The UAM Weevil football team fell behind early on Saturday, October 8, in front of a large Homecoming crowd to the 0-5 Northwestern Oklahoma State University Rangers and could not overcome the Ranger deficit as NWOSU handed the Weevils their third loss on the season.
NWOSU won the coin toss to start the contest and deferred to the second half.
UAM would get the first points of the contest on their first possession after an 18-yard kickoff return by Dorian Manuel gave the Weevils possession on their own 22.
Demilon Brown would get the Weevils on the board after a 20-yard touchdown run with 9:01 remaining in the first quarter.
Marquise McKnight would miss the extra point to make the Weevil lead 6-0.
NWOSU came back on their first possession of the contest after covering 65 yards capped off by a one-yard run and a field goal to take a 7-6 lead.
UAM would turn the ball over on their next possession with Brown fumbling the ball at their own 12-yard line allowing Northwestern’s Joseph Saunders to scoop the ball up for a Ranger score. The Extra point was missed to extend the Ranger lead to 13-6.
Both teams would be forced to punt on their next two possessions with UAM holding the ball as the quarter ended.
The Weevils would be forced to punt the ball from their own 20-yard line on their first second quarter possession.
With the clock winding down in the first half of play, UAM would begin a drive with 6:48 remaining in the half from their own 34 yard line and would bring the ball into Ranger territory setting up for a 48-yard field goal attempt by Zachary Grisotti that went through the uprights to cut the Ranger lead to 13-9. The score would remain through the end of the half.
The ranger’s opened the second half of play with a30-yard kickoff return to begin their drive at their own 35, however a block in the back penalty at the 20-yard line would bring the ball back to the Ranger 10.
NWOSU would cover the 90 yards on the drive capped off with a 55-yard touchdown pass and reception.
After the extra point, the Rangers extended the lead to 20-9.
After forcing UAM to punt on their next drive, The Ranger’s would add their final score of the contest with 5:08 remaining in the third quarter.
With the added extra point NWOSU extended the lead to 26-9.
Beginning a drive with 13:57 remaining in the contest from their own 35-yard line, the Weevils would cut the deficit to 26-16 after covering the 65-yards capped off with a 20-yard run for a touchdown by Jonero Scott. McKnight added the extra point with 12:17 left in the contest.
Brown would connect with LaCedric Smith on their next possession for a 33-yard touchdown with KcKnight adding the final points of the contest to set up the 26-23 final in favor of the Rangers.
With the win, NWOSU improves their record to 1-5 with UAM falling to 3-3 on the season.
The Weevil season does not get any easier in their bid to become bowl eligible.
The Weevils will be on the road on Saturday, October 15, to face the #4 ranked Ouachita Baptist Tigers and will return home the following week to face another current Top 10 ranked team when the #8 ranked Harding Bison travel to Convoy-Leslie Cotton Bowl Stadium.
The Weevils have lost to Ouachita in four consecutive contests, including being shut out last season 34-0.
The Weevils are currently 2-9 against the Tigers in their last 11 contests with their last win coming in 2016.
The UAM-Ouachita Baptist contest is scheduled for a 1 pm kickoff on Saturday in Arkadelphia.
