Northwestern swung the tide of the Soul Bowl with just four minutes against Jackson

Even with a lengthy winning streak in its annual rivalry game against Jackson, Northwestern knows the Soul Bowl can be unpredictable. Emotions can run hot. Pregame jitters can extend into the early moments and even eventual blowouts can be close until surprisingly late in the game.

“These kids know each other. They grew up with each other, so it’s going to start of sloppy on both ends,” Bulls coach Max Edwards said after leading his team to a win in Miami. “It’s the Soul Bowl.”

So the opening quarter went about how Edwards expected. Northwestern lost a pair of fumbles, including one at its own 1-yard line. The Bulls eventually pulled away for a 34-10 win against the Generals – their fourth straight in the Soul Bowl – at Nathaniel “Traz” Powell Stadium, but it took some time for Northwestern (5-5) to break through. Once the Bulls did, the game shifted in a hurry.

Northwestern needed only three offensive plays to quickly turn a three-point deficit into a lopsided win. For more than 15 minutes of game time and 12 offensive plays, the Bulls had totaled only five yards, lost two fumbles and managed just one first down. Northwestern needed help from its defense, which had already pulled in one interception and made a goal-line stand, to keep within 3-0 early in the second quarter. With field position finally swung in the Bulls’ favor, the barrage could begin.

A long punt return by Kamren Kinchens set up Northwestern’s first score. After a facemask at the end of the defensive back’s return, the Bulls began at Jackson’s 17-yard line and immediately handed the ball to Jacquez Stuart. The Toledo Rockets-committed athlete darted to his right, found a hole and gave Northwestern a 7-3 lead with a 17-yard touchdown run.

Another good punt return gave the Bulls the ball at the Generals’ 25 and now it was Isaiah Velez’s turn. The quarterback made a tough throw under pressure to find running back Nathan Noel along the left sideline for a 25-yard touchdown pass.

Northwestern’s defense made another play on Jackson’s next possession and defensive back Ronald Delancy ran an interception all the way back to the goal line. On the first play of the ensuing drive, running back Jacob Baptiste punched in a 2-yard touchdown.

The burst finished before the Bulls even ran another offensive play. A Northwestern sack and a rash of Generals penalties forced Jackson (5-5) to punt from its own 6-yard line and Kinchens took advantage. Once again, the sophomore ripped off a long return, this time bringing it all the way back for a 37-yard punt-return touchdown. In just 4:22, a 3-0 deficit became a 27-3 lead.

“Our offense, they had a slow start. Sometimes we come out like that, but I told my defense, we’ve got to keep our feet on the gas and everything like that because we have to have our offense’s back,” said star outside linebacker Samuel Brooks, who is committed to the Miami Hurricanes. “Offense played sloppy in the first quarter, but they came out and put up 27 points in the second.”

The defense handled the rest for the Bulls. Northwestern finished with 17 tackles for a loss and nine sacks. Brooks alone logged five tackles for a loss and three sacks in the win. The Generals finished the game with negative yardage.