By Cade Kennedy, Sports Editor
The Northwestern football team fell Saturday to the Henderson State Reddies, 51-27, on a cold, wet and windy night at Ranger Field.
The Rangers showed signs of improvement, as the Reddies did not win in the same demoralizing fashion they did last season. In that game, the Rangers lost, 55-7.
After a 30-minute delay, the Rangers started the game with the ball, but that possession lasted only a matter of seconds.
After 40 seconds of play, quarterback Tanner Clarkson threw an interception that set up a 10-yard touchdown drive for the Reddies.
The Rangers had a quick response, as they drove 75 yards in three plays to tie the game at 7-7.
From that point, the Reddies went on an assault through the air and on the ground, as the Reddies continued to rack up points until they had a 35-14 lead at halftime.
The Henderson State onslaught continued in the third quarter, as the Reddies proceeded to run the middle right at the heart of the Ranger defense.
These runs, combined with a few deep passes, allowed the Reddies to tack on two more touchdowns in the quarter, which brought the score to 49-14 in favor of Henderson State.
The Rangers turned the tide of the game in the fourth quarter, as Clarkson connected on passes to both Travis Romar and Isaiah Haro to bring the score to 49-27.
The Rangers could not get the 28th point, however, as a Reddie defender blocked the PAT and returned for two points the other way. When the clock hit zeros, the Reddies won the game, 51-27.
Despite the 24-point loss, the Rangers had some positives to take away from the game. Clarkson had a big game by completing 22 out his 36 passes for 323 yards and four touchdowns.
On the receiving end, Romar only had three catches, but every reception resulted in a Ranger touchdown. Romar finished the game with 110 receiving yards.
While the Ranger defense still struggled, players also showed signs of improvement from the Southern Arkansas game.
The main sign of improvement came in scoring, as the Rangers allowed 11 fewer points against the Reddies than they did versus the Muleriders. The Rangers gave up 450 yards of offense to the Reddies, which is a 175-yard improvement when compared to the Southern Arkansas game.
The next game for the Rangers is Saturday, when Northwestern takes on the Bison of Oklahoma Baptist at 6 p.m. at Ranger Field.