MARSHALL, Minn. – Wayne State scored 24 straight points to close the first half to build a 28-point halftime lead and used a strong defensive performance to keep its playoff hopes alive with a 38-16 victory over Southwest Minnesota State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football on Saturday night at the Schwan Regional Event Center.
 
WSC, which earlier this season earned road victories over Minnesota Duluth and Minnesota State, improves to 6-2 overall, 3-1 NSIC South. SMSU dropped its third straight game and is now 2-6 overall, 1-3 NSIC South.
 
The WSC defensed limited SMSU to a season-low 11 first downs and held the Mustang offense to 257 yards, matching a season-low.
 
WSC's Anthony Watkins rushed for 56 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, while quarterback Nick Bohn added 47 yards and one touchdown on 15 attempts. Bohn also completed 11 of 21 passes for 197 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted twice. Bohn's top target was Taurean Grady, who caught a game-high five passes for 123 yards and one touchdown.
 
WSC finished the game with 390 yards and 19 first downs but was held to just 86 yards in the second half.
 
The SMSU offense was led by running back Jesse Sherwood, who amassed 83 yards rushing and one touchdown on 18 carries. Andrew Haidet, one of three SMSU quarterbacks to see time tonight, completed 6 of 17 passes for 106 yards and one interception. Steven Nava was 6 of 12 for 30 yards and one interception, while Jakob Olson completed 2 of 8 pass attempts for 22 yards.
 
Keilan Smith caught a career-high four passes for a career-high 88 yards.
 
The SMSU defense was led by Gage Roberson, who racked up a career-high 13 tackles, including two for loss and also recorded his first career interception. Jordan White added a career-high 11 tackles, while Adihia Bell chipped in with six stops.
 
WSC opened the game's scoring quickly on its opening drive as Bohn connected on a 53-yard touchdown pass to Grady on its fifth play of the game to take an early 7-0 advantage.
 
SMSU had a great chance to tie the game midway through the first quarter as Roberson intercepted Bohn at the WSC 24-yard line and the senior returned the ball down to the 6-yard line. Unfortunately, SMSU failed to capitalize with a touchdown and settled for a Carter Dicker 23-yard field goal.
 
WSC added to the lead on its next drive with Bohn completing a 24-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Watkins to make the score 14-3.
 
The Wildcat special teams came through later in the quarter as Rex Becker blocked a Dicker punt setting up the WSC offense at the SMSU 31-yard line. Seven plays later Watkins scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 21-3
 
Nava was intercepted on the next Mustang drive near midfield and following the return the Wildcats were set-up at the SMSU 30-yard line. Just three plays later to lead moved to 28-3 as Bohn scored on a 7-yard run with 10:29 left in the first half.
 
WSC would close the first half with an Alex Powers 42-yard field goal to build a 31-3 halftime lead.
 
SMSU wouldn't go away without a fight and opened the second half with a 75-yard drive to score its first touchdown of the game. Sherwood had four carries on the drive, including an 11-yard touchdown run with 12:05 left in the third to make the score 31-10 following Dicker's PAT.
 
SMSU attempted an on-side kick moments later, but the Wildcats were able to recover. WSC took advantage of the short field, including converting a third-and-11 from near midfield and another inside the red-zone, to add to the lead. Watkins capped the drive with a 9-yard touchdown run with 7:39 left in the third.
 
The Mustangs countered with its most impressive drive of the night, converting a pair of fourth downs, to cut into the Wildcat lead. Haidet found BJ Phillips for a 20-yard pass on fourth-and-eight near midfield and Sherwood gained three yards on fourth-and-one from the WSC 19-yard line. One play later, Duce Reynolds broke free for a 16-yard touchdown run to open the fourth quarter to make the score 38-16.
 
Neither offense could muster must of anything in the final quarter as both teams had five possessions in the final quarter but failed to score.
 
Southwest Minnesota State returns to the road next Saturday taking on NSIC North Division foe Bemidji State (6-2, 4-0 NSIC North) with kickoff set for 1 p.m. at Chet Anderson Stadium.