Owens Named Offensive Athlete of Week

(Maryville, MO) — Northwest Missouri State University redshirt freshman Zechariah Owens (Glendale, Ariz./Glendale HS) has been honored as the MIAA’s Offensive Athlete of the Week. Owens accounted for six touchdowns in Northwest’s 49-32 win at Central Missouri.

Owens rushed for four touchdowns and threw for two more. The six total touchdowns tied for the second-most touchdowns by a Northwest player in a single game in program history. The six touchdowns accounted for is the single-game high in the MIAA this season.

Northwest Most Touchdowns Game
7, Kyle Zimmerman vs. PSU (11/29/16)
6, Trevor Adams vs. ESU (11/9/13)
6, Kyle Zimmerman vs. NSU (10/15/16)
6, Zach Martin vs. MSSU (9/23/17)
6, Mike Hohensee vs. UCM (9/18/21)
6, Zechariah Owens vs. UCM (10/11/25)

Owens surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time in his career with a 124-yard effort vs. the Mules. Owens rushed the ball 11 times and scored four rushing touchdowns (1, 2, 8, 44) against the Mules. Owens averaged 11.3 yards per carry vs. the Mules.

He tossed a pair of touchdown passes to Luke Mathews for 28 yards and seven yards in the road win vs. UCM.

Owens is one of two NCAA Div. II quarterbacks this season to have rushed for four touchdowns in a game – joining Minnesota-Duluth’s Kyle Walljasper (Sept. 20, 2025 vs. Sioux Falls).

Owens is one of two MIAA players overall to have rushed for four scores this season – joining Nebraska-Kearney’s Isaiah Harris (Sept. 20, 2025 vs. Emporia State).

It is the 17th time a Bearcat has scored four or more rushing touchdowns in a single game. Owens is only the third Bearcat quarterback to record four rushing touchdowns in a game. Owens joined Jeremy Wilson who posted four scores against Missouri Western on Sept. 2, 1989, and Tom Kruse who recorded four touchdowns vs. Nebraska-Kearney on Sept. 11, 1989.

Northwest Most Rushing TDs Game
5, Xavier Omon vs. Truman State (9/22/07)
5, Xavier Omon vs. PSU (10/6/07)
4, Jeremy Wilson vs. MWSU (9/2/89)
4, Tom Kruse vs. UNK (11/11/89)
4, Jason Krone vs. WU (10/9/93)
4, Jesse Haynes vs. WU (11/9/96)
4, Xavier Omon vs. ESU (10/7/06)
4, Xavier Omon vs. West Texas (11/24/07)
4, LaRon Council vs. MWSU (9/13/08)
4, LaRon Council vs. PSU (10/4/08)
4, LaRon Council vs. MSSU (11/18/08)
4, LaRon Council vs. North Ala. (12/6/08)
4, Phil Jackson II vs. St. Cloud St. (12/7/13)
4, Justin Rankin vs. NSU (11/2/19)
4, Al McKeller vs. UNK (10/23/21)
4, Jay Harris vs. UCO (10/7/23)
4, Zechariah Owens vs. UCM (10/11/25)

Northwest’s MIAA Player of the Week in 2025
Zechariah Owens – Offense (Oct. 13)
Clayton Power – Defense (Sept. 22)