Redshirt freshman quarterback Braden Wright rushed for 118 yards and two touchdowns on Thursday night, leading Northwest Missouri State to a decisive 38-17 MIAA victory at Washburn University (Topeka, KS). In addition to his prowess on the ground, Wright was a dual threat for the Bearcats, with 233 yards passing.
The Northwest Missouri State football team used a second-half surge to post a 38-17 win over the Washburn Ichabods on Thursday night at Yager Stadium.
Northwest (2-0 overall) jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a 15-yard touchdown run by Isaiah Strayhorn. His score capped a 9-play, 59-yard drive that took 3:19 off the clock.
Washburn (1-1 overall) evened it up at 7-7 on its next drive with a 24-yard scoring strike from Blake Peterson to James Letcher Jr. with 5:35 left in the first quarter, and took a seven point lead early in the second quarter, courtesy of a 39-yard scoring strike to James Brania-Happ.
Down 17-14 early in the third quarter, the ‘Cats dominated the final quarter and a half from the “Capital City”, starting with an 11-play, 77-yard drive, finished on a 17-yard touchdown run by Wright, giving Northwest the lead for good (21-17). Parker Sampson hit a 39-yard field goal to extend the advantage late in the third quarter, before the advantage ballooned to two touchdowns with 12:42 left in the fourth quarter on a Chase White touchdown catch of 14 yards. A 17-yard scoring scamper by Josh Caldwell completed the scoring for the night.
The Bearcats will return home for Family Weekend on Sept. 15 against Missouri Southern. Kick is set for 1:30 p.m. at Bearcat Stadium.
Elsewhere in the MIAA on Thursday night, the Missouri Western Griffons sprung a giant upset for #5 ranked Fort Hays State, beating the Tigers in St. Joseph, 17-10. In the fourth quarter of a 10-all tie, Griffon senior quarterback Dom Marino had a 33 yard run to set Western up 1st-and-goal from the 6 yard line, with Derek Gray Jr. scoring the decisive points in the upset win one play later.
Fort Hays State (1-1) had not lost a regular season game since November 2016 against Northwest Missouri State, while the win for the Griffons represents the program’s first against a ranked opponent since 2013 (#15 Washburn (11/9)). The Griffons (1-1) will play at nationally-ranked Central Missouri on Saturday, September 15th.
The Mules, playing on their home turf in Warrensburg on Thursday night, lit up Northeastern State to the tune of 62-10. Pittsburg State won at Emporia State 34-13, while Nebraska-Kearney won a close affair at Central Oklahoma, 31-27.
