ALVA, Okla. -- Southwestern Oklahoma State scored four touchdowns in less than six minutes early in the third quarter to pull away for a 62-17 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State at Ranger Field.
Northwestern kicked a field goal late in the second quarter, and Kollin Retter made a touchdown-saving tackle at the 1-yard line to send the Rangers into the break down 28-17.
The second half was an entirely different matter. Southwestern took advantage of some great field position offered up by succession of fruitless Ranger punts into a stiff headwind.
The Bulldogs forced a Ranger three-and-out to open the half and marched 24 yards in three plays for a 34-17 edge.
Northwestern again stalled deep in its own territory, and Southwestern set up shop at the Ranger 2 following a blocked punt. Ryan Corbin scored the last of his three touchdowns to make it 41-17.
A pair of 30-plus yard touchdown passes followed over the next three minutes, as Southwestern rolled to its sixth-straight win over the Rangers, dating back to 1996.
Senior running back Javari Liggins finished out his Northwestern career with his second-consecutive 100-yard performance. He carried a career-high 32 times for 116 yards and a touchdown. Jarion Tudman accounted for the other Ranger touchdown and finished with 33 yards on 13 carries.
L.T. Pfaff completed 9-of-19 passes for 85 yards for Northwestern.
Southwestern (6-5, 6-4 GAC) finished over .500 for the first time since 2006. The Bulldogs outgained Northwestern 530-232 in total yards.
Tanner Jones led the Ranger defense with a career-best 13 tackles - nine of them in the opening half. Chris Ladd and Derrick Thomspon added eight-each.
The teams swapped touchdowns over the first quarter and change. Liggins' run evened the score at 7-all with 2:44 to go in the opening quarter.
Tudman scored at the 12:50 mark of the second quarter to tie the game at 14.
On the first playing of Southwestern ensuing drive, Karl Hodge broke free for a 75-yard gain to make it 21-14.
Quarterback Dustin Stenta - who threw for 269 yards - tossed the first of his three touchdown passes to Ryan Corbin to get it to 28-14 with 5:03 left in the first half.
