ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – The Northwest Missouri State University football team took care of business in all three phases of its NCAA Division II playoff game with a 47-17 drubbing of previously unbeaten and No. 3-ranked Ouachita Baptist University at Cliff Harris Stadium.
 
Northwest improves to 10-2 on the season, while OBU falls to 11-1.
 
The Bearcat defense held OBU's rushing offense to 18 total yards. OBU came into the contest ranked No. 4 in the nation by averaging 305.8 yards per game. Northwest out-rushed OBU, 177-18. The Bearcats put up 499 yards of total offense, while the Tigers were held to 258 total yards.
 
The Bearcat defense initiated the scoring in the contest when linebacker Andrew Dumas extracted the ball from OBU quarterback Riley Harms on a hard hit. Dumas popped the ball out and cornerback Trevon Peak scooped up the fumble and took it to the end zone for an 18-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Peak's score came with 8:55 left in the first quarter.
 
OBU cut into the Northwest lead on a 37-yard field goal by Gabe Goodman with 5:31 left in the first quarter. The OBU drive went 34 yards in nine plays and included one fourth-down conversion.
 
Lammel split the uprights with a field goal of his own with 14:54 left in the second quarter. The Bearcat scoring drive included a trio of third-down conversions that kept it going. Quarterback Mike Hohensee hit Ra'Shoud Shelton on a 16-yard passing play when the Bearcats faced a 3rd-and-11. Hohensee hooked up with Kashan Griffin for a 29-yard strike on a 3rd-and-7. Hohensee then connected with Keegan Sturdy for a nine-yard gain on a 3rd-and-4 before the drive stalled inside the 10-yard line.
 
The Bearcats continued being successful on third-down passing situations by converting two more on the next drive that culminated in a two-yard touchdown run by Jay Harris. Harris tallied his first touchdown of the game with 7:12 left in the second quarter to give Northwest a 17-3 advantage. Hohensee connected with Trevon Alexander on a 3rd-and-8 for a 14-yard gain. Hohensee completed a 22-yard pass to Sturdy on a 3rd-and-7. Facing a 3rd-and-7 at the OBU 11-yard line, Payton Carder drew a pass interference call to put the ball at the two setting up Harris's score.
 
Northwest forced an OBU punt and marched down the field for a touchdown with 1:35 left until halftime. Harris took it over the right side for a six-yard score, his ninth of the season. Cole Lammel missed the extra point and Northwest held a 23-3 lead at halftime.
 
Hohensee went 16-of-21 passing for 167 yards in the first half. Hohensee did a lot of his damage on third down by hitting on 6-of-7 third-down passes for 104 yards that converted five first downs.
 
Griffin nabbed a five-yard touchdown pass from Hohensee with 10:41 left in the third quarter to push the Bearcat lead to 30-3. Northwest faced a 3rd-and-10 at its own 25-yard line when Hohensee hit tight end Cole Hembrough down the right seam for a 35-yard pass play to get the ball into OBU territory.
 
Northwest poured it on with a 13-yard touchdown strike from Hohensee to a wide open Hembrough with 5:22 left in the third quarter. Lammel's extra point gave Northwest a commanding 37-3 advantage.
 
Josh Turner tallied his first career interception with 3:24 remaining in the third quarter. Turner returned the interception 26 yards to set up the Bearcat offense with a short field at OBU 29-yard line. Northwest looked to get another touchdown but a trio of penalties set the drive back and the Bearcats settled for a 42-yard field goal from Lammel. Lammel's three-pointer gave Northwest a 40-3 lead with :26 left in the third quarter.
 
Ouachita Baptist finally found its way into the end zone with 10:35 left in the fourth quarter on a third-yard touchdown pass from Harms to Tucker Swoboda. The Tiger touchdown trimmed the Bearcat lead to 40-10.
 
Running back Robert Rawie looked like he put the finishing touches on the playoff win with a 37-yard touchdown run. Rawie's score came with 3:25 left and gave Northwest a 47-10 advantage.
 
OBU called a timeout in the closing seconds and punched in a one-yard touchdown run by Kendel Givens with :10 left to make the final, 47-17.
 
Hohensee passed for 322 yards and two scores. He went 23-of-30 passing, which included 7-of-9 passing for 139 yards on third downs. His third down completions resulted in six first-down conversions.
 
Wide receiver Kashan Griffin recorded his second career 100-yard receiving game. Griffin caught five passes for 109 yards and a touchdown.
 
Linebacker Isaac Vollstedt accounted for a team-high nine tackles and a sack. Defensive lineman Zach Howard notched two sacks, while fellow defensive lineman Jake Fisher also secured a sack. Cahleel Smith and Kobe Clayborne combined on a sack too.
 
The Bearcats will travel to Allendale, Mich., next weekend to take on the No. 1-seeded and N. 1-ranked Grand Valley State University Lakers.
 
NOTES: Northwest is 46-0 when leading at the half under head coach Rich Wright … Northwest has won 74 straight games when leading at the break … Northwest picked up its NCAA Div. II best 53rd all-time playoff victory … it is the 15th road playoff victory in program history … Northwest is 15-10 on the road in its playoff history … Northwest was penalized 115 yards, the second-most penalty yards in a Bearcat playoff game.