The Mustang offense racked up 452 yards in the game marking the fourth time SMSU has reached 400 yards of offense this season.  The 52 points also marked the eighth time SMSU scored at least 30 points in a game, tying a school record along with the 1987 and 1991 teams.

 

SMSU quarterback Ryan Ratekin completed 13 of 17 passes for 191 yards and four touchdowns.  Ratekin's four TD passes gives him 33 on the season, the third highest total in one season in school history.  Ratekin's top target was Blake Wilson, who caught four passes for 74 yards and two touchdowns and finished his career with 23 touchdown receptions ranking fifth in school history.

 

SMSU jumped to a 21-3 first quarter lead and never looked back in building a 35-3 halftime lead.

 

The Mustang defense was outstanding limiting the Dragon offense to 184 yards, including seven yards rushing on 22 attempts.  SMSU's Yousif Youboty also was big for the Mustang special teams blocking two MSUM punt attempts.

 

SMSU recorded 11 tackles for loss and five sacks, both team highs for 2009.  The 11 tackles for loss is the most by a Mustang defense since Aug. 31, 2006, versus South Dakota Tech when it also reached 11 tackles for loss.

 

Senior defensive end Aaron Diggs finished with a game-high nine tackles, including 2.5 for loss and one sack.  Three other seniors also played big roles on defense, with Matt Carmody adding five tackles and one sack, while Lionel Lamarre and Levi Bullerman each added four tackles.

SMSU turned the ball over on a fumble on its opening drive at the MSUM 30-yard line, but the SMSU defense quickly forced a three-and-out setting up the SMSU offense at the Mustang 45-yard line.  The Mustang offense took advantage of the short field moving 55 yard in just five plays with Gannon Moore capping the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to give SMSU a 7-0 lead with 9:31 left in the first quarter.

MSU answered with an 81-yard kickoff return starting its next drive at the SMSU 12-yard line, but again the Mustang defense stood strong and forced a 26-yard field goal by Jimmie Mattson, who booted the kick through to trim the lead to 7-3 with eight minutes left in the quarter.

Following a short kickoff by MSUM and a return of 20 yards by Levi Bullerman, SMSU began its next drive at midfield.  Just three plays later, Moore broke free on a third-and-one for a 41-yard touchdown to push the lead to 14-3 in favor of the Mustangs with 6:24 on the clock.  The touchdown was the 13th of the season for Moore, tying a school single-season record.  Robert Lipsey also had 13 touchdowns in 1990.

The MSUM defense then forced another three-and-out and the Mustang special teams came through as Youboty blocked Patrick Haynes punt and SMSU took over at the Dragon 24-yard line.  Five plays later Ratekin connected with Wilson on a third-and-goal from the six-yard line with 2:37 left to push the lead to 21-3.

The scored stayed that way until the second quarter when SMSU's Lionel Lamarre intercepted MSUM's Zach Fry at the SMSU 32-yard line and returned it 39 yards to the MSUM 29-yard line.  Ratekin then completed back-to-back passes to Youboty, one for 21 yard and the second an eight-yard touchdown strike to extend the lead to 28-3.

The SMSU offense was then able to take advantage of another short field set up by the Mustang defense and special teams.  MSUM attempted a fake punt at its own 31-yard line, but Derek Townsend knocked down the pass attempt setting up the offense in great field position.  Following four straight rush attempts down to the 11-yard line, Ratekin fired an 11-yard touchdown pass to Wilson to make the score 35-3 with 1:59 left in the half.

SMSU scored on its first drive of the second half as Wysong reached the 100-yard mark with a 27-yard touchdown run with just over 11 minutes left in the third quarter.

SMSU finished off the scoring with a Ratekin 28-yard touchdown pass to Wade McDonough on the first play of the fourth quarter, while Lance Schuveiller booted a 22-yard field goal with 11:09 left in the game.

It was the final home game for 16 SMSU seniors including: Levi Bullerman, Matt Carmody, Aaron Diggs, Michael Hagny, Lionel Lamarre, Tyler Mickelson, Bill Noethlich, Mike Scott, Shaye Thomas, Derek Townsend, Ryan Vette, Jordan Wager, Nic Wagner, Tony Weiler, Blake Wilson and Zach Wysong.  Every senior, except Wagner, who was with an injury played in today's game.