No.5 Bearcats deck Washburn in ranked clash

Self-proclaimed "road dogs," No. 5 Northwest Missouri State lived up to that mantra once again with a 56-6 win over No. 16 Washburn Saturday at Yager Stadium in Topeka, Kan.

In their fourth and final away game of the month, the Bearcats (8-1, 7-1) scored 28 second quarter points to build a 35-0 halftime lead and extended it to 49-0 mid-way through the third quarter.

This was Northwest's seventh consecutive win and eighth in a row over the Ichabods (7-2, 7-2). The Bearcats finished the month of October 4-0, winning all three true road games by an average of 46 points.

Dominant in every which way, Northwest's ball-hawking defense came up with a season-high six interpceptions, all by different players.

Four of those came in the first half, and all four led to Northwest touchdowns.

Secondary stalwarts Nate DeJong, Clarke Snodgrass, Brian Dixon and Travis Manning had the first four interceptions. Linebacker Collin DeBuysere snared the next pick in the third quarter.

Northwest back-up linebacker Chet Meneley returned the final one 14 yards for a touchdown with 1:26 left to put the exclamation point on a great afternoon.

Washburn signal-callers Mitch Buhler and Joel Piper each threw three interceptions in the game and two apiece in the first half. Their game total of six is more than they had in the first eight games combined.

Buhler and Piper completed only 15-35 passes for 175 yards.

Washburn also rushed for just 71 yards and averaged 2.5 per carry.

The Ichabods six-point total was their lowest since Sept. 27, 2003.

Northwest's defense held an opponent under 14 points for the seventh time in nine games, and the offense topped 50 for the third time during their current win streak.

In less than three quarters, quarterback Trevor Adams completed 19-26 passes for 216 yards and three touchdown. That gives Adams 14 touchdowns since returning from an ankle injury in week five.

Senior Tyler Shaw hauled in two touchdown passes and finished with a team-high 67 yards. Senior John Hinchey added his second touchdown of the year and totaled four catches for 36 yards.

Running back Jordan Simmons made a team-high five catches for 51 yards and ran for 43 on eight carries with a touchdown.

James Franklin III scored twice on the ground and led the Bearcats with 66 yards on 14 carries.

Northwest scored its only first quarter points on a 31-yard touchdown pass from Adams to Shaw with 10:52 left. This followed an interception by Snodgrass that derailed Washburn's first series.

Later in the first quarter, Washburn recovered an Adams fumble at Northwest's 6-yard line, putting the Ichabods on the door step of a tying score.

But on the very next play, Manning stepped in front of a slant patter and picked off Buhler in the end zone.

It was a never a game after that.

The Bearcats scored on four of their next five drives to bury the Ichabods in a 35-0 halftime hole. A 7-yard touchdown run by Franklin III capped an 11-play 80-yard drive and put the Beacats up 14-0.

After Piper's first interception gave the Bearcats the ball back at Washburn's 22, Franklin III scored again from five yards with 8:13 left to make it 21-0.

Northwest's lead reached 28-0 on a 1-yard run by Simmons. Following another Piper interception, a 13-yard touchdown pass from Adams to Shaw made it 35-0 with 24 seconds left in the second.

The Bearcats outgained Washburn 268-86 in the first half and 406-246 overall.

Adams had a 7-yard touchdown pass to Hinchey in the third quarter, and Billy Creason scored on a 2-yard run to make it 49-0.

Washburn got on the board for the first and only time with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Mitch Buhler to Jordan Hart with 4:09 left in the third.

The Bearcats return home Saturday to play Emporia State (8-1) at 2 p.m. on Homecoming.