JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The No. 2-ranked Northwest Missouri State University football team moved to 2-0 on the season with a 58-20 win over the Lincoln University Blue Tigers at Dwight T. Reed Stadium.
 
Northwest overcame four turnovers as junior quarterback Mike Hohensee recorded his first career 300-yard passing game. Hohensee went 21-of-24 passing for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Northwest wideouts Keegan Sturdy (7 rec., 137 yards) and Trevon Alexander (6 rec., 126 yards) each surpassed the 100-yard receiving marks for the first time in their collegiate careers. Northwest passed for 381 yards, all of them in the first three quarters as the Bearcats did not have a passing attempt in the fourth quarter. Robert Rawie led the rushing attack with 95 yards, all but three of those yards coming in the final quarter.
 
The Bearcats put up 670 yards of total offense, while limiting the Blue Tigers to 233 yards of total offense. For the second straight week, Northwest's rushing defense put a stranglehold on the opposing offense. Lincoln was limited to 24 rushing yards on 33 rushing attempts. Elijah Green and Cahleel Smith tied for team-high honors with six tackles. Green added a pair of tackles-for-loss.
 
Lincoln drew first blood in the contest on the fourth offensive play of the game. LU's Zamar Brake het Aderias Ealy for a 64-yard touchdown pass with 13:38 left in the first quarter. Following a delay of game on the extra point, LU's Javier Moreno missed the kick to leave the score at 6-0.
 
Northwest took its first drive of the game and hit pay dirt with a 35-yard touchdown pass from Mike Hohensee to Trevon Alexander. Northwest went 75 yards in eight plays in a drive that consumed 4:03 off the clock and left the Bearcats on top, 7-6.
 
The Bearcats forced a punt on LU's next possession. Northwest drove the ball inside the LU 10-yard line but a mixup in the backfield between Hohensee and running back Kevin Dominique resulted in a fumble recovered by the Blue Tigers. Northwest drove 73 yards in nine plays but it did not result in any points scored because of the turnover.
 
On LU's next play, Northwest defensive back Trevon Peak tallied an interception to give the Bearcats a short field at the 39-yard line. Hohensee guided Northwest to a six-play, 39-yard touchdown drive to give the Bearcats a 14-6 lead with 14:47 left in the second quarter. The Northwest scoring play came on an eight-yard strike from Hohensee to Tank Young on the right flank.
 
After another Bearcat defensive stop, Northwest took over on its own 34-yard line with 11:58 to play in the second quarter. Northwest inserted senior quarterback Braden Wright to lead the Bearcat offense. Wright wasted little time and kept the offensive effort churning with a four-play, 66-yard touchdown drive. Wright hit Alexander for a pair of pass plays for 26 yards and 31 yards before running back Jadon Brady took the ball into the endzone on a seven-yard rushing score. Cole Lammel missed the extra point that left the Bearcats on top, 20-6, with 10:27 left in the second quarter.
 
Northwest added to its lead before the half when Wright led the Bearcats on a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Wright had a 60-yard quarterback draw that set up Northwest in the red zone. Wright punched in the touchdown from one yard out with 1:53 left in the half to give Northwest a 27-6 advantage.
 
The Bearcats put three more points on the board with :25 left on a 23-yard field goal from Lammel. Lammel's three-pointer gave Northwest a 30-6 lead at intermission.
 
Northwest's offense was stymied by a pair of fumbles by running backs Jamar Moya and Jadon Brady in the third quarter.
 
Lincoln scored its second touchdown of the game with 3:08 to play in the third quarter on an eight-yard strike from Brake to Ealy. Lincoln's touchdown cut the Northwest lead to 30-13.
 
Northwest got back on track on the ensuing possession when Hohensee hooked up with Keegan Sturdy for a 74-yard touchdown passing play. The scoring play gave Northwest a 37-13 lead with 2:48 left in the third quarter.
 
Bearcat running back Robert Rawie added Northwest's sixth touchdown of the day when he got in from a yard out with 10:25 left in the fourth quarter. Rawie's score put Northwest on top, 44-13.
 
The Northwest defense got into the scoring column when redshirt freshman Shane Fredrickson intercepted a pass and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown. Fredrickson's first career pick resulted in Northwest upping its lead to 51-13 with 8:35 left in the game.
 
Brady added his second rushing score of the game with 5:43 left in the fourth quarter. Brady's two-yard touchdown put Northwest on top, 58-13.
 
Lincoln closed out the scoring on a 51-yard touchdown pass from Nathan Valencia to Ealy. It was Ealy's third touchdown reception of the game. Ealy finished the game with four receptions for 134 yards and three touchdowns.
 
Northwest will be in action again Saturday at home for a Family Weekend contest against the University of Central Missouri Mules. Northwest and UCM will kick off at 1:30 p.m. at Bearcat Stadium.
 
NOTES: Northwest owns a 17-7-1 lead in the all-time series … Northwest has won four straight matchups against Lincoln … Trevon Peak recorded his second career interception … Trevon Alexander has caught a touchdown pass in both games this season … Alexander earned his first 100-plus receiving yard game … Keegan Sturdy recorded his first 100-yard receiving game as well as his first touchdown … Tank Young scored his first collegiate touchdown … Jadon Brady notched his first collegiate rushing touchdown (Brady posted a receiving touchdown in 2021) … Mike Hohensee tossed his seventh career multi-touchdown game of his Bearcat career … it is the fifth time in Hohensee's collegiate career that he has thrown for at least three touchdowns in a single game … Hohensee and Wright combined to complete Northwest's first 15 passes of the game without an incompletion for 179 yards … following an incompletion by Wright, Hohensee eventually extended his consecutive passes completed streak to 14 in a row … Travis Miles holds the Northwest and MIAA record with 18 straight pass completions vs. Washburn (Oct. 28, 2000) … Wright scored his 25th career rushing touchdown … Wright is seven rushing scores away from equaling the most career rushing touchdowns by a Bearcat quarterback (Brady Bolles, 32 rushing TDs) … Northwest racked up 378 total yards in the first half (150 on the ground and 228 through the air) … the Bearcats limited the Blue Tigers to only two rushing yards on 15 carries in the first half … Northwest is 40-0 when leading at the half under head coach Rich Wright … Northwest has won 68 straight games when leading at intermission … head coach Rich Wright moved his career record to 44-10.