MANKATO, Minn. – The Winona State University football team – ranked No. 25 in the current AFCA poll - had already earned a portion of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) South Division title with a win last week over Upper Iowa and headed into their Saturday, Nov. 12 contest at No. 23 Minnesota State with a chance to own the trophy outright with a road victory.

However, Winona State found the conditions at Blakeslee Field in Mankato to be tough sledding, falling to the Mavericks 40-13.

Playing on a blustery day with a game time temperature hovering around the 25-degree mark, Winona State fell victim to a hot-starting Maverick offense that found the end zone twice early on and pulled away from the Warriors in front of 2,571 bundled-up fans.

The first half saw Minnesota State strike right away, scoring a touchdown on a 70-yard breakthrough run by Shey Butler Lawson, Jr. just four minutes into the game. They then doubled their advantage with a 43-yard TD toss two minutes later when MSU quarterback Hayden Ekern connected with receiver Nyles Williams.  MSU would add a third score at 3:25 of the first quarter to stake a 21-0 lead over Winona State in the game's opening stanza.

As the first quarter wound down, the Warrior defense held Minnesota State from scoring on their last drive of the first 15 minutes, forcing the Mavericks to a 25-yard field goal attempt after a six-play drive, which was subsequently missed by Maverick kicker, Damian Chowaniec.

The missed kick did not prove to be the momentum-turner that the WSU faithful hoped for, as Minnesota State would proceed to tack on another touchdown and a field goal before halftime, sending the teams to the locker room at 31-0 in favor of the Mavericks.

After the break, Winona State responded with a touchdown drive on their first possession, with a Kyle Haas completion to Darryl Williams for 24 yards midway through the series sparking the Warrior attack. Two plays later, Ty Gavin reached the end zone on a four-yard touchdown run to open the WSU account and move the score to 31-7.

However, the MSU-Mankato offense picked up in the second half where they left off in the first, stretching their lead to 38-7 when DJ Barber scored on a 27-yard pass from Ekern.

Dropped passes haunted Winona State as they tried to climb back into the contest, but eventually Trevor Paulsen found a sure-handed friend in tight end Jaylen Schleicher, connecting with the 6'6" Schleicher for a 21-yard score in the middle of the third quarter, moving the scoreboard to 38-13.  

On the ensuing Warrior point-after attempt, the Mavericks ended Jacob Scott's NSIC-leading successful PAT streak at 35 straight, blocking the kick with a surge from the right side of the line of scrimmage.

After the three touchdowns to open the second half between the two teams, Winona State suffered a safety late in the third quarter when a punt attempt from their own end zone went awry, resulting in a 40-13 Maverick advantage.

Tristan Root gave WSU fans a fourth-quarter highlight when he pulled off a fake to perfection on a 31-yard tuck-and-run while in punt formation. Root's run set Winona State up in the red zone with just over 11 minutes left in the game, but a Maverick blitz on fourth and goal resulted in a turnover-on-downs and an unchanged 40-13 scoreboard.

On offense overall in the game, Winona State quarterbacks Kyle Haas and Trevor Paulsen combined for a 21-of-43 passing day, good for 232 yards through the air. The Warriors' QB corps suffered two sacks, and one interception while also throwing for a touchdown.  Darryl Williams and Cooper Nelson each had four catches to lead WSU.

The Winona State ground game was held to just 42 yards on 28 attempts, with Ty Gavin emerging as the leading rusher with 24 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively WSU conceded 259 yards on the ground to the Mavericks, while the MSU passing game scored three touchdowns and accrued 233 yards.  Winona State's Clay Schueffner racked up 18 tackles, a season high for the junior from St. Cloud, Wisconsin.

On special teams, Root punted five times for 143 yards in the contest. Jacob Scott was 1-for-2 on point after attempts and the Warrior kick return game was largely held in check except for a 28-yard kickoff return by Aarion Lacy.

The Mavericks compiled 492 yards of total offense and held a 33:37 to 26:23 advantage in time of possession over Winona State.

WSU moves to 8-3 overall and 5-1 in the NSIC South, while the Mavericks complete their regular season at 9-2 overall and match the Warriors with a 5-1 divisional record.

Despite the setback, Winona State owns a share of the 2022 NSIC South Divisional title, the program's first since the 2012 campaign.  That year, Winona State earned the hardware outright with a 9-2 mark and trip to the Mineral Water Bowl. WSU last co-owned the South title in 2010 when Augustana and the Warriors tied atop of the division.

WSU and Warrior Nation now turn attention to the NCAA Division II Football playoff selection show, set for 4:30 p.m. (CST) on Sunday, November 13. 

Winona State and head coach Brian Bergstrom will welcome the greater Winona community, as well as WSU students, staff and faculty to campus to a selection show watch party in the Baldwin Lounge.  The watch party will begin at 4 p.m. and the NCAA broadcast starts at 4:30pm.  Click here for a campus map; Baldwin Lounge is located in the Kryzsko Commons Student Union.