MARSHALL, Minn. – The University of Sioux Falls recorded four interceptions and scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull away from a close game and defeat Southwest Minnesota State 35-7 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football on Saturday night at the Schwan Regional Event Center.
 
USF, which has defeated SMSU in all nine meetings since moving to Division II in 2012, improves to 4-2 overall, 2-0 NSIC South, with SMSU dropping to 2-4 overall, 1-1 NSIC South.
 
The final score was not indicative of the closeness of the game as SMSU was driving for a potential game-tying touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Trailing 14-7 and facing second-and-13 from the USF 16-yard line, SMSU quarterback Steven Nava was intercepted at the 10-yard and the Cougars' Carter Lohr returned the interception 70 yards to the SMSU 20-yard line. One play later, Landon Freeman broke free on a 20-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 21-7.
 
SMSU would go three-and-out on its next possession and was forced to punt. USF would quickly answer again with a two-play drive as Freeman sprinted free on a 69-yard run to put the game away at 28-7 with 11:24 left in the game.
 
SMSU closed the game with 23 first downs (the most allowed by USF this season) and finished with 287 yards of offense. The Mustang rushing game amassed 162 yards on 41 carries with Jesse Sherwood racking up a team-high 88 yards and one touchdown on 14 attempts. Duce Reynolds added 30 yards on nine carries.
 
SMSU quarterback Andrew Haidet completed 11 of 24 pass attempts for 69 yards and was intercepted twice. Nava finished the night completing 6 of 19 passes for 56 yards and was also intercepted twice.
 
Zeke Robinson caught a team-high five passes for 22 yards with Albert Lemon adding three receptions for 18 yards for the Mustangs.
 
Freeman ended the game rushing for 136 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries for the Cougars. Quarterback Adam Mullen completed 15 of 23 passes for 178 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
 
The teams played to a scoreless first half but both squads had opportunities to put points on the board. SMSU started the game taking the opening kickoff and picked up three first downs, but the drive stalled at the USF 32-yard as SMSU turned the ball over on downs.
 
Following punts by both teams, SMSU had a great chance to take the lead as Hunter Bohannon intercepted Mullen at the SMSU 42-yard line and returned the interception to the USF 38-yard line. SMSU however came up empty with a three-and-out and was forced to punt.
 
USF punted on its next drive and SMSU would counter on the ensuing drive picking up one first down and eventually moved the ball to the USF 37-yard line. But facing fourth-and-three, Haidet just missed on a pass to Dustin Pampel to end the scoring threat near the end of the opening quarter.
 
USF failed on a pair of scoring chances in the second half as Nick Hernandez missed a pair of 39-yard field goals to keep the game scoreless after 30 minutes of play. It was the fourth consecutive quarter the SMSU defense held an opponent scoreless after holding UIU with no points in the second half in last week's victory.
 
The Cougars were finally able to break free on their opening drive of the second half as Mullen used a big 41-yard pass to Benjamin Sokup to set up the game's first touchdown. USF converted a fourth-and-one from the SMSU six-yard line and one play later Mullen found Dominic Pagley in the back of the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown pass at the 10:43 mark of the third quarter.
 
The USF then came through with one of the game's biggest plays on the ensuing SMSU drive as Haidet was intercepted by Lee Pitts, who sprinted 57 yards for a pick-six and pushing the lead to 14-0.
 
SMSU countered with an impressive drive to cut the deficit in half late in the quarter. Following a 15-yard first-down pass from Nave to Zeke Robinson up to the SMSU 41-yard line and then an incomplete pass, SMSU would rush seven straight times with Sherwood scoring from 14 yards out to make the score 14-7 with 3:46 remaining in the third.
 
The Mustang defense, highlighted by a sack from Markus Sullivan, would keep the momentum going forcing USF into a three-and-out. On the ensuing USF punt, Adihia Bell ripped off a 59-yard return to the USF 24-yard line. Nava would end the quarter with a 10-yard pass to Keilan Smith, but three plays into the final quarter the threat ended with the interception by Lohr.
 
The SMSU defense was paced once again by Onte Burns' game-high 12 tackles (nine solo) with Marshawn Reese adding eight tackles. Jordan White added five stops, including 2.5 for loss while Bohannon chipped in with five tackles and the interception.
 
Southwest Minnesota State returns to the road next Saturday, Oct. 16, facing Winona State (3-3, 1-1 NSIC South) for the annual 'Battle of the Sledge' game with kickoff set for 1 p.m.