ST. PAUL, Minn. – The University of Northwestern closed out its first season of home games at the new Reynolds Field in undefeated fashion, handing MacMurray College a 49-13 loss on a chilly Saturday afternoon. The Eagles, now 7-2 overall (6-2 UMAC), dominated the Highlanders in every statistical category, owning a 228-yard advantage in total yards.
Northwestern gave up an early defensive score to MacMurray, but then took control of the game with five consecutive touchdowns in the first half. The Eagles' Kyle Anenson picked off Highlanders quarterback Kimani Meekins on the second play of the game, but MacMurray got the ball right back when Charles Miller picked up Josh Sinnen's fumble on UNW's first play from scrimmage and took it 60 yards the other way for a touchdown.
The Eagles offense came right back on the field and needed just four plays to go 61 yards for a score. Jacob Fletcher's opening pass was delivered to Joe Sutton on a screen that went for 51 yards before Fletcher plunged over the goal line. While UNW's first score was quick, the Purple and Gold's second, third, and fourth drives were more sustained with a different player finding the end zone each time. Fletcher and tight end David Rodriguez connected on a 16-yard TD play before Zac Cash and Jesse Donahue scored on runs of eight and two yards.
Leading 28-7 early in the second quarter, Northwestern was far from finished in terms of offensive production. Fletcher went deep to Caleb Couwenhoven for a 44-yard score less than two minutes after MacMurray had started its previous drive before the Highlanders went three-and-out. Fletcher went to another receiver late in the half, sending the Eagles into the locker room with a 42-7 advantage thanks to a six-yard touchdown reception by Cody Carlson.
While Northwestern had 16 first downs in the initial 30 minutes, MacMurray was still looking to move the chains for the first time. Meekins, who was starting his first game under center after the Highlanders' usual starter, Coy Dorothy, suffered an injury last week, had only been able to complete one first half pass for a one yard.
Owning the buffer on the scoreboard that it did, UNW went almost strictly to its ground game in the second half, passing just 11 times the rest of the way out. Grant Schoen, who follows Fletcher on the Northwestern depth chart, saw action at quarterback throughout the bulk of the fourth quarter, completing five of his eight attempts. Josh Sinnen closed out the game with his eighth touchdown of 2014 and the 27th of his four-year career before finishing with an Eagles-best 74 rushing yards.
MacMurray had its best drive of the game in the middle of the fourth quarter, going 53 yards on 15 plays, scoring on a Nathan Vaughn two-yard run.
Fletcher finished 18-of-21 for 232 yards and three scores to bump the senior's season completion rate to 63 percent. 11 different Eagles caught a pass in the game, with Sutton's 69 yards leading the way. With the difference on the scoreboard being what it was, a host of Northwestern players got in on the defensive side of the ball too, with 27 of them picking up at least one tackle. Jason Fox, Kevin Langmade, and Beau Walter all had eight wrap-ups.
MacMurray's ground game featured six different runners, but Patrick Hall's 35-yard effort on 14 carries was the best individual gain on the day for the Highlanders, who drop to 2-7 on the season (2-6 UMAC). Meekins finished 7-of-20 for 59 yards.
With its home schedule in the books, Northwestern will hit the road for its final regular season game next Saturday when the Eagles face Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.