MARSHALL, Minn. – The University of Sioux Falls opened a 21-6 halftime lead with third quarter touchdowns to pull away and earn a 35-14 victory over Southwest Minnesota State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football on Saturday night at The Schwan Regional Event Center.
USF's Tate Schafer, who came in relief of starting quarterback Bennett Brueck, who was injured on the game's first play, completed 21 of 34 pass attempts for 384 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. His top target was Adonis Hutchinson, who finished with seven receptions for 167 yards and two touchdowns.
The Cougars closed the game with 618 yards of offense on 82 plays and finished with a 40-20 time of possession advantage. USF, which snapped a three-game losing skid with win, improves to 4-3 overall, 3-3 NSIC.
SMSU (1-5 overall, 1-5 NSIC) was limited to 245 yards, including minus-7 yards rushing, and 12 first downs. The USF defense limited SMSU to 1 for 13 on third-down conversion attempts.
Mustang quarterback
Macloud Crowton, who was sacked four times, completed 18 of 37 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns.
Colin Maher had a strong game for the Mustangs catching six passes for a career-high 124 yards and two touchdowns, while
Tryg Auten added four receptions for 38 yards.
SMSU linebacker
Josiah Hedensten racked up a career-high 16 tackles with two for loss, while adding a forced fumble and one pass break-up.
Gideon Ervasti closed with 10 tackles, while teammate
Cam Enright added six tackles.
The SMSU defense forced a pair of turnovers with
Parker Knutson recording his team-leading sixth interception, while
Julius Brown recovered a USF fumble in the end zone ending a potential Cougar scoring drive.
USF opened the game with a pair of first downs before Knutson stopped the drive with an interception setting up the SMSU offense near midfield. SMSU went three-and-out on its ensuing drive and USF answered with a 4-play, 57-yard drive with Schafer sprinting in for an 8-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter.
Trailing 7-0 early in the second quarter, SMSU was stopped on third-and-2 and fourth-and-1 from its own 35-yard line turning the ball over on downs. USF quickly responded three plays later with Schafer completing a 24-yard touchdown pass to Hutchinson to push the lead to 14-0.
A poor snap on a USF punt attempt gave SMSU the ball at the USF 41-yard line. On the first play of the ensuing drive, Crowton fired a 41-yard touchdown pass to Maher to trim the deficit to 14-6 following a blocked PAT with 7:13 left in the second quarter.
Leading by eight, USF forced another punt late in the second quarter taking over at its own 33-yard line. The Cougars quickly moved down the field with Schafer connecting on a 43-yard touchdown pass to Christian Janis with 24 seconds left in the half to build a 21-6 halftime lead.
USF put the game away late in the third quarter with Schafer breaking free for a 27-yard touchdown run and following a SMSU punt, Hutchinson broke free for an 85-yard touchdown reception to make the score 35-6.
SMSU closed the scoring in the fourth quarter with Crowton, capping a 90-yard, 12-play drive, with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Maher.
SMSU returns to the road next Saturday, Oct. 18, with a non-conference match-up at Northern State with kickoff slated for 4 p.m. in Aberdeen, S.D.
