Bismarck, N.D. - The Winona State University football team picked up their first road win of the 2023 season, outlasting host University of Mary in a 17-7 Warrior win.
Winona State (3-3, 3-2 NSIC) used a time-consuming fourth-quarter drive to beat UMary (0-6, 0-6 NSIC) on the Marauder's home turf in the MDU Resources Community Bowl. For WSU, the win moves the Warriors to .500 overall and gains a third NSIC victory, while the result also keeps UMary winless on the year.
Final Score: Winona State 17, University of Mary 7
Attendance: 1,557
Winona State scored first in the contest on a TD catch by
Sylvere Campbell, his second-straight game with a touchdown grab. UMary responded with a touchdown of their own with just over four minutes to play in the first quarter, but it would be all the scoring the Marauders would manage on the day. WSU scored again to close the first quarter when
Thomas Kiesau and
Cole Stenstrom connected from 14 yards out.
Jacob Scott would go on to add a 21-yard field goal in the third quarter to complete the scoring for the game, and push the final Warrior advantage to 17-7.
The Winona State defense was on point in Bismarck, with
Clay Schueffner,
Kyjuan Vengrowsky and
Darius Manuel combining for seven tackles-for-loss against the Marauders.
Lincoln Snitker led WSU in tackles with seven, while
Tristan Root racked up six stops and had a pair of pass breakups.
Carson Sippel had an interception as well.
How it Happened
Winona State scored on their opening drive of the contest, with
Sylvere Campbell catching a one-yard toss from
Cole Stenstrom just over one minute into the game to spot WSU an early 7-0 lead.
UMary matched the Warriors in scoring with a first quarter touchdown of their own, with Jeremiah Moore finding the end zone on a long, 59-yard run to cap a three-play drive for the Marauders.
Thomas Kiesau helped WSU head coach
Brian Bergstrom regain the Warrior lead in the final minute of the first quarter, as the La Crescent, Minn. product hauled in a 14-yard pass from
Cole Stenstrom, capping an eight-play, 75-yard drive. For Kiesau, it was one of three catches on the day and Stenstrom's second touchdown pass of the quarter.
After a hot start for both teams in terms opening quarter offense, the respective defenses took center stage in the second quarter.
Neither team could dent the scoreboard in the second stanza, as the two teams combined for five punts in the second fifteen minutes. The only drive that ended differently than a punt was a missed Winona State field goal, with
Jacob Scott misfiring from 36-yards out.
At The Half: Winona State 14, UMary 7.
The third quarter continued to yield opportunities for the punt units in both the Warrior and Marauder special teams. The lockdown defense for Winona State would prove to be a theme as the contest continued.
A second-half highlight for Winona State was a
Carson Sippel interception in the third quarter, with Sippel slipping in to pick off UMary's Sofian Massoud's.
Following Sippel's big play, Winona State marched into the red zone - and although the drive stalled short of a touchdown -
Jacob Scott hit a 21-yard field goal for Winona State to provide some cushion for WSU in a game where points were hard to come by.
In the end, Scott's effort capped a nine-play drive that would produce the final scoring for the quarter - and the game - as both teams were held in check by solid defensive play the rest of the way.
A key component of the fourth quarter, and decisive drive in the game, was an 18-play drive that chewed up much of the final frame. Although the drive ended with WSU turning over the ball on downs when Stenstrom and Campbell were unable to connect on a fourth-and-goal, UMary was trapped in the shadows of their own goalposts with only 4:49 remaining in the game.
UMary failed to produce any late-game heroics for the home team, and Winona State earned the ball back on downs with under a minute to play. WSU's Stenstrom took a knee on the final snap of the game, and with it, secured an important NSIC victory.
Beyond The Boxscore
Winona State picks up their first road win of the 2023 season, and will play away on two more occasions this fall, traveling to the University of Sioux Falls for Oct. 21 contest and to MSU-Moorhead on Oct. 28.
Saturday saw
Sylvere Campbell haul in a touchdown pass from
Cole Stenstrom for the second week in a row; Campbell had a 49-yard touchdown catch vs. UMD last week.
The UMary - WSU contest was played in front of 1,557 fans in the MDU Community Resources Bowl and the Warrior win marked the fourth straight victory for Winona State when playing at UMary.
Despite the Winona State dominance in the win column versus UMary, Saturday's contest reflects a trend of close matchups between the two teams. The last three Warrior wins all came by 10 points or less; 48-38 in 2021, 25-17 in 2022 and the 17-7 result on Saturday.
Winona State Statistical Standouts
Cole Stenstrom, 21-of-39, 273 yards, 2 touchdowns.
Quentin Pringle, 8 carries, 58 yards, 7.3 yards per rush.
Kaleb Skelly, 8 catches, 73 yards
Sylvere Campbell, 3 catches, 47 yards, 1 TD
Thomas Kiesau, 3 catches, 36 yards, 1 TD
Cayden Holcomb, 3 catches, 26 yards
Lincoln Snitker, 7 solo tackles
Tristan Root, 6 tackles, 2 pass breakups
Kyjuan Vengrowsky, 4 tackles, 3 TFLs
Clay Schueffner, 5 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFLs
Darius Manuel, 2 TFLs
Carson Sippel, 1 INT
Winona State Team Notables
WSU racked up 25 first downs, compared to just 10 for UMary.
The Warriors more than doubled up the Marauders in terms of rushing yards (WSU 160 - 71 UMary) and passing yards (WSU 273- 122 UMary).
The seven points allowed was the best Winona State defensive showing of the year; previously, WSU held Concordia, St. Paul to eight points in week two.
UMary Stat Standouts
Kevin Powell, 7 punts for 336 yards, including a 70-yarder
Jeremiah Moore, 69 rushing yards, 1 TD
Up Next for Winona State
Winona State will welcome Augustana University for a homecoming matchup on Saturday, Oct. 14. The Warriors and Vikings will kick off at 2 p.m. in Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium.
