Box Score
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WINONA, Minn. – But for a late first half Winona State touchdown and three missed PAT attempts, the Northern State Wolves matched the host Warrior squad score for score, but came out on the short end of a 42-32 score Saturday afternoon in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football action.
 
NSU slips to 0-3 on the season with the loss, while Winona State moves to 2-1.  All three contests have been NSIC games for both squads.
 
The Warriors jumped out to an early 14-0 lead with two first-half touchdowns, but the Wolves countered with a pair of touchdowns of their own in the second quarter.  Jordan Piatz recovered a John Hughes fumble in the end zone to put the Wolves on the board.  NSU missed the PAT attempt, but recovered to close the gap on a 22-yard Jared Jacobson to Piatz strike to cap a four play, 44-yard drive on their next possession.
 
That drive was set up by an 11-yard Logan Dosch interception return that gave the Wolves excellent starting field position.  Jacobson hit Piatz for 21 yards on the next play, then found him again from 22 yards out to cut the score to 14-13 after the Felipe Alfaia PAT.
 
The Warriors then took the ball and drove down the field on their ensuing possession.  NSU appeared to have the Warriors stopped on 4^th-and-1 from the Wolves' 20.  WSU, however, after lining up for a field goal attempt, came out of an NSU timeout to go for it on fourth down, converting with a 1-yard Ismail Karon dive.  The Warriors went on to score with just over 30 seconds left in the half, going into the break with a 21-13 lead.
 
NSU came out of the locker room to score on the first possession of the second half on a 39-yard Jacobson dash, but was unable to convert on the 2-point PAT attempt, leaving the Warriors with the 21-19 advantage.
 
WSU answered with back-to-back scores late in the third quarter, the second of which came after NSU coughed up the ball one play after taking over on downs deep in their own territory.
 
The Wolves answered again late in the fourth quarter when Jacobson found a wide open Hughes in the end zone.  Again, however, the Wolves went for the two-point conversion but came up short, allowing the WSU advantage to stretch to ten at 35-25.
 
The two teams traded late fourth quarter touchdowns, NSU's coming on an 11-yard Jacobson scramble, to leave the final tally at 42-32 in favor of the Warriors.
 
NSU, which was penalized eight times for 82 yards – by far the most of the season for the Wolves – put up a season-high 412 yards of total offense, including 219 yards through the air.  Jacobson finished the day 19-for-35 and two touchdowns.  He also carried the ball for another 95 yards and two more scores.
 
Hughes also had 95 yards on the ground and another 17 through the air, scoring on a 6-yard pass in the fourth quarter.
 
Senior Chris Morton hauled in five Jacobson passes for 48 yards, while Piatz had four for 81 yards and a TD.
 
Defensively, Dosch had a game-best 11 stops and an interception.  Jayson Geditz had eight tackles, while seniors Logan Fahnhorst and Mason Thorstad finished with six tackles apiece.
 
WSU was led by senior running back Rayon Simmons, who carried the ball 32 times for 177 yards and two touchdowns.  Simmons was picked as the NSIC South Preseason Offensive Player of the Year prior to the season.  Quarterback John Teigland was 15-for-29 for 136 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
 
The Wolves return home next weekend to face Concordia-St. Paul in another NSIC cross-divisional match-up.  The Golden Bears gave No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth a solid first-half battle but were shut out in the second half of a 70-24 loss at home on Saturday.  Kick-off for next weekend's contest is set for 1 p.m. at Clark Swisher Stadium.