WAYNE, Neb. – In a season that featured so many plays that determined outcomes in the closing seconds, it was only fitting that the final game came down to one final play.

Northern State broke up a pass in the end zone as time expired to seal at 28-21 win over Wayne State on Saturday afternoon. The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference victory gave the Wolves their sixth win in the last seven games to close out the season.

“What else can we say about this team?” said NSU coach Mike Schmidt, recounting plays made in the closing seconds of wins over Minnesota-Duluth on a last second field by Jeremy Caruso and a two-point stop against Bemidji State. “I hope everyone will remember where they were when Jeremy’s kick went through at Duluth. I hope everyone will remember how loud Dacotah Bank Stadium was at the end of the Gypsy Days game against Bemidji. I hope everyone will remember these last two comeback wins (one over CSP) on the road. I’m proud that this team could provide those memories for Wolves fans.”

The Wolves had one more memory maker in them against Wayne.

Northern turned in stellar defensive plays on the Wildcats’ final possession.

“Quite possibly the biggest plays of the game are Luke Gunderson’s tackle on first down from the 16, and Jake Adams’ tackle on third down to prevent the first down,” Schmidt said. “That kept the clock running and forced them into a last-play scenario.”

That last play resulted in the Wolves pressuring the Wayne quarterback who fired a pass to the back of the end zone.

“We had a tremendous rush up front. (Gabe) Gutierrez, (Max) Van Landingham, and (Logan) Grossinger all converged on the quarterback and forced one last throw to the back of the end zone,” Schmidt said. “It was a tremendous play by Kegan Mountain not to commit a penalty. He just made a clean play on the ball. I can’t say enough about their toughness and execution throughout the drive and it culminated into a great last play of the game.”

The Wolves trailed 14-7 before starting to find a rhythm late in the first half which resulted in touchdowns on three straight possessions. NSU surged in front 28-14 with five minutes left in the third quarter.

“We focus on the ‘Middle 8’ a lot within the program. That’s the last four minutes of the second quarter and the first four minutes of the third quarter,” Schmidt said. “For us to really dominate the middle of the game was the key to the win.”

Hank Kraft rushed for 111 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the NSU ground game. Daniel Britt, who ran for a score, passed for 144 yards and a touchdown to freshman Cade Kaiser.

Adams once again led the Wolves with a dozen tackles, while Mountain and Grossinger each contributed 10.

“Wayne is a high-powered offense with electric skill players,” Schmidt said. We knew we had a huge challenge. Our defense played tough and was very opportunistic.”

The Wolves finished the season with a 6-5 record after an 0-4 start to the season.

Schmidt said he can’t wait to get back to work and start on next year.

“The 2025 season starts right now. … This group is so motivating to be around. They learned what it takes to win consistently at a high level,” Schmidt said. “Now we can attack the execution, recruiting, and development that separates good teams from great teams.”

To see a complete box score of the game, click on the following link:

https://nsuwolves.com/sports/football/stats/2024/wayne-state/boxscore/13622