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Tyler Reed, Tyler Fischer and David Connors tackle CSP quarterback Kole Goodchild on Saturday night

Mustangs Win First Homecoming Game Since 2000

Box Score

MARSHALL, MINN.: The Southwest Minnesota State football team defeated Concordia-St. Paul 24-19 for its first homecoming win since 2000.  The Mustangs improve to 2-4 overall and 2-2 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.  Concordia drops to 1-5 and 0-4 in the NSIC.

SMSU running backs Paul Benesh and Zach Wysong each went over 100 yards on the ground for the second time this season.  Benesh rushed for 109 yards on 16 carries, while Wysong went for 108 on just 12 rushes.  Mustang quarterback Josh Shudlick also had a solid game, completing 20-of-34 for 224 yards and a 75-yard touchdown pass to Wysong.  Wysong had 212 all-purpose yards in the game.

Special teams were big in the win as well, as kicker Scott Talcott drilled a career-high four field goals in six tries and in the process tied the school record for field goals made in one game (Nate Krull, 1998 vs. Augustana).  The junior connected on kicks of 23, 27, 29 and 46 yards.  Korey Roethler averaged 45.0 yards per punt on just two kicks.

SMSU jumped out to an early 12-0 lead after the first quarter, driving into a 30 mph wind, after field goals from Talcott of 27 and 23 yards on the first two Mustang drives.  Southwest then drove 78 yards on just three plays after a 75-yard touchdown pass from Shudlick to Wysong on the final drive of the quarter.  However, a two-point conversion failed to keep the score 12-0.

Concordia put together an 11-play, 66-yard drive to close out the first half, scoring with 52 seconds left on a one-yard run by Hayden Vavra, who lined up at quarterback on the play.

Wysong then took the first play from scrimmage in the second half 75 yards for his rushing touchdown.  Both teams exchanged field goals before another Concordia field goal cut the SMSU lead to 21-13.  The two long plays by Wysong was the first time in school history a player had a rushing and receiving touchdown of 75 yards or more in one game.

After CSP punted on its first drive in the fourth quarter, each team fumbled just over a minute apart, giving SMSU the ball back with 11:12 left and the ball at the Concordia 44-yard line.  Talcott missed a 40-yard field goal, but the drive took 3:56 off the clock, giving CSP the ball with 6:43 left.  The Golden Bears went three-and-out, but attempted a 4th down conversion from their own 26 yard line and failed, giving the Mustangs the ball back in field goal range.  Four plays later, Talcott drilled a 46-yarder with 3:33 left to nearly ice the game.

However, Concordia scored with 2:14 left after driving 70 yards and nine plays on a pass from Vavra, who was in the game for injured quarterback Kole Goodchild, to Eric Tonkin.  Concordia recovered the ensuing onside kick, but a first down sack by SMSU redshirt freshman Chris Christianson and a 4th-down fumble recovery by Christianson put the game away and give SMSU the ball with 1:32 left.  The Mustangs ran out the clock after a first down and celebrated their first homecoming victory since 2000.

Derek Townsend led SMSU with five receptions for 32 yards, while Wysong led with 97 receiving yards on three catches.  Tyler Reed led the Mustang defense with 13 tackles and one-and-a-half tackles for loss.  Tyler Fischer also recorded eight stops and forced a fumble.  David Connors led SMSU with two pass breakups and added seven stops.  Christianson and Michael Liggins each recorded sacks for the Mustangs.

SMSU travels to Upper Iowa for a 1 p.m. kickoff next Saturday, Oct. 13.

Chris Christianson celebrates recovering a fumble on CSP's final drive.
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