MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State University earned its third straight victory on Saturday night with a thrilling 27-20 overtime win over Minot State University in NSIC college football at Mattke Field at The Schwan Regional Event Center.
 
SMSU, which improves to 3-1 overall, held a 20-10 advantage with less than two minutes remaining in regulation, but MSU sent the game into overtime with 10 straight points, including a field goal with six seconds left in regulation play.
 
In overtime, SMSU started with the ball at the MSU 25-yard line and quickly scored in just three plays as Justus McComb connected on a 13-yard touchdown pass to Adrian Tolbert. Carter Dicker, who made a pair of field goals in the game, booted the PAT to give the Mustangs a 27-20 lead.
 
On MSU's possession in overtime, the Beavers picked up two yards on first down, but back-to-back sacks pushed the ball back to the 37-yard line and forced MSU into fourth-and-22. The Mustangs would seal the victory as the Beavers' last-attempt pass fell incomplete to end the game.
 
SMSU is now 5-8 all-time in overtime games and earned its first overtime home win since Nov. 2, 2013, versus Winona State.
 
SMSU, which entered the game ranked 14^th in the country in rushing offense, was outstanding once again on Saturday closing the game with 280 yards rushing on 42 attempts. Jesse Sherwood, who began the game second in the country in rushing, finished the night rushing for a game-high 147 yards on 22 carries. It's the fifth straight game (dating back to last season) Sherwood has rushed for more than 140 yards. Donald Austin also had a strong game for SMSU as the finished with a career-high 84 yards on 13 attempts.
 
McComb closed the game completing 10 of 16 pass attempts for 79 yards and one touchdown with one interception. Dustin Pampel had a team-high three receptions for 26 yards, while Tolbert had two receptions for 32 yards and the game-winning score.
 
Onte Burns paced the Mustang defense with a game-high 11 tackles, including 1.5 sacks in the overtime frame. Thomas Mergen added nine tackles, while Josiah Hedensten, Jizreel Jeudy, Carter Schmitz and Jordan Ellis all collected six tackles.
 
The Mustang defense forced two more turnovers with Mergen and Hunter Bohannon each finishing with an interception.
 
SMSU finished the game with 359 yards of offense and 19 first downs, while MSU had 18 first downs and closed with 267 yards of total offense.
 
MSU (0-4) was led by Ali Mohamed's 78 yards rushing and one touchdown on 20 attempts. Quarterback Dawson Macleary completed 18 of 32 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown.
 
SMSU opened the game's scoring with an impressive first drive moving 65 yards on just six plays with McComb racing in for a 5-yard touchdown run.
 
MSU went three-and-out on its first drive and SMSU looked to build on the lead, but the Mustangs suffered the game's first turnover to end the scoring threat. SMSU would pick up three first downs to set up first-and-10 from the MSU 20-yard line, but a fumble by Peter Osman was recovered at the 22-yard line.
 
MSU would answer with a 48-yard, 11-play drive capped by a Dillon Fedor 47-yard field goal late in the first quarter.
 
SMSU would maintain the four-point lead until late in the half when Rashaan Palmer broke free with a 22-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 14-3 with 4:41 on the clock.
 
SMSU maintained the lead into the third quarter before MSU cut into the deficit with a Mohamed 6-yard touchdown run with 5:25 left in the third.
 
The Mustangs answered on the ensuing drive with another score as Carter Dicker booted a 23-yard field goal to close off a 15-play, 67-yard drive that consumed more than eight minutes off the clock.
 
The Mustang defense forced another three-and-out and the offense would add to the lead as Dicker connected on a 29-yard field goal to push the lead to 20-10 with just 5:11 remaining in the fourth quarter.
 
MSU wouldn't go away and eventually moved the ball to the SMSU 27-yard line. Facing third-and-18, Macleary completed a 17-yard pass to keep the drive alive. One play later on fourth-and-one, Macleary completed a 10-yard pass to Nathan Young with 1:52 on the clock to make the score 20-17.
 
Fedor then came through with a perfect on-side kick that MSU recovered near midfield to set up the Beavers for the potential go-ahead or game-tying score. MSU would pick-up three first downs and had first-and-goal at the 10-yard, but a holding penalty nullified a 10-yard touchdown run with 28 seconds remaining. MSU would later move the ball to the 12-yard line, but a pair of incomplete passes forced the Beavers to settle for Fedor's game-tying 29-yard field goal with six seconds remaining and sending the contest into overtime.
 
SMSU continues home play next Saturday, Oct. 1, facing Upper Iowa University (0-4) in its first NSIC South Division game for homecoming starting at 5 p.m.