Box Score #11 Winona State 42 Wayne State 19

            #11 Winona State scored 33 straight points to erase an early 13-9 deficit as the Warriors topped Wayne State 42-19 Saturday afternoon in Northern Sun Conference football played at Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium in Winona, Minnesota.  The host Warriors remain unbeaten at 8-0 and 4-0 in the NSIC South Division while the Wildcats fall to 4-4 overall and 2-2 in divisional play.
            The host Warriors opened the scoring with a safety as Nick Pridgeon sacked Wildcat quarterback Zach Osborn in the end zone for a 2-0 Winona State lead.
            WSC then created a turnover as senior Glenn Harris intercepted a pass and returned the ball 40 yards to the WSC 46.  The 'Cats later scored when sophomore quarterback Aaron Bleil fired an 11-yard touchdown pass to senior Nate Rogers at the 7:26 mark of the first quarter to put the 'Cats ahead 7-2.
            Winona State wasted little time in regaining the lead as the Warriors needed just four plays and 66 yards to score on their next drive, capped by a Zach Olstad one-yard run for a 9-7 Warrior lead.
            Wayne State responded in similar fashion as Bleil connected with junior Layne Sullivan on a 59-yard touchdown pass giving the Wildcats the lead back at 13-9 with 3:31 to play first quarter.
            But Winona State took control of the game by scoring the next 33 points until Wayne State closed the scoring with a touchdown in the final 40 seconds of the game to make the final score 42-19.
            Winona State used a 17-point second quarter to take the lead for good, 26-13 at intermission.
            The first score came at the 14:54 mark of the second quarter on a five-yard pass play from quarterback Darren Beenken to Greg Rooney, giving WSU a 16-13 lead. 
            Other Winona State scores in the second quarter were a four-yard run by Eric Birth and a 29-yard field goal from Carter McCauley to give the Warriors a 26-13 lead at halftime.
            Third quarter scoring from Winona State came from their defense to start the second half as Wildcat quarterback Taylor Reedy was intercepted by Adonis Brown, who ran 12 yards for a score putting the Warriors ahead 32-13.
            Birth closed out third quarter scoring with a 54-yard jaunt at the 2:17 mark to give Winona State a 39-13 lead.
            Carter McCauley closed out Winona State scoring on a 22-yard field goal with 7:18 remaining to give the Warriors a 42-13 lead.
            Wayne State got one more touchdown near the end of the game as Reedy capped a 15-play, 65-yard drive with a six-yard scoring pass to Rogers with 40 seconds left in the game to make the final score 42-19. 
            Winona State finished the game with 411 yards of total offense to 333 for Wayne State.  The Warriors had 219 rushing and 192 passing while WSC ended with 109 on the ground and 224 passing.
            Layne Sullivan was Wayne State's top rusher with 38 yards on three rushes followed by Rashad Trimble with 30 yards on 12 carries.
            Sullivan was Wayne State's top receiver with six receptions for 98 yards and one score followed by sophomore Willie Walton with eight grabs for 69 yards.  Senior Nate Rogers had three catches for 29 yards and two scores and now has 24 career touchdown passes, tied for second all-time at WSC with Logan Masters (24 from 2006-09).
            Defensively, Ian Ailts and DeWayne Scott led the Wildcats with six tackles each.  Glenn Harris and Aaron Wright each had interceptions for WSC.  Wayne State played the game without leading tackler, sophomore linebacker Tyler Thomsen, who did not make the trip due to injury.
            Wayne State will be at home next Saturday hosting Concordia-St. Paul in an NSIC South Division contest with kickoff set for 1 p.m. at Cunningham Field in Wayne.