MARYVILLE, Mo. – The No. 14-ranked Northwest Missouri State University football team used a stifling defense to produce a 36-3 Homecoming win over the Northeastern State University RiverHawks.
 
Northwest extended the NCAA Division II's longest home-field win streak to 17 in a row. Northwest won its seventh consecutive Homecoming contest. Northwest has won 25 of its last 27 Homecoming matchups.
 
The Bearcats improved to 12-0 all-time against the RiverHawks. Northwest is 10-0 against NSU since the RiverHawks joined the MIAA in 2012.
 
The Bearcat defense limited the RiverHawks to three first downs and 23 yards of total offense. NSU rushed 19 times for minus-16 yards. NSU went 11-of-28 passing for 39 yards. NSU gained one first down passing and two via Northwest penalties. Northwest leads the nation in fewest total first downs allowed rushing (21) in NCAA Div. II football. On the season, Northwest has allowed the fewest first downs (119) among MIAA teams.
 
Northwest generated 485 yards of total offense and 28 first downs. Northwest passed for 289 yards and rushed the ball for 196 yards.
 
The Don Black Award, given to the most valuable player in Northwest's Homecoming game, went to junior Kashan Griffin. Griffin accounted for 200 all-purpose yards in the victory. Griffin caught four passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. He also returned three punts for 114 yards, including a season-long return of 64. His 114 punt return yards in a single game ranks as the third-highest total in Bearcat football history.
 
The Bearcats held the RiverHawks to four yards of total offense in the first half. NSU ran 27 offensive plays in the first half. NSU gained five yards through air and minus-one yard on the ground in the opening 30 minutes.
 
Northwest's defensive gem began on the first series of the game when Isaac Vollstedt snared an interception to set up the Bearcat offense at the 31-yard line. Northwest's offense wasted no time in turning the NSU miscue into points. Four rushing plays led to a 3-yard touchdown run by freshman Jay Harris with 12:29 left in the first quarter.
 
Kicker Cole Lammel drilled a 41-yard field goal with 2:17 left in the first quarter to extend the lead to 10-0.
 
Quarterback Mike Hohensee hooked up with tight end Cole Hembrough on a 12-yard touchdown pass with 12:06 left in the second quarter. Lammel added the extra point to extend the Northwest lead to 17-0.
 
Northwest running back Tank Young fumbled the ball back to NSU to give the RiverHawks the ball at the 25-yard line. NSU converted the fumble into a field goal with 9:33 left in the second quarter to cut the Northwest lead to 17-3.
 
Lammel answered the NSU field goal with another three-pointer of his own with 5:38 to play in the half. Lammel knocked a 25-yarder through the goal posts to give Northwest a 20-3 advantage.
 
The Bearcats closed the first half with some tricks of their own. Facing a 4th-and-5 at the 46-yard line and :37 left in the half, head coach Rich Wright called a fake punt. Hohensee found Elijah Green for a 30-yard completion down the middle of the field that put the ball at the 16-yard line with :18 left in the half. Hohensee hit Kashan Griffin in the end zone with a 16-yard touchdown pass with :12 left before the break. Northwest took a 27-3 lead into the locker room.
 
Lammel made a school-record tying 12th consecutive field goal from 33 yards away to begin the scoring in the second half. Lammel's three-pointer put Northwest on top, 30-3, with 11:30 left in the third quarter.
 
Lammel missed wide left on a 24-yard field goal attempt with 7:02 remaining in the third quarter that would have given him sole possession of the Northwest school record for consecutive field goals made.
 
Northwest put an exclamation point on the victory with a three-yard touchdown run by Kevin Dominique with 1:01 to play. Dominique's score gave Northwest a 36-3 lead as Lammel missed the extra point. The final drive covered 53 yards in plays.
 
The Bearcats will hit the road next week for a Saturday matchup at Nebraska-Kearney.
 
NOTES: Jamar Moya led the Northwest rushing attack with 62 yards on 11 carries … Harris rushed for a season-high 58 yards on 12 carries … Moya netted a team-best eight receptions … Bearcat quarterbacks targeted 12 different receivers and nine of them had at least one catch in the game … Sam Phillips registered a team-high eight tackles, including two for loss … Vollstedt had five tackles, 0.5 tackles-for-loss, an interception and a pass breakup … Northwest leads NCAA Div. II football in fewest rushing yards allowed at 258 yards through eight games … Northwest is allowing 32.25 yards per game rushing this season … Northwest is 15-0 when scoring 30 or more points for head coach Rich Wright … overall, Northwest has won 62 straight games when scoring 30 or more points … Northwest moved to 43-0 when leading at the half under coach Wright … Northwest has won 71 consecutive games when leading at the break … it marks the 12th time that Northwest has not allowed a touchdown in coach Wright's tenure at Northwest … the Bearcats at 292-48 as a ranked team … Northwest is 6-1 all-time as the No. 14-ranked team in the AFCA Top 25 poll.