MANKATO – Minnesota State football played a brilliant second quarter, outscoring Northern State 28-3 and establishing which team was used to being at the top of the conference.
But to start the third quarter, the Mavericks put together a near-perfect 12-play drive to stamp the thumb on the upstart Wolves.
“There were a lot of positive vibes and positive talk in the huddle,” quarterback Mitchell Thompson said. “The offense always wants to start fast and put the ball in the end zone. It’s all 11 guys getting the job done.”
The Mavericks had more than 12 minutes in possession time than Northern State, also winning the turnover battle by two in a 35-17 victory in a NSIC showdown Saturday at Blakeslee Stadium. The No. 4-ranked Mavericks are the last undefeated team remaining in the NSIC.
“It was a great win,” Minnesota State linebacker Nathan Drumm said. “We celebrate today, but then we go back to work and keep trying to go 1-0 each week.”
Northern State (3-1), ranked No. 25 in last week’s D2football.com poll, had an impressive first drive, moving 75 yards in 10 plays using some nice short passes to take a 7-0 lead.
“We came out a little flat, a little slow,” said Drumm, who had an interception in the fourth quarter. “We knew what we had to do and made the corrections.”
The Mavericks scored later in the first quarter as quarterback Mitchell Thompson bulled in from the 3-yard line. Connor Fournier’s kick tied the game at 7.
The Mavericks’ next possession resulted in another touchdown as quarterback Maximus Sims passed 10 yards to tight end Jalyn Thompson. After Northern State added a field goal, the Mavericks answered with a 30-yard strike from Mitchell Thompson to Ishmael Emmanuel-Holloway for a two-score lead. The Mavericks tacked on another score on Sam
Backer’s 1-yard run, making it 28-10 at halftime.
“That was definitely a well-played first half,” Minnesota State coach Todd Hoffner said. “The defense started to find its footing.”
The third quarter went quickly as there were only three possessions, two by Minnesota State. The Mavericks made it 35-10 on Mitchell Thompson’s 15-yard run, but Northern State answered with a 2-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal.
The fourth quarter was filled with coach’s challenges, three interceptions by Minnesota State and another by Northern State, and post-play penalties on both teams.
“We maybe got a little greedy,” Hoffner said. “Hindsight is 20-20, but it was definitely a good day for Maverick football.”
The Mavericks ended up with 396 yards, with 2093 yards passing. Mitchell Thompson rushed for 65 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 114 yards and one score.
“It all starts with the guys up front,” he said. “The coaches put us all in great spots.”
Northern State rushed for 148 yards, 50 yards below the season average, and completed only 17 of 37 passes with three interceptions. Jefferson Mobry led the defense with 7 tackles, while Jason Dandridge and Emanuel Spiyee each had an interception.
The Mavericks (4-0) play at Sioux Falls on Saturday.
“We’re going to get everyone’s best shot,” Hoffner said.