MARSHALL, Minn. – Winona State scored a pair of third quarter touchdowns to pull away from an eight-point lead and earn a 37-15 victory over Southwest Minnesota State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football on Saturday at The Schwan Regional Event Center.
 
The win pushes WSU's record to 5-5 overall, 5-4 NSIC, while SMSU drops to 0-10 overall, 0-9. The win also allows WSU to retain the 'Battle for the Sledge' trophy, presented by Game One and adidas for the seventh consecutive match-up.
 
WSU's Cole Stenstrom, who was named the Warriors' game MVP, completed 18 of 28 pass attempts for 344 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
 
Stenstrom's top target was Sylvere Campbell, who caught a game-high seven passes for 142 yards—all in the first half. Josh Buri rushed for a game-high 54 yards on eight carries to pace the Warriors. Joe Sikma also had a strong game for WSU recording five receptions for 67 yards and one touchdown.
 
SMSU starting quarterback, Josh Oehm, making his collegiate debut, closed the game throwing for 151 yards and two touchdowns while completing 9 of 26 pass attempts. Tryg Auten caught a team-leading three passes for 51 yards, including a 31-yard touchdown pass for the Mustangs.
 
Gideon Ervasti paced the Mustang defense with nine tackles, while Thomas Mergen added eight stops with one for loss. Amarion Meshack collected seven tackles and his first interception of the season.
 
SMSU scored on a 31-yard touchdown pass from Oehm to Tryg Auten with 11:59 left in the third quarter and following a two-point conversion, would trail by just one possession at 23-15.
 
WSU however answered in a big way moving the ball 64 yards in just four plays with Cair-ron Hendred closing the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. Just over three minutes later, WSU put the game away with a Stenstrom 11-yard touchdown pass to Sikma with six minutes remaining in the third.
 
Both teams punted on their opening drives of the games before WSU struck first midway through the first quarter on a Hendred 3-yard touchdown run. Following a three-and-out by the SMSU offense, WSU expanded the lead to 14-0 as Stenstrom connected on a 54-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Densmore at the 4:23 mark of the first quarter.
 
SMSU countered on its third drive of the game as Oehm found Shaun Walrath open for a 42-yard pass on third-and-three to cut the deficit to 14-7 with 45 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
 
WSU's Jacob Scott would boot three second quarter field goals, from 30, 33 and 20 yards, to give the Warriors a 23-7 halftime lead.
 
SMSU would make it a one possession game on its first drive of the second half picking up four first downs, capped by the touchdown pass from Oehm to Auten. Moments later, Oehm lofted a two-point conversion pass to Jake Anderson to cut the WSU advantage to 23-15.
 
WSU finished the game recording 474 yards and 21 first downs on 70 plays and held a 38:48-21:12 time of possession advantage.
 
SMSU ended the afternoon with 183 yards and 11 first downs.
 
Today was also 'Senior Day' at the stadium as SMSU honored its 13 seniors in a pre-game ceremony. Playing their final home games today include Joe Buelow, Octavis Cherry, Cade Eddington, Johnston Freeman, Tate Gaul, Alex Maxwell, Thomas Mergen, Daniel Obwaya, Marquise Ogletree, Keshaun Reynolds, Jason Samec, Carter Schmitz and Nathan Stearns.
 
SMSU will look for its first win of the season next Saturday, Nov. 16, with a 1 p.m. kickoff at the University of Sioux Falls.