MARSHALL, Minn. – Concordia-St. Paul scored the go-ahead touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to rally and earn a 19-14 victory over Southwest Minnesota State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football on Saturday afternoon.
 
The win snaps a six-game skid for CSP and pushes the Golden Bears record to 2-8 overall, 2-7 NSIC. SMSU drops to 1-9 overall, 1-8 NSIC, in suffering its eighth straight loss.
 
On a cold and windy day, both offensive units struggled with CSP closing with 296 yards of offense and 13 first downs. CSP gained 99 yards on a two-play drive, which included a 91-yard rushing touchdown.
 
SMSU finished with 220 yards and 12 first downs in suffering its second straight setback to CSP.
 
Mustang starting quarterback Macloud Crowton completed 6 of 8 passes for 76 yards but left the game with an injury following an interception late in the first quarter. Drew Kluender came in relief and completed 11 of 29 pass attempts for 107 yards and one touchdown. He also led the SMSU rushing attack with 30 yards on six carries. Jacob Honstetter added 25 yards and one touchdown on 10 carries.
 
Tryg Auten caught a game-high four passes for 80 yards and one touchdown for the Mustangs.
 
The CSP rushing attack with strong with 252 yards on 47 attempts with Joel Lacy closing with 143 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries, including a 91-yard touchdown run. Daniel Hornacek rushed for 129 yards on 24 carries. CSP quarterback Zachary Yeager finished the game passing for 44 yards and completing 6 of 10 pass attempts.
 
SMSU senior linebacker Josiah Hedensten racked up a game-high 13 tackles with fellow senior Gideon Ervasti adding 10 tackles. SaMaury Alexander and Kaden Lunsford each added seven tackles, while Jack Meier chipped in with a career-high six stops.
 
CSP held a 13-7 advantage at halftime before SMSU scored on its first drive of the second half with Honstetter capping a seven-play, 63-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run. Landon Hubbard's PAT put the Mustangs in front at 14-13. The key play of the drive was a Kluender 21-yard pass to Colin Maher on fourth-and-eight from the CSP 28-yard line.
 
Holding a one-point lead, the SMSU defense forced three straight CSP punts, to keep the Mustangs in the lead at 14-13. However, the SMSU offense was not able to add to the lead and a poor snap on first-and-10 at the SMSU 20-yard line early in the fourth set the Mustangs back to their own 2-yard line. Following a punt, the CSP offense took over at the SMSU 39-yard line and promptly moved 39 yards on eight plays with Lacy scoring on a 5-yard run with 7:50 left in the game.
 
The teams exchanged punts on the next four combined drives to give SMSU the ball one last chance with 1:51 remaining at its own 17-yard line. SMSU earned one first down on a CSP pass interference call, but four straight incomplete passes ended the Mustangs comeback attempt.
 
CSP opened the scoring on its first drive of the game with Lacy scoring on a 2-yard run on fourth-and-goal at the 6:13 mark to take a 7-0 lead.
 
SMSU, on its second drive of the game, moved the ball down to the CSP 10-yard, but on third-and-two, Crowton was intercepted by CSP's Jonas Barros at the 7-yard line to end the scoring threat. Crowton made the tackle on the interception at the SMSU 40-yard, but was injured on the play.
 
The SMSU defense forced a big turnover in the second quarter with Lunsford stripping Hornacek with a big hit and teammate Logan Booth recovering the loose ball at the CSP 31-yard line.
 
SMSU took advantage and was able to tie the game midway through the second quarter with Kluender lofting a 9-yard touchdown pass to Auten to close out the six-play, 31-yard scoring drive.
 
Both teams punted on their next drives, with SMSU's Mason Carver pinning CSP at its own 1-yard line. Following an 8-yard run by Lacy on first down, he broke free on the left side one play later for a 91-yard touchdown run with 2:48 left in the half. The PAT missed and CSP held the 13-7 lead into halftime.
 
SMSU closes the season next Saturday, Nov. 15, with a 12 p.m. match up at Winona State in the annual 'Battle for the Sledge' trophy game.