Game Stats
MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State junior quarterback Ryan Ratekin completed 12 of 19 passes for 310 yards and four touchdowns, while the SMSU defense forced four Black Hills State turnovers to earn a 55-10 non-conference victory on Saturday night in Marshall.
SMSU with the victory is 2-0 on the season while BHSU drops to 0-1. The 2-0 start for SMSU is its first since the 2005 season while it's the program's fourth straight victory dating back to last season, its longest win streak since the 1999 season.
SMSU held a 21-10 lead midway through the third quarter and saw BHSU drive down to the SMSU 4-yard line, but the Mustang defense forced a field goal attempt and BHSU kicker Chris Wenk missed the 25-yard field goal attempt to keep SMSU with an 11-point lead.
The Mustang offense took advantage of the missed field goal just one play later as Ratekin connected on an 80-yard touchdown strike to Wade McDonough to push the SMSU lead to 28-10 with 7:21 left in the third quarter. The touchdown pass tied for the sixth longest pass play in school history.
SMSU wasn't finished in the quarter as Ratekin led the Mustang offense on back-to-back scoring drives as he connected on a 15-yard touchdown pass to Sean Patrick O'Leary with 4:17 on the clock and following a BHSU turnover, Ratekin lofted a 24-yard touchdown pass to Zach Wysong with 1:05 remaining in the quarter to push the lead to 41-10.
The Mustangs added two more scores in the final quarter as Moore scored his second touchdown of the night, this time from three yards out with just over eight minutes left, and then capped the scoring on a Tyler Mickelson 24-yard touchdown pass to Dan Brannen. It was the first ever touchdown pass for Mickleson and first ever touchdown for Brannen.
Wysong rushed for a team-high 82 yards with one touchdown on just 10 carries to pace the Mustang rushing attack, while O'Leary and Bret Ballantine led SMSU receivers with three receptions each.
Levi Bullerman finished with a game-high eight tackles for SMSU, while Derek Klinkner added seven tackles and one interception.
The Mustang offense started the game slow as the first two drives ended with an interception and a punt. SMSU finally broke through late in the first quarter on a botched punt attempt by BHSU set up the SMSU offense at the BHSU 22-yard line. Facing third down and eight from the 20-yard line, Ratekin put SMSU on the board with a 20-yard pass to Blake Wilson to give SMSU a 7-0 lead.
The SMSU defense then stepped up and set up the offense as Derek Klinkner intercepted BHSU quarterback Drew Hodgs setting up SMSU at the 16-yard line. Just four plays later SMSU extended the lead to 14-0 as Gannon Moore plowed in from a yard out with 14:18 left in the first half.
Following a Yellow Jackets field goal with 9:56 remaining in the second quarter, SMSU answered back quickly as Ratekin found Bret Ballantine open for a 33-yard pass and catch and one play later Wysong broke free with an eye-opening 27-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 21-3 with 9:05 left in the half.
Black Hills State scored with 4:21 left in the half to trim the lead to 21-10 into the halftime break.
SMSU, 2-0 overall, 1-0 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, will return to conference play next Saturday, Sept. 12 versus defending NCAA champion Minnesota Duluth for the annual Shrine Game and Military Appreciation Day. Kickoff is slated for 6 pm at the Regional Event Center.
