Aberdeen, S.D. – In their final home game of the 2016 season the Northern State University football team defeated Minnesota Crookston 66-14. The Wolves broke the single game scoring record in the win, and tallied their first undefeated season in 30 years from the Swish. The last time the Wolves were undefeated at home was in 1986. Northern improves to 6-4 overall and 4-2 in the NSIC North.
Northern tallied 21 point in the first three quarters of action and add a 34 yard, fourth quarter, field goal by
Nathan Shaw.
Christian McAlvain scored first for the Wolves just two minutes into the game on a three yard rush. The senior later scored again to close out the quarter with a 27 yard run, following
Channing Barber's interception at the Crookston 27 yard-line.
Zech Culbreath also tallied two scores in the win, a 14 yard run in the first and a four yard reception off of freshman quarterback
Jake Comeaux in the third.
The Wolves led 21-7 at the end of the first quarter, however the spread lengthened as
Stephen Erlandson ran for his first touchdown of the day at the 11:39 mark. Erlandson later broke things open in the third with a huge 42 yard run for the Wolves in his first multiple score game of the season. Also scoring in the second was
Chaka Kelly and
Brady Thielges. Kelly notched a five year touchdown with under three minutes in the half, while Thielges picked up the Minnesota Crookston blocked punt by
Joe Gorghuber in the UMC end zone.
Northern led 42-7 at the half, tallying their largest 30-minutes of scoring this season.
Zachery Barber kicked things off for the team in the third notching his only touchdown of the game. McAlvain scrambled as the UMC defense pressured him at the line of scrimmage, dodging tackles to connect with Barber for his only passing touchdown in the game. The scramble was made possible by a great block from NSU offensive lineman
Tyler Robel.
NSU led 63-7 after 45 minutes of play and worked to run down the fourth quarter clock. The Golden Eagles answered with a touchdown of their own, however it was not enough to overcome the 56-point deficit.
The Wolves tallied 485 yards of total offense including 309 yards rushing and 176 yards passing. Northern also converted on 5-of-10 third downs as a team and their only fourth down play, the scramble touchdown to
Zachery Barber. In the kicking game, NSU punted for 104 yards, averaging 34.7 per punt, and kicked off for 642 yards, averaging 58.4 per kick.
McAlvain led the quarterbacks with 130 yards passing, while Comeaux completed all five pass attempts in the game. The pair also tallied a touchdown apiece, and did not suffer a sack. Erlandson led the rushers with 104 yards, averaging 17.3 per carry, while
Nicholas Truen followed close behind with 77 yards in the win.
Zachery Barber led the receivers with 81 yards on three receptions, while
Conner Doherty tallied 34 yards on two receptions.
Noah Macpherson led the NSU defense with nine tackles in the win, including a sack with
Tyson Zemlicka for a total loss of eight yards. Zemlicka tallied three tackles and one of the team's three interceptions, a ball which he batted down to himself.
Joe Gorghuber and
Chad Stoterau were second on the team with six tackles he, while Gorghuber tallied the team's blocked punt.
Channing Barber and
Matt Thorson add the other two interceptions, with Thorson returning his for 27 yards. A total of 15 Wolves recorded multiple tackles, while another nine notched at least one in the game.
The Wolves will conclude the 2016 season next Saturday from MSU Moorhead with a 1 p.m. match-up versus the Dragons.
