Box Score

MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State had its return to the field spoiled on Thursday night as MSU Moorhead pulled away in the second half to earn a 33-21 victory in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football at the Schwan Regional Event Center.
 
Tonight's game was the first for both teams since the 2019 season. The game was played with a strong south wind and rain throughout the evening.
 
MSUM, which has now won two straight in the series, amassed 404 yards of offense with Grady Bresnahan leading the way with eight receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Tommy Falk completed 19 of 21 pass attempts for 285 yards and three touchdowns.
 
SMSU running back Jesse Sherwood had a strong game with 87 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 14 carries. Duce Reynolds added 41 yards rushing and one touchdown on 11 attempts.
 
SMSU quarterback Andrew Haidet, making his Mustang debut, completed 13 of 31 passes for 119 yards and was intercepted three times.
 
Gage Roberson led the Mustang defense with 11 tackles with 1.5 for loss and one sack. Onte Burns added 10 tackles, while Adihia Bell registered five tackles, forced one fumble and recovered a fumble.
 
MSUM made some big plays early in the game to build a 14-0 advantage. SMSU's opening drive of the season stalled at the MSUM 44-yard line, but Haidet dropped a perfect punt at the MSUM 1-yard line. Moments later, facing third-and-six, the Dragons picked up a huge first down following a pass interference flag on SMSU. The Dragons would take advantage and later scored the game's first touchdown as Zane Miller scored on a 2-yard run to cap the 99-yard drive with 5:42 left in the first quarter.
 
MSUM added to the lead early in the second quarter as Falk connected on a 64-yard touchdown pass Ryan Bieberdorft with 10:48 on the clock to make the score 14-0.
 
SMSU answered on its ensuing drive moving 58 yards in seven plays with Sherwood blasting through from eight yards out to cut the deficit to 14-7 following Carter Dicker's PAT at the 6:43 mark.
 
Following an MSUM punt, SMSU threatened on its next drive, moving the ball to the MSUM 27-yard with less than a minute left in the half, but Haidet's pass was tipped near the end zone and was intercepted to end the scoring chance and keep MSUM in the lead, 14-7 at halftime.
 
MSUM struck quickly to open the second half moving 74 yards in seven plays with Jaydin McNeal scoring on a 16-yard run to push the lead to 21-7 with 12:07 remaining.
 
SMSU came right back to make it a one possession game on its first drive of the half with Reynolds breaking free for a 13-yard touchdown run at the 9:32 mark trimming the MSUM lead to 21-14.
 
MSUM looked to add to the lead later in the quarter, but Bell forced a fumble deep in SMSU's end of the field with teammate Alan Giron recovering the ball at the 10-yard line. The momentum was short-lived as the Dragons took advantage of a short punt to take over at the SMSU 15-yard line. Moments later, Bresnahan caught a 3-yard pass from Falk to make the score 27-14 late in the third following a missed PAT.
 
Both teams struggled offensively in the final quarter before MSUM used another Bresnahan touchdown reception to push the margin to 33-14.
 
The SMSU defense would come through to set-up the Mustangs' final score of the game as Bell recovered a fumble and returned the ball to the MSUM 6-yard line. Sherwood would dive across the goal line one play later to make the score 33-21.  
 
Southwest Minnesota State returns to action on Sept. 11 with a road match-up versus Northern State.