By Cade Kennedy, Sports Editor
The Northwestern football team lost to the Oklahoma Baptist Bison, 31-23, on a windy Saturday night at Ranger Field.
The Ranger offense struggled to hold on to the ball, as the Rangers committed four turnovers throughout the game, with three of them being fumbles.
The Rangers got off to a strong start, as quarterback Tanner Clarkson threw a 36-yard pass to Torrence Stevens for the first touchdown of the game.
The Bison had a response, as they drove 78 yards in 10 plays to tie the game at 7-7.
The Rangers and Bison traded scores again, with Ranger Connor O’Neal making a 50-yard field goal to give the Rangers a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Bison answered with a lengthy drive that put Oklahoma Baptist up 14-10 at the half.
The second half started as a defensive battle, as both teams failed to establish any form of offense.
The Rangers needed only one play to end their drive, as running back Darian Gill fumbled the ball at the Northwestern 44-yard line.
The Bison returned the favor by marching the ball 18 yards before the Ranger defense stopped the Bison on fourth down.
After trading punts, the Rangers ran the ball right at the Bison defense. Six minutes later, Clarkson surged into the endzone to give the Rangers a 17-14 lead late in the third quarter.
The Bison had a chance to take the lead, but the Ranger defense suffocated the Bison run game, causing Oklahoma Baptist to punt the ball with under a minute to go in the quarter.
When the fourth quarter began, there was a sense of excitement around the stadium. The fans were on their feet, the players were cautiously celebrating and the band kept playing away.
But when the Bison defense stepped onto the field, they had other plans.
In only 30 seconds, the air had been sucked out of the stadium, with Clarkson getting stopped on a critical fourth down.
One play later, Bison running back E.J. Moore took off on a 56-yard sprint that completed the shift in momentum. Moore’s run gave the Bison a 21-17 lead.
The Bison continued to run up the score, as the four-point margin soon became a 31-17 lead with only four minutes left in the game.
The Rangers tried to rally back, but lost to the Bison, 31-23.