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MARSHALL, Minn. - Southwest Minnesota State pulled away in the fourth quarter, scoring the final 17 points, to earn a 56-31 victory over Minnesota Crookston in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football on Saturday night at the Schwan Regional Event Center.
 
SMSU (1-1 NSIC)  held a 39-31 lead with less than eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter when the Mustangs' Casey Hertz recorded his first career interception and returned it for a touchdown to give SMSU a 46-31 lead. SMSU would then add a field goal and a touchdown in the final three minutes to seal the home opening victory.
 
Charlie Kern completed 24 of 38 pass attempts for 229 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 62 yards and three touchdowns. Davontay Stevens rushed for a game-high 111 yards on just 13 carries for the Mustangs, while Tyler Tonderum added 58 yards and one touchdown on 18 attempts. Kevin Parks led SMSU receivers with nine receptions for 82 yards and one touchdown.
 
Ben Bucholz passed for 253 yards and three touchdowns for UMC, completing 25 of 42 pass attempts. Jordan Hester caught seven passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns, while Adam Connette had four receptions for 73 yards and one touchdown and also tossed a 31-yard touchdown pass.  
 
SMSU racked up 496 yards of offense and 30 first downs, including rushing for 267 yards. UMC ended the game with 406 yards of offense and 18 first downs.
 
UMC started strong to open the game, scoring touchdowns on its first two drives to build a 14-0 lead with a strong wind to its back.
 
SMSU opened the game by punting on its first drive of the game. Punting into the wind, Mike Wenk's kick was blocked by Dre Person to set up UMC at the SMSU 45-yard line. UMC took advantage of the short field, including picking up a key fourth-down conversion, to score the game's first points. Bucholz capped the team's first drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Connette on third-and-10 to give UMC a 7-0 lead with 11 minutes and 11 seconds left in the first.
 
Following a three-and-out by SMSU and a short punt into the wind, UMC took over at the SMSU 47-yard line. The Golden Eagles put together another impressive drive with Bucholz connecting with Hester on a 14-yard touchdown pass on third-and-six to push the led to 14-0 midway through the first quarter.
 
UMC then forced the game's first turnover on SMSU's next drive as Kern was hit as he threw and was intercepted by UMC's Greg Lofquist, who returned the interception to the SMSU 22-yard line. The SMSU defense held strong and forced a 27-yard field goal attempt that was missed wide right keeping the deficit at 14-0.
 
SMSU answered on its ensuing drive, moving the ball 80 yards on 13 plays with Kern capping the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run on third-and-one with 2:00 left in the quarter. The PAT was missed to keep the score 14-6 in favor of UMC.
 
UMC responded in a big way into the wind moving the ball 92 yards into the wind to extend the lead. The Golden Eagles converted a big third-and-six near midfield and two plays later added its third touchdown of the half as Bucholz connected on a 41-yard touchdown pass to Hester to make the score 20-6 following a missed PAT at the 13:29 mark of the second quarter.
 
SMSU came right back with a critical touchdown drive to get right back into the game. Starting at its own 41-yard line, SMSU ran seven straight rushing plays, including 22 yards on four carries by Ashanti Payne, to move the ball to the UMC 22-yard line. After a pass interference call on UMC set up SMSU at the 14-yard line, Kern tossed an 8-yard pass reception to Nathaniel Huot down to the UMC 6-yard line. Two plays later, Tonderum slipped in for a 3-yard touchdown run to make the score 20-13 with 9:35 remaining.
 
The SMSU defense forced a three-and-out and set up the SMSU offense at the UMC 39-yard line. Just six plays later, Kern broke free for a 10-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 20 with 5:41 on the clock.
 
UMC was forced to punt on its next drive and SMSU once again took over with great field position at the UMC 45-yard line. Kern completed a key third-down pass to Nate Carr for 23 yards down to the UMC 8-yard line, but the drive stalled and SMSU was forced to settle for a Wenk 22-yard field goal to send SMSU into halftime with a 23-20 lead.
 
UMC opened the second half converting two third-down conversions and moving the ball to the SMSU 9-yard line, but the Mustang defense held strong and forced a 19-yard field goal by Mike Maw to tie the game at 23.
 
SMSU quickly regained the lead on its next drive, as Kern connected on a 40-yard touchdown pass to Parks to give SMSU a 29-23 lead, following a botched PAT.
 
The Mustang defense then made the first of several big plays in the second half just two plays into UMC's next drive as Dallin Finley intercepted Bucholz at the SMSU 30-yard line and returned it 36 yards. The ensuing SMSU drive stalled at the UMC 24-yard line before Wenk booted a career-long tying 42-yard field goal to make the score 32-23 with 6:14 left in the third.
 
UMC turned the ball over deep in SMSU territory on its next drive and the Mustangs were able to take advantage and add to the lead. Following a Kern 22-yard completion to Adam Olson on the first play of the drive, Stevens reeled off 26 yards on three straight rushes to move the ball to the UMC 31-yard line. SMSU faced a fourth-and-one at the 22-yard line, but Tonderum broke free for an 8-yard run to keep the drive alive. On the next play, Kern found Olson open for a 14-yard touchdown reception to push the lead to 39-23.
 
SMSU's Andrew McReynolds then intercepted Bucholz on the first play of UMC's next drive setting up SMSU at its own 37-yard line. SMSU looked to seal the victory with a scoring drive, but Kern was intercepted at the UMC 36-yard line and Robert Gausi returned the ball down to the SMSU 31-yard line and keep UMC's chances alive.
 
The Golden Eagles quickly answered as Connette tossed a 31-yard touchdown pass to Dante Jones on a reverse and following the two-point conversion, the SMSU lead was trimmed to 39-31 with 10:54 left in the game.
 
SMSU was forced to punt on its next drive, giving UMC the ball back with 9:46 remaining in the game and trialing by just one possession. With UMC facing second-and-11 from its own 33-yard line, the SMSU defense came through in a big way as Casey Hertz stepped in front of a Bucholz pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown and give SMSU a 46-31 lead.
 
SMSU later added a 22-yard Wenk field goal and a 1-yard touchdown run by Kern to close out the scoring.
 
Jared Twedt paced the SMSU defense with a game-high 12 tackles, with Tyler Flud added 10 tackles, including for loss and forced one fumble.
 
Southwest Minnesota State will return to the road next Saturday night, Sept. 20, with a big test versus Minnesota Duluth (2-0). Kickoff versus the Bulldogs is set for 6 p.m. at Malosky Stadium.