MANKATO, Minn. --- It proved to be a wild homecoming game Saturday afternoon at Blakeslee Stadium, but it was #1 Minnesota State that came away with the 35-27 win over its longtime rival Augustana.
With the win, MSU improves to 6-0 on the season, while AU falls to 4-2. Saturday's game also saw 7,187 fans pack Blakeslee Stadium, which broke the previous attendance record of 7,011 fans that packed the stadium in MSU's homecoming game against Winona State in 2011.
After forcing an Augustana three and out, the Mavericks answered right away on their opening drive as junior
Ricky Lloyd found senior
Kyle Riggott with a perfect 37-yard pass to put the Mavericks up 7-0 with 11:17 to go in the quarter. Augie would answer right back on its next drive as it drove down to the MSU 21, which set up a Lucas Wainman field goal from 38 yards out to bring the score to 7-3.
MSU answered right back after the field goal by Wainman as Lloyd threw another deep touchdown pass, this time connecting with sophomore
Ty Dennis on a 50-yard strike, to put the Mavericks up 14-3. Later on in the second quarter, the tandem of Lloyd and Dennis struck again, this time on a 17-yard touchdown pass, to give the Mavericks their largest lead of the game at 21-3.
Augustana was able to get a pair of scores in the final four minutes of the second quarter to bring the score to 21-13 in favor of MSU heading into halftime. CJ Ham ran in Augustana's first touchdown of the game with 3:24 to go in the quarter, before Wainman connected on a 36-yard field goal as time expired in the 1st half.
Both defenses proved stingy throughout much of the third quarter, but the Vikings were able to pull within one of the Mavericks at 21-20 with one minute remaining in the quarter after Trey Heid threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Charlie Hayes. Au's touchdown was the first time the MSU defense has allowed an opponent to score in the second half.
The Vikings were able to force an MSU to punt on its following drive, but senior
Alden Haffar pinned Augustana down on its own eight yard line after a 59-yard punt. On Augustana's very next play, Heid fumbled the ball and it was recovered by sophomore
Evan Perrizo on the Augustana four yard line. Sophomore
Nick Pieruccini ran into the endzone from four yards out on MSU's opening play of the drive to put MSU up 28-20 with 13:51 left in the game.
MSU would increase its lead to 35-20 after a six-yard touchdown run from senior
Connor Thomas, but Augustana would answer right back less than two minutes later as Matt Heller caught a 49-yard touchdown pass from Heid to bring the score to 35-27 with 2:32 left.
Augustana tried an onside kick but sophomore
Neico Stokke was able to recover the kick for the Mavericks. MSU then rushed its way to a pair of first downs as it ran out the clock to secure the win.
Lloyd finished his day connecting on 9-of-12 passes for 192 yards and three touchdowns. Dennis established a new career-high with 153 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown catches, while Thomas led the Maverick rushing attack with 95 rushing yards and a touchdown.
As a unit, the Maverick defense notched a total of eight sacks, four of which came courtesy of senior
Josh Gordon. Senior
Tyler Henderson, juniors
Marcus Gooden and
Alec Vesper, and Perrizo each notched a quarterback sack as well. Henderson led the Mavericks with eight tackles, while Perrizo and senior
Jeffrey Raymond each came away with a fumble recovery.
The Mavericks continue their 2015 schedule on the road on Saturday, Oct. 17, as they take on Concordia-St. Paul. The opening kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m.
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