ST. PAUL, Minn. - Westminster football managed to hold the Northwestern Eagles to just 10 points, but ended up losing the game 10-7.
The Blue Jays fall to 1-3 overall and 1-2 in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference.
"This was a tough one to swallow after turning the ball over so many times," said Westminster Head Coach John Welty. The Blue Jays ended the game with five turnovers, including two fumbles in the red zone.
Despite the loss, Welty commends his defense for holding Northwestern to just 10 points.
"Our defense was today," said Welty. "It was a hard loss, but defensively we were in the right place at the right time. We are undersized but we are quick. Our guys couldn't have prepared better or played better today."
After a scoreless first quarter, the Eagles scored on a 23-yard pass in the second to put them up 3-0. Before the half was over, they added a field goal to go up 10-0 at the half. Westminster's best chance to score in the first half came on their first drive, but a fumble at the goal line was a break for the Eagles and kept the advantage with them.
The Blue Jays again held the Eagles scoreless in the third quarter to keep the score at 10-0. Another Blue Jay fumble at the goal line to ended their third quarter scoring chances.
With two minutes remaining in the game, a five-play and 46 yard Blue Jay drive resulted in a touchdown pass from Trent White to Lucas Robinson, giving Westminster a chance to take the game back.
Northwestern stalled for the remaining two minutes to ensure their win, not giving Westminster another offensive possession.
"We moved the ball well today," said Welty of his offense. "Our execution and play-calling were fine today, but we just couldn't convert. We'll get there, it's just a matter of time."
White went 16-26 with 174 passing yards and two interceptions. Chase Abbington has 17 carries for 48 yards. Matt Quarles led the team receiving with four catches for 60 yards.
Defensively, Clayton Bristol led the team with 10 tackles and one sack.
Westminster returns home Sept. 30 for Homecoming. They will face Martin Luther at 1 p.m.
