WINONA, Minn. - A pair of key defensive plays helped turn the tide for the Winona State University football team on Saturday, as the Warriors defeated Upper Iowa University, 40-12.
Richard Azunna snagged a pick-six in the second quarter to spark WSU, intercepting a Marcus Orr pass and taking it 64 yards the other way for the score. Upper Iowa had been in the midst of a promising drive when the senior from Chicago earned his first interception of the season.
Then, early in the third quarter the Winona State defense was faced with a Peacock first-and-ten possession on the Warrior 15-yard line. However, four downs later, Winona State had the ball back thanks in large part to a
Corrie King sack on third and 15, moving UIU out of field goal range and forcing the Peacocks into a fourth-and-long situation that they failed to convert.
In between defensive stops, Winona State was able to tack on a touchdown and a
Jacob Scott field goal to begin to add some separation from UIU on the scoreboard.
And, just when Upper Iowa seemed to be clawing back in the game with a touchdown late in the third quarter,
Darius Manuel blocked a PAT that was scooped up by
Brian Corbins, Jr. who went on to score two points on the return. For Corbins, Jr. it was his second key play on a Peacock PAT, as he blocked a UIU kick in the first quarter as well, on a day when unusual plays defined special teams for both sides.Saturday's game featured two blocked kicks, a field goal off the crossbar, a muffed punt return and several close calls on blocks for both teams while in punt formation.
Overall defensively, Winona State made the plays to win and held the Upper Iowa offense to just 29 rushing yards.
Mitch Snitker had eight tackles on the day, while
John Schmidt and
Cole LaLiberty had seven. As a team, WSU earned five sacks and LaLiberty led the team with three and 1/2 stops behind the line of scrimmage.
The Warrior offense came to life as the game wore on and put points on the board in bunches, with quarterback
Owen Burke dialed in and delivering an impressive 23-of-29 passing day, racking up 244 yards and no interceptions. His 79.3 pass completion percentage is ninth all-time for single game success in the pocket; Burke also owns the sixth-best all-time spot with a 81.3 mark against UMary in 2018. On Saturday, Burke had time to dissect the Peacock defense with strong protection from his offensive line which allowed just one sack, the second-lowest team total of the season. Burke also rushed for touchdown, his first rushing score of the year.
Noah Carlson put an exclamation point on the game to open the fourth quarter, with a 54 yard run to score his fourth touchdown of the season, moving the score to 33-12. Carlson led the Warrior backfield brigade with 71 yards on six attempts.
Dominik London had 44 yards on eight carries and the Warrior faithful was excited to see
Javian Roebuck back in the lineup, where he scored his team-leading seventh touchdown.
Sawyer Maly led all receivers on the day with 65 yards and a touchdown, while
Jason Michael Young and
Ethan Wittenburg had three catches each.
Jacob Scott was 1-for-2 on field goal attempts and was 3-for-4 on PAT's.
Tristan Root hit three punts, with a longest effort of 49 yards, dropping two kicks inside the 20.
For head coach
Tom Sawyer, the NSIC South victory ensured his 22nd season above .500 in his 25 year tenure with the Warriors, a remarkable feat in one of the most competitive NCAA Division II football conferences in the country. Winona State will host Minnesota State – Mankato on Saturday, Nov. 13 in the final contest of the season. Warrior fans near and far are encouraged to attend the final contest in coach Sawyer's legendary career as Winona State hosts their longtime rivals.
Kickoff on Saturday, Nov. 13 is set for 1pm in Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium.
For the most up to date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit: www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and @WinonaStateATH.
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.
