Box Score
Sept. 25, 2010
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – The #7 Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats jumped on the Truman Bulldogs for 17 first quarter points and went on to retain the “Ol Hickory Stick” for the ninth straight time in a 44-10 win on Saturday afternoon.
The Bearcats (2-1; 2-0 MIAA) took the opening drive 65-yards as Josh Baker caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Blake Bolles and an early 7-0 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, Truman's Anton Bernard muffed the return which was recovered by Billy Creason at the Bulldog 21. The Truman defense held Northwest to a 37-yard field goal but it was 10-0 less than five minutes into the game.
The Bulldogs (2-2; 0-2 MIAA) moved the ball into Bearcat territory in their next drive but stalled out at the 33. A bad punt snap gave Northwest possession at the Bulldog 44.
The good starting possession led to the Bearcats second touchdown, a 19-yard rush by Creason to extend the lead to 17-0. Earlier in the drive, a key personal foul call against the Bulldogs erased a second and 23 and gave Northwest an automatic first down.
Truman finally stopped the Bearcats shutout string as Will Mosquera bounced off a Bearcat defender and ran 28 yards down to the Northwest 39. That play eventually set up a Derek Koon 26 yard field goal to make the score 17-3.
Creason, who rushed for 169 yards on 21 carries, scored from one yard out at the 4:06 mark and then special teams again bit the Bulldogs as Donald Harvey fumbled the kick return to set up another Bearcat score just before half.
Kelvin Austin and Creason each had one yard TD scores that sandwiched a Phil Davis touchdown in the second half as both teams played through a steady rain.
The Bearcats outgained the Bulldogs 418 to 217 as Bolles completed 10-of-16 passes for 149 yards. Northwest attempted just two passes in the second half.
The Bulldogs mustered 131 yards on the ground with Harnish Ayora leading the way with 17 carries for 57 yards, Davis added 56 yards on 12 attempts and Mosquera ran for 40 yards on nine.
Northwest retained the oldest trophy in Division II football for the ninth straight time, their longest streak in the series.
The Bulldogs will host the University of Central Missouri for Family Night at Stokes Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Footnotes: The Bearcats started on Truman's side of the 50, on four occasions and came away with three touchdowns and a field goal…Northwest was just 3-of-11 on third down while the Bulldogs were 7-of-17…Truman led in time of possession with 31:47…A 34-yard pass from Phil Davis to Caleb Roberts matched the longest play from scrimmage for the Bulldogs against the Bearcats since punter Max Kleckner completed a pass to Adam Reynolds in 2008…Derek Koon's field goal at the 8:07 mark snapped the Bearcats 199 shutout minutes over the Bulldogs dating back to 2007…Davis' five yard touchdown run was the first by a Bulldog since Matt Ticich scored in the first quarter of the 2007 game…Truman averaged 25 yards per kick return with Tremaine Millender leading the way with a 34-yard return…Millender led the Bulldogs with 113 all-purpose yards…Truman still leads the all-time series with the Bearcats 54-32-4.
