Game No. 4 - No. 2 Northwest Missouri State (3-0) at Missouri Western (2-2)
Saturday, Oct. 2 | 6 p.m. (CT) | St. Joseph, Mo. | Spratt Stadium (10,000)

LIVE STREAM | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS | TICKETS
Radio Play-by-Play: John Coffey
Radio Analyst: Matt Tritten
Radio Sideline: Calvin Silvers

THIS WEEK'S MATCHUP
The Northwest Missouri State University football team (3-0 overall) will take to the road for the third time this season with a contest Saturday in St. Joseph, Mo., against the Missouri Western State University Griffons (2-2 overall). Kick is set for 6 p.m. at Spratt Stadium.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Northwest holds a 28-13 lead in the all-time series vs. Missouri Western. The Bearcats are 16-6 vs. the Griffons in St. Joe. Northwest has won 10 of the last 11 matchups between the two at Spratt Stadium.
    The Bearcats have won seven straight in the series including a 45-35 to open the 2019 season. Over the last seven meetings, Northwest is averaging 37.4 points and has an average victory margin of 26.2 points per game.

THE COACHES
Northwest is led by fifth-year head coach Rich Wright. Wright was named head coach at Northwest Missouri on Dec. 19, 2016. Wright has posted a 34-8 mark for the Bearcats. Wright arrived at Northwest in 2004 as the defensive line coach and coordinator of special teams. In 2011, Wright was named defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. A native of Hamilton, N.Y., Wright earned his bachelor's degree at Dana College in 1995 and his master's at Northwest in 1996.
    Matt Williamson enters his fifth season as the head coach of the Griffons after being named the sixth head coach in program history in December of 2016.  This is his third stint at his alma mater as he was a GA after graduating from MWSU and was also a coordinator from 2000-06.  Williamson is 22-17 overall and 20-17 in the MIAA.

SEVEN STRAIGHT MIAA WINS
Northwest has produced seven consecutive MIAA victories dating back to the 2019 season.
    It is the longest active streak in the league. Nebraska-Kearney enters this week having won five straight league contests.

SHUTOUTS UNDER WRIGHT
Northwest has recorded nine shutouts since head coach Rich Wright took over the program in 2017.
    The Bearcats posted five shutouts in 2017 and added two more in 2018.
     Northwest added a 79-0 blanking of Northeastern State in 2019.
    The Bearcats blasted Central Oklahoma for their latest shutout, 38-0.

Bearcat Shutouts Since 2017
W, 34-0 vs. No. 4 Emporia State (8/31/17)
W, 13-0 at Nebraska-Kearney (9/16/17)
W, 63-0 vs. Missouri Southern (9/23/17)
W, 19-0 vs. Lindenwood (10/21/17)
W, 30-0 at Missouri Western (11/12/17)
W, 63-0 vs. Missouri Southern (9/15/18)
W, 41-0 vs. Emporia State (9/29/18)
W, 79-0 vs. Northeastern State (11/2/19)
W, 38-0 vs. Central Oklahoma (9/25/21)

BEARCATS OWN NATION'S TOP SCORING DEFENSE
The Northwest defense ranks No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense by allowing 4.7 points per game through the first three contests.
    Northwest has allowed a nation-low 14 points in 12 quarters of action.
    Northwest has produced a mark of 27-2 when limiting the opposition to 19 points or less under head coach Rich Wright.

NCAA Div. II Scoring Defense
Rk.    School    Pts.    PPG
1.    Northwest Mo. St.    14    4.7
2.    Valdosta State    17    5.7
3.    California (Pa.)    26    6.5
4.    Albany St.    33    8.2
    West Georgia    33    8.2
6.    Western Colorado    34    8.5
7.    Colorado School of Mines    37    9.2
8.    Wingate    31    10.3
9.    Slippery Rock    52    13.0
10.    Catawba    43    14.3
    Charleston    43    14.3

FOR COMPARISON SAKE
Only two other schools in all of NCAA's football divisions (FBS, FCS, II, III) have allowed less than 14 points in the 2021 season.
    Princeton (FCS) has played one game and has allowed no points. North Dakota State (FCS) has played three games and has allowed 13 points (4.3 ppg).
    Trinity (Div. III) has allowed 14 points in two contests.
    Georgia is the FBS's top scoring defense. The Bulldogs have allowed 23 points in four games (5.8 ppg).

TRIO OF FIRST-HALF SHUTOUTS
Northwest has yet to allow a first-half point through three games this season.
    In fact, Northwest has not allowed a point in the first, second or fourth quarters this year.

TRULY DEFENSIVE GEM
The Bearcat defense produced a defensive gem against Central Oklahoma.
    The Bearcats held the Bronchos to 122 total yards, including minus-28 on the ground.
    UCO was limited to eight first downs and only 42 total plays.

4TH IN RUSHING DEFENSE
Northwest ranks No. 4 in the nation in rushing defense by giving up only 40.7 rushing yards per game.
    Fort Hays State gained 48 yards on the ground, Central Missouri rushed for 104 yards, while Central Oklahoma was limited to minus-28 yards rushing.

NCAA Div. II Rushing Defense
Rk.    School        YPG
1.    Augustana        19.8
2.    Colorado School of Mines        37.5
    Mars Hill        37.5
4.    Northwest Mo. St.        40.7
5.    Charleston (W.Va.)        49.3

PLENTY OF BEARCAT
OFFENSIVE EFFICIENCY
Northwest converted on 14-of-18 third down opportunities against Central Oklahoma.
    The 14 third-down conversions are the most by an NCAA Division II team in a single game this season.

HOHENSEE DIALED IN
Sophomore quarterback Mike Hohensee leads the nation in passing efficiency at 206.05.
    Hohensee is 32-of-45 passing for 511 yards. He has thrown six touchdowns against one interception through the first three games.
    Hohensee's pass completion percentage (71.1%) ranks No. 2 in the country behind Shepherd quarterback Tyson Bagent (75.3%).

NCAA Div. II Passing Efficiency Leaders
1. Mike Hohensee (Northwest Mo. St.)    206.1
2. Jayson DeMild (American Int'l)    197.1
3. Chris Brimm (Notre Dame)        187.0
4. Tyson Bagent (Shepherd)        185.2
5. Shane Dooley (West Chester)    181.9

NCAA Div. II Completion Percentage Leaders
1. Tyson Bagent (Shepherd)        75.5%
2. Mike Hohensee (Northwest Mo. St.)    71.1%
3. Aeneas Dennis (Shorter)        70.7%
4. Noah Mitchell (California, Pa.)    70.1%
5. K'Hari Lane (Fayetteville St.)    69.9%

TATUM JOINS 200-YARD CLUB
Senior wide receiver Alec Tatum produced the seventh 200-yard receiving game in program history. His 205 receiving yards ranks as the fourth-highest single-game total in Bearcat history.
    Tatum caught 11 passes for 205 yards and two touchdowns in the 38-0 win over Central Oklahoma. Tatum nabbed a 44-yard Hail Mary at the close of the first half, and then latched on to a 28-yard score in the fourth quarter.
    Tatum is one of 10 NCAA Division II players to have reached 200 yards receiving in a game this year.

Receiving Yards (Single Game)
220, Steve Hansley vs. Nebraska-Omaha (11/25/84)
217, Jamaica Rector vs. Minnesota-Duluth (11/23/02)
217, Steve Hansley vs. Central Missouri (10/13/84)
205, Alec Tatum vs. Central Oklahoma (9/25/21)
204, Jamaica Rector vs. Central Missouri (10/27/01)
202, Jamaica Rector vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville (11/20/04)
200, Andre Rector vs. Pittsburg State (10/29/05)

TATUM TURNS IT UP TO 11
Senior wide receiver Alec Tatum's 11 receptions vs. Central Oklahoma tied him for the sixth-most catches by Beacat in a single-game.
    The last Bearcat to grab at least 11 receptions in a game was Shawn Bane Jr., when he caught 11 passes vs. Washburn (11/14/2015).

GREEN, KRAUSE HOOK UP FOR FIRST TOUCHDOWNS
Junior running back Davonte Green tallied his first collegiate touchdown on a 65-yard screen pass from redshirt freshman quarterback Joseph Krause in the fourth quarter of Northwest's 38-0 win over UCO.

YOU CAN CALL ME AL
Senior running back Al McKeller leads the Bearcats in rushing 405 yards on the ground.
    McKeller ranks second in the MIAA and No. 9 in the nation in rushing yards per game (133.3).
    McKeller posted 161 yards on the ground at Fort Hays State, followed that up with 95 yards rushing against Central Missouri and rushed for 147 yards vs. Central Oklahoma.
    McKeller recorded his 19th collegiate 100-plus rushing game against the Bronchos.
    McKeller joined the Bearcats after transferring from the University of Indianapolis.

AL ADDS TO RUSHING TOTALS
Senior running back Al McKeller has pushed his career rushing yardage total to 3,958 yards and 44 rushing touchdowns.
    McKeller is the nation's No. 2 active career rusher among NCAA Division II schools. He trails Harding's Cole Chancey's career total of 4,089 yards.
    McKeller joined the Bearcat team in August following a transfer from the University of Indianapolis.
    McKeller rushed for 3,558 yards and was a two-time Harlon Hill Award candidate at UIndy.

NCAA Div. II Active Rushing Yardage Leaders
1. Cole Chancey (Harding)        4,089
2. Al McKeller (Northwest Mo. St.)    3,958
3. Michael Roots (CSU Pueblo)    2,861
4. Ontario Douglas (East Central)    2,841
5. Devante Turner (Central Mo.)    2,808

NCAA All Div. Active Rushing Yardage Leaders
1. Jaleel McLaughlin (Youngstown St.)    5,851
2. Josh Petruccelli (Mount Union)    4,417
3. Cole Chancey (Harding)        4,089
4. Josh Breece (Washington & Lee)    4,010
5. Al McKeller (Northwest Mo. St.)    3,958

NCAA Div. II Active All-Purpose Yards Leaders
1. Devante Turner (Central Mo.)    5,066
2. Koby Adu-Poku (Walsh)        4,910
3. David Turner (Ohio Dominican)    4,690
4. Al McKeller (Northwest Mo. St.)    4,239
5. Cole Chancey (Harding)        4,089

NCAA Div. II Active Rushing TD Leaders
1. Cole Chancey (Harding)        49
2. Al McKeller (Northwest Mo. St.)    44
3. Devante Turner (Central Mo.)    35
4. Ontario Douglas (East Central)    33
5. T.J. Davis (UNK)            32

NCAA All Div. Active Rushing TD Leaders
1. Jaleel McLaughlin (Youngstown St.)    58
2. Josh Petruccelli (Mount Union)    50
3. Cole Chancey (Harding)        49
4. Ethan Greenfield (North Central)    45
5. Al McKeller (Northwest Mo. St.)    43

NCAA Div. II Active Points Scored Leaders
1. Tanner Harding (Notre Dame, OH)    350
2. Chase Allbaugh (Lenoir-Rhyne)    327
3. Cole Chancy (Harding)        294
4. Al McKeller (Northwest Mo. St.)    270
5. Devante Turner (Central Mo.)    242

TATUM, BARNES EARN MIAA ATHLETE OF THE WEEK AWARD
Senior wide receiver Alec Tatum (Huntsville, Texas) and senior linebacker Jackson Barnes (Kansas City, Mo.) have been named the MIAA football offensive and defensive athletes of the week presented by Mammoth Turf for their vs. Central Oklahoma.
    Tatum tallied 11 receptions for 205 yards and two touchdowns against the Bronchos. Tatum nabbed a 44-yard Hail Mary at the close of the first half, and then latched on to a 28-yard score in the fourth quarter. Tatum is one of 10 NCAA Division II players to have reached 200 yards receiving in a game this year.
    Barnes led the Bearcat defense to a 38-0 shutout of Central Oklahoma. Barnes notched three tackles-for-loss and a sack as the Bearcats limited UCO to 122 yards of total offense (minus-28 rushing) and eight total first downs. The UCO offense was held to only 42 plays.
    It marks the second consecutive week that Barnes has earned the MIAA's top defensive weekly honor.

NORTHWEST'S MARK AS A RANKED TEAM
Northwest has played 254 games as a ranked team in the AFCA Top 25. Northwest has posted a record of 219-25 as a ranked team.
    The Bearcats have produced a mark of 41-6 when ranked No. 2 in the AFCA poll.

HOME WIN STREAK
Northwest extended its home win streak to eight in a row with its 38-0 triumph over Central Oklahoma.
    It ranks as the third-longest active streak among NCAA Div. II programs.
    The school record for consecutive home wins is 22 - set on two previous occasions. The first set of 22 straight home wins came from Sept. 5, 1998 to Nov. 18, 2000. The other 22-game home win streak came from Nov. 1, 2014 through Oct. 21, 2017.

Active Div. II Home Win Streaks
Harding – 10
Minnesota State – 9
Northwest Mo. St. – 8
Augustana – 8
Miles – 8
Henderson State – 7
Truman State – 7
Savannah State – 7

BEARCAT STADIUM DOMINANCE
Since the 2001 season, Northwest football has gone 110-10 in Bearcat Stadium.
    Six of the 10 losses have come against MIAA opponents - Fort Hays State in 2017, 2018; Pittsburg State in 2014; Missouri Western in 2012; Washburn in 2005 and Central Missouri in 2003.
    The four non-conference losses came against Northern Colorado (2002 playoffs), Nebraska-Omaha (2007 season opener), Abilene Christian (2008 season opener) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (2012 season opener).

WHAT A START FOR QB MIKE
Sophomore quarterback Mike Hohensee made his first career start in Northwest's 47-7 road win over Central Missouri.
    Hohensee accounted for six touchdowns in the victory. Hohensee passed for four touchdowns and rushed for two against the Mules.
    Hohensee went 14-of-18 passing for 260 yards. He also rushed for 30 yards.
    He started the scoring Saturday with a 33-yard touchdown run down on Northwest's opening drive. He hit Kaden Davis for a 13-yard touchdown pass on his second drive.
    On his third drive, he connected with Al McKeller on a 44-yard touchdown score to give Northwest a 21-0 lead.
    On his fourth drive of the contest, Hohensee scored on a quarterback keeper on 3rd-and-goal to put Northwest up 27-0.
    In the second half, he hooked on passing touchdowns to Davis again for 15 yards and Imoni Donadelle for a 17-yard scoring strike.

HOHENSEE OWNS TOP PASS EFFICIENCY IN THE NATION
Mike Hohensee produced this year's NCAA Division II best passer efficiency rating of 272.4 in his debut as a starter against Central Missouri.

BARNES NAMED MIAA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior linebacker Jackson Barnes has been named the MIAA's co-defensive athlete of the week presented by Mammoth Turf.
    Barnes tallied a game-high 10 tackles, broke up four passes, registered two tackles-for-loss and intercepted a pass in Northwest's 47-7 road triumph over the Central Missouri Mules.
    With Northwest holding a 14-0 lead, UCM struck for a 53-yard pass play to move the ball to the 22-yard line. However, the Bearcat defense responded with the first turnover of the game as Barnes intercepted a pass and returned it 15 yards to turn away the Mules drive. His interception led to a touchdown four plays later and Northwest did not look back en route to the 40-point win.

DAVIS ENJOYS UCM
Senior wide receiver Kaden Davis seems to enjoy playing the Central Missouri Mules.
    Davis has tallied two 100-yard receiving games in his career and both have come against the Mules.
    Davis posted four receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns in Northwest's 47-7 win at UCM.
    On Nov. 16 2019, Davis recorded four catches for 105 yards against the Mules.
    Davis leads the Bearcats this season in receptions (7), receiving yards (138) and touchdown receptions (3).

IMONI FINDS ENDZONE
Senior wide receiver Imoni Donadelle found the end zone for the 11th time in his Bearcat career when he hauled in a 17-yard touchdown pass from Mike Hohensee in Northwest's 47-7 road win over UCM.
    Donadelle has nine career receiving touchdowns along with one rushing and one kick return for a score.
    Donadelle has caught 37 career passes for 643 yards.

PLUNKETT SCORES 1ST TD
Sophomore Peyton Plunkett scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 22-yard blocked punt return.
    Northwest's Jake Fisher secured his first career blocked punt against Central Missouri. Plunkett then scooped up the ball and scampered 22 yards to give Northwest a 27-0 lead at UCM.

HEAVY WORKLOAD
Al McKeller's 28 carries against Fort Hays State were the most by a Northwest player since James Franklin rushed 28 times vs. Central Missouri on Oct. 8, 2011.

FIRST-TIME PASS RECEPTIONS
Northwest had three players make their first collegiate pass receptions against Fort Hays State. Davonte Green (2 rec., 15 yds.), Trevon Alexander (1 rec., 15 yds.) and Cole Hembrough (1 rec., 9 yds.) each caught their first college passes.

DYNAMITE DEFENSE
The Bearcat defense put on quite an impressive performance in the 15-7 win at Fort Hays State.
    Northwest did not allow Fort Hays State to begin a play in the red zone. The closest FHSU got to the red zone was the 22-yard line.
    FHSU's average starting field position for the game was its own 15-yard line. In the first quarter, FHSU's average starting position was its own 4-yard line. It improved to their own 31-yard line in the second quarter. FHSU's average starting position in the third quarter was its own 11-yard line. FHSU's fourth quarter average starting position was its own 22-yard line.
    The Bearcats held the Tigers to eight rushing yards in the first half and 48 total rushing yards in the game.

BEARCATS OWNED TIME OF POSSESSION VS TIGERS
Northwest enjoyed a time possession lead vs. Fort Hays State to the rune of 39:06-20:54.
    Northwest had nine drives that lasted longer than two minutes.
    FHSU had only two drives that lasted more than two minutes.
    Northwest forced a three-and-out or a turnover on seven of FHSU's drives.

ANDERSON WITH A PICK
Senior J'Ravien Anderson recorded his third career interception in the fourth quarter of Northwest's 15-7 win at Fort Hays State.
    Anderson recorded his first interception in 2017 and added another in 2019.

NIMMERS CLINCHES THE WIN
Senior Isaiah Nimmers clinched the Bearcat victory with an interception in the endzone on the final play of Northwest's 15-7 win over Fort Hays State.
    It was his second career interception having tallied a pick in an NCAA FCS Playoff game against Lamar University when he played at the University of Northern Iowa on Nov. 24, 2018.

DAVIS NOTCHES SECOND TD
Senior wide receiver Kaden Davis latched on to his second career touchdown reception against Fort Hays State.
    Davis caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Braden Wright with 1:04 left in the game to give Northwest a 15-7 lead over the Tigers.

HOHENSEE NAMED MIAA SPECIAL TEAMS ATHLETE OF WEEK
Sophomore Mike Hohensee was named the MIAA's Special Teams Athlete of the Week (Sept. 6).
    Hohensee (St. Charles, Ill.) punted seven times for a 41.4 average in a 15-7 victory at Fort Hays State. Four of his punts were downed inside the 20-yard line, including a pair at the one-yard line.
    Hohensee recorded the longest punt of the 2021 season by any MIAA player when he unleashed a 73-yard punt in the third quarter.    
3RD-LONGEST STRETCH BETWEEN BEARCAT VICTORIES
Northwest scored a 15-7 victory at Fort Hays State to begin the 2021 season. It marked the first victory for the Bearcats in 642 days - the third-longest stretch between victories in school history.
    The longest stretch between wins is 743 days (Oct. 27, 1916 - Nov. 9, 1918). The second-longest stretch is 700 days (Oct. 16, 1993 - Sept. 16, 1995).

FOR OPENERS
The Bearcats have won 10 consecutive season openers. Northwest last lost its opening game of the season on Sept. 2, 2010, in a 16-7 setback vs. No. 14-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Last Nine Season-Opening Contests
9/2/21        W, 15-7 at Fort Hays State
9/5/19        W, 45-35 at Missouri Western
8/30/18    W, 28-6 vs. Missouri Western
8/31/17    W, 34-0 vs. No. 4 Emporia State
9/1/16        W, 41-14 at No. 24 Emporia State
9/3/15        W, 31-0 at Nebraska-Kearney
9/14/14    W, 31-7 vs. Nebraska-Kearney
9/15/13    W, 45-24 vs. No. 22 Saginaw Valley
8/30/12    W, 33-3 vs. East Central
9/1/11        W, 65-3 at Truman State

600 DIVISION II VICTORIES
Northwest became the seventh NCAA Division II school to record 600 or more victories. Northwest has compiled an all-time record of 608-404-33.
    
NCAA Division II Football Wins
1. Pittsburg State    722
2. Tuskegee    697
3. Hillsdale    646
4. Carson-Newman    642
5. Central Oklahoma    641
6. West Chester    639
7. Northwest Mo. St.    608
source: NCAA Football Record Book/Each Institution's SID

PROGRAM OF THE DECADE
Northwest is the winningest NCAA Div. II program of this decade from 2010-2019. Northwest is 119-19 for an .875 winning percentage since 2010. The Bearcats have been ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Div. II Top 25 poll 38 times since the start of the 2010 season.

50 ALL-TIME PLAYOFF WINS
The Bearcats are 50-17 all-time in the playoffs, which marks the most victories in Division II playoff history.
    The Bearcats (.742) also rank No. 2 in highest winning percentage in the Division II playoffs. (minimum of 10 games played)

Most Division II Playoff Victories
Northwest Mo. St.    50
Grand Valley St.    35
North Alabama    35
North Dakota St.    30
Valdosta St.    26
Pittsburg St.    25
Indiana (Pa.)    22
Carson-Newman    20
North Dakota    18
Ferris St.    17
Delta St.    15
Jacksonville St.    15
Tex. A&M-Kingsville    15
UC Davis    15

Div. II Playoff Win Percentage
West Florida    9-1    .900
Northwest Mo. St.    50-18     .735
North Dakota State    30-12     .714
Grand Valley State    35-15     .700
Tex. A&M-Commerce    9-4    .692
Valdosta State    26-13     .667
North Alabama     35-18 .    660
Delta State     15-8     .652
Delaware     7-4     .636
Northern Colorado    12-7     .632
Jacksonville State    15-9     .625
Lenoir-Rhyne     8-5     .615
Pittsburg State     25-16     .610
Minn. Duluth     14-9     .609
Ferris State     17-11     .607
Portland State    12-8     .600
minimum of 10 games played

50-WIN PLAYOFF CLUB
Northwest became only the fourth NCAA school with 50 or more all-time playoff victories.
    Mount Union holds the all-time playoff record with 104 wins. North Dakota State ranks second with 67 playoff victories. Wisconsin-Whitewater has posted 53 playoff triumphs.
    NDSU won 30 NCAA Div. II playoff games before transitioning to FCS where the Bison have picked up 37 more playoff wins.

MEASURE UP WITH BEARCATS
Northwest owns an NCAA Division II playoff record 50 victories. The other current members of the MIAA have won a combined 40 playoff games.

MIAA Playoff Records
Northwest Missouri    50-18 (24 years)
Pittsburg State    25-16 (18 years)
Central Oklahoma    3-4 (4 years)
Emporia State    3-4 (4 years)
Northeastern St.    2-2 (2 years)
Central Missouri    3-4 (4 years)
Missouri Western    2-4 (4 years)
Washburn    1-3 (3 years)
Nebraska-Kearney    1-4 (4 years)
Fort Hays State    0-4 (4 years)
Missouri Southern    0-1 (1 year)

MIAA CHAMPS
Northwest earned a share of the program's 30th MIAA regular season title in the 2019 season.
    The Bearcats have claimed six of the last seven MIAA crowns.
    It is the second MIAA title for head coach Rich Wright.

PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE
Northwest extended a pair of Division II playoff standards by earning a bid into the 2019 playoffs.
    Northwest earned its 24th overall appearance in the Div. II playoffs.
    The Bearcats extended their streak of consecutive playoff appearances to 16 in a row.

Most Div. II Playoff Appearances
Northwest Missouri    24
North Alabama    21
Grand Valley State    19
Indiana (Pa.)    19
Pittsburg State    18
UC Davis    18
North Dakota State    17
Valdosta State    17
Carson-Newman    16
North Dakota    14
West Chester    14

Consecutive Div. II Appearances
Northwest Mo. St.    16 (2004-pres.)
Grand Valley State    10 (2001-2010)
Pittsburg State    9    (1989-1997)
Albany State    8    (2004-2011)
Tex. A&M-Kingsville    7    (1992-1998)
Carson-Newman    7    (1993-1999)
UC Davis    7    (1996-2002)
North Alabama    7 (2005-2011)
North Dakota State    7 (1986-1986)
Valdosta State    6 (2000-2005)
Abilene Christian    6 (2006-2011)

DIVISION II'S ELITE PROGRAM
Northwest has captured six NCAA Div. II national championships – the most national titles by any Division II program. Northwest won national championships in 1998, 1999, 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2016.
    The Bearcat have played in the NCAA Div. II national championship game 10 times in the last 21 years. Northwest has played for the crown in 1998, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2016.

NCAA Division II National Titles
Northwest Mo. St.    6
North Dakota State    5
Grand Valley State    4
Valdosta State        4
North Alabama    3
Minnesota Duluth    2
Northern Colorado    2
Pittsburg State    2
Texas State        2
Troy                2
15 others have one national title

BEARCATS PICKED TO WIN MIAA REGULAR SEASON TITLE, NO. 4 IN PRESEASON POLLS
Northwest has been tabbed as the top team by both the coaches and the media in the 2021 MIAA football preseason polls. Northwest was also pegged at No. 4 in the 2021 Preseason American Football Coaches' Association Top 25 Poll and the D2FootballCom Top 25 Poll.

NEW TO THE STAFF
Head coach Rich Wright added Todd Sturdy to the Bearcat coaching staff in the offseason.
    Sturdy will serve as the offensive coordinator at Northwest and he brings a wealth of coaching experience with him to Maryville. Sturdy has coached football at the FBS, FCS and NAIA levels for 28 years. He has served as an offensive coordinator in 20 seasons. In 14 seasons as a head coach at the collegiate level, Sturdy has compiled a record of 96-51.
    Wright also added Roberto Davis to coach the Bearcat running backs and Zach Martin to serve as the Northwest wide receivers coach.

ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICANS
It's not easy to get on the Academic All-America list. The Bearcats do a pretty good job of filling it up though, placing 19 players on the list, including 18 since 2003. In 2016, Kyle Zimmerman (QB) took home the top honor – Academic All-American of the Year – something no Bearcat had ever done. Northwest had two student-athletes, Jackson Barnes and Zach Howard, named to the 2020-21 CoSIDA Academic All-America(R) NCAA Division II football team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA).
    This marks the third time since 2018 that two Bearcats have earned Academic All-America honors after Marqus Andrews (first team in 2018, second team in 2019) and Ryan Spelhaug (first team in 2018 and 2019) each received recognition.

Northwest's Academic All-America Selections
Chip Gregory, LB - 1981 (First Team)
Josh Lamberson, QB - 2004 (First Team)
Troy Tysdahl, LB - 2004 (First Team)
Josh Lamberson, QB - 2005 (First Team)
Myles Burnsides, DB - 2008 (Second Team)
Myles Burnsides, DB - 2009 (First Team)
Sean Paddock, DL - 2009 (Second Team)
Jake Soy, WR - 2010 (Second Team)
Trevor Adams, QB - 2011 (Second Team)
Trevor Adams, QB - 2012 (Second Team)
Nate DeJong, DB - 2012 (Second Team)
Trevor Adams, QB - 2013 (First Team)
Eric Reimer, LB - 2013 (Second Team)
Eric Reimer, LB - 2014 (First Team)
Kyle Zimmerman, QB - 2016 (First Team)
Marqus Andrews, TE - 2018 (First Team)
Ryan Spelhaug, OL - 2018 (First Team)
Marqus Andrews, TE - 2019 (Second Team)
Ryan Spelhaug, OL - 2018 (First Team)
Jackson Barnes, LB - 2020-21 (Second Team)
Zach Howard, DT - 2020-21 (Second Team)

SIX CAPTAINS
Head coach Rich Wright has designated six captains for the 2021 football season. Wright has named linebacker Jackson Barnes (Kansas City, Mo.), defensive lineman Zach Howard (Bolivar, Mo.), offensive lineman Tanner Owen (Kearney, Mo.), defensive lineman Sam Roberts (Waynesville, Mo.), wide receiver Alec Tatum (Huntsville, Texas) and quarterback Braden Wright (Elkhorn, Neb.) as the team captains.

SEVEN GRADUATES TAKE THE FIELD THIS YEAR FOR 'CATS
The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame today released a list of 3,284 student-athletes who have already earned their undergraduate degrees and will be playing college football this fall while pursuing second diplomas. This season marks the fourth year the NFF has compiled the list of graduated players.
    Northwest will have seven student-athletes suiting up this season who have already claimed their undergraduate degrees.

Graduates Playing at Northwest
Jackson Barnes
Brody Buck
Tanner Owen
Bailey Pickering
Sam Roberts
John Rolls
Dominique Shelton
Alec Tatum

RICH COMPANY FOR WRIGHT
Northwest head coach Rich Wright became only the third Bearcat head coach to increase his win total in each of his first three seasons.
    Wright guided Northwest to nine wins in 2017, 10 wins in 2018 and the Bearcats tallied their 12th win in 2019 with a 63-7 victory over Lindenwood.
    H.F. Lawrence went from three wins in 1923 to six wins in 1924 to seven wins in 1925.
    Mel Tjeerdsma had zero wins in 1994 before upping his win total to six in 1995. Tjeerdsma then tallied 11 wins in 1996.

12 WINS FOR 13TH TIME
Northwest reached 12 victories in a season for the 13th time in program history in 2019.

Northwest's 12+ Win Seasons
15 wins - 1998*
15 wins - 2013*
15 wins - 2015*
15 wins - 2016*
14 wins - 1999*
14 wins - 2006
14 wins - 2009*
13 wins - 2008
12 wins - 1997
12 wins - 2002
12 wins - 2007
12 wins - 2010
12 wins - 2019
* - National Champions

HUGHES FAMILY FIELDHOUSE
Located just northwest of College Park and Bearcat Stadium on the Northwest campus, the Carl & Cheryl Hughes Fieldhouse serves as a host site for a wide range of University and community activities. The project represents the single largest public-private partnership in Northwest's 114-year history – and one of the largest public-private partnerships ever in the region.

The Hughes Fieldhouse features:
• 137,250 square-foot recreation and multipurpose facility featuring recreation and exhibition space,
• indoor flooring system,
• 90-yard practice turf,
• 300-meter indoor track,
• spectator seating and
• tiered meeting rooms
    The Hughes Fieldhouse is an estimated $20 million project with multiple financing sources, including commitments from the University, private support and community support. The facility is named for the Carl and Cheryl Hughes family, who committed a significant gift to the project through the Hughes Family Foundation.