November 7th, 2026 6:00pm
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The No. 8-ranked Northwest Missouri State University football team earned the program's 33rd MIAA regular season championship with a 45-13 road win over the Missouri Western Griffons Saturday at Spratt Stadium.
The win coupled with an Emporia State loss at Washburn (20-19) ensured Northwest would earned a share of its 33rd MIAA title. Northwest's fifth straight win improved the Bearcats to 8-1 overall and 7-1 in MIAA play. MoWest fell to 3-7 overall and 2-6 in league games.
Sophomore Quincy Torry nearly single-handedly took care of business on only 12 carries. Torry rushed for a career-high 252 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 21.0 yards per carry.
Torry had carries of 68, 2 (TD), 55, 2, 5, -1, 21, 4, 11, 0, 75 (TD), 10 (TD). It ranks as the eighth-best single-game rushing mark in program history.
The Bearcat defense registered a season-high eight sacks as eight different Northwest players recorded a sack against the Griffons.
Bearcat defensive back Michael Harrrison collected a pair of interceptions. Kaden Lutjen-Williams also nabbed a pick to give Northwest 14 interceptions this season.
Northwest rushed for 418 yards - the most rushing yards by the Bearcats since a 437-yard performance against Fort Hays State (Oct. 18, 2025).
Northwest struck first after its defense opened with a three-and-out, as Zylen Saddler-Robinson recorded a third-down sack before Torry's 68-yard run set up his 2-yard touchdown and Mo Alwaely's extra point for a 7-0 lead at 12:24. MoWest then drove to the Northwest 16, but Michael Harrison intercepted a pass at the goal line for a touchback at 6:48. On the ensuing drive, Zechariah Owens completed a 10-yard pass to Delton Davis, Torry broke a 55-yard run, and Te'Shaun Porter finished the 80-yard possession with a 6-yard touchdown before Alwaely's kick made it 14-0. Northwest forced another MoWest punt and moved back into MoWest territory on completions to Tommy Hutsler and Trevor Spady, ending the first quarter ahead 14-0 at the MoWest 41.
Kaden Lutjen-Williams' interception at the Northwest 16 set up the Bearcats' 10-play, 84-yard march, capped by Owens' 23-yard touchdown pass to Spady with 1:44 left in the second quarter. Earlier, Northwest opened the second quarter in MoWest territory but turned it over on downs, then Jacob Stockard sacked Isaiah Tate and Nathan Baudry recovered the fumble at the MoWest 27 before the Bearcats missed a 45-yard field goal. MoWest later scored on a 56-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-7, and Northwest's next possession ended with an interception. The defense answered on the following series, with Trent Warner recording an eight-yard sack before Lutjen-Williams' takeaway, and Alwaely's extra point after Spady's touchdown sent Northwest into halftime ahead 21-7.