Football falls to No. 1 MSU 45-10

Saturday, September 29

Mankato, MN

2:00 p.m.

St. Cloud State

3-2 , 3-2

Minnesota State University - Mankato

5-0 , 5-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

St. Cloud State

Minnesota State

Senior running back Gregory Lewis recorded 100 yards against the No. 1 rush defense in the NSIC.

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

9/29/2018 4:45:00 PM | Football

Box Score

MANKATO, MINN. – The St. Cloud State football team was poised and ready to pull off, perhaps, the biggest victory of the season. The Huskies were taking on the No. 1 team in the country, Minnesota State-Mankato, in perhaps one of the biggest Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) games of the season. Unfortunately, St. Cloud State was unable to leave Mankato, Minnesota with a victory, as it fell to Minnesota State by a final score of 45-10.

The Huskies actually led after the first quarter thanks to one Adam Stage (Appleton, Wis. / Kimberly). The sophomore kicker connected on a 27-yard field goal at 2:34 in the first quarter to give St. Cloud State an early 3-0 lead. Unfortunately, while the Huskies managed to end the first quarter with a. 3-0 lead, it wouldn't hold for very long, as Maverick running back Ryan Schlichte's three-yard run to the end zone gave the No. 1 team in the nation a 6-3 lead less than two minutes in to the second quarter.

That first touchdown was all Minnesota State needed to jump start its offense, as the Mavericks scored 35 unanswered points in the second and third quarters. Still, the Huskies only trailed 21-3 entering halftime, a doable margin for sophomore quarterback Justin Czech (Chippewa Falls, Wis. / Chippewa Falls) and St. Cloud State's offense. Sadly, Minnesota State scored another touchdown 52 seconds into the third quarter and added another at 12:39 to extend the lead to 35-3.

The Huskies, though, did manage to score again, cutting the lead to 35-10 with a touchdown run by senior running back Gregory Lewis (Milwaukee, Wis. / Wauwatosa West). In fact, the senior was the top offensive player on the field for St. Cloud State, as he rushed for 100 yards against the No. 1 rush defense in the NSIC. He also recorded the team's lone touchdown, thanks to his 19-yard rush in the third quarter.

By the time Lewis scored, though, the damage was already done, as the Huskies fell to the No. 1 team in the nation by a final score of 45-10.

Offensively, Czech was 5-15 as a starting quarterback, tallying 51 yards in the air and six on the ground. Anthony Carver (Milwaukee, Wis. / Lutheran) was the team's top receiver with 19 yards on two targets.

With the loss, St. Cloud State's record falls to 3-2 overall and 3-2 in NSIC North play. The Huskies will return to the field on Saturday, October 6 when they host Wayne State at 1 p.m.