MANKATO, Minn. – The Winona State football team earned its first win over a top-five team in program history, stunning No. 1 Minnesota State 31-27 in front of 3,912 fans at Blakeslee Stadium in Mankato.
The win snapped the Mavericks' 40-game NSIC winning streak dating back to November 12, 2011. The win was WSU's first over a ranked opponent since beating No. 23 Sioux Falls in 2012 and the first over a top-10 team since downing No. 9 St. Cloud State in 2011.
The Warriors used a 17-point fourth quarter to mount a comeback. Trailing 20-14 to start the fourth, the Warriors retook the lead when Jack Nelson found Alan May for a 3-yard score to put WSU up 21-20 and McCauley later nailed a 44-yard field goal to move ahead by four with 8:24 to play. But the Mavericks answered with a 43-yard run by Chad Zastrow to cap off a 7-play, 75-yard drive and move back in front 27-24.
The Warriors would have the last laugh, though, using a 6-play, 72-yard drive that culminated in the game-winning score. The drive didn't start out the way the Warriors had hoped, facing a 3rd and 13 at their own 25. But a MSU holding penalty gave the Warriors an automatic first down, and the Warriors capitalized on the new life. Nelson followed up with a 17-yard pass, then a 20-yard pass to Josh Mikes followed directly by a beautiful 27-yard touchdown to Cameron Johnson to put the Warriors ahead for what would prove to be the final time.
MSU had one final drive to try to thwart the upset, and the Mavericks moved the ball to the WSU 39 before senior Tamrick Atwood picked off Maverick quarterback Nick Pieruccini to seal the victory.
Michael Russell put the final nail in the coffin with a booming school-record 86-yard punt standing on his own end zone that rolled all the way to the MSU 1-yard line before being picked up. The punt broke a 38-year record previously held by Jeff Ratner with an 80-yard punt vs. Southwest Minnesota State in 1977. Russell had two booming kicks on the day, as a 70-yard punt in the first quarter is now the fifth-longest in school history.
After a scoreless, fast-paced opening quarter, it was the Mavericks who took a 3-0 lead in the game with a 33-yard field goal by Alden Haffer to open the second quarter. Nelson on the following drive found Johnson for the first of his two touchdowns on a 5-yard pass to take WSU's first lead of the day.
The Warriors extended the lead before halftime when Alan May hauled in a 37-yard catch to bring the lead to 14-3, but Haffar hit his second field goal of the day on the last play of the half to make it a one-score game, 14-6, heading into the locker room.
The third quarter was all Mavericks, cutting the Warrior lead to one with a 20-yard pass from wide receiver Brent Esser to fellow wideout Ty Dennis. Just over two minutes later, Zastrow ran it in from five yards out to put the Mavericks up 20-14 and temporarily deflate the Warriors before regrouping for the fourth quarter heroics.
Nelson picked up his second four touchdown performance of the season, going 23-of-38 for 238 yards with a pair of interceptions.
Collin Corcoran and Andrew Spencer recorded fantastic performances to lead the feisty Warrior defense, as Corcoran tied a career-high with 16 tackles, a tackle-for-loss and a half sack, while Spencer had a career-high 15 tackles, a sack and a tackle-for-loss.
The defense finished with three sacks, with Mike Imperiale picking up one and Jeff Brown adding a half sack to go with a team-best 2.5 tackles-for-loss. MSU, meanwhile, sacked Nelson just once after sacking him nine times a season ago.
Eric Smith added an interception along with Atwood. On the ground, Preston finished with 80 yards on 26 carries.
Winona State (4-4, 2-2 NSIC South) returns to Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium next Saturday to host Wayne State at 1 p.m.
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