SMSU Athletics

Box Score

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State rolled up a season-high 618 yards of offense and recorded a season-high 34 first downs, but Concordia-St. Paul took advantage of several big plays to earn a 37-20 victory in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football on Saturday at Sea Foam Stadium.
 
It was a record-setting day for SMSU senior wide receiver Nate Huot in his final collegiate game. The Dawson, Minnesota, native tied a school single-game record with 19 receptions and in the process became the school's all-time leader in receptions with 269. Alvin Ashley (1990-93) held the previous career record with 252 receptions. He also closes his career with 3,304 yards receiving—ranking second in team history—while his 30 touchdown receptions ranks third all-time.  
 
SMSU suffered its eighth straight loss and closes the season 2-9 overall, 0-7 NSIC South. CSP snapped a nine-game losing streak and ends its season at 2-9 overall, 1-6 NSIC South.
 
SMSU rolled up a season-high 302 yards rushing, but mistakes on the CSP side of the 50-yard line cost the Mustangs a chance to snap its losing streak. SMSU came up empty on seven drives inside the CSP 40-yard line.
 
CSP closed the game with 393 yards of total offense and 15 first downs. The Golden Bears had touchdowns of 80, 63 and 45 yards and added three field goals by Jonas Schenderlein, including a pair of 51-yarders.
 
Shaq Johnson led the Golden Bears with 175 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while he also tossed a 63-yard touchdown pass. CSP quarterback Ron Johnson completed 3 of 16 passes for 78 yards and one touchdown.
 
Boyer Bouman completed 37 of 55 passes for 316 yards and one touchdown for the Mustangs. Shawn Griffin had a career-high 93 yards rushing on 15 attempts while Max Simmons added 82 yards and two touchdowns to pace the Mustang rushing attack. Senior Ashanti Payne chipped in with 73 yards on 14 carries in his final game.
 
Huot finished the game with 19 receptions for 164 yards and one touchdown. Simmons caught five passes for 50 yards while Eldridge Joyce finished with four receptions for 24 yards.
 
CSP opened the game's scoring on a 51-yard field goal by Schenderlein with 9:27 remaining in the first quarter.
 
SMSU answered on its second drive of the game to take its first lead of the game. The Mustangs moved 84 yards on 14 plays with Bouman capping the drive with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Huot with 2:23 left in the first quarter. SMSU converted three third-down conversions and one fourth down conversion during the drive.
 
CSP regained the lead moments later as Shaq Johnson broke free for an 80-yard touchdown run on third-and-one to put the Golden Bears back on top 10-7 late in the first quarter.
 
Following a missed 54-yard field goal by Skyler Crew on SMSU's next drive, the Golden Bears struck quickly on a Johnson 63-yard half-back option touchdown pass to Gabe Steed at the 12:40 mark of the second quarter to push the lead to 17-7.
 
The SMSU defense forced three three-and-outs later in the half, but the SMSU offense failed to convert, ending four drives inside the CSP 40-yard line in the second quarter.
 
CSP struck with another big play late in the half as Johnson found a wide open Marcus Gustaveson for a 45-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 24-7 at halftime.
 
SMSU finished the opening half with 364 yards of offense and 20 first downs. CSP had just six first downs in the half and were 1 for 5 on third-down conversions.
 
CSP opened the second half with a field to make the score 27-7, but SMSU rallied back with an impressive 89-yard drive closed off by a 3-yard touchdown run by Simmons to cut the lead to 27-14 with 6:23 left in the third.
 
CSP answered back with another scoring drive as Schenderlein booted a 51-yard field goal late in the third quarter making the score 30-14. The Golden Bears were aided by a pair of Mustang penalties on third down to keep the drive alive.
 
SMSU wouldn't go away and responded with a 12-play, 75-yard drive as Simmons plowed across for a 2-yard touchdown run on fourth down to make the score 30-20, following a missed 2-point attempt.
 
The Mustang defense forced another Golden Bears punt, but after moving the ball inside the CSP 20-yard line, a penalty derailed the SMSU drive and Crew would later miss a 42-yard field goal.
 
CSP sealed the victory on its ensuing drive with a Johnson 1-yard touchdown run with 2:41 remaining.
 
Alex Ney once again led the SMSU defense with a team-high eight tackles. He finished the season with 120 tackles, ranking seventh highest in school single-season history, and the highest total since 1983. Michael Griffin and JD Jackson-Hanchett each added six tackles with Jackson-Hanchett finishing with 2.5 tackles for loss.
 
Today's game marked the final in the brown and gold uniform for 15 Mustang seniors: Ashanti Payne, Nate Huot, Bilal Louzati, Vernel Wingate, Michael Rivera, Daniel Halverson, Jordan Clark, Matt Overgaard, Austin Hilgert, Drake Zabloudil, Ty Bird, Chase Onken, Elias Mensah, Aaron Van Dyk and Alex Werner.