Wayne State 38 Missouri S&T 35

            Wayne State scored on their first five possessions of the game and built a 31-7 second quarter lead, then held off a second half comeback by Missouri S&T to post a 38-35 non-conference football victory Saturday evening over the Miners in Rolla, Missouri.  Playing its first non-conference game since the 2011 opener (vs. Nebraska-Kearney), the Wildcats improve to 3-1 on the season while MST drops to 0-4.
            The Wildcats were unstoppable in the first half, gaining 398 yards while building a 38-14 lead at intermission.
            WSC marched 56 yards on the opening drive and opened the scoring on a 36-yard field goal from freshman Boston Hensley to take a 3-0 lead.
            After Missouri S&T missed a field goal, the 'Cats drove 80 yards on five plays and capped the drive on a 28-yard scoring pass from junior quarterback Nick Bohn to sophomore running back Dawson Forgy putting the 'Cats ahead 10-0 at the 6:28 mark of the opening stanza.
            The next drive saw the 'Cats score again as Bohn found junior Jadon Johnson on a 27-yard pass play giving Wayne State a 17-0 lead with 1:31 remaining in the first quarter.
            Wayne State's next score was the result of a Missouri S&T turnover as junior Gerale Flye had an interception to give the 'Cats the ball at the WSC 42.
            Bohn and Johnson hooked up again for another score, this time from the 39-yard line, putting the 'Cats ahead 24-0 with 13:16 to play in the opening half.
            Missouri S&T got on the scoreboard on the ensuing drive as running back Cameren Smith found the end zone from one yard out cutting the WSC advantage to 24-7.
            Wayne State needed just two plays to answer with another score as Bohn found sophomore Kendrick Watkins-Hogue on a 72-yard scoring strike giving WSC a 31-7 lead.
            The Miners countered with another score as quarterback Tyler Gioia fired a 26-yard scoring pass to Justis Braden making the score 31-14 with 5:02 left before halftime.
            The Wildcats closed the first half scoring with 36 seconds left on a Bohn to Trevor Marshall 23-yard scoring play giving WSC a 38-14 lead at halftime. 
            WSC ended the first half with 398 yards of total offense on just 31 plays.
            But that offense went away in the second half and the Wildcats had to fend off a second half comeback by the Miners to hang on for a 38-35 victory.
            Missouri S&T's Tyler Gioia completed scoring passes of 24 and nine yards to CJ Jarmon in the third and fourth quarters cutting the WSC lead to 38-28 with 8:11 to play in the game.
            After forcing a WSC punt, Missouri S&T got the ball back at the WSC 45 with 4:58 to play and drove to the WSC 18 until linebacker Tate Hinrichs intercepted a Miner pass to stop the drive.
            But the 'Cats were forced to punt again and the Miners got the ball at their own 13 with 1:18 to play and marched 87 yards in just 59 seconds and scored on a Smith one-yard run to cut the WSC lead to 38-35 with 19 seconds to play.
            The onside kick by Missouri S&T went just eight yards and WSC got the ball at the MST 43 to end the game.
            Missouri S&T outgained WSC in the contest 482-462.  The 'Cats had 84 yards rushing and 378 passing.
            Bohn completed 19 of 25 passes for 378 yards and five TD's.  Johnson had five catches for 153 yards and two TD's, all in the first half.  Watkins-Hogue followed with four catches for 97 yards and one score.
            Forgy and redshirt freshman Latravious Boyd each had 44 yards rushing in the contest while Boyd added four catches for 52 yards.
            Jacob Byrd, Hinrichs and Dexter Larsen each had nine tackles for WSC with Hinrichs, Flye and Joe Morrison each recording interceptions. 
            The 'Cats are back in NSIC play next week traveling to Minot State for a 1 p.m. contest.