Bearcats Open Season With Win at Feisty Fort Hays State

Braden Wright found Kaden Davis with a touchdown pass with just over 1 minute remaining in the game as Northwest Missouri State opened the season with a 15-7 victory over Fort Hays State in Hays on the opening Thursday night of football in the MIAA. Wright’s pass on 3rd-and-7 came with Northwest leading 9-7 and after Fort Hays State had missed a couple of field goal attempts during the game.

Northwest’s first score was by defense after a punt pinned the Tigers at their own 1-yard line when Sam Phillips stopped Fort Hays State running back Keylan Chapman in the end zone nearly 4 minutes into the game.

Northwest scored their first touchdown by finishing a 15-play 58 yard drive with a 3-yard run from Al McKellar.

The Tigers would get a 36-yard run to complete a 99-yard drive with 5 minutes left in the 3rd.

Fort Hays State missed a 50-yard FG attempt with 6:19 left before Northwest responded with a touchdown.

Fort Hays State got in a position to throw it to the end zone on the game’s final play, but the pass fell incomplete.

Al McKeller ran for 161 yards in the game on 28 carries in addition to his touchdown.

Northwest faces Lincoln University next Thursday night at Bearcat Stadium.