Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State recorded its first victory of the season on Saturday afternoon holding on for a 21-20 win over Upper Iowa at the Schwan Regional Event Center.
 
The victory for SMSU (1-3, 1-3 NSIC South) snapped an 11-game losing streak that dates back to week four of the 2017 season.
 
Max Simmons led the Mustangs with a game-high 154 yards rushing on 30 carries, while also catching five passes for 33 yards and one touchdown.
 
SMSU's Blake Gimbel completed 27 of 50 passes for 252 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Daniel Davis caught a game-high seven passes for 69 yards and one touchdown to pace the SMSU receivers.
 
SMSU closed the game with 389 yards of offense, including a season-high 137 yards rushing.
 
UIU (1-3, 1-3 NSIC South), which defeated No. 11 Winona State last Saturday, finished the game with 363 yards of offense with 129 coming on the ground.
 
UIU quarterback Brent Lammers completed 22 of 44 passes for 234 yards and one touchdown, while also throwing a pair of interceptions.
 
The Mustang defense, which forced three turnovers, was led by Shane Ratkovich, who finished with a team-high 10 tackles, including two for loss and one fumble recovery. Teammate Lucas Fisher added nine tackles and an interception.
 
UIU opened the game with a drive down to the SMSU 29-yard line, but a fumble by Lammers ended the drive as Ratkovich recovered the ball at the 31-yard line.
 
SMSU used the momentum by putting together an eight-play, 69-yard drive with Gimbel completing a 56-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Aaron Murphy on third-and-21.
 
UIU cut into the lead late in the opening quarter as Lammers scored on a three-yard touchdown run. UIU missed the PAT to keep SMSU in the lead at 7-6. The key play on the drive was a personal foul on SMSU following a third-down stop at the 19-yard line to keep the possession alive.
 
Both offenses struggled for much of the second quarter before the UIU special teams came through with a big play to take the lead. Punting into a stiff wind, SMSU's Austin Wells had his punt returned 55 yards for a touchdown by Daniel Ruffin with 1:56 remaining in the opening half.
 
SMSU answered the big play with its most impressive drive of the first half. Despite moving into a strong wind, the Mustangs marched down the field in just over 90 seconds to regain the lead. SMSU racked up five first downs on the drive with Gimbel lofting a perfect pass to Max Simmons for a 19-yard touchdown pass with 21 seconds remaining. Skyler Crew booted the PAT to give the Mustangs a 14-13 advantage into the break.
 
Following an interception on SMSU's opening drive of the second half, UIU regained the lead on its first drive of the half as Lammers completed an 18-yard touchdown to Keagan Pinter with 8:43 remaining in the third quarter to take a 20-14 advantage.
 
The lead would not last long as SMSU answered with a 12-play, 68-yard drive as Gimbel fired a 14-yard touchdown pass to Davis on third-and-10 to put the Mustangs back in front at 21-20 with 4:32 left in the third quarter.
 
SMSU had a chance to add to the lead midway through the fourth quarter driving to the UIU 30-yard line, but Gimbel was intercepted at the 11-yard line with 3:21 on the clock.
 
The UIU comeback attempt was not to be as a 1-yard run, followed by an incomplete pass and a huge sack Hayden Acker pushed the Peacocks to their own 29-yard line with 2:36 remaining. Following two timeouts, Lammers was intercepted by Fisher at midfield.
 
SMSU was able to pick up one first down and then run out the clock to seal the victory. It was SMSU's 10^th victory in the last 11 meetings versus UIU.
 
Southwest Minnesota State will now step out of South Division play next week with a road match-up versus UMary in Bismarck, North Dakota, starting at 2 p.m.