WAYNE, Neb.- Over 650 yards of offense including 397 yards on the ground led Wayne State College (Neb.) past the University of Minnesota Crookston football team 58-16 Sat., Sept. 5 at Bob Cunningham Field at Memorial Stadium in Wayne, Neb. The Golden Eagles tried to keep up with the Wildcats offensively but were unable to match the experienced Wayne State offense led by quarterback Zach Osborn, wide receiver Marcel Dunson and running backs Alex Kline and Ryan Ludlow.

The Golden Eagles had 276 yards of offense on the day led by quarterback Tra Hearns (So., QB, Bloomington, Minn.), who was 11-of-23 for 137 yards with one interception. Triston Richert (R-Fr., WR, Oakdale, Minn.) had a strong debut for the Golden Eagles with four receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown, while Adam Connette (So., WR, Corona, Calif.) had one passing touchdown to Richert and had three grabs for 41 yards. On the ground, Dre Person led the way with eight carries for 39 yards.

Defensively, Jake Newman (So., DB, White Bear Lake, Minn.) led the Golden Eagles with seven tackles, while Bubba Adeniyi (Sr., DB, Miami, Fla.) added six tackles.

Wayne State was led by Osborn, who was 15-of-23 for 259 yards with four touchdowns. On the ground, Kline had 17 carries for 167 yards with one touchdown off the bench. Ludlow had the start and had 16 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown. Dunson led the receivers with seven receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, the Wildcats were led by Jon Davis, who had eight tackles, while DeWayne Scott had six tackles.

Wayne State started with a lot of offensive fire power quickly racing to a 14-0 lead after two touchdown passes from Osborn. He opened the game with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Nicholas Roth and then had a 61-yard touchdown pass to Marcel Dunson.

The Golden Eagles would stop Wayne State on their next drive as Isaiah Armstrong (Jr., DL, Fairfield, Calif.) came up with a big play to force a fumble, which was recovered by Newman. However, UMC wouldn't be able to do anything with it as they came up empty.

Wayne State would take the 21-0 lead on a nine-yard Lane Yates touchdown run for the Wildcats.

The Golden Eagles would come out and finally put things together offensively beginning with an 11-yard run for Dre Person  (Jr., RB, Detroit, Mich.) on first down. The UMC drive would continue as Hearns found Richert for 30  yards. On a gadget play, Hearns would toss the ball backwards to Connette who was in the backfield. Connette would throw the ball to Richert for a 29-yard touchdown strike to cut the deficit to 21-7.

After a defensive stop keyed by a Adeniyi pass break-up, UMC would take over looking to do big things. But Jamaal Conway-Smith would intercept a tipped pass to give Wayne State great field position. A six-yard touchdown run for Ludlow would put Wayne State up 28-7 after the turnover. The two-point conversion would put the Wildcats up 29-7.

Wayne State would add to their lead with a 17-yard rushing touchdown by Osborn to put Wayne State up 36-7.

The Golden Eagles would come up with a big drive that could have been bigger. It opened up as Hearns found LaMar Daniels, II (Sr., WR, Toledo, Ohio)  for 14 yards. Hearns would then find Connette on the next play for a 17 yard pass. A 19-yard run for Person would put the Golden Eagles in great position, however a chop block by the offensive line would move the ball back from the 24 to the Wayne State 39. On a big third down play, Hearns would find Harold Halcomb, III on the swing pass for 19 yards. Special Teams Coach Levi Bullerman would put the trust in kicker Mike Maw (Jr., K, White Bear Lake, Minn.)  on fourth down, as Maw came through with a 41-yard field goal to cut the lead down to 36-10.

After a big defensive stop, UMC's offense would come out strong again. Hearns would find Tommy Smith, III (Sr., WR, Naranja, Fla.) on a 19-yard pass. Wayne State would look to possibly have an interception on the play, but an illegal hands to the face call would move it in the Golden Eagles' favor, moving it to the Wayne State 22. Soon after, Harold Halcomb, III (Jr., RB, Oakland, Calif.) would come through big on a draw play. A blocked Maw extra point would make it Wayne State 36, UMC 16.

Wayne State would end the half with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Osborn to Courtney Richardson to put the Wildcats up 43-16 at the break.

The Golden Eagles would be unable to do much in the second half. Wayne State would add three scores in the second half. They would open up scoring as Osborn found Dunson for the second time in the game for a 25-yard strike. In the 4th, a 55-yard touchdown run for Kluine would put the Wildcats up 55-16. Sam Simon ended the game with a 33-yard field goal to give the Wildcats a 58-16 win.

Stephen Day (R-Fr., K/P, Eveleth, Minn.) had a great debut at punter. Day had 10 punts for an average of 37.8 yards including a long of 56 and three punts inside the 20. Constant Jackson (Sr., WR, Jacksonville, Fla.) also had a strong day on special teams, returning seven kicks for 144 yards with a long of 30.

UMC will look to get back on a winning track as they make their debut at Ed Widseth Field Sat., Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. against No. 17 University of Sioux Falls.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

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The University of Minnesota Crookston is a NCAA Division II university located in the Red River Valley of Northwest Minnesota. UMC sponsors 11 intercollegiate athletic teams with membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate conference (NSIC) and the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). The NSIC is a 16-team conference with schools situated in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.
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