WICHITA FALLS, Texas — Northwest Missouri State frequently relies upon a mantra when these scenarios arise, and they come up often despite the program’s dynastic status.

“We talked at half just to stay alive,” Northwest first-year coach Adam Dorrel said.

The circumstances in Saturday’s Division II second-round playoff game at Midwestern State weren’t beyond the realm of the Bearcats’ recent past, but this team hasn’t exactly oozed the clutch invincibility that carried them to this prestige level during the past six seasons.

The squad that lost two close regular-season games to induce a road playoff odyssey dispelled any notion it couldn’t operate with consistent crunch-time precision Saturday. Facing Super Region 4’s top seed and engulfed in whirring winds that hindered its vaunted play-action-passing game, Northwest laid another dizzying comeback on a regional juggernaut.

The Bearcats erased an 18-point first-half deficit to force overtime against Midwestern State and scored the only points in the extra period in a 38-31 victory at Memorial Stadium.

The Bearcats (11-2) trailed 28-10 midway through the second quarter and flipped their largest deficit margin since the current streak of eight straight years reaching a national quarterfinal began in 2004. The Mustangs were in position to secure the LSC’s first playoff victory over the Bearcats after marching to the Northwest 9-yard line with 10 seconds left in regulation, but kicker Greg Saladino shanked the wind-impaired game-winning 27-yard attempt wide left.

“If I had to have something back, I’d like to have the overtime back and maybe the field goal before overtime,” Midwestern coach Bill Maskill said. “I feel like we should’ve made that field goal. We make it every day in practice.”

James Frankin III, Trevor Adams and D.J. Gnader weren’t part of the cardiac 2010 team’s nucleus but displayed sufficient late-game chops in their second playoff dates. Franklin rushed for 146 yards and two scores, Adams threw for three and Gnader continued his breakout campaign with a career-high 15-tackle performance.

Adams hit tight end Kyle Kilgore for all three scores, including the overtime’s only touchdown.

Fifth-seeded Northwest, which rallied from 16 points down against Missouri Western in the first round to avenge a Week 10 defeat, will have a chance to flip another regular-season result next week when it travels to second-seeded Pittsburg State.

The Gorillas (10-1) began the Bearcats’ slide into vulnerability with a 38-35 Week 5 upset.

Midwestern State, the 10-1 Lone Star Conference champions, nearly completed that descent with a four-touchdown first half but wound up another befuddled Bearcat opponent after failing to close out the resilient powerhouse.

“I really thought Midwestern would take the wind in the third quarter, try to pin us and finish the game,” Dorrel said. “I’ve been in a lot of big victories at Northwest Missouri State. Today ranks up there with one of the big wins for our program.”

Midwestern, Division II’s top yardage offense, scored just three points in a third quarter when it was backed by the blustery gusts upwards of 30 mph and left the door open for the division’s scoring kingpin in the fourth.

Grounded most of the day, Northwest immediately shifted gears once the period began.

Franklin and Kilgore scored quick TDs to tie the game at 31 on drives that began inside Midwestern’s 40-yard line due to two punts fluttering short in the wind. Adams, who lost a fumble and threw a fourth-down interception in a bleak third quarter, knew the team had the capability to ignite late.

“We were prepared. It was gonna be a pretty windy day,” Adams said. “That third quarter, we just tried to weather the storm and keep drives alive. Just the confidence of our team — Not cockiness, just confidence — knowing that we were OK at all times. That really helped us all.”

Adams hit Kilgore on a 13-yard wheel route in the back of the end zone on the overtime’s third play.

The revitalized Northwest defense responded by stopping a conservative Midwestern approach — three straight runs from running back Keidrick Jackson — and celebrated after officials ruled Sheldon Gallaway trapped a fourth-down bubble route.

Jackson totaled 184 rushing yards but just 44 of those came after halftime.

“I felt like (our guys) weren’t being physical enough,” Dorrel said. “The third quarter, they answered the bell. We were just doing a better job of getting our hands on and not getting pushed by the pile. We maintained our gap integrity.”

Midwestern State overpowered the Bearcats in a first half reminiscent of last year’s semifinal loss to Minnesota-Duluth.

The Mustangs eschewed the pass almost entirely and bludgeoned a Northwest front seven that stifled Western’s ground game last week. Jackson scored on a 32-yard fourth-down carry, and Lester Bush plunged into the end zone twice to build the halftime lead.

“In the first half, we weren’t playing like we usually do,” Kilgore said. “Everybody did a good job of raising their level, and we were able to turn it around.”

That push started with Northwest’s only touchdown against the wind current.

Down 18, the Bearcats desperately churned out an 11-play, 83-yard drive that Franklin punctuated with a 6-yard bounce-outside touchdown. Dorrel began to sense a chance at another comeback after Adams’ fumble gave Midwestern the ball inside Northwest’s 25-yard line.

The Bearcats ceded just a 22-yard field goal and what turned out to be the Mustangs’ final points.

“(After the field goal), I had a feeling — I don’t know what it was — that we were gonna get this done,” Dorrel said.

Sam Robinson can be reached at sam.robinson@newspressnow.com