MARYVILLE, Mo. - The No. 8-ranked Northwest Missouri State University posted 10 touchdowns and scored a convincing 66-13 victory over No. 17-ranked Nebraska-Kearney as the home team celebrated Homecoming in front of a crowd of 7,509 at Bearcat Stadium.

The Bearcats won for the 10th straight time at Bearcat Stadium and improved to 7-1 on the season. Northwest also took over sole possession of first place in the MIAA standings. Nebraska-Kearney dropped to 7-2 overall.

Northwest piled up 606 yards of total offense and limited UNK to 242 total yards. Northwest passed for 362 yards and rushed for 244 yards. UNK was held to 61 yards rushing and 181 passing.

The offensive explosion was spread evenly for the Bearcats. Quarterback Mike Hohensee passed for 270 yards on 14-of-18 passing and three touchdowns. Hohensee also rushed four times for 68 yards and a 56-yard touchdown. Running back Al McKeller rushed for four touchdowns and he gained 91 yards on 17 carries. Wide receiver Alec Tatum caught six passes for 102 yards. Wide receiver and returner Kaden Davis accounted for 196 all-purpose yards. Davis also scored the game's opening touchdown on a 90-yard kickoff return after taking a reverse from Imoni Donadelle. Donadelle caught three passes for 87 yards and a touchdown.

The Bearcat defense also put up stellar numbers to slow down the dynamic UNK offense led by quarterback T.J. Davis. Safety Drew Dostal tallied a team-high nine tackles and broke up three passes. Cornerback Isaiah Nimmers posted his first interception of the season to go along with two tackles. Defensive lineman Zach Howard registered 2.5 tackles-for-loss, a quarterback sack and seven tackles. Linebacker Brody Buck notched 1.5 sacks and four tackles. The Bearcat defense recorded 13 tackles-for-loss. 

UNK won the toss and deferred to the second half, allowing Northwest to receive the opening kick. The Bearcats reached into their bag of tricks as assistant coach Roberto Davis called for a reverse on the kick return. Imoni Donadelle caught the kick and turned to his right where he pitched the ball back to Kaden Davis, who then sprinted past the UNK coverage for a 90-yard touchdown just 15 seconds into the game. However, place kicker Cole Lammel missed the extra point to leave the score at 6-0.

The Lopers scored on their first drive that covered 75 yards in nine plays. Damien Cearns caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from T.J. Davis gave UNK a 7-6 lead with 9:59 to play in the first quarter. It would be the last score of the half for UNK.

Mike Hohensee raced past the UNK defense for a 56 yard touchdown run that capped a seven-play, 87-yard drive with 6:47 left in the quarter. Lammel missed on the PAT again giving Northwest a 12-7 advantage.

Al McKeller got into the scoring column with a 31-yard jaunt with 3:40 left in the opening quarter, but Lammel failed on the kick again leaving Northwest on top, 18-7.

McKeller found paydirt from 13 yards out to start the scoring in the second quarter. The drive was set up following an interception by Isaiah Nimmers. Northwest went for two but the pass from Hohensee to Davis was incomplete giving Northwest a 24-7 lead with 14:53 to play in the half.

Imoni Donadelle caught a 55-yard touchdown strike from Hohensee with 11:52 left in the second quarter. The Bearcats went for two and Hohensee scored to up the Bearcat lead to 32-7.

Trevon Alexander caught his first collegiate touchdown on a 15-yard pass from Hohensee with 8:37 left in the half. Alexander caught the pass over the middle at the 10 and then found his way into the endzone for the score. Alec Tatum caught the two-point conversion from Hohensee to push the Northwest lead to 40-7.

McKeller tallied his third touchdown of the first half on a 1-yard score with 48 seconds left before halftime. The key play in the drive came on a 3rd-and-5 completion from Hohensee to David that netted 30 yards and put the ball at the UNK 20-yard line. Tatum caught his second two-point conversion of the half to give Northwest a 48-7 lead at the break.

UNK broke the scoring drought with a nine-play, 75-yard drive to open the second half. Michael Koch caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Davis with 9:59 left in the third quarter to cut the Northwest lead to 48-13 after the extra point clanged off the upright.

The Bearcats surged past the 50-point mark on a nifty, one-hand grab by tight end Cole Hembrough with 3:34 left in the third quarter. The two-point conversion pass was ruled incomplete and Northwest led 54-13.

Northwest's offense was unrelenting as McKeller scored his fourth rushing touchdown of the game with 12:32 to play in the fourth quarter. McKeller was denied on the two-point conversion to put the score at 60-13.

Running back Robert Rawie put the finishing touches on the triumph with an 11-yard touchdown scamper with 1:13 to play in the game. Lammel missed on his fourth extra point attempt of the game leaving the final score at 66-13.

Northwest will be on the road next Saturday in Joplin, Mo., against the Missouri Southern Lions. Kick is set for 2 p.m.

NOTES: Mike Hohensee was named the Don Black Award winner ... Northwest is 13-4 all-time vs. UNK, including a perfect mark of 8-0 vs. the Lopers in Maryville ... Northwest won its sixth straight Homecoming games ... Northwest has won 17 of its last 18 Homecoming contests ... Northwest is 31-3 when limiting the opposition to 19 points or less under the direction of head coach Rich Wright ... it's the 35th time Northwest has scored 50 or more points since 2011 ... McKeller surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in rushing on the season ... McKeller has rushed for 1,028 yards on 168 carries ... McKeller has rushed for a team-best nine rushing touchdowns ... McKeller tallied the 15th four-rushing touchdown game in program history ... Northwest is 8-2 all-time when ranked No. 8 in the AFCA Top 25 ... Northwest has posted back-to-back games of 600 or more yards of total offense.