MANKATO — Momentum can make or break football games.
For No. 14 Minnesota State, momentum was fully on its side in the second half to claim a 38-12 NSIC win over Sioux Falls.
With a 10-6 lead entering half USF (3-2, 2-2) set up shop from its own 25-yard line. Cougars quarterback Camden Dean dropped back to pass. He was looking for something short to get in a rhythm.
MSU linebacker Jefferson Mobry dropped back into coverage. And all of a sudden the ball landed right in his chest and caught for an interception.
“It felt amazing. The whole team was cheering for me,” Mobry said of his interception. “I knew the offense was coming out and scoring after that.”
And as it turned out, Mobry was right. Redshirt freshman quarterback Maximus Sims capped off a five play, 36-yard drive with a five yard touchdown pass to Sam Backer for a 17-6 lead.
USF went three and out on the ensuing drive. The Mavericks (4-1, 3-1) saw Sims caps off another scoring drive, this time scrambling nine yards to the end zone to cap off a five play, 51 yard drive and a 24-6 lead.
A near interception on third down forced the Cougars to punt once again. MSU made them pay again, this time it was sophomore Sam Backer scoring from a yard out to complete a 10 play, 75 yard drive that saw Sims nearly complete deep scoring touchdowns twice.
The Cougars totaled 25 yards of offense and were unsuccessful twice on third down in the third quarter.
USF appeared to finally gain traction in the fourth quarter, setting up shop at the MSU 11. But on second and 10 Dean’s pass in the end zone was intercepted by Amaun Williams.
The Mavericks poured a gallon of salt in USF’s wound. Sims scampered in from 11 yards out to cap a 10 play, 90-yard drive which lasted 5:05 and gave MSU a 38-6 lead.
“It’s going to take time for those big plays to happen,” Sims said. “We had to start chipping away little by little, and the little became big really fast in that second half. But it was all building up from the little stuff we did in the first half and the start of the third quarter too.”
Yet, all signs pointed early to Saturday’s showdown being competitive. The Cougars stuffed MSU on fourth down on the game’s first possession and immediately drove 94 yards on a 14-play drive which lasted 8:20. But the PAT smacked the left goalpost, giving USF a 6-0 lead.
The Mavericks clapped back with a nine play, 59 yard drive capped with a 1-yard touchdown run from Backer. MSU didn’t trail for the rest of the game.
“It felt like a heavyweight fight where either side could have came out in the second half and could have easily won that game,” MSU coach Todd Hoffner said. “It was pretty tight.”
Sims finished 24 of 32 for 310 yards and a score through the air while adding 56 yards and two scores on the ground. Backer finished with 69 yards and two scores on 14 carries and added a receiving touchdown off six catches.
TreShawn Watson racked up 11 catches for 149 yards. Grant Guyett had five receptions for 76 yards.
Jamal Spiyee and Nathan Drumm had seven tackles and a tackle for loss each. Marcus Hasenn had six tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack.
MSU hits the road to face Concordia-St. Paul at noon Saturday.