BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – The Northwest Missouri State University football team came up on the short end of a 41-20 decision to No. 1-ranked Ferris State University in the NCAA Division II Playoff quarterfinal at Top Taggert Field.
 
Ferris State (12-0 overall) tallied 413 total yards. FSU posted 245 rushing yards and 168 passing yards. Northwest (11-2 overall) came up with 379 total yards with 124 on the ground and 255 through the air.
 
Al McKeller rushed for a team-high 74 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Braden Wright rushed for 48 yards including a long of 42. Wright passed for 255 yards on 16-of-30 passing. Kaden Davis tallied a team-best five passes for 75 yards and a score. Jackson Barnes led the defensive effort with 11 total tackles, including two for losses. The Bearcat defense registered eight tackles-for-loss including a pair credited to Sam Roberts.
 
Ferris State won the toss and differed to the second half. Northwest went three and out and Ferris State took over on its own 35-yard line. FSU then drove 65 yards in eight plays to score the first points of the game. FSU faced a 3^rd-and-10 at the Northwest 26-yard line, but Bulldog quarterback Mylik Mitchell scrambled for a 13-yard run to prolong the drive. On the very next play, backup quarterback Evan Cummins took the snap and scored on a quarterback draw up the middle for a 13-yard touchdown with 9:50 to play in the first quarter.
 
Northwest responded with a scoring drive of its own. Facing a 3^rd-and-6 at its own 29-yard line, Northwest quarterback Braden Wright connected with Trevon Alexander for a 65-yard passing play that put the ball at the FSU six-yard line. A pass interference call gave Northwest a 1^st-and-goal at the two-yard line. After a false start and a sack, Northwest faced a 3^rd-and-goal from the 19-yard line. Wright stepped up in the pocket and hit Jamar Moya for a 19-yard touchdown strike with 6:06 left in the first quarter. Unfortunately, Northwest's Cole Lammel missed the extra point wide right to leave FSU on top, 7-6.
 
FSU's Mitchell faked an option pitch and took it 36 yards for a touchdown with 2:53 left in the first quarter. Mitchell directed the scoring drive that went 71 yards in eight plays and consumed 3:03 off the clock to give FSU a 14-6 lead.
 
The Bulldogs took advantage of the first turnover of the game. Northwest's Wright fumbled an option toss and it was recovered by FSU at the 23-yard line. FSU scored on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell to Xavier Wade with 11:56 left in the second quarter. The extra point failed as a result of a bad snap and FSU held a 20-6 lead.
 
Bearcat senior Imoni Donadelle kick-started a Northwest drive with a 53-yard kick return. Northwest began its drive at the FSU 40-yard line. The two-play scoring drive consisted of a four-yard pass to Alexander, an offside penalty and a 31-yard touchdown scamper by senior running back Al McKeller. McKeller's 19^th rushing touchdown of the year cut the FSU lead to 20-13 with 10:51 to play in the second quarter.
 
FSU punched in a touchdown with :45 left before intermission when Mitchell took it in from six yards out to give the Bulldogs a 27-13 advantage. Mitchell guided the 11-play, 58-yard drive that took 5:30 off the clock.
 
The squads traded punts to begin the third quarter before FSU scored their fifth touchdown of the day. FSU's Jeremy Burrell bowled in from five yards out with 7:53 left in the third quarter to take the Bulldog lead to 34-13.
 
Northwest drove the ball to the one-yard line early in the fourth quarter, but was stopped on a fourth down attempt to give the ball back to Ferris State.
 
FSU wasted little time in turning the opportunity into points. After a pass interference call on Northwest, FSU's Tyler Minor broke a tackle and scored on an 84-yard touchdown run with 13:24 left in the fourth quarter to give the Bulldogs a 41-13 lead.
 
The Bearcats cut into the lead with a four-play, 80-yard drive. Wright had a 22-yard scramble on the first play. Wright then hit Kaden Davis on a 30-yard passing strike, followed by a 17-yard toss to tight end Cole Hembrough. Wright and Davis connected on an 11-yard scoring play with 7:25 left to trim the FSU lead to 41-20. It was the 10^th receiving touchdown this season for Davis.
 
Ferris State advanced to the national semifinals with the 41-20 victory.
 
NOTES: The first-quarter touchdown reception was the fifth total score this season for Jamar Moya … Moya has three receiving touchdowns and two rushing scores this year … the 27 first-half points allowed by Northwest were the most first-half points allowed by a Bearcat team since allowing 42 points vs. Pittsburg State on Oct. 29, 2005, at Arrowhead Stadium … Northwest was 4-of-12 on third-down conversions, while Ferris State went 8-of-14 on third downs.