The University of Northwestern and St. Scholastica have a young rivalry, with a history of only eight games. But as two of the top teams in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference, they already have played some memorable ones — and the Saints' 13-7 victory on Saturday added to the lore.
St. Scholastica (6-1, 6-0 UMAC) scored two touchdowns in the final 57 seconds of the second quarter, and its defense held tight to keep the Saints unbeaten in conference play. The Eagles (5-2, 5-1) scored first, on a 3-yard run by Chris Simon-Wallace with 3 minutes, 48 seconds remaining in the second quarter at Reynolds Field. But four turnovers sealed Northwestern's fate.
The victory was the 27th in a row in UMAC play for the Saints, who have won six consecutive games since losing their season opener to Ripon. The game also ended the Eagles' nine-game home win streak. Four of the past six games in the series have been decided by six or fewer points.
"It's been a close game the past two years, and we were fortunate to come out on the right side,'' Saints coach Kurt Ramler said. "We've got a championship mentality. We just believe we're going to win, and that gives us confidence.''
The turnovers weighed on Northwestern coach Kirk Talley.
"I told our guys that we couldn't make any mistakes,'' he said. "They bring out the best in us, but our best wasn't enough.''
NSIC
Bemidji State 42, MSU Moorhead 28: The Beavers won their fourth consecutive game, third on the road, overcoming a 21-point halftime deficit. It was the fourth consecutive loss for the Dragons after a 3-0 start.
