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Story Headlines
- The Northwest Missouri State University football team fell to Ashland University, 21-18, on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Playoffs at Jack Miller Stadium in Ashland, Ohio.
- The Bearcats finish the season with a 9-3 overall record while Ashland (11-1) advances and will host Harding next Saturday.
- Northwest is now 47-16 all time in NCAA playoff games, making 22 total appearances all time.
- The game was delayed 15 minutes due to lightning.
- View the Facebook photo album HERE.
- The postgame press conference for Northwest can be viewed HERE.

Key Northwest Defensive Statistics
- For the 12th time this season, the Bearcat defense did not allow an individual runner to go over 100 yards or score a rushing touchdown.
- The Eagles were forced into five turnovers, three coming by way of interception.
- Ashland was just 3-for-13 on third down attempts and 0-for-2 on fourth down.
- Ben Althoff set a career-high with 15 tackles.
- Caleb Mather blocked two punts. He blocked and recovered a ball in the second quarter at the Ashland 36 yard line. He also altered a fourth-quarter punt that traveled just 14 yards.
- Chance Hall had two interceptions on the day and Najeem Hosein had one pick.
- Blake Bayer had nine tackles and Caleb Mather added eight with 3.0 tackles for loss and a sack.
- Linebacker Jarrod Bishop had six tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss and a sack.
- Nick Hess had seven tackles with a forced fumble.

Key Northwest Offensive Statistics
- Jonathan Baker ran for a second quarter score and finished the day with 57 passing yards.
- Emanuel Jones had 40 yards of rushing on a team-high 16 attempts.
- Jordan Grove caught three passes for 38 yards with a touchdown from Zach Martin in the fourth quarter.
- Quincy Woods caught four passes for 33 yards.

Northwest Scoring Drives
- Northwest's first score came on a 22 yard field goal by Parker Sampson. Hall's first interception of the day gave the Bearcats the ball on their own 47 yard line after Ashland was driving. The drive was helped by a pass interference call on the Eagles that moved the ball down to the Ashland 32 yard line.

- On the ensuing drive, Marcus Jones forced a fumble that Ben Spaeth was able to recover for Northwest at the Eagles' 17 yard line. four plays later, Baker called his own number and ran in the score from three yards out to make it 10-7 Bearcats in the second quarter.

- Midway through the fourth quarter, Hess was able to force a fumble that Edward Richey recovered at the Ashland 37. Two plays later, Martin found Grove on a 35 yard touchdown strike to make it 21-16. The Bearcats decided to go for two and after the first play was negated due to a penalty, Baker ran the ball in from the one, making the score 21-18 Ashland.