By CADE KENNEDY, Sports Editor
The Northwestern football team lost against Southern Arkansas 32-13 Sept. 2 at Ranger Field.
The Rangers had several problems against the Muleriders, and finishing in the red zone was one of them.
“We struggled in the red zone,” said Matt Walter, the head coach of the Rangers. “You cannot win games without scoring touchdowns, so that’s where we have to be.”
The Rangers were able to score on two of their three possessions in the red zone, but they had to settle for field goals both times. The third possession in the red zone ended with Northwestern fumbling the ball.
Red-zone scoring was not the only problem the Rangers had, as penalties were also a problem. The Rangers committed 10 penalties throughout the game for a total of 87 yards.
Some of these penalties directly led to points for the Muleriders, such as the second drive of the game.
On that drive, the Muleriders were facing third-and-18 at their own 39-yard line when Mallory Hayden, the quarterback for the Muleriders, threw an incomplete pass that would bring up fourth down.
However, one of the Rangers was flagged for being offside, making it third-and-13 instead of fourth-and-18. The next play, Hayden was able to find a receiver for a 13-yard gain, giving the Muleriders a first down.
Southern Arkansas would go on to kick a field goal to take a 6-3 lead over Northwestern.
Another problem that would plague the Rangers would be the offensive line, as Tanner Clarkson, the quarterback for the Rangers, was sacked eight times during the game for a combined loss of 40 yards.
The ability to run the football would be another problem for the Rangers, as Northwestern only had 26 total rushing yards throughout the entire game. The Rangers only ran the ball 26 times during the game.
There were some positives for the Rangers, as Clarkson threw for 413 yards and one touchdown, with 26 completions out of 40 attempts.
Torrence Stevens, who had six receptions for 103 yards, caught the lone touchdown of the game.
“I saw the ball in the air, and I was wide open, so I knew I had to make a play,” Stevens said.
The Rangers will play Saturday against the Henderson State University Reddies at 6 p.m. in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
The Rangers have maintained a 2-5 record against the Reddies since 2013.
Henderson State defeated Southwestern 31-13 Sept. 2, giving the Reddies a 1-0 record for the season.
