MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris Cougars (7-3, 5-0 UMAC) won the 2023 UMAC Football Championship on Saturday afternoon in a 42-39 victory over the University of Northwestern Eagles (6-4, 4-1 UMAC). The conference title is the second in program history for the Cougars and their first since 2006, ending a 17-year championship drought.
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Both teams entered Saturday’s game with undefeated 4-0 records against UMAC opponents this season. With the top two teams facing each other in the final game of the regular season, the game was a head-to-head battle for the conference championship.
Northwestern took an early lead with a pair of touchdown passes in the first quarter. Eagles’ quarterback Caden Cantrell found running back Jeremiah Staten for a 27-yard score less than five minutes in and later hit Jaylen Brown for a 21-yard touchdown to give UNW a 14-0 lead with 6:23 to go in the opening frame.
On the next possession for Minnesota Morris, running back Izayah Boss took a handoff to the left side and broke free down the sideline for a 68-yard touchdown run, putting the Cougars on the board down 14-7.
The Eagles added to their lead in the final minutes of the first quarter as Brown rushed left for a 24-yard touchdown run, putting UNW up 21-7.
In the opening minutes of the second quarter, the Cougars were stopped at the one-yard line of the Eagles, turning the ball over to Northwestern. On the ensuing UNW snap, the Minnesota Morris defensive line broke through the Eagles front to bring down the ball carrier for a safety to cut their deficit to 12 points.
On their ensuring possession, the Cougars drove down the field and scored on a six-yard touchdown pass from Cole Mitchell to Marcus Reeb to make it a one-score game down 21-16.
Three minutes into the third quarter, Minnesota Morris took the lead for the first time in the game on a seven-yard touchdown run from Blake Johnson to cap off a seven-play, 66-yard drive, putting the Cougars up 22-21.
On the first play of the ensuing Northwestern drive, UMM forced and recovered a UNW fumble on the Eagles’ 20-yard line. Four plays later, Boss would rush for a five-yard touchdown, his second of the day, to put Minnesota Morris up 29-21 five minutes into the second half.
The Eagles cut into the Cougars lead on their next drive, kicking a field goal set up by a 50-yard completion to Brown to make it 29-24.
UNW’s defense proceeded to force a UMM three-and-out to get the ball back quickly. The Eagles then marched down the field on a nine-play, 66-yard drive capped off by a one-yard touchdown run from Cantrell to retake the lead up 32-29 right before the end of the third quarter.
Minnesota Morris ran down the field on their next drive with six rushing plays, ending with a 25-yard field goal by Alex Happ to tie the game at 32-32.
The Cougars then forced a three-and-out for Northwestern deep in the Eagles territory. The punt that followed went out of bounds at the UNW 43-yard line, setting up the Cougars with excellent field position. Minnesota Morris capitalized on the opportunity in front of them, scoring with a 16-yard rushing touchdown by Johnson to take a 39-32 lead with 13:16 remaining in regulation.
Northwestern answered with a 13-play, 88-yard drive that took 5:06 off the clock to tie the game up again at 39-39. Cantrell ran the ball in from the one-yard line for his second rushing touchdown of the day to tie the game with 8:03 remaining.
On the ensuing kickoff, Garrett Elison caught the kick at the Cougars’ own 15-yard line and returned it 30 yards to their 45-yard line. With great field position, the Cougars started to work down the field, eventually getting to a 4
th and 5 at the Eagles’ 25-yard line. Happ entered the game to attempt a 42-yard field goal to give Minnesota Morris the lead. His kick sailed through the uprights to put the Cougars on top up 42-39 with 4:19 remaining.
The Eagles final drive started at their own 23-yard line. Northwestern worked down the field and faced a 4
th and 6 from their own 38 with 2:55 left on the clock. Cantrell then found Beau Burk for a 12-yard reception to keep the game and UNW’s season alive.
Northwestern continued to drive down the field, eventually reaching a 1
st and Goal from the Cougars 10-yard line after driving 67 yards on 13 plays. With 18 seconds on the clock, the Eagles dropped back and threw a pass to the middle of the field under heavy pressure from the Cougars’ pass rush. That pass attempt would end the game as Juan Garza picked it off at the Cougars’ goal line and ran it back eight yards before sliding down with seven seconds left on the clock.
The moment the pass was intercepted, the Minnesota Morris players, sideline, and fans all erupted into cheers as the game was effectively over. One kneel-down later, the celebration started for the Cougars and their fans who had waited 17 years for another moment like this.
With the conference championship victory, Minnesota Morris has earned the UMAC’s automatic bid and will advance to compete in the NCAA DIII Championship. The Cougars will find out on Sunday night in the NCAA Selection Show who they will compete against in the first round of the national tournament next weekend.