FINAL STATS (PDF)

BIG RAPIDS, Michigan – The Northwest Missouri State University football team put up a valiant effort against No. 2-ranked Ferris State and the game came down to a final play as the Bulldogs hung on for a 27-21 win in the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs.
 
Northwest trailed 27-14 with 1:15 left in the fourth quarter when the Bearcats took over on downs. Northwest drove 88 yards on eight plays and scored on a two-yard touchdown pass from Braden Wright to Alec Tatum. Northwest put the ball on the two-yard line following a 51-yard pass play from Wright to LaTroy Harper. Tatum's score cut the Ferris State lead to 27-21 with :14 left.
 
Northwest kicker Parker Sampson executed a perfect on side kick and the Bearcats Marqus Andrews recovered the ball to give the Bearcats possession. Northwest gained 20 yards and had 1^st and 10 at the 34-yard line with :05 left in the game. However, Wright was sacked by Austin Simpson and FSU's Austin Edwards recovered the fumble as the clock expired.
 
Ferris State jumped on the scoreboard early only three plays into the contest. Following a 71-yard passing play from Jevon Shaw to Sy Barnett set up the Bulldogs for a two-yard touchdown run by Marvin Campbell one minute into the game.
 
The Bulldogs added their second touchdown of the first quarter on an 8-yard run by third-string quarterback Evan Cummins. Cummins score capped a five-play, 96-yard drive after a Matt Thorman punt had backed up the Bulldogs to their own four.
 
Ferris State's Jackson Dieterle tacked on field goals of 45 and 44 yards in the second quarter to build the Bulldog lead to 20-0 with 2:50 left until halftime.
 
Northwest put together a sustained drive and cracked the scoreboard on a 19-yard passing play from Braden Wright to Shawn Bane Jr. with :09 left in the half. Wright guided the Bearcats 75 yards in 12 plays and the drive consumed 2:36 off the clock. The touchdown pulled Northwest to within 20-7 at the break.
 
In the first half, Ferris State racked up 343 total yards on 36 plays. The Bulldogs rushed for 149 yards and threw for 194. Meanwhile, Northwest was limited to 132 total yards on 34 plays. Northwest rushed for 13 yards on 14 carries in the opening 30 minutes.
 
Jack Richards picked off a Travis Russell pass and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown with 12:03 left in the third quarter to pull Northwest to within 20-14 of the Bulldogs.
 
Northwest failed to capitalize on a missed 26-yard field goal by FSU's Dieterle in the third quarter. Following a Northwest punt, Ferris state marched 74 yards in eight plays capped by a two-yard touchdown run by quarterback Travis Russell with 0:56 left in the third. The Russell score gave Ferris State a 27-14 lead.
 
LaTroy Harper tallied his first 100-yard receiving game eight catches for 115 yards. Wright passed for 269 yards on 28-of-43 passing. Ben Althoff tallied a game-high 16 tackles.
 
NOTES: Ferris State played without the services of Harlon Hill candidate quarterback Jayru Campbell, who suffered a shoulder injury in the Bulldogs's win over Harding last week … Northwest had won the only previous meeting between the two schools in the 2016 NCAA Division II semifinals Maryville, in which Northwest was victorious, 35-20.