ALVA – Avery Morris has patiently waited for his opportunity. When it finally came Saturday, the junior wide receiver stepped up in a big way.

Morris became the first Northwestern Oklahoma State receiver in over two years to catch three touchdowns in the same game, and quarterback Kyle Jech threw for a career-high 378 yards as the Rangers notched their first victory of the year, 34-30 over Oklahoma Panhandle State.

Andrew King and Chris Chamberlain – who rank one-and-two in both receptions and receiving yards for Northwestern – were both late scratches due to injury. No matter. Morris (seven catches, 120 yards) and Jeremiah Carter (two catches, 106 yards) had productive days to make up for it.

"Everyone plays a role on the team," Morris said. "I just played my role. That's all I did."

"I'm happy for those guys to be able to step up and play," said Northwestern head football coach Alan Hall. "They work just as hard as everybody else but just needed a chance. It just shows the others that if you continue to work hard and do the right thing, when the opportunity presents itself, you can step up and take advantage."

Carter did most of his damage on one play, but it was a big one. His 76-yard catch-and-run touchdown gave the Rangers a much-needed shot in the arm after they fell behind by as many as 13 points late in the third quarter. Carter's touchdown made it a 30-27 game with 13:18 remaining in the game.

To call Morris' performance a surprise would be an understatement. The Houston, Texas native had just eight career catches over two and a half seasons coming in. His seven grabs nearly doubled that total. The last was a 21-yard touchdown from Jech that put the Rangers in front for good with 4:32 left in the fourth.

That touchdown capped an impressive 12-play, 89-yard drive that took over seven minutes off the clock.

Northwestern struggled early against big plays, giving up a 48-yard punt return for touchdown, followed by touchdown passes of 42 and 71 yards off of busted coverages. But the Ranger defense stepped up when it was needed most. They forced a pair of three-and-outs over the final four and a half minutes to help grind out the rest of the clock.

"When they had to step up and and make a play, they did," Hall said. "So give them credit for that."

The Rangers finished with several season-highs on offense, rolling up 509 total yards on 77 plays. Panhandle State (3-4) totaled 449 in a wild, back-and-forth game.

Jech set a new Northwestern single-season mark for most completions, hitting on 22 of his 44 attempts Saturday. That brings his season total to 203, besting the 197 that Victor Williams completed during the 1989 season. Jech's four touchdown passes were the most he's thrown in a game since Oct 22, 2011 against Langton.

Jech topped 300 yards for the fourth time in eight games this season, but this performance was notably different. Instead of chipping away with short screens, the Rangers made an effort to get the ball down the field.

"They did a lot more man coverage with us and left us with some matchups that we took advantage of," Jech said. "We took our shots and we hit them."

Northwestern was held just 19 rushing yards on 11 carries in the first half, but with the passing game clicking, the holes began to open up late. They gained 84 yards on 16 carries over the final two quarters. The Rangers' 131 rushing yards was a season-best.

"To be a good team, you have to have a run game in the fourth quarter, and we showed up today," Jech said. "The offensive line and the running backs did a great job."

Javari Liggins rushed for 77 yards – the highest by a Ranger this year – on 11 carries. Jared Jackson chipped in 13 carries, 44 yards and also added four catches for 39 yards.

Defensively, Derrick Thompson and Eric Feemster each totaled nine tackles. Kevin Ditch kicked a 20-yard field goal for the Rangers on special teams.

After the final stop, emotions ran high on the Northwestern sideline. Hall received a Gatorade shower in honor of his first win.

"I think everybody's just excited but also relieved to finally get over the hump," said Jech. "Our first win as a Division II program. That's huge."

"The pressure is off us now. We've got a dub now, but the important thing is that we keep taking it one game at a time," Morris said. "When Monday comes, we're back on it."

Northwestern (1-7) hosts Air Force JV next Saturday, Oct. 27. Kickoff is slated for 5 p.m. at Ranger Field.