CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston football team fell 47-13 to Southwest Minnesota State University Sat., Sept. 24 at Ed Widseth Field. The Golden Eagles succumbed to the Mustangs after giving up three turnovers and 594 yards of offense to their counterparts from Marshall, Minn. UMC would also struggle with inopportune turnovers on the day.

The Golden Eagles fall to 0-4 as they continue to battle a plethora of injuries on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Southwest Minnesota State improves to 3-1 with Saturday's win.

Minnesota Crookston had strong outings from their two All-NSIC North Second Team picks from last season in Andre Person (Sr., RB, Detroit, Mich.) and Adam Connette (Jr., WR, Corona, Calif.). Person finished with 22 carries for 82 yards, while Connette had nine grabs for 108 yards. Connette is just six receptions from surpassing Carl Aho for second all-time in catches in UMC history. He is just 212 yards shy of Aho for the all-time lead in receiving yards in a career.

Nathan Cole (Sr., QB, Aliso Viejo, Calif.) would get the start at quarterback but struggled as he forced three passes into coverage, which ended up in interceptions. Cole was 13-of-19 for 119 yards with his first touchdown pass of the season and the three picks. Taylor Spier (R-Fr., QB, Buffalo, Minn.) came on in relief and led the Golden Eagles to a touchdown in the second half. He would go 4-of-7 for 36 yards passing.

Shane Curtis (R-Fr., RB, Stewartville, Minn.) would jump into his role as the No. 2 running back and finish with six carries for 51 yards as he averaged 8.5 yards per carry on the day.

The Golden Eagle offense would finish with 301 yards on the day.

Defensively, UMC looked to the play of Will Cross (R-Fr., LB, Turtle Lake, Wis.) with 12 tackles and one tackle for loss. Ali Alkhatib (R-So., LB, Rosemount, Minn.) would finish with 10 tackles and a forced fumble, while William Cole (So., DB, Compton, Calif.) had 10 tackles and two tackles for loss.

Southwest Minnesota State got a big game out of their third string running back. With Divonte Beale getting hurt early and Ashanti Payne already out with an injury, Max Simmons jumped in and had a day. Simmons had 18 carries for 112 yards with four touchdowns.

Blake Gimbel would lead the Mustang offense at quarterback, going 20-of-28 for 283 yards with one touchdown pass. Nate Huot was his top target with five grabs for 79 yards, while Raphael Lawson-Gayle had four catches for 77 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, SMSU looked to six tackles apiece from Caleb Leichtnam and Tyler Flud, who each also had an interception. The one sack on the day for either team came from Jon Dicke.

The Mustangs would score on their second offensive drive as Simmons rushed for a nine-yard touchdown, his first of the game.

UMC would respond after they got an 11-yard punt return from Dante Jones (Sr., DB, Landover, Md.), which gave them only half a field to work with.

Cole would find Richert from nine yards out, the first touchdown of the year for either of them through the air, as UMC knotted it up 7-7.

On the next play, UMC would appear to have an onside kick recovery from Aeric Berner (So., DB, Antigo, Wis.) but it was ruled that SMSU had signaled a fair catch so UMC was given a penalty for kick catch interference.

The penalty would give UMC the ball at the Golden Eagle 40 yard line. SMSU would quickly go in as Simmons would have a five-yard touchdown run to put the Mustangs up 14-7.

After a stalled drive by the Golden Eagles, Southwest Minnesota state would score again with a big play from Gimbel as he found a wide open Lawson-Gayle for a 45-yard strike to make it 21-7.

Minnesota Crookston would look to make a late drive in the second quarter as they got the ball down to the SMSU 37 after a 21-yard completion from Cole to Connette.

However, an interception from Dallin Finley would cut the drive short.

Southwest Minnesota State would go into the break up 21-7.

The Golden Eagle would again move the ball into Mustang territory on the first drive of the second half. However, a forced pass into coverage would be intercepted by Leichtnam.

The Mustangs would turn it into six points as Simmons rushed in from 21 yards out, his third of the game, to make it 27-7.

On the next offensive play for UMC, Cole would again be picked off, this time from Flud, which he returned 48 yards to pay dirt to put the Mustangs up 33-7.

Spier would come on for UMC on the next drive, but would go three-and-out.

The Golden Eagle defense would come up with a big play on the next drive. After a completion from Gimbel to Matt Overgaard, the Mustangs seemed destined for the end zone but Alkhatib would hit the ball away from Overgaard at the one-yard line forcing a touchback and ending SMSU's chances at getting into the end zone.

However, the Golden Eagles would again go three-and-out, giving the ball back to the Mustangs.

SMSU would take advantage as Simmons rushed for his fourth touchdown of the game, this time from nine yards out, to make it 40-7 Mustangs.

The Mustangs would make it 47-7 in the fourth quarter as converted linebacker Hudson Walton rushed for a three-yard touchdown run.

Minnesota Crookston would respond as the duo of Spier and Curtis stepped up for the Golden Eagles. Led by a 34-yard rush from Curtis to get the ball down to SMSU 18, Spier would take advantage and have an 18-yard rush of his own into the end zone. A blocked kick attempt would keep the game at 47-13, which would be the final.

The Golden Eagles will enter NSIC North play next weekend as they host St. Cloud State University at 2 p.m. at Ed Widseth Field.