BISMARCK, N.D. – The University of Mary rallied with 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including scoring the game-winning touchdown with 37 seconds remaining to earn stunning 32-28 victory over Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday afternoon.
 
SMSU, which falls to 1-9 overall, 1-8 NSIC, scored a season-high points and racked-up a season-high 410 yards on offense. The Mustangs were in control for much of the game and had two chances in the final quarter to put the game away.
 
The Mustangs led 28-17 with less than 10 minutes left in the game and had the ball at the UMary 25-yard line looking to seal the win. However, the Marauders stopped the drive with a sack on fourth down and moments later scored a touchdown and two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 28-25.
 
SMSU would put together another solid drive and moved the ball to the UMary 11-yard line, but the Mustangs were forced to settle for a field goal attempt. Once again, the Marauders made a big play and blocked the field goal to keep the deficit at three points with just under three minutes remaining in the game.
 
UMary (2-8, 2-7 NSIC) used the momentum and moved the ball 63 yards on 10 plays with back-up quarterback Jesse Forknell completing the drive with a 6-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Mujeeb Rufai. UMary faced fourth-and-one at the SMSU 30-yard line during the comeback drive, but Forknell would keep the game alive with an 8-yard pass to Rufai. Three plays later, Forknell would find Rufai open in the end zone with the winning score.
 
The SMSU rushing attack was strong all game with Donald Austin registering his fifth career 100-yard rushing game as he closed with 138 yards and one touchdown on 23 carries, while quarterback Marcus Martin amassed 54 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.
 
Martin completed 16 of 19 pass attempts for 179 yards and two touchdowns. Eric Lira had three receptions for 39 yards and one touchdown leading the Mustang receivers.
 
SMSU finished the game rushing for a season-high 221 yards and closed with a season-high 23 first downs.
 
UMary closed the game with 378 yards of offense, including 295 through the air and 16 first downs.
 
Josiah Hedensten had a team-high nine tackles for the Mustangs, including 1.5 for loss and recovered a fumble.
 
SMSU opened the game on offense but on the game's second play UMary forced a fumble and recovered at the Mustang 42-yard line. The Marauders took advantage of the fumble and would score the first touchdown of the game on a 34-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-two.
 
SMSU answered back in a big way as Donald Austin capped a 58-yard, nine-play drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7 following Carter Dicker's PAT. The key play of the drive was Martin sprinting for an 11-yard run on fourth-and-seven from the UMary 19-yard line.
 
After the SMSU defense forced a three-and-out on UMary's next drive, the SMSU offense would deliver another scoring drive to take its first lead of the game. Starting from their own 20-yard line, the Mustangs moved down the field with Martin connecting on a 19-yard pass to Colin Maher on third-and-11 for one of the key plays on the drive. Martin would later gain eight yards on a fourth-and-short from the Marauders' 16-yard line to keep the drive alive before closing with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Albert Lemon at the 11:08 mark of the second quarter to make the score 14-7.
 
The SMSU defense came through in a big way moments later and Jordan Ellis intercepted UMary quarterback Sofian Massoud at Marauder 40-yard line. Just four plays later, Martin found Lira across the middle and the wide out sprinted to the end zone for a 15-yard touchdown at the 7:50 mark of the second quarter to extend the lead to 21-7.
 
UMary would respond with a big drive as Forknell entered the game and helped the offense convert three third-down conversions before eventually scoring on a 2-yard touchdown run by Amir Bankhead with under a minute remaining in the half.
 
UMary opened the second half with the ball and was in punt formation following three plays, but a fake punt was converted and moved the ball to the UMary 42-yard line following the 17-yard run by the punter, Kevin Powell. UMary would eventually settle for a Powell 20-yard field goal to make the score 21-17 midway through the third quarter.
 
SMSU would following by mustering up an 80-yard scoring drive on seven just plays, highlighted by a 35-yard run by Austin and a 19-yard pass from Martin to Rashaan Palmer. Martin would cap the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 28-17 at the 2:30 mark of the third quarter.
 
UMary would move the ball to the SMSU 25-yard on its next drive but the drive ended on a fumble with Hedensten recovering the ball for the Mustangs.
 
The SMSU offense would continue its strong play and pick-up three first downs early in the fourth quarter to move the ball to the UMary 25-yard line before turning the ball over on downs.
 
The Maraduers quickly answered with a three-play touchdown drive to cut the deficit to three with pass completions of 21, 3 and 38 yards to make the score 28-25 with 8:35 remaining.
 
SMSU would run more than five minutes off the clock, earning four first downs and had first-and-10 at the UMary 12-yard line, but two rush attempts and Martin's first incomplete pass of the game forced a 30-yard field goal attempt by Dicker that was blocked.
 
The Marauders would then begin the game-winning drive at their own 37-yard line with 2:46 left in the game.
 
SMSU closes the season next Saturday, Nov. 11, hosting the University of Sioux Falls with kickoff set for 12 p.m.