Northwest Missouri State locked down Missouri Western Saturday afternoon and claimed the program's first MIAA title since 2021 with a 38-7 victory on senior day.
The Bearcats (9-1, 8-0 MIAA) held the Griffons to 178 yards of total offense — the fourth consecutive game where the Northwest defense held an opponent under 200 yards.
Western gained 75 of its 178 yards on the first drive of the game to take a 7-0 lead. They were then held scoreless for the remaining 56:55 of the game as Northwest reeled off 38 straight points.
Chris Ruhnke paved the way for the Bearcat offense passing for 208 yards, rushing for a career-high 75, and totaling four touchdowns on the day.
A dominant defensive effort by Northwest kept Western to just 38 rushing yards. The Griffons' standout back, Brandon Hall, was held in check averaging just 2.1 yards per carry.
Senior Clayton Power totaled a pair of tackles for loss and two sacks, while fellow defensive lineman Jordan Pigram snared his first career interception.
Northwest can own the conference title outright with a win Saturday, November 15 against Pittsburg State in the regular season finale. The game at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, KS will kickoff at 1:30pm. Pregame on KXCV 90.5 and KRNW 88.9 begins at 12:30pm.