Wayne State 35 Minnesota, Crookston 24
Junior running back Nick Pulscher rushed for a career-high 141 yards and scored three touchdowns to help Wayne State College rally in the second half for a 35-24 Northern Sun Conference football win at Minnesota, Crookston Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats move to 1-1 overall and 1-0 in the NSIC while the Golden Eagles are now 1-1 overall and 0-1 in league play.
The Wildcats took the opening drive of the game and marched 60 yards on just five plays in just 1:52 to take a 7-0 lead on a Nick Pulscher two-yard run with 13:08 to play in the first quarter. The key play of the drive was a 37 yard pass from Evan Johnson to Tommy Warren. WSC then had back-to-back turnovers on its next two possessions with both coming inside the Wildcat 30 yard line, one on a fumbled punt return by Mario Melvin and the other on a fumble by running back Bryce Hawthorne. But the Wildcat defense came up big and allowed just three points on the two turnovers, a 21-yard field goal Minnesota, Crookston's Chris Secrest with 5:20 to play in the first quarter, making the score 7-3 Wayne State after one quarter of play.
Big plays by both teams were the story of the second quarter as WSC and UMC combined to score 35 points. The Golden Eagles started the scoring barrage as freshman quarterback A.J. Barge scampered 70 yards on an option run to put UMC in front 10-7 with 14:25 to play in the first half. Wayne State responded on the ensuing kickoff as Pierce junior Kevin Paulsen raced 93 yards on the kickoff return to put the 'Cats back on top 14-10 with 14:09 remaining in the second quarter.
Minnesota, Crookston scored again on its next drive as Barge hit paydirt on a one yard run following a Richard Haley 55-yard run that set up the score with 12:04 to play in the second quarter, culminating a five play, 60-yard drive that put the Golden Eagles in front again 17-14. Following a WSC punt, Minnesota, Crookston scored on its fourth straight possession as junior tailback Richard Haley scored on a 15-yard run with 5:37 to play before halftime, giving the Golden Eagles a 24-14 advantage. After WSC forced a Minnesota, Crookston punt late in the half, the Wildcats put together a six play, 58 yard drive and scored with 40 seconds remaining in the first half on a five yard run by Pulscher that trimmed the Golden Eagle lead to 24-21 at halftime.
The second half saw the Wildcats use a balanced offensive attack while defensively forcing Minnesota, Crookston into four three and outs on their first five possessions as Wayne State rallied for the win. Wayne State had a scoring opportunity on its second possession of the third quarter, but junior placekicker Max Martin was wide right on a 42-yard field goal to keep the Golden Eagles in front 24-21 with 5:37 left in the third quarter.
After forcing Minnesota, Crookston into a fourth straight punt in the second half coming with 13:14 to play in the game, WSC needed just four plays to move 50 yards to score the go-ahead touchdown as junior quarterback Evan Johnson found the end zone on a 19-yard run allowing the Wildcats to regain the lead at 28-24 with 11:50 to play in the game. WSC forced another three and out by the Golden Eagles and the Wildcats sealed the game with a 10 play, 67-yard drive capped by Pulscher's third score of the game, a one yard run with 6:29 to play, putting WSC ahead 35-24.
Wayne State finished the game with 400 yards of total offense, gaining 180 yards on the ground and 220 through the air. Minnesota, Crookston, after gaining 241 yards (all on the ground) in the first half, was held to just 92 yards in the second half and finished the contest with 333 total yards (262 rushing and 71 passing).
Pulscher, a 5-11 205 pound junior from Sheldon, Iowa, finished the game with a career-high 141 yards rushing on 27 carries and three touchdowns to pace the Wildcats offensively. Junior quarterback Evan Johnson completed 15 of 24 passes for 220 yards with his favorite target being Kevin Paulsen, who hauled in a team high six catches for 96 yards. For Minnesota, Crookston, junior tailback Richard Haley had 154 yards rushing on 30 attempts and one score while freshman quarterback A.J. Barge added 96 yards on 16 attempts.
Defensively for WSC, junior middle linebacker Ben Perry had 11 tackles followed by 10 stops from redshirt freshman outside linebacker Nick Monzu.
Wayne State returns home next weekend to play #1 ranked and defending NCAA Division II national champion Minnesota Duluth in a 6:00 p.m. Northern Sun Conference contest at Bob Cunningham Field in Wayne.
