HANCOCK, Mich. – The University of Minnesota Morris football team kept rolling on Saturday with a 41-20 victory at Finlandia University. The victory improves the Cougars to 3-3 (2-0 UMAC) on the season and gives the program its first three-game winning streak since 2012.

Minnesota Morris was nearly unstoppable on Saturday, putting up more than 500 yards of total offense and picking up 30 first downs. In comparison, the Cougars allowed only 166 yards of offense from Finlandia and eight first downs.

Finlandia had the first possession of the game, but a drive into Cougar territory was derailed by a Carter Wattenhofer sack. Taking over on their own 20, the Cougars efficiently went 80 yards in 11 plays, with a four-yard pass from Marcus Reeb to Cole Mitchell finishing it off. Alex Happ supplied the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

Minnesota Morris only had to punt twice on the day and the first one was blocked by Finlandia to give the Lions excellent field position. Finlandia paid it off with a one-yard touchdown run to cap a 47-yard drive, but the extra point was missed and the Cougars held onto a 7-6 advantage.

Taking over near midfield, Minnesota Morris utilized the ground game to wear down the Finlandia defense. The Cougars ran the ball on seven straight plays before a pass from Reeb to Dylan Naughton converted a third down and put the ball inside the 10. Reeb then found Cameron Geyer for a four-yard touchdown pass to increase the lead to 14-6.

In the late stages of the first half, UMN Morris took over on its own 20 and went 80 yards in just over two minutes to take a 21-6 halftime lead. Naughton was the main target for Reeb on the drive with three catches, including a three-yard touchdown catch with just 22 seconds left on the clock.

The first possession of the second half belonged to Minnesota Morris and a 45-yard connection from Reeb to Branden Carlson gave the Cougars the ball inside the 10 where Reeb ran it in from nine yards out. The PAT was no good, but the lead was once again increased to 27-6.

Finlandia was able to score on its next drive, running it in from 40 yards to trim the deficit to 27-13. The Cougars were quick to answer, however, with Blake Johnson and Garrett Elison working the ball downfield for Minnesota Morris before a 16-yard touchdown catch from Naughton to make it 34-13 as the game went into the fourth quarter.

The Cougars were already deep in Finlandia territory as the fourth quarter began and Minnesota Morris used some trickery to score on the second play of the quarter as Elison found Ethan Tang for a four-yard touchdown pass to make it 41-13. The Lions scored later in the quarter, but it was much too late to mount much of a challenge. After getting possession back on their own 22, the Cougars embarked on an incredible 16-play, 77-yard drive that milked the remaining 10:43 off the clock and ended with the Cougars kneeling out the clock on the Finlandia 1-yard line as time expired.

Reeb had the best passing game of his young college career, going 25-of-30 for 301 yards and four touchdowns. He added 10 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown. Johnson was the leading rusher for the Cougars with 18 carries for 69 yards and Elison added 13 carries for 64 yards. The duo of Carlson and Naughton torched the Finlandia secondary as Carlson hauled in six catches for 114 yards and Naughton had nine catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns.

Ryan Bouley led the defense with six tackles (four solo), while Landon Wagner had five tackles (one solo). Wattenhofer and Carter Maurice each had a sack in the game for the Cougars.

Minnesota Morris will go for a fourth straight win back home at Big Cat Stadium on Oct. 16, hosting Crown College under the lights at 6 p.m.