MANKATO, Minn. – The Northwest Missouri State University football team dropped its season opener at Minnesota State University, 38-14.

Bearcat redshirt freshman quarterback Zechariah Owens passed for a team-high 160 yards and rushed for a team-best 44 yards. Owens accounted for both of Northwest's touchdowns with a throw and a run.
 
Minnesota State's Sam Backer capped a nine-play, 75-yard drive with a two-yard touchdown run on third-and-goal from the two with 6:19 left in the first quarter.
 
Northwest ran 10 plays for 30 yards of offense in the first quarter and gained one first down, while Minnesota State ran 20 plays and gained 117 yards with five first downs.
 
Minnesota State upped its lead to 14-0 on an 11-yard quarterback keeper from Mitchell Thompson with 5:03 left in the second quarter. Thompson hooked up with TreShawn Watson on a 41-yard passing play to put the ball deep into Bearcat territory to set up the score.
 
Minnesota State's Amaun Williams thwarted a Bearcat drive with an interception and a 27-yard return to put the ball at the Bearcat 38-yard line with 1:13 left in the half. The Mavericks wasted little time and turned the Bearcat miscue into a 38-yard touchdown pass from Thompson to Watson. Watson's score gave Minnesota State a 21-0 lead with 1:04 left in the half.
 
The Mavericks took the second half kickoff and drove 67 yards in 10 plays to take a 28-0 lead with 10:29 left in the third quarter. Minnesota State's Backer tallied his second touchdown of the game on a three-yard score on fourth-and-goal.
 
Dominic Myers pulled off the biggest play of the game for Northwest with a 66-yard kick return. Myers gave Northwest the ball at the Maverick 33-yard line. However, Te'Shaun Porter fumbled on Northwest's first play of the drive giving the ball back to Northwest.
 
The Mavericks extended the margin to 35-0 on a 12-yard touchdown toss from Thompson to Nassir Jones with 7:47 remaining in the third quarter. The Mavericks marched 69 yards in eight plays to tally the touchdown.
 
Northwest marched 70 yards in five plays that was capped by a 20-yard touchdown strike from Zechariah Owens to Trevor Spady with 5:48 left in the third quarter. It was the first career touchdown for both Owens and Spady. The Bearcat score cut the Minnesota State lead to 35-7.
 
Northwest crept closer on a 10-yard quarterback keeper from Owens with 2:09 left in the third quarter. The Bearcats went 50 yards in four plays in less than two minutes to slice the Minnesota State advantage to 35-14.
 
Minnesota State took a 38-14 advantage following a 24-yard field goal by Connor Fournier. The field goal put an end to an 11-play, 84-yard drive with 11:16 left in the fourth quarter.
 
The Bearcats will return to action next Saturday, Sept. 6, by taking on the Washburn University Ichabods in Topeka, Kan. Northwest's home opener is set for Sept. 13, against Texas A&M-Kingsville.