MORRIS, Minn. - Minnesota Morris held Northwestern scoreless through three quarters, but allowed three fourth quarter touchdowns and dropped the home finale, 21-14 in UMAC football action Saturday night at Big Cat Stadium.
The Cougars received the game's opening possession and used up more than half of the first quarter clock to get the first points of the game.
John Hoff's 20-yard field goal ended a 16-play, 64-yard drive that took 7:46 off the clock.
Hoff added a season-long 42-yard field goal in the second quarter that gave the Cougars a 6-0 lead going into the halftime.
It remained 6-0 going into the fourth quarter before the action heated up on the cool Fall night. A Payton Bowdry touchdown rush from two yards out gave Northwestern a 7-6 lead 2:23 into the final frame.
The Cougars would quickly regain the lead. On the ensuing kickoff,
Kailen Ha'o-Martin fielded the ball at his own 14, with heavy traffic on the left side of the field, he veered to the right and found some open field as he raced down the sideline and into the end zone for an 84-yard touchdown. It was UMM's longest kickoff return in five years.
Justin Masloski connected with
Cameron Geyer on the two-point conversion for a 14-7 Cougar lead.
Northwestern used a short field to tie the game with 4:23 remaining. Bowdry scored again from three yards out that culminated an 8-play, 37-yard drive.
The Eagles used a pooch kickoff to help get into the end zone less than a minute later. Ben Lyons' kick was muffed by a Morris player and recovered by the Eagles at the UMM 35. On the first play of the drive, Taylor Lindahl connected with Gavin Welch for a 34-yard completion down to the 1. The Cougar defense forced a Dom McDew fumble on the next play, but he recovered his own fumble in the end zone to give UNW a 21-14 lead with 3:34 remaining.
Minnesota Morris worked the ensuing drive to the UNW 27, but two sacks ended the drive and Northwestern would wind down the clock.
Masloski threw for 113 yards and ran for 56.
Nathan Sheridan had six receptions for 40 yards.
Nikolas Pahno led all Cougar tacklers with 10 stops.
Minnesota Morris (1-8, 1-7 in UMAC) wraps up their season next Saturday at Greenville.
