Box Score
MARSHALL, Minn. – After falling behind 21-0 following the first Southwest Minnesota State University drive of the second half, the Northern State University Wolves put together a furious second-half comeback effort, but simply ran out of time, falling 28-24 to the host Mustangs in the opening game of the 2010 football season.
The two teams, both playing their first games under new head coaches, met for the first time in a season opening contest. The Mustangs moved to 1-0 under Cory Sauter, while the Wolves just missed giving their new coach
Tom Dosch his first victory as a Wolf. Thursday night's game was a non-conference affair for both squads.
SMSU senior quarterback Ryan Ratekin, one of the top returning QBs in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, completed 21 of 30 passes for 333 yards and three touchdowns. Ratekin also threw a trio of interceptions, but the Mustangs managed to overcome the giveaways.
NSU's senior counterpart Joei Fiegler came off the bench to complete 7 of 17 passes for 123 yards, including a 70-yard TD strike to sophomore wide-out Mark Hanley that opened the flood gates for the Wolves in the second half.
After a scoreless first quarter that saw a promising NSU opening drive stall out inside the Mustangs' 15-yard line, the Wolves gave up a pair of Mustang touchdowns on the last two SMSU drives of the second half that put the hosts up 14-0 at the break. Both scores came on Ratekin to Lester Lewis strikes from close to 20 yards out.
The Mustangs added another score on their first drive of the second half, using the big play to their advantage after starting the drive at their own 1-yard line. On first-and-ten from the 18, Ratekin again hooked up with Lewis for a 79-yard pass play that set the Mustangs up for first-and-goal from the 3-yardline. Two plays later, Ratekin found Shane LaDage in the endzone and Mike Wenk nailed his third PAT attempt to make it 21-0.
Undeterred, however, the Wolves wasted little time in striking back as Fiegler found Hanley on the first play from scrimmage on NSU's ensuing drive for a 70-yard touchdown that sparked of the NSU rally. Including the initial TD, the Wolves scored 17 un-answered points to move to within a touchdown of taking the lead with plenty of time left in the game. Senior Montrel Richardson scored on a 52-yard run en-route to his first 100-yard rushing game of the season, while fellow senior Thomas Parrott nailed a 47-yard field goal to set up the fourth-quarter showdown.
The Mustangs, however, took a bit of the wind out of the sails with a 12-play, 76-yard drive that took 8 minutes and 19 second off the clock and culminated with a Gannon Moore 6-yard TD run that made it a 28-17 game with just 2:36 left to play in the game.
Again, however, the Wolves refused to give up, taking the ensuing kickoff and marching down the field using a series of 15-yard pass play and with the aid of a 15-yard SMSU personal foul penalty. Fiegler then used his legs to score the Wolves' final TD of the night, taking it in from eight yards out to make it a one-score game with 1:12 left on the clock.
Needing the ball back and a touchdown to pull off the come-from-behind effort, the Wolves lined up for the onside kick, but were unable to recover the ball. The Mustangs churned out one last first down then ran out the clock to escape with the final victory.
NSU junior Mike Bogdanovick led the Wolves' defensive effort, finishing with eight tackles (four solo) and an interception. Senior Chris Hurd and redshirt freshman Logan Dosch, earning his first career start in the defensive secondary, finished with five tackles apiece.
Senior cornerback Adam Carvajal also came up with two interceptions for the Wolves, who dominated the giveaway-takeaway category.
The Wolves now turn their attention to their 2010 home and conference opener next Saturday when they play host to Minnesota State, Mankato in the first of five games to be played at NSU's Clark Swisher Field. Game time is set for a 1 p.m. kick-off.
