PRESS RELEASE

Box Score: https://nsuwolves.com/sports/football/stats/2021/minnesota-state/boxscore/9211 Mankato, Minn. – Despite a hard-fought, well-played game in the 2021 opener the Northern State University football team fell to No. 2 Minnesota State in overtime. The Wolves led the Mavericks 27-17 heading into the fourth, however a 17-7 MSU run and touchdown with under a minute to play in the final quarter forced the inevitable overtime period.

THE QUICK DETAILS

Final Score: NSU 34, MSU 40

Records: NSU 0-1, MSU 1-0

Attendance: 4369

HOW IT HAPPENED

·         Northern tallied seven points in the first, ten in the second and third, and seven in the fourth, out-scoring Minnesota State 10-0 in the third quarter

·         The Mavericks quickly opened the game with a touchdown at 12:05 on the clock, however that was answered even quicker by the Wolves

·         Hunter Trautman connected with Jacob Streit for the first receiving touchdown of 2021, a 7-yard reception with 10:22 on the clock

·         NSU took their first lead of the game on the opening drive of the second, another passing touchdown by Trautman; but this time it was a 2-yard completion to Dewaylon Ingram

·         Just over a minute expired on the clock, before the Mavericks knotted up the game with a 71-yard passing touchdown from Hayden Ekern to Jalen Sample

·         Minnesota State grabbed the lead with just 3:40 left in the half on an 18-yard field goal by Luke Williams

·         Payton Eue was not to be out-done, tying the game on a career long 50-yard field goal with 1:34 to play in the second

·         The Wolves tallied back-to-back scores in the third, kicked off by a 16-yard receiving touchdown for Dakota Larson (Trautman)

·         Eue notched his second made field goal with 3:09 remaining in the third, a 23-yard attempt which gave the Wolves the 27-17 lead

·         Minnesota State chipped away with a rushing score to open the fourth, however Larson and Trautman extended the Wolves lead with a 65-yard touchdown at 12:55

·         The Mavericks went on to rattle off ten more points in the final five minutes of the fourth, including a game tying touchdown with 38 seconds remaining

·         Northern opened the overtime period with the ball, however was unable to break things open on the scoreboard, coming up short on a 61-yard field goal attempt

·         MSU sealed their first win of the season on a 16-yard touchdown run

·         While the Mavericks out-rushed the Wolves, 247-52, Northern tallied 331 passing yards to Minnesota State’s 295

·         NSU went 9-of-19 on third down conversions and scored on each of the four times they entered the red-zone

·         Defensively, the held the Mavericks to 6-of-19 on third downs and tallied five sacks for a total loss of 27 yards

·         Three Wolves tallied double figure tackles, with Brennan Kutterer and Chance Olson each notching an interception

NORTHERN STATE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS

·         Hunter Tratuman: 21-of-42, 4 touchdowns, 331 yards passing

·         Dakota Larson: 168 yards receiving, 24 yards per reception, 2 touchdowns, 65-yard long

·         Vance Barnes: 83 yards receiving, 41.5 yards per reception, 56 return yards

·         Hunter Hansen: 14 tackles (8 solo, 6 assisted), 1 forced fumble

·         Brennan Kutterer: 11 tackles (6 solo, 5 assisted), 1 interception

·         Chance Olson: 10 tackles (6 solo, 4 assisted), 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception

·         Adam Heining: 3 tackles, 2.0 sacks (loss of 7 yards)

·         Payton Eue: 2 made field goals, 50-yard long (career best), 4-of-4 PAT, 62.0 yards per kickoff, 36.6 yards per punt

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

·         The last time the Wolves finished a contest within single digits of the Mavericks was in the 1971 Gypsy Days victory (16-14)

o   2021 marks the 50-year anniversary of the contest

UP NEXT

Northern returns to Aberdeen next Saturday for their 2021 home opener and the inaugural game from Dacotah Bank Stadium. Kick-off is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday, September 11 versus Southwest Minnesota State. Game day information, including parking, tickets, tailgating, and facility entrances will be released on nsuwolves.com in the coming days.