Story by: Cade Kennedy
Photos by: Jara Reeder
The Northwestern football team lost to Arkansas-Monticello, 42-23, on Oct. 9 at Ranger Field.
The Rangers got off to a good start, as they scored on their first three drives of the game, and had a 17-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. However, Arkansas-Monticello was able to get back in the game and take a 21-17 lead with 9:51 to go in the second quarter. The Boll Weevils never looked back, and were able to continue to pull away from the Rangers.
The Rangers had an opportunity to get back into the game, but were not able to get a stop on defense.
The Rangers had several issues on the defensive side of the ball, with the main problem being missed tackles that allowed the Boll Weevils to run for 279 rushing yards. Arkansas-Monticello ran the ball 53 times, giving them an average of 5.3 yards per carry.
The Rangers struggled with penalties as well, as they had 15 penalties for 150 yards, which is the most penalties that the Rangers have committed all season. Arkansas-Monticello had several penalties as well, as the Boll Weevils had 10 penalties for 109 yards.
Northwestern’s offensive line gave up four sacks for 30 yards, which the most that they have given up in the last three games. After showing signs of improvement, they gave up several big plays.
There were some positives to take away from the game for Northwestern, with the main one being the offense continuing to play well. The Rangers ran the ball for 173 yards on 32 carries, giving the Rangers an average of 5.4 yards per carry.
The defense for Northwestern forced two turnovers, as Arkansas-Monticello threw two interceptions on the day.
The Rangers will play Saturday against the Southeastern Savage Storm at 2 p.m. at Paul Laird Field in Durant.
The Rangers have maintained a 2-6 record against the Savage Storm since 2012, with the previous meeting ending in a 24-15 Southeastern victory over the Rangers. Southeastern has a 5-1 record on the season, with wins over Southwestern, Arkansas Tech, Southern Nazarene, Southern Arkansas, and Harding. The Savage Storm also have a loss to Henderson State.
