Moorhead, Minn.  – In the final game of the 2016 season, the Northern State University Wolves football team fell to MSU Moorhead 48-33. Northern dropped to 6-5 overall and 4-3 in the North Division for the season.
 
The Wolves and Dragons battled throughout the game with MSUM leading 20-14 at the half. As the third quarter ticked down, the game slipped away from NSU with Moorhead scoring 28 points to the Wolves 19 in the second half.
 
Zachery Barber scored first for the Wolves to take their first lead of the game. Barber tallied a 67 yard reception from Christian McAlvain with 2:44 remaining in the quarter. Northern scored once more in the half, this time a running play by Chaka Kelly in second. Kelly's six yard rush gave the Wolves the 14-13 lead, however the Dragons answered back with under two minutes remaining in the half.
 
MSUM lengthened their lead as the third quarter opened, however Nicholas Truen answered for the Wolves. Truen tallied the Wolves second running score of the game, a 15 yard rush to the goal line. Northern's final two scores in the loss closed out the third and fourth quarters. Zech Culbreath rushed for 25 yards and a score with five minutes remaining in the third, while McAlvain connected with Conner Doherty for an 11 yard reception with seven minutes remaining in the fourth.
 
McAlvain completed 17-of-39 attempts passing with 291 yards and two touchdowns. Truen led the rushing attack with 68 yards, averaging 4.0 yards per carry touchdown. Also notching a rush in the game was Josh Coyle with an 18 yard gain on a fake punt play.
 
Northern notched two receivers with over 100 yards in the game led by Doherty with 127. Doherty averaged 18.1 yards per catch with a 47 yard long and a touchdown. Z. Barber also tallied 103 yards, averaging 25.8 yards per reception.
 
Trever Heining led the Wolves defense, matching his career high of 11 tackles. Heining was followed by Chad Stoterau with ten tackles, including one sack for a loss of three yards. Matt Thorson, Channing Barber, and Tyson Zemlicka each tallied a pass break-up in the game and multiple tackles in their final game as a Wolf. Cody Braeger pulled down the team's lone reception, while Joe Gorghuber notched a fumble recovery.
 
Tanner Lopez also notched a sack in the game, while Tyler Trefethren and Marcus Marcellus teamed up for the final sack for the Wolves. Josh Coyle tallied 1.5 tackles for a loss to round out the team total. Jacob Wiedrich punted for 280 yards, averaging 56.0 yards per punt with an 82 yard long. Nathan Shaw notched 299 yards off kick-offs averaging 59.0 per kick as well. Stephen Erlandson led the Wolves in kickoff returns with 50 yards, while Z. Barber tallied 38.
 
Northern's 23 seniors appeared in the final games of their career with the Wolves including: Taylor Houchin, Christian McAlvain, Tanner Feterl, Taylor Zemlicka, Matt Thorson, Stephen Erlandson, Channing Barber, Tyson Zemlicka, Joe Parsley, Brendon Hoellein, Zachery Barber, Tyler Oftedahl, Trever Heining, Tanner Lopez, Austin Schmitt, Nick Murphy, Evan Aaron IV, Jake Adam, Tyler Robel, Conner Doherty, Dalton Wangerin, Blake Lohr, and Chad Stoterau.