Northwest Missouri State football upended by Ferris State in quarterfinals of NCAA D-II

Northwest Missouri State’s quest for more football hardware came to a halt for the season on Saturday in Big Rapids, Michigan.

The Bearcats, ranked No. 4, ran into top-ranked Ferris State in the NCAA Division II national quarterfinals and lost 41-20.

Northwest Missouri finished the season 11-2. Ferris State, meanwhile, pushed its record to 12-0 and is heading to the semifinals.

Ferris State scored on its opening possession Saturday and never let go of the lead.

Bearcats quarterback Braden Wright, a junior, passed for 255 yards and ran for 48 more. Senior running back Al McKeller rushed for 74 yards in 16 carries. McKeller scored on a 31-yard run, which gave him 19 TDs on the season.

Jackson Barnes, a senior linebacker who played in high school at Liberty, finished with 11 tackles, including two for a loss.

Kaden Davis, a senior wideout, caught five balls for 75 yards for the Bearcats, including one for a touchdown, his 10th receiving TD of the season.

Washburn was the only other team to beat Northwest Missouri this season.