Northwestern rolls to victory in season opener

From NWOSU Sports Info.
Jay Lee, Sports Information Director

The Basics
Score: Northwestern 52 – Monticello 31
Records: Northwestern (1-0, 1-0 GAC) – UAM (0-1, 0-1 GAC)
Location: Convoy Leslie Cotton Boll Stadium – Monticello, Ark.
 
MONTICELLO, Ark. – It was a big night for the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers as they traveled to Monticello, Ark. to take on the Weevils and came away with a huge 52-31 victory.

After trailing 17-0 to begin the game, the Rangers came back with a vengeance scoring 38 straight points before UAM could post their next score in the middle of the third quarter.

Individual Leaders

• Reid Miller torched the Weevils for 379 yards and five touchdowns on 33-45 passing. He also had five attempts on the ground for 17 yards.
• Two rushers had touchdowns with Davante Bourque and Zachry Doyle each chipping in one apiece.
• Justin Lord and Justin Schambacher each tallied two touchdowns while going for 92 yards and 60 respectively.
• Derrick Thompson totaled 10 tackles on the evening to lead the Ranger defense.

Game Changer

• Following a 17-point deficit in the first quarter, the Rangers sprang to life in the second quarter, scoring 31 unanswered to take a 31-17 lead into the break.
• A turnover and two punts by the Weevils led to the first 17 points by Northwestern.

News & Notes

• Head Coach Matt Walter received a victory in his first game as a head coach.
• The Rangers scored more than 50 points for the first time since October of 2013.
• The 459 yards of offense for the Rangers was the most by a Ranger squad since 2013.

Up Next
Northwestern will have their home opener next weekend against Southern Arkansas, who is traveling to Alva for the first time in two years.