Defense guides football to 30-27 win over (RV) Sioux Falls

Saturday, October 13

Sioux Falls, SD

1:00 p.m.

St. Cloud State

5-2 , 5-2

University of Sioux Falls (S.D.)

4-3 , 4-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

St. Cloud State

Sioux Falls

Jack Horter kicked off the Huskies scoring with a pick-six in the second quarter.

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

10/13/2018 4:41:00 PM | Football

Box Score

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The St. Cloud State University football team faced quite the supposed uphill battle Saturday afternoon. The Huskies stalwart defense, ranked third in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and thirteenth in the nation in rushing, was tasked with stopping the No. 1 offense in the conference in the University of Sioux Falls Cougars. On Saturday, St. Cloud State proved it was up to the challenge as the team went into Bob Young Field and defeated Sioux Falls in a nail biter, winning by a final score of 30-27.

As expected, not a whole lot of scoring happening in the first quarter of the game as it ended in a 0-0 draw. However, the Cougars did have a chance to take an early 3-0 lead early in the game. After punting on its first possession, the Sioux Falls defense managed to hold Dwayne Lawhorn (Germantown, Wis. / Germantown) and the Huskies offense at bay to force an early punt. The Cougars then drove all the way down the field, finding themselves with 4^th-and-2 at the St. Cloud State seven. Rather than go for the first down, Sioux Falls opted for the chip-in field goal. However, Mason Laramie had a Blair Walsh moment, missing wide left and preserving the score at 0-0.

The Huskies were unable to score on their next offensive possession. However, they were able to keep the Cougars off the board until the second quarter when Laramie converted his field goal attempt to put Sioux Falls ahead 3-0. After another three-and-out by the Huskies, it looked like the Cougars would have another opportunity to score, but Jack Horter (Sussex, Wis. / Marquette) was not about to let that happen. The senior linebacker came up with a huge pick-six from the Sioux Falls 16, giving the Huskies a 6-3 lead. Adam Stage (Appleton, Wis. / Kimberly) then converted on the point after (PAT) to give St. Cloud State the 7-3 lead.

The Cougars managed to score another field goal on their next offensive possession to take a 10-7 lead, but it was the last time they would score in the first half. In fact, the Huskies would out score Sioux Falls 21-10 in the second quarter alone, resulting in a 21-10 lead at the half. The scoring started with a touchdown pass from Lawhorn to Anthony Carver (Milwaukee, Wis. / Lutheran) to put St. Cloud State ahead 14-10 (Stage converted the PAT), before another turnover by the Cougars, this time a fumble caused and recovered by Parker Buckley (Rice Lake, Wis. / Rice Lake), resulted in seven points for the Huskies. After the fumble, Lawhorn connected with senior tight end Sam Hartman (Des Moines, Iowa / West Des Moines Valley) for a 23-yard touchdown to put St. Cloud State ahead 21-10.

Sioux falls did managed to cut the Huskies lead down to 21-16 early in the third quarter, as the NSIC's leading rusher Gabriel Watson broke free of a tackle for a 67-yard touchdown run. However, the Cougars attempt at a two-point conversation failed, as the stalwart defense proved its worth by preventing Watson from penetrating the end zone, preserving the awkward five-point lead for St. Cloud State.

However, Sioux Falls wasn't about to be stopped on its next offensive possession, as it took a 24-21 lead on another rush play. The Cougars also managed to complete its two-point conversion attempt to take the three-point lead.

The Huskies, naturally, had the perfect answer, scoring a touchdown of their own to retake the lead. It was another receiving touchdown, this time between Lawhorn and John Pass (Elk Grove Village, Ill. / Elk Grove), that resulted in the touchdown to put St. Cloud State ahead 27-24. The Huskies hoped to go ahead 28-24, but Stage's PAT was blocked by Taj Wyatt.

As indicated, the fourth quarter proved to be just as exciting as the third, especially after Laramie managed to tie the score at 27-27 with a 31-yard field goal just 45 seconds into the quarter. Again, the game didn't stay tied for very long. This time, it was Stage who caused the heroics. After being blocked on the PAT, Stage came in clutch for the Huskies, as he made his lone field goal attempt of the day to put St. Cloud State ahead 30-27 with roughly six minutes remaining in regulation.

From there, the Huskies defense went to work keeping the Cougar offense off the board. Jake Burner (Mequon, Wis. / Homestead) came up with a huge sack on Sioux Falls next offensive possession, forcing the Cougars to punt as they were out of field goal range for Laramie. St. Cloud State offense then managed to run the clock down to 1:02 on its next offensive possession, as Gregory Lewis (Milwaukee, Minn. / Wauwautosa West) was a workhouse from the line of scrimmage. The senior running back recorded his third straight 100-yard rushing game on Saturday and helped the Huskies by gaining 27 yards on their final offensive possession. His gains, along with Lawhorn's seven-yard completion to Hartman, allowed St. Cloud State to wind down the clock and eventually put Sioux Falls in horrible field position after a Stage punt.

Of course, the final minute of play was not without its dramatics. After Jake Schley (Cudhay, Wis. / St. Thomas More) recorded a huge sack, the Cougars managed to convert on fourth-and-14 to keep the drive alive. However, on second-and-1 at its own 31-yard line, Sioux Falls fumbled the ball and St. Cloud State's Skylar Kurt (Lodi, Wis. / Lodi) recovered the football to cement the big 30-27 win for the Huskies.

Lawhorn was absolutely stellar in his return from injury, throwing for a season-high 238 yards while completing 20-32 passes with three touchdowns. Lewis was the team's top and only rusher, tallying 108 net yards from the line of scrimmage, while John Solberg (Cambridge, Minn. / Cambridge-Isanti) was the leading receiver with 105 yards.

With the win, St. Cloud State improves to 5-2 on the year and is 5-2 in NSIC play. The Huskies return to action when they host the Upper Iowa University for a Homecoming matchup at 2 p.m. on October 20.