Football

Rangers Slip at East Central

ADA, Okla. – The 80th all-time meeting between Northwestern Oklahoma State and East Central is one the Rangers would just as soon forget.

ECU piled up 50 first half points on its way to a 64-14 victory in one of the most lopsided wins for either side in a series that dates back exactly 100 years.

The Tigers outgained the Rangers 599 to 360, despite running 15 fewer plays, and turned two blocked kicks and three Northwestern turnovers into 31 points.

For ECU (3-3, 3-3 Great American Conference) quarterback Spencer Bond threw for 405 yards and five touchdowns – three of them to Caleb Holley, who set a school record with 224 receiving yards on 10 catches. JoJo Snell – 17 carries, 123 yards rushing – also scored a pair of touchdowns on the ground.

On the Northwestern side of the ledger, Javari Liggins scored his first touchdown of the year in the second quarter, and wideout Jeremi Anderson accounted for the other Ranger score with a nine-yard run late in the fourth.

Reid Miller completed 18-of-37 passes for 172 yards with one interception.

L.T. Pfaff relieved him for the final drive of the day, taking Northwestern (0-7, 0-7) 93 yards in 13 plays. On that drive, Pfaff completed both of his passes for 24 yards and also rushed for 17 yards.

Zachry Doyle was the Rangers' top rusher for the second-straight week, totaling 71 yards on 13 carries. Northwestern averaged a solid 4.0 yards per carry, netting 164 yards on 41 rushing attempts.

Mervin Stewart caught six passes for 48 yards, and Anderson added 45 yards on four receptions. Cameron Allen (38 yards), Montrell Logan (20) and Reginald Harris (9) had two catches each.

Alex Hemberger led the defense with nine tackles and an interception – the only takeaway of the day for the Ranger defense. Derrick Thompson added seven stops to go with six from Keenan Santacruz, Chris Ladd and Traveon Kelly.

Punter Alex Dorrell kicked a career-long 65 yarder in the second quarter.

East Central opened the game with a 10-play, 72 yard drive, with Bond hitting Lindsey Anderson on a 16-yard touchdown pass for the Tigers' first points.

Miller completed his first passes for a combined 28 yards, but Davontaa Bryant fumbled on the second completion, setting up ECU at its own 49.

The Tigers wasted little time, converting a third-and-long on a 14-yard strike from Bond to Holley. The duo hooked up one more time for 28 yards, and Snell helped make it a 14-0 lead with a 10-yard touchdown run.

Two plays into its next possession, Northwestern turned it over for a second time. Miller was picked off by Rueben Tiller at the ECU 30, and the Tigers eventually turned it into a 30-yard Trevor Hunt field goal.

After running just five offensive plays in the opening quarter, the Rangers moved 49 yards in eight plays to start the second before turning it over on downs at the ECU 34.

Three plays later, the Bond-Holley combo produced a 54-yard touchdown to give the Tigers a 24-0 edge with still 13:32 to play in the half.

ECU regained possession after a Northwestern three-and-out and drove for its fourth touchdown of the day – this one coming on a Snell run.

Trailing 30-0, Northwestern at last found the scoreboard. Helped out by a pair of personal foul calls on third-down incompletions, the Rangers advanced. Liggins' one-yard touchdown plunge and a Kevin Ditch extra point brought the Rangers back to within 30-7 with 3:24 to go in the half.

But from there, things went from bad to worse. ECU answered with a quick four-play drive. Bond found Holley from 11 yards out for a 36-7 lead with 2:07 remaining in the second quarter.

The final 25 seconds of the half produced two Tiger scores. ECU faced fourth-and-15 at the Northwestern 46 before Bond connected with a wide-open Holley down the middle of the field for a surprise touchdown.

The Rangers took possession and prepared to run out the clock before fumbling at their own 38. Bond teed up touchdown pass number-five to David Moore on the final play of the half to send the Tigers into the break up 50-7.

ECU added to its lead early in the third quarter when Alex Dorrell's punt was blocked and returned 30 yards the other way for a touchdown.

The Tigers added a 10-play, 65 yard touchdown drive late in the third for the last of their points.

Pfaff entered the game at the 8:30 mark of the fourth with the Rangers trailing 64-7.

With Northwestern backed up to its own seven, the freshman took off for 16 yards on the ground. Two plays later, Pfaff hit Stewart for 14 more yards and another first down.

Jarion Tudman took the torch, grinding for 25 yards on three carries, then gave way to Doyle, who picked up 27 more yards on two attempts to move the ball inside the Tiger 20.

Anderson handled the rest, grabbing a 10-yard pass from Pfaff, then taking a handoff nine yards around the corner for his first rushing touchdown as a Ranger.

Northwestern returns to Alva next Saturday for a Homecoming battle with Southeastern Oklahoma State. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.

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