MANKATO, Minn. – Minnesota State, ranked No. 18/21 nationally, opened a 13-7 halftime lead with 35 second half points with the MSU defense recording three interceptions, to earn a 48-7 victory over Southwest Minnesota State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football at Blakeslee Stadium on Saturday.
 
MSU, ranked among the top 10 in this week's NCAA region rankings, improves to 7-2 overall, 6-2 NSIC, while SMSU dropping to 1-8 overall, 1-7 NSIC.
 
The MSU offense scored three touchdowns on plays of 46 or more yards in the first three quarters and also added an interception return for a touchdown to pull away in the second half.
 
MSU rushed for 337 yards on 52 carries and closed the game with 493 yards and 25 first downs.
 
SMSU ended the game with 286 yards of offense with 15 first downs.
 
SMSU sophomore safety Parker Knutson recorded his Division II leading eighth interception of the season on the final play of the first half. The eighth interception ties the school single-season record, while he also tied the school career record with his 13^th of his career tying Carl Douglas and Blaine Schnaible.
 
Josiah Hedensten paced the Mustangs with a career-high 18 tackles, while Kaden Lunsford recorded a career-high 14 stops.
 
SMSU's Macloud Crowton completed 28 of 39 passes for 278 yards but was intercepted three times and sacked three times. Colin Maher, David Ola-Kazeem and Jacob Honstetter each finished with four receptions. Maher closed with a game-high 86 yards receiving.
 
MSU scored on its first drive of the game with a 52-yard touchdown run and then added two field goals to push its margin to 13-0 with 10 minutes left in the first half.
 
Trailing 13-0, SMSU put together an impressive touchdown drive to pull to within six points. Crowton capped the 7-play, 79-yard drive with a 12-yard run with 5:53 left in the first half to cut the deficit to 13-7 following Mason Carver's PAT. Early in the drive, SMSU faced second and 19 from its own 12-yard line before Crowton hit Honstetter for a 9-yard pass. On third and 10, Crowton connected on a 33-yard pass to Maher to keep the drive alive before tossing a 25-yard pass to Ryan Kronbach one play later.
 
MSU took the opening kickoff of the second half and scored on a 48-yard touchdown run to take a 20-7 lead and then later in the third a flea-flicker was completed for a 46-yard touchdown pass. On the ensuing SMSU drive, a tipped Crowton pass was interception by MSU and returned 33 yards for a touchdown, making the score 34-7. The Mavericks never looked back in improving to 22-0 all-time versus the Mustangs.
 
SMSU concludes its home season next Saturday, Nov. 8, facing Concordia-St. Paul (1-8, 1-7 NSIC) for Senior Day with kickoff slated for 1 p.m. at Mattke Field at The Schwan Regional Event Center.