Bearcats drop season opener

By Morgan Guyer

The Northwest Missouri State Football squad opened their 2025 campaign August 28, falling to Minnesota State 14-38 in Mankato.

The first game of the John McMenamin era got off to a rocky start, as the Bearcats saw themselves down 21-0 at halftime, and fell behind 35-0 halfway through the third quarter. Redshirt Freshman Quarterback Zechariah Owens, Glendale, AZ got his chance under center, and was able to lead two scoring drives late in the third quarter to get the Bearcats on the board. Owens ended the game with 160 yards passing, 44 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He was responsible for 204 of the team’s 316 total yardage on offense.

Senior Chris Ruhnke started the game at quarterback and was 6-16 for 41 yards with an interception. Ruhnke started all 11 games last season.

The running game was the story on the night, as Northwest struggled to get any consistency on the ground. Their three running backs totalled just 12 carries for 50 yards, while the No-11 ranked Mavericks racked up 269 yards on the ground, helping them control the game with 36:43 possession time. Minnesota State also won the turnover battle, forcing three from the Bearcats on the night.

Northwest will travel to Topeka Saturday, September 6 and face off against MIAA foe Washburn, before the home opener against Texas A&M-Kingsville September 13. The Bearcats have posted 29 straight winning seasons, the longest active streak among Division II programs.