Aberdeen, S.D. – Despite trailing for a majority of the contest, the Northern State University football team came away with a 1-point victory over Minot State Saturday evening. A 13-point fourth quarter led the Wolves to their third home win of the season and fifth overall, while handing the Beavers their seventh loss.
 
THE QUICK DETAILS
Final Score: NSU 36, MINOT 35
Records: NSU 5-2, MINOT 0-7
Attendance: 3886
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Vance Barnes got the Wolves out to a quick start, recording a 77-yard touchdown run on their third play of the contest
• Minot State responded, tying the game a 7-all with a rushing score of their own mid-way through the first quarter
• Payton Eue returned the lead into the Wolves hands, sending a 19-yard field goal attempt through the uprights
• The Beavers opened the second quarter with their second rushing score of the contest and grabbed their first lead of the game
• Eue added his second field goal of the evening at 10:25 in the second, a 22-yard attempt that brought the Wolves within one
• The two teams then traded rushing touchdowns with a 4-yard run from Minot State and 18-yard score by Hunter Trautman with just over five minutes remaining in the half
• Minot extended their lead on the following drive, notching the first receiving touchdown of the contest; a 49-yard completion from Macleary to Lundeen
• The Wolves closed out the scoring in the first half as Eue tallied his third field goal of the evening, a 26-yard attempt
• Neither team was able to get things rolling early in the second half, however the Beavers tallied their final touchdown of the contest with 3:26 remaining in the third
• Northern trailed 35-23 heading into the fourth and it was all Brett Brenton for the Wolves in the 15 minutes of action
• Brenton notched two short yardage touchdowns at 14:22 and 10:58 giving Northern a 36-35
• The Wolves defense and special teams squad held Minot State at bay in their final drive forcing a 38-yard field goal attempt that was blocked by Taylor Hojer
• NSU recorded a single season game high of 278 yards rushing, averaging 7.3 yards per carry
• In addition, they added 155 yards receiving for 433 yards of total offense
• The Wolves returners notched 154 yards on kickoffs, averaging 25.7 yards per kick return
• Defensively, NSU tallied two interceptions by Chance Olson and added one forced fumble
• Northern converted on 6-of-12 third down and scored each of the six times they entered the red-zone
• On the kicking front, Eue averaged 59.0 yards per kickoff and 37.0 yards per punt, going 3-of-3 in field goal attempts and PAT

 
NORTHERN STATE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS

• Hunter Trautman: 9-of-16, 120 yards passing, 75 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown
• Brett Brenton: 87 yards rushing, 2 rushing touchdowns
• Vance Barnes: 85 yards rushing, 1 rushing touchdown, 57 kick return yards
• Jimmy Kepouros: 52 yards receiving, 63 kick return yards
• Hunter Hansen: 10 tackles, 6 solo tackles
• Chance Olson: 4 tackles, 2 interceptions, 50 return yards

 
UP NEXT
The Wolves hit the road for the next two weeks, facing off against Concordia-St. Paul and MSU Moorhead. Kickoff times are set for 12 p.m. versus the Golden Bears on October 23 and the Dragons on October 30.