Box Score Marquette, Mich. --- Northern Michigan used a 28-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and one with five minutes and 30 seconds remaining to break a 24-all tie and propel the Wildcats to a 31-24 victory over Minnesota State Thursday evening.
The Mavericks drove deep into NMU territory in the final minute but Jacob Lehmann picked off a pass by senior quarterback Jon Daniels in the endzone to seal the win.
The first half featured a back-and-forth affair as Northern Michigan opened the scoring with a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown. After MSU answered with a field goal 21-yard field goal by Daniel Padilla, NMU answered with a 9-play, 60-yard drive that covered three minutes and 29 seconds to extend the lead to 14-3.
The Mavericks answered with a pair of touchdown passes – a seven-yard strike to junior Dennis Carter and a seven-yard strike to senior LaMark Brown in the second quarter but they scores would be sandwiched between a four-yard NMU touchdown run as the Wildcats took a 21-17 lead into the half.
The third quarter featured a lone field goal by NMU’s Rockne Belmonte to push the score to 24-17. The Mavericks answered on the ensuing drive to start the fourth quarter as Daniels found Brown for a 25-yard touchdown strike. The pass was Daniels’ third touchdown toss of the game and it was the second touchdown grab of the night for Brown.
The Mavericks were led offensively by Brown who rushed 10 times for 54 yards and caught five passes for 66 yards and two scores. Carter added four catches for 62 yards and a touchdown ad Daniels finished the day 16-of-25 for 195 yards and three scores.
Defensively, juniors Robert Gunderson and Marcus Hall-Oliver and sophomore Isaac Kolstad all finished with seven tackles.
The Mavericks (0-1) host Northern State Sept. 10, to open the home portion and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference portion of its schedule. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
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Coach Hoffner talks about the loss:
