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By David Boyce  |  Northwest at Northeastern State  |  Saturday, Oct. 3, 1 p.m.  |  Doc Wadley Stadium  |  Tahlequah, Okla.
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MARYVILLE, Mo. - The Northwest Missouri State football team heads into Saturday afternoon game at Northeastern State certain of one thing: the Bearcats will find a way.
 
In the previous two weeks, Northwest, 4-0 and ranked No. 3 in the AFCA coaches poll, found itself down in the second half. At times, the situation looked bleak like two weeks ago when Northwest trailed 23-6 midway through the third quarter at Central Missouri and senior safety Bryce Enyard had to leave the game because of a nagging injury.
 
Even though Enyard wasn't on the field for the second half comeback that saw the Bearcats pull out a 34-30 win, he was in the game. He was helping out the young secondary with advice gained through years of playing.
 
Northwest coach Adam Dorrel called Enyard another coach in that game.
 
"From a maturity standpoint, he was focused on the young DBs and coaching them up," Dorrel said. "That's easier said than done."
 
Enyard was simply doing what other players have done for him both in the past and currently. The thing that Enyard likes about this year's team is the way the players have each other's back.
 
In last week's 23-16 victory against Central Oklahoma at Bearcat Stadium, Enyard's contribution was more tangible. His interception late in the fourth quarter led to a 29-yard field goal by Simon Mathiesen with 2:54 left in the game, which gave the Bearcats a touchdown lead.
 
Enyard's play was the second of two important interceptions by the secondary. When Northwest trailed 13-10 late in the third quarter, junior safety Jack Young picked off a pass and returned it to Central Oklahoma's 4. One play later, senior quarterback Brady Bolles scored on a 4-yard run that put Northwest up 13-10.
 
During those tense moments in the second half, Enyard said the secondary talked about what they had to do to help the Bearcats get back on track.
 
"Everything is not perfect in a game," Enyard said. "If we are going through our troubles, the offense is going to help us out. It is also vice versa. If we see the offense struggling a little bit, we are talking to each other; we are going to have to make a play to change momentum. If the offense sees us pick it up, the offense will pick up. We just feed off each other.
 
"Once we got into that moment, we knew we had to make a play, especially when Jack Young made that interception and then the offense scored right off that. When I had my interception, we got three points off that. We feed off each other."
 
In past seasons, Enyard led by example. He figured he had to be a little different this year with so many younger players looking to him for advice.
 
"I am usually the person who goes and show the way I play instead of speaking," Enyard said. "I talked to coaches about it. They know I am able to help them out."
 
The freshmen and sophomores who are seeing action are quick learners, Enyard said.
 
"They also ask a lot of questions and that helps out," he said. "We have guys like Kevin Berg, who is making the job easier for me because he is helping them out. Edward Richey and Jack Young are helping out. Those guys have experience from previous years and are helping out the younger guys."
 
With each passing week, the younger players are gaining experience and learning how to win close games.
 
"I think they have gained confidence in themselves and confidence in us as a football program," Dorrel said. "I think they have learned and grown from their mistakes. We keep seeing less and less mistakes each week. That is very important."
 
To an outsider, the Bearcats look vulnerable after two close games. The previous two seasons, Northwest was winning nearly every game by double digits.
 
Dorrel wants his team to play a complete game against Northeastern. He doesn't think the Bearcats are far off from accomplishing that mission.
 
"I feel great about our defense," Dorrel said. "I feel we finally have a complete special teams unit.  Offensively, I feel we are close to being a really good offense. I really believe that. You go back and watch film and we are not far off."
 
Whatever adversity the Bearcats might stumble into, Enyard is confident the team will figure it out before the fourth quarter clock strikes 0:00.
 
"These last two games we definitely had to find a way," Enyard said. "It shows what kind of team we are. We may be young, but the other seniors and I are able to lead the team to winning games.
 
"It is a big feeling, especially since we are a young team. You really don't know what to expect. Once you win close games like that, you start finding your identity. Yes, we will find a way. We don't put our heads down if we are down in a game. We will find a way to come out and get a win."