ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The No. 8-ranked Northwest Missouri State University football team earned the program’s 33rd MIAA regular season championship with a 45-13 road win over the Missouri Western Griffons Saturday at Spratt Stadium.
The win coupled with an Emporia State loss at Washburn (20-19) ensured Northwest would earned a share of its 33rd MIAA title. Northwest’s fifth straight win improved the Bearcats to 8-1 overall and 7-1 in MIAA play. MoWest fell to 3-7 overall and 2-6 in league games.
Sophomore Quincy Torry nearly single-handedly took care of business on only 12 carries. Torry rushed for a career-high 252 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 21.0 yards per carry.
Torry had carries of 68, 2 (TD), 55, 2, 5, -1, 21, 4, 11, 0, 75 (TD), 10 (TD). It ranks as the eighth-best single-game rushing mark in program history.
Most Rushing Yards, Game
1. 309, Xavier Omon vs. Chadron State (12/1/07)
2. 292, Xavier Omon vs. Grand Valley State (12/8/07)
3. 290, Claude Arnick vs. Missouri S&T (11/16/74)
4. 286, Joseph Johnson vs. Emporia State (11/7/92)
5. 274, Xavier Omon vs. Pittsburg State (10/6/07)
274, Jay Harris vs. Central Oklahoma (10/7/23)
7. 272, Ed Tillison vs. Nebraska-Kearney (11/10/90)
8. 252, Quincy Torry vs. Missouri Western (11/7/26)
9. 248, Ed Tillison vs. Lincoln, Mo. (11/14/87)
10. 235, Jeremy Wilson vs. Missouri Western (9/2/89)
The Bearcat defense registered a season-high eight sacks as eight different Northwest players recorded a sack against the Griffons.
Bearcat defensive back Michael Harrrison collected a pair of interceptions. Kaden Lutjen-Williams also nabbed a pick to give Northwest 14 interceptions this season.
Northwest rushed for 418 yards – the most rushing yards by the Bearcats since a 437-yard performance against Fort Hays State (Oct. 18, 2025).
Northwest struck first after its defense opened with a three-and-out, as Zylen Saddler-Robinson recorded a third-down sack before Torry’s 68-yard run set up his 2-yard touchdown and Mo Alwaely’s extra point for a 7-0 lead at 12:24. MoWest then drove to the Northwest 16, but Michael Harrison intercepted a pass at the goal line for a touchback at 6:48. On the ensuing drive, Zechariah Owens completed a 10-yard pass to Delton Davis, Torry broke a 55-yard run, and Te’Shaun Porter finished the 80-yard possession with a 6-yard touchdown before Alwaely’s kick made it 14-0. Northwest forced another MoWest punt and moved back into MoWest territory on completions to Tommy Hutsler and Trevor Spady, ending the first quarter ahead 14-0 at the MoWest 41.
Kaden Lutjen-Williams’ interception at the Northwest 16 set up the Bearcats’ 10-play, 84-yard march, capped by Owens’ 23-yard touchdown pass to Spady with 1:44 left in the second quarter. Earlier, Northwest opened the second quarter in MoWest territory but turned it over on downs, then Jacob Stockard sacked Isaiah Tate and Nathan Baudry recovered the fumble at the MoWest 27 before the Bearcats missed a 45-yard field goal. MoWest later scored on a 56-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-7, and Northwest’s next possession ended with an interception. The defense answered on the following series, with Trent Warner recording an eight-yard sack before Lutjen-Williams’ takeaway, and Alwaely’s extra point after Spady’s touchdown sent Northwest into halftime ahead 21-7.
Northwest opened the third quarter with Torry’s 75-yard touchdown run on its first offensive snap, and Alwaely’s kick pushed the lead to 28-7. The defense followed by holding MoWest to a punt after Harrison’s tackle for loss helped set up third-and-long, and Northwest answered with a 72-yard drive that included Porter’s 28-yard run and 23-yard catch before Torry scored again from 10 yards out to make it 35-7. Cody Simoncic’s third-down sack forced another MoWest punt, though Northwest’s next possession ended with an interception in the end zone. MoWest then moved into Northwest territory, but Eric Smith III recorded an eight-yard sack and Harrison intercepted a fourth-down pass at the Northwest 20, returning it 27 yards; Northwest finished the third quarter having outscored MoWest 14-0 and carried a 35-7 lead into the fourth quarter.
Northwest closed the game by adding 10 fourth-quarter points and finishing a 45-13 win over MoWest. Earlier, after DeKarai Weaver broke up a pass on MoWest’s opening series, Jaron Cannon Jr. carried the first Northwest drive with runs of 25 and five yards, and Alwaely made a 38-yard field goal for a 38-7 lead. The defense answered MoWest’s next possession with pressure and coverage, as Baudry and Desmond Dhaenens broke up passes, Ray Smith III recorded a sack, and Devin Wilson’s fourth-down sack gave Northwest the ball back at its 43. Hayden Jay opened the ensuing drive with a six-yard run before Cannon broke a 51-yard touchdown run, and Alwaely’s extra point made it 45-7 with 6:44 left. MoWest scored on the final play, but Northwest finished the fourth quarter with 93 rushing yards, two sacks and four pass breakups to close out the 45-13 result.
Northwest will look to own the outright MIAA championship in its regular season finale vs. Pittsburg State Saturday at Sporting KC Park in Kansas City, Kan. Kick is set for 1:30 p.m.
