SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Junior quarterback Jack Nelson threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns, but it wasn't enough to outduel No. 5 Sioux Falls in a 51-30 loss Saturday night in front of 2,823 fans in Sioux Falls.
Nelson established himself as one of Winona State's all-time greats under center, as a 14-yard third quarter touchdown pass to Alan May was the 65th of the quarterback's career, surpassing WSU Hall of Famer Jake Goettl's 64 from 1995-98 for the most career touchdown tosses in WSU history.
Earlier in the game Nelson broke the second WSU career record of the day when his fifth completion gave him 499 for his collegiate career, the most of any WSU quarterback in history. It wasn't just any ordinary completion, however. Instead, it was a 77-yard touchdown strike to senior wide receiver Josh Mikes – the 20th-longest scoring pass in WSU history – that put the Warriors up 17-3 over the favored Cougars midway through the first quarter.
The Warriors built their early lead thanks to a Carter McCauley 28-yard field goal on the opening six-play, 64-yard drive that spanned just 1:33. Senior linebacker Collin Corcoran then forced a fumble on USF's first play that Dylan Thill recovered to set WSU up with prime field position at Sioux Falls' 27 yard line. After a pair of eight-and-nine-yard completions to May, Nelson found Paul Preston for a 10-yard score and put the Warriors out in front 10-0 just 119 seconds into the game.
The Cougar offense would prove to be too much for the Warriors, though, as a one-yard Jonathan Witt run and a 20-yard pass from Luke Papilion to Brady Rose had the score tied up at 17-17 by the end of the first quarter.
Rose again found the end zone on a 3-yard pass from Papilion early in the second quarter and Papilion found Erik Albeck for the third of his five passing touchdowns late in the half for 28 unanswered points and to stake the Cougars to a 31-17 lead at the break.
WSU cut into the Cougars' lead with Nelson's record-setting pass to May, but it stayed an eight-point game at 31-23 when McCauley's point after attempt was unsuccessful for the first time this season thanks to a block.
Papilion threw two more third quarter touchdown passes, one each to Josh Angulo and Rose, to open up a 44-23 lead, but Nelson early in the fourth found May again on a 21-yard pass to bring it to 44-30 before one more touchdown from Papilion – this time a two-yard run – made it a 51-30 final score.
Preston topped the 100-yard plateau for the third time in four games, rushing for 105 yards on 16 carries for a 6.4 yard-per-carry average.
Mikes finished with 127 yards through the air on three receptions, while May had 84 yards on seven catches.
Defensively, Andrew Spencer picked off his third pass of the year along with eight tackles and three pass breakups.
Mike Imperiale and Kyle Coon each had team-leading nine tackles, while Corcoran had eight along with Spencer.
Winona State (3-3, 1-1 NSIC South) returns to Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium next Saturday for a 1 p.m. matchup against Upper Iowa.
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