By Logan Jones
Asst. Sports Editor
In the final game of the 2018 Ranger football season, Northwestern took the hurt to SWOSU on their homecoming this past Saturday, winning 38-14.
After falling behind, 8-0 in the first quarter, the Rangers erupted with four touchdowns and 28 points in the second quarter.
The scoring began with a 75-yard punt return by Horatio Smith, which was the first punt return touchdown for Northwestern since 2011.
On offense, Smith was a favorite target by Ranger quarterbacks in his final game as a Ranger, finishing the evening with 111 yards on six catches.
On the following Bulldogs drive, redshirt junior Dakota Driskill made a key interception and returned it for a 28-yard pick-six, and following the extra point the Rangers were up 14-8.
Driskill would finish the game with eight tackles, seven of which were solo.
The first offensive touchdown for the Rangers came with six minutes remaining in the half.
Quarterback Isiah Weed completed a 22-yard pass to wide receiver Justin Cain, bringing the score to 21-8.
NWOSU would score one last time before the halfway mark with a 25-yard touchdown catch by Gavin Garner, giving the Rangers a 28-8 lead going into halftime.
Both offenses went cold in the third quarter, but Northwestern found their stride again in the fourth.
After starting the drive on their own six-yard line, the Rangers drove down the field for 94 yards in six minutes and 14 seconds, capped off by a one-yard touchdown run by Weed, bringing the score to 35-8.
The Bulldogs would score again in the fourth quarter, but the game was already out of reach by then.
After the final whistle, NWOSU won, 35-14.
The Rangers finished the season with a 4-7 record overall, placing eighth in the GAC standings.