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MANKATO, Minn. – Minnesota State scored the go-ahead touchdown with 3:28 left and held off Augustana down the stretch to pick up a 27-26 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division victory Thursday evening on national television in Mankato, Minn.
With the win, MSU clinches at least a share of the South Division title. The Mavericks move to 7-2 (7-1 NSIC/5-0 NSIC South). Augustana falls to 5-4 (5-3 NSIC/3-1 NSIC South).
The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for Augustana, which was playing on national television for the first time in school history as CBS Sports Network carried the game live.
The Vikings got 189 rushing yards and three touchdowns from
Dajon Newell.
Josh Hanson threw for 279 yards.
Sam Holsen hauled in seven catches for 96 yards
Jon Daniels threw for 129 yards for MSU, while Adam Thielen caught eight passes for 82 yards and a touchdown.
The Vikings racked up a season-high 504 yards of offense in the loss.
MSU opened scoring on its first opportunity to do so, taking the opening kickoff 87 yards via the legs of Dennis Carter for an immediate 7-0 lead.
Carter moved his team further ahead deep into the first quarter by finishing off a five-play, 86-yard drive with a 53-yard run. The scamper was an impressive one as Carter went the width of the field twice on a reverse, reviving what looked to be a dead play and turning it into a score. The touchdown was set up by a Viking fumble in the redzone on an exchange from Hanson to Newell.
The Vikings the cut the deficit in half with four minutes left before the break. The Vikings went 78 yards in nine plays—aided by 39 receiving yards from Holsen. Newell accounted for the final 20 yards as he swooped through the left side to find paydirt.
Augustana capitalized on a Maverick mistake just before the half and turned it into a 34-yard field goal by
Drew Behrens to head into the break. MSU had the ball with 30 seconds remaining and looked poised to let the clock expire. A faulty Maverick snap, however, was pounced on by
Joel Slinden. The Vikings got possession at their own 36-yard line and quickly worked Behrens deeper into field-goal territory.
Newell charted 71 rushing yards in the first half, while Hanson threw for 171 yards.
Augustana took its first lead of the game seven minutes into the second half. The Vikings found themselves on the MSU 11-yard line on fourth and one. A timeout allowed Augustana to set up an outside run by Newell, which finished off the 15-play, 84-yard drive and afforded Augustana a 17-14 lead.
The Mavericks took their ensuing drive 58 yards and regained their lead after Daniels found Thielen on an 18-yard strike to make it a 21-17 contest with 5:33 left in the third quarter.
On the first drive of the fourth quarter, the Vikings cut the deficit to 21-20 on a 24-yard Behrens field goal. Augustana got a 44-yard run from Newell en route to the score and nearly had six, but
Ben Parsley was ruled out of bounds on a spectacular catch at the back of the endzone.
Newell gave the Vikings their last lead of the game with nine minutes left in the contest, scoring his third touchdown of the game from 16 yards. After a failed two-point conversion, Augustana led 26-21.
The Mavericks delivered the decisive lead change with 3:28 left when Daniels found Andy Pfeiffer from 6 yards out. MSU was denied a two-point conversion.
The Vikings got the ball back, quickly punted and MSU was able to wind down the clock down the stretch.
Ross Peterson made nine stops for the Vikings.
Sean Kelly added six.
Behrens two field goals moved him into first on the career list at Augustana. He now has 32 in his three-year tenure with the Vikings.
Augustana hosts Wayne State Nov. 4 at 1 p.m. in an NSIC South Division battle.
