By Cade Kennedy.
Photos by Jara Reeder.
One year, 11 months and seven days – 707 days to be exact.
That is how long it had been since Northwestern won a football game. On October 23, the clock hit zero, and the Rangers had the lead and the victory over the Crimson Storm of Southern Nazarene. This is the first win for the Rangers since November 16, 2019, when they defeated Southwestern.
Both sides of the ball played well, as the Rangers ran for 205 yards on 33 carries, giving them an average of 6.2 yards per carry. Tanner Clarkson had an outstanding performance, as he threw for 238 yards and 2 touchdowns on 21 completions out of 29 attempts and ran for 78 yards and 2 touchdowns on 12 carries.
Torrence Stevens made a difference in the game as well, as he threw a 38-yard touchdown pass and had 3 receptions for 20 yards and a touchdown. The offensive line stepped up for the Rangers, as Southern Nazarene only got one sack for 3 yards.
The defense had an equally great day, with Brian Holiday having 14 tackles, including 3 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. Holiday was named the co-defensive player of the week in the GAC for his performance.
Dax Benway had a great day as well, as he had 12 total tackles and forced a fumble. The fumble was one of four turnovers that the Rangers forced, as they caught three interceptions throughout the game.
There were almost no negatives for the Rangers, as the team made several improvements in all phases and rose to the occasion to get the win. The only problem the Rangers dealt with were penalties, as they committed 13 penalties for 114 yards.
The Rangers will play Saturday against the Harding Bison at 2 p.m. at Ranger Field.
The Rangers have maintained a 0-7 record against the Bison since 2013, with the Rangers losing the last meeting by a score of 47-13.
Harding has a 7-1 record on the season, with the Bison’s only loss being against Southeastern. Harding is currently tied with Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist for first place in the GAC.
