WAYNE, Neb. --- It came down to the final minute at Bob Cunningham Field Saturday evening, but its was #11 Minnesota State that was able to come away with the 35-28 win over Wayne State.

With the win, MSU improves to 3-0 on the season, including a 2-0 NSIC record. With the loss, WSC drops to 2-1, including a 1-1 conference record.

"The players on Wayne State were very motivated and played hard and they did enough to mount a comeback but in the end the Maverick football players showed great resiliency and resolve to get the win on the road," head coach Todd Hoffner said. "I thought we sputtered a couple of times in the red zone and in order to be great we have to cash in on those for touchdowns."

WSC's opening drive of the game saw the Wildcats take advantage of a Maverick miscue on the punt return as the ball bounced off a Maverick player, before WSC recovered the ball on the MSU 2. The Wildcats then went up 7-0 as Nick Bohn scored on the quarterback sneak from one yard out. The Minnesota State offense wasted no time in responding as the Mavericks drove 75 yards on eight plays, including a 10-yard touchdown run by freshman Sam Backer to tie the score at 7-7 with 7:55 to go in the first quarter.

MSU and WSC would each score one more touchdown in the first quarter to bring the score to 14-14. A 57-yard rush from MSU's Backer set up a 1-yard touchdown run for senior Tony Anger, before WSC's Letravious Boyd recorded a 66-yard touchdown run for the Wildcats.

After a high scoring first quarter, a Maverick field goal proved to be the only score in the second quarter as MSU carried a 17-14 lead into the halftime. MSU started its final drive of the half on its own 19 and managed to drive 58 yards down field with less than a minute to go. A stop on third down and a five-yard false start penalty then set up the Mavericks with a 40-yard field goal attempt. Junior Matthew Jaeger stepped in and his kick split the uprights to put Minnesota State back up 17-14.

The opening drive of the third quarter saw the Mavericks drive 72 yards down field, before Jaeger connected on a 20-yard field goal to increase MSU's lead to 20-14. MSU added to its lead with a 26-yard touchdown pass from senior Hayden Ekern to junior TreShawn Watson. The two point conversion pass from Ekern to Anger put MSU up by 14 at 28-14 with 1:28 to go in the third quarter.

Wayne State responded quickly in fourth quarter as a Bohn finished off a 75-yard scoring drive with a one-yard touchdown run up the middle to cut MSU's lead to seven at 28-21 with 10:31 to go. A Wildcat interception by Joe Morrison on MSU's following drove set up the Wildcats on the MSU 9. Three plays later, the game was tied at 28-28 with 8:07 left after Bohn connected with Kendrick Watkins-Hogue on a two-yard touchdown pass.

After both teams were forced to punt on their next drives, the Mavericks took over on their own 22 with 2:54 to go in the game. Four carries, a pass and a WSC personal foul penalty later, MSU found itself on the WSC 15. MSU continued to run the ball up the middle, forcing WSC to use all its remaining timeouts, as the Mavericks worked their way to the WSC 1. A quarterback sneak Ekern found the end zone with :24 remaining as MSU went up 35-28.

An interception from junior Karson Dunn on WSC's first play after the Maverick touchdown locked down MSU's 35-28 win.

Ekern finished his day with 252 passing yards and a touchdown pass. Watson recorded his second 100-yard receiving game in as many weeks as he caught seven passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. Junior Grant Guyett caught four passes for 59 yards also.

Backer led the Maverick rushing attack with 159 yards and a touchdown, while Ekern notched 66 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Senior Khai West led the Maverick defense with nine tackles. Senior Micah Brown, senior Antonio Alzheimer, sophomore Max Sheridan and senior Max Lommel each recorded five tackles also.

Minnesota State returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 21, as it hosts the Minot State Beavers (3-0). Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Blakeslee Stadium.