SENATOBIA – Jim Speights' 35-yard field goal as time expired capped a game-winning 46-yard drive over 32 seconds and helped 5th-ranked Northwest stay unbeaten with a thrilling, 42-40 Homecoming win over Holmes on Saturday.

Northwest improved to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the north division while Holmes dropped to 2-4 overall and 1-3 in division play. The Rangers are the lone unbeaten team in the MACJC after Pearl River's upset of No. 1 Co-Lin, 17-9, on Saturday.

Holmes gave Northwest all it could handle, piling up 598 total yards, including 454 on the ground. The triple-option attack worked to near perfection for the Bulldogs with Aquindus Henson rushing for 186 yards and a score and Dejerric Bryant going for 131 and two scores.

Leading 17-13 at the half, Northwest put some distance on the scoreboard just six minutes into the third quarter.

Northwest scored on its opening drive of the second half, driving 74 yards on nine plays, capped by a 1-yard Justin Crawford touchdown run. Gardner Minshew was 3-for-4 on the drive for 53 yards to set up the score. Just 2 minutes later with the Bulldogs driving, Anthony Gund forced a Henson fumble and Chris Fobbs scooped and scored from 50 yards out to make it a 31-13 Ranger lead.

Holmes fired right back, however, scoring on three straight drives to jump in front 33-31 with 10:34 to play. 

Henson rushed in from 8 yards to cap a 68-yard drive and Treviante McDaniel scored on back-to-back drives from 3 and 15 yards on the ground after a successful onside kick attempt. 

Northwest forced a Holmes 3-and-out after an unsuccessful drive themselves, and pushed in front 39-33 with 6:53 to play after Minshew hit Ryan Golden in stride for a 34-yard touchdown. 

After a missed field goal that would've likely iced the game for Northwest, Holmes drove 79 yards on 11 plays, capped by Bryant's 10-yard touchdown run with 37 ticks left. The ensuing point after attempt from Kyle Settlemir, a 35-yard try after a penalty, was good and the Bulldogs led 40-39.

Electing to squib kick it instead of kicking it deep, Romeel Cochran returned the Holmes kickoff to the Northwest 36-yard line with 32 seconds remaining on the clock and all three timeouts left for the Rangers. 

Minshew hit Golden for a 25-yard gain to the Holmes 39-yard line and Northwest immediately called timeout. After three straight incompletions, Minshew floated a perfect pass to Marquisian Chapman for a 21-yard gain on 4th-and-10 and used a timeout with 4 seconds left at the 18-yard line. 

Speights, who had missed two field goals earlier in the game, got his redemption as time expired, banging through a 35-yard field goal to lift Northwest to its second come-from-behind win in as many games.

Crawford accounted for 270 all-purpose yards on the night (193 rushing, 77 receiving), passing former NFL first round draft pick, John Avery, into first all-time in all-purpose yards. Minshew threw for 298 yards and three scores on 14-of-32 aim, connecting with Golden five times for 129 yards and a score.

Defensively for the Rangers, Devante Davis racked up a game and career-high 16 tackles, followed by 14 from Malik Hawkins, 12 from Quondarius Qualls and 11 from Steven Bradley. 

Northwest will travel to Moorhead next Saturday, Oct. 10, for a 2 p.m. kickoff at Mississippi Delta (2-4, 2-1 north).