Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State amassed a season-high 553 yards and limited MSU Moorhead to just 275 yards, including just 50 in the second half, in earning a 48-9 victory on Saturday night at the Schwan Regional Event Center.
 
The game was played in front of a Schwan Regional Event Center record crowd of more than 4,700 fans.
 
SMSU moves to 4-0 with the victory and earned its sixth straight win over MSUM (3-1 NSIC) since 2008. SMSU is 4-0 for the first time since the 1991 team started 8-0.
 
The SMSU defense was outstanding all night long, limiting MSUM to just two first downs and 11 passing yards in the second half. The nine points allowed by SMSU was its fewest since defeating MSU Moorhead 22-8 on Nov. 8, 2008.
 
SMSU used a balanced attack in the contest with 254 yards rushing and 299 yards passing, while finishing with 26 first downs.
 
MSUM finished with 275 yards of offense, including 154 on the ground. The MSU Moorhead offense came into the game averaging 494 yards per game, while MSUM quarterback Demetrius Carr was coming off a week in which he was named the NSIC Offensive Player of the Week. Carr finished the game completing just 14 of 26 passes for 121 yards. Herman Gray paced MSUM with a team-high 73 yards rushing.
 
SMSU quarterback Blake Gimbel had a huge game completing 18 of 28 passes for a career-high 299 yards and a career-high five touchdowns.
 
Davontay Stevens rushed for 130 yards and one touchdown on 22 carries to pace a trio of Mustang running backs to have strong games. Divonte Beale amassed 77 yards on 13 attempts, while Ashanti Payne added 57 yards on 12 attempts.
 
Ty Steffensen caught a game-high seven passes for 85 yards and one touchdown to lead the Mustang receiving corps. Nate Huot had four receptions for 115 yards and one score, while Vernel Wingate caught his first two passes in a Mustang uniform for two touchdowns and 48 yards.
 
Both offensive units struggled to begin the game with each team forced to punt on their first two possessions. The first big break of the game came by the MSUM special teams as Damon Gibson blocked an Austin Wells punt to set up the Dragon offense at the SMSU 5-yard line. One play later Zayne Medhaug scored on a 5-yard run to stake MSUM to an early lead. The PAT was blocked by AJ Page to keep the score 6-0.
 
SMSU didn't trail for long on its next possession as four rushes by Payne and two by Stevens set SMSU with first-and-10 at the MSUM 44-yard line. Gimbel then found Huot on a 44-yard touchdown strike and following Wells' PAT SMSU had a 7-6 advantage.
 
MSUM drove down to the SMSU 18-yard line on its next drive, but a strip sack and fumble recovery by Alex Werner stopped the drive. SMSU took advantage just six plays later as Stevens broke free on a 38-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 14-6 early in the second quarter.
 
MSUM trimmed the lead to 14-9 with a field goal with just 1:42 left in the half, but it was plenty of time for SMSU to add to the lead.
 
Gimbel completed passes of 35 and 28 yards to Huot to begin the drive and setting up first-and-goal from the 3-yard line. Three plays later Gimbel scored on a 1-yard run to give SMSU a 21-9 halftime lead.
 
It was all SMSU in the second half as the Mustangs scored on their first four possessions of the half to cruise to the victory. The Mustang defense forced the Dragon offense to go three-and-out on its first two drives and then forced an interception on its third drive to limit MSUM to just three yards in the third quarter.
 
Gimbel started the second half scoring with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Steffensen with 10:49 left in the third. Gimbel then found Vernel Wingate for a 23-yard scoring pass with 5:12 on the clock to move the lead to 35-9.
 
The lead moved to 41-9 just four minutes later as Gimbel fired a 23-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Steidler. It was the first career touchdown reception for Steidler.
 
Caleb Leichtnam recorded an interception late in the third near midfield and setup the SMSU offense following a 32-yard return. Gimbel then closed the scoring with a 25-yard touchdown pass to Wingate making the score 48-9 early in the fourth quarter.
 
Page and Tyler Flud each recorded a game-high nine tackles for the Mustangs, with Page finishing with three tackles for loss and one sack.
 
Southwest Minnesota State will hit the road next Saturday, Oct. 3, to open NSIC South Division versus Augustana College (3-1) with kickoff slated for 1 p.m.