WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University football team battled back from a significant second half deficit, but in the end Northern State escaped Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium with a win to spoil the WSU Homecoming, 52-49.

The Wolves (4-2 / 0-1 NSIC North) scored the first two touchdowns of the game to stake themselves a 14-point cushion over the Warriors (3-3, 0-1 NSIC South), an early lead which would prove pivotal as the game wore on. 

A sluggish first half for Winona State sprung to life when Jake Balliu took a Northern State kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown, the longest kick return scoring play of his career and one of several exciting special teams plays on the day.  Balliu's response was important both to keep the game within striking distance and to ignite the 4,552 fans in attendance. 

NSU responded with a pair of scores of their own, capping 77-yard and 57-yard scoring drives that kept Owen Burke and the Warrior offense of the field for significant stretches of the Homecoming contest. 

However, down 28-7 late in the second quarter, Burke connected with Jason Michael Young on a 28-yard reception for Warrior touchdown. For Young, it was his first Winona State score of his career and one of two catches he had on the day. 

While the Warrior faithful had hopes of WSU heading into the locker room down just two scores, the Wolves had other ideas.

Receiving the kickoff following the Burke-to-Young score, NSU drove 69 yards in six plays to produce a touchdown with just three seconds left in the half. NSU's Hunter Trautman spied Dakota Larson in the back of the end zone as time wound down for a key score.  

At 35-14, Winona State was in need of a second half effort reminiscent of some Warrior comebacks earlier in the season.  They almost made it happen. 

The Warriors opened up the second half with a score on their first possession, as Dominik London broke out of the pile to rumble 44 yards to the end zone, adding another impressive long-yardage effort to his Winona State resume. 

After a NSU long-distance effort of their own, with Trautman connecting on a 72-yard bomb to Dewaylon Ingram, Winona State scored again to make it 42-28 through Ethan Wittenburg.  Wittenburg hauled in a 39-yard pass from Burke on a four play drive that used up just 90 precious seconds. 

As had been the script all game, unfortunately, NSU had an answer for Wittenburg's team leading fifth touchdown of the season, scoring what would be the final Wolves touchdown of the game. With just over two minutes to go in the third quarter, Brett Benton ran in from five yards out to move the scoreboard to 49-28 in favor of Northern State.

A motivated Warrior team took the field in the fourth quarter and nearly completed a tremendous comeback. Darryl Williams scored on a 41-yard pass from Burke to draw WSU within 14 points just 45 seconds into the final frame and Tyler Knutson found the end zone again just one minute later on a 17-yard touchdown grab from Burke.  The back-to-back touchdowns represented the first time in the game that the Warriors put consecutive scores on the board without a Wolves response in between.  

The two teams traded possessions for much of the fourth quarter until Northern State struck on a 38 yard field goal from Payton Eue.  The three points proved to be key in the game, as did the 13-play drive that used up over five minutes of the clock that produced it.  Hope was restored through a second Knutson catch for a touchdown with 1:26 left in the game, as Owen Burke found Knutson with one-on-one coverage in the red-zone and took advantage. 

An onside kick effort was not successful for Winona State after the score, and NSU was able to run out the clock with their final possession. Although Winona State outscored NSU 21-3 in the fourth quarter and racked up 35 second half points, the margin was too steep to climb in the end, and resulted in the Warriors on the wrong side of a 52-49 final. 

Individually, Owen Burke was 22-of-38 for 334 yards and five passing touchdowns on the day.  With the impressive passing effort, Burke registered his second 300-yard game as a Warrior. He also moved north of the 50-TD line, sitting at 54 touchdown tosses in his career. Burke now has 6,327 passing yards, moving him in front of former Warrior Jason Mitchell for fifth all-time. 

Dominik London had 13 carries for 59 yards and touchdown, the only Warrior rushing score of the game.  One rushing play that stood out in the first half was a Tristan Root 18-yard fake punt pulled off perfectly, running to a Warrior first down to sustain a drive in the first half. 

Ethan Wittenburg led Winona State in reception yards with 72 yards on three catches and touchdown, while Jaylen Schleicher had four grabs for 62 yards. Tyler Knutsen had four catches, two touchdowns, while Darryl Williams had three catches and a TD as well. Jake Balliu had five receptions on the day. 

Defensively, Cam Gavin racked up 12 solo stops in his 14 total tackles, a season-high so far.  Clay Schueffner had 11 tackles, while Jarius Adams, Carter Duxbury, Darius Manuel and Corrie King combined for two sacks of Wolves quarterback Hunter Trautman, who had 418 yards with five touchdowns for the visitors. 

Balliu's 97-yard kickoff return touchdown was a big part of his 215 return yard day, and is now the sixth-longest kickoff return in Warrior history, while fellow kick returner Darryl Williams had 107 yards on four returns. Jacob Scott extended his PAT streak to 27-for-27 on the year. 

For Winona State, now 3-3 overall, the Warriors look to rebound quickly with another home game on the horizon.  WSU will host Southwest Minnesota State in the Battle for the Sledge on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 1pm.  

For the most up to date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit: www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and @WinonaStateATH.

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About Winona State University Athletics: 

The Winona State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, as an integral part of the educational mission of the institution, is committed to offering opportunities to experience academic and athletic excellence for our student-athletes through two simple words: Graduate Champions.  

Fourteen Warrior programs compete at the NCAA Division II level within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).  Winona State University competes as an affiliate member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in the sport of women's gymnastics.