopes alive whereas UNK (6-3) now goals to win its remaining two common season video games.In entrance of a “Homecoming” crowd of 4,256, the Lopers led 24-14 going into the fourth quarter and on the energy of a 30-yard scoring run from redshirt sophomore again.

Damien Cearns (Denver) on the 6:24 mark of the third. Northwest got here in permitting 31.5 dashing yards per recreation, tops in D2.  Nonetheless, the ‘Cats gave the Lopers a style of its personal drugs because it had back-to-back TD drives that consisted of 11 runs and no passes. True freshman again Jay Harris scored for third time on the day when he ran 23 yards with 12:34 left after which backup QB Brayden Wright recorded the game-winner about six minutes later. These drives went for 50 and 90 yards, respectively.  “We couldn’t pull it out within the fourth. I believed we bought worn down defensively and I believed we wanted a (offensive) drive early within the fourth however didn’t get one,” mentioned Loper head coach Josh Lynn. “They type of performed Loper soccer there within the fourth. Grinded us down the sphere and simply performed a greater second half than we did.”

UNK’s first two fourth quarter drives led to punts with QB TJ Davis (Colorado Springs) nearly tip-toeing down the traces for a third & 15 conversion. Nonetheless, it was dominated he stepped out of bounds 4 yards shy of the marker. Northwest then went 90 yards in seven performs to take the lead for good.”I felt good the place we have been at (getting into the fourth). Our mindset didn’t change. We have been going to take possibilities immediately and throw the ball much more. We have been going to name performs to win and I believed our coordinators did a fantastic job of that,” mentioned Lynn. 

The Lopers have been nonetheless in nice form to take the lead again as Davis hit Albion redshirt senior receiver Cody Nelson for a 60-yard achieve with about 5 minutes to go. That made it 1st & aim from the Northwest seven.

Nonetheless, All-American sort out Zach Howard batted down a move, back-to-back Davis runs netted three yards with a fourth down toss to the proper falling incomplete. UNK additionally failed on 4th & 1 from the ‘Cats 31-yard line to start out the second half; they got here in 9 for 9 on fourth down.”We bought had a receiver open (on first downs) however a ball bought tipped. That’s soccer. Second play we had a pleasant little choice play to TJ (from again Zane Schawang). That’s one thing we’ve labored on … I believed he was going to get in,” mentioned Lynn. “Fourth down we tried to overload a zone and we didn’t have it. That’s them .. they play nice protection.”It appeared like UNK would get the ball again with a few minute to go and close to midfield however again Jamar Moya transformed a third & 9 run as he drug a few Lopers the ultimate 5 yards. That moved the ball to the Northwest 16-yard line and gave the offense a contemporary set of downs.

The Blue & Gold did get the ball again with about 15 seconds to go however the ‘Cats pressured a fumble after Davis competed a move to the NW 40-yard line.

Northwest noticed Moya run 14 occasions for 120 yards, Harris end with 72 yards on 13 makes an attempt with Wright and beginning QB Mike Hohensee combining for 84 yards on 14 carries. Harris had TD runs of two and 4 yards within the first half with a “strip sack” by Howard resulting in his second rating and a 14-10 lead.  The primary TD got here after UNK was known as for operating into the kicker on a missed 49-yard subject aim try.”They bought all of their offensive linemen again which they haven’t had the earlier three video games. That helps. They did job of getting motion and creases in there,” mentioned Lynn. “We didn’t management their run recreation within the fourth quarter like we wanted to.”Operating 20 extra performs than the Lopers however having only a 435-425 yard benefit, NW bought Hohensee and Wright go 15 of 30 within the air for 123 yards and one INT. Moya had a team-best 5 catches for twenty-four yards. Defensively, Howard had two sacks for 18 yards with security Shane Frederickson at a team-best six tackles.Davis had considered one of his busiest days as a passer, hitting 15 of 30 passes for 259 yards and a rating. Nelson had a career-high 116 yards on 5 catches with sophomore receiverAJ McPhee (St. Cloud, Fla.) have three grabs for 64 yards and a rating.

Nelson is UNK’s first receiver to hit the Century mark since Sedarius Younger in a 2019 November loss to Central Missouri.”With their protection and what they’ve achieved to us up to now, you’ve bought to do one thing totally different and possibly do one thing they haven’t ready for, throughout the extent of your offense,” mentioned Lynn.

“We felt like we wanted to again them off and I believed TJ threw the ball nicely and we hit individuals once we wanted to.”Cearns (71) and Davis (68) led a Loper run recreation that produced 5.5 yards per carry and 166 yards total. Subsequent, inside backers Jimmy Harrison (11) and Jacey Nutter (10) and security Tre O’Guinn (10) every had a double-digit sort out whole. Lastly, California senior Junior Gonzalez hit a 45-yard subject aim and now has 199 profession factors. He’ll be the seventh Loper kicker to achieve 200.”I’m happy with our group. They’d a fantastic week of apply and got here out immediately and performed their tails off. In recreation like this, one missed block, one missed sort out is possibly the distinction within the recreation. The fumble we had inside our personal 10-yard line … that’s the distinction within the recreation,” mentioned Lynn. “While you play good groups one or two incidents like that may get you.”

UNK hosts Central Oklahoma (5-4) subsequent Saturday at midday on “Senior Day.”

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