Oct. 30, 1999

The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference has a new football champion.

Northern State University knocked Winona State (6-1 NSIC, 7-2 overall) off an 18-game conference winning streak and a two-year stay as NSIC champions Saturday with a 37-34 win in Winona. In return, the Wolves kept their conference mark a perfect 7-0 and earned at least a share of the conference crown.

Southwest State knocked off potential contender Moorhead State 7-6 Saturday. Coming into the weekend, the Dragons had only one conference loss (to Winona State). But after falling to the Mustangs, the Dragons are out of the title picture. However, the game between NSU and MSU Nov. 6 in Aberdeen could still decide if the Wolves win the NSIC crown outright or have to share it with Winona. But after Saturday's action, any sharing of the title is a mere technicality, as the Wolves proved they are the best in the NSIC by beating the best in their own backyard.

In what is the Northern football trademark this season, the Wolves passed enough to keep the defense honest, but made their living by pounding the football up the field on the ground, methodically moving the chains and wearing down the opposing defense. The result shows on the final statistics as much as the final score: Northern more than doubled up the Warriors in time of possession and rushed for 298 yards as a team.

Junior running back and All-American candidate Tyrone Morgan (Wichita Falls, Texas) again carried most of the load for the Wolves, rushing for 170 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries. Providing a lethal 1-2 punch in the backfield was junior back Tefua Bloomfield (Kearns, Utah), who grinded out 65 yards and plunged in for three scores on the day. Through the air, junior wideout Adam Syphers (Klamath Falls, Ore.) led the receiving corps with four catches for 54 yards.

On the other side of the ball, the nation's eighth-ranked Wolves defense threw a wrench into the Warriors 22nd-ranked offense, forcing five Winona turnovers that shortened the field for NSU's offense and resulted in 16 points. Senior middle linebacker Naki Angilau (Kearns, Utah), who has won NSIC Defensive Player of the Week honors for two weeks straight and was also tabbed national player of the week last week by two publications, again led NSU's defense with eight tackles, a fumble recovery and two interceptions.

For the first time since 1992, Northern State earned the conference crown in football. The seven-year drought was broken by a seven-game conference win streak put together by the 1999 version of the Maroon and Gold. A year ago, the Wolves also put together a seven-game winning streak that ended with a non-conference season finale win over Winona State in the Metrodome. But that victory pales in comparison to what the Wolves accomplished Saturday. Why? It's a matter of hardware.