Box Score Marshall, Minn. ---  The Minnesota State football team overcame a slow start en route to a 38-0 victory over Southwest Minnesota State Saturday afternoon earning the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division Title outright.

The shutout is the second of the year for Minnesota State and the fifth under head coach Todd Hoffner.  More importantly, with Bemidji State defeating St. Cloud State, 19-14, Minnesota State enters the 11^th week of the season in sole possession of first-place in the NSIC.  Additionally, the win by MSU and loss by St. Cloud State guarantees Minnesota State at least a share of the 2011 NSIC overall title.

Minnesota State led 3-0 after the first quarter thanks to a 33-yard field goal by junior kicker Daniel Padilla.  Senior quarterback Jon Daniels punched in a five-yard run with 38 seconds remaining in the first half to push the Maverick edge to 10-0 at the break.

Minnesota State scored twice in the third quarter to open a 24-0 lead when redshirt freshman Michael Richter caught a 34-yard scoring strike from Daniels.  The catch was the first of Richter’s career. 

Redshirt freshman running back Andy Pfeiffer – who was a high school teammate of Richter at Mankato West – then punched in
MSU’s third touchdown of the game with a six-yard run at the 5:41 mark of the third quarter.

Junior wideout Dennis Carter added a 19-yard touchdown reception from Daniels at the 8:12 mark of the fourth quarter while sophomore wideout/running back/quarterback Jon Wolf scampered 52-yards for a touchdown with 1:49 remaining. 

Pfeiffer finished with 126 rushing for his seventh 100-yard game this season.  He enters next week’s game 13 yards shy of the 1,000-yard barrier for the season.   Wolf added 14 carries for 118 yards. Daniels finished the game completing 6-of-14 passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns to six different receivers, as Carter was the only Maverick with two catches.

Defensively, sophomore Jordan Hale led MSU with 13 tackles, including 1.5 for a loss and a pass break-up.  Redshirt freshmen Samuel Thompson and Zach Burrington and senior Andre LaGrone each had an interception in the win.

Minnesota State (8-2, 8-1 NSIC) returns to action next weekend when it travels to Minnesota Duluth.  Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

To view the game stats, click HERE

Watch Coach Hoffner following the win