New Ulm, MN - The Martin Luther College football team found themselves on a 4th down and five situation to keep the game alive in hopes for a game winning drive, but Max Nordlie was unable to connect with wider receiver Andrew Raasch and the Northwestern Eagles escaped the MLC Bowl with a 42-38 win over MLC.

In a Homecoming game where the MLC parents and the 1973 DMLC Lancers were honored, the Knights put together their best performance on both sides of the ball, despite the close loss. The Knights had season-highs in total offense (324) and points (38) and jumped out to their biggest lead in four games played (24-7), following a 64-yard touchdown pass from Nordlie to Jude Pederson and a 32-yard field goal from Micah Koschnitzke.

However, the Eagles found a spark of momentum just before halftime and cut into their deficit when Caden Cantrell hit Beau Burk for a 75-yard touchdown to pull Northwestern within 10 (31-21). 

MLC received the ball to start the second half, but was forced into a three and out and had to punt it back over to the Eagles. From there, Northwestern put together a five play, 73 yard drive that was finished off with a two-yard rushing touchdown by Jeremiah Staten.

Northwestern regained the lead for the first time since the beginning of the first quarter (35-31), but the Knights found another hole in the defense and exploited it with a 49-yard touchdown pass from Nordlie to Pederson and went back up 38-35.

Staten answered back with his second rushing touchdown on the ensuing drive of the third quarter and scored the final points of the game for either team, as the Eagles held onto the four-point advantage throughout the final 15 minutes of action.

Despite the loss, MLC was also opportunistic on defense and special teams, especially with the 77-yard blocked field goal return for touchdown by Jeremiah Stanton in the first quarter.

Nordlie had a career-high in passing yards (243), while Pederson had a career-high with 3 receptions, 132 yards, and two touchdowns.

Thomas Balge led MLC in tackles with 12, while Joseph Ehlke, David Baumann, and Philip Harteneck each recorded six stops.

MLC (0-4, 0-1) will return to the field next in an away game down in Fulton, MO at Westminster. There, the Knights will take on Westminster as both teams search for their first win of the season. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. on Saturday, October 7.