Sam Thiel/ Winonan
Tailgaters in the parking lot? Check.
A packed Warrior Stadium? Check.
Picture perfect weather? Check.
These elements were all present at the home opener for the Winona State University football team as the Warriors were led by Jack Nelson to a 42-34 victory against the University of Mary Saturday afternoon at Maxwell Field.
Nelson became the first Warrior passer in school history to post multiple 400-yard passing games, this time going for 422 yards while completing 30 of his 45 attempts in the air. Nelson also threw a trio of touchdowns and had no interceptions. The 422-yards is the second-best outing of Nelson’s career (425 yards vs. Southwest Minnesota State) and the fourth-most passing yards in Warrior history, finishing a yard shy of the 423-yard performance by Jake Goettl in 1997.
“When he’s on, he’s as good as anyone I’ve seen around here for a long time,” head coach Tom Sawyer said. “I think he’s a premier quarterback, and we need to do a better job protecting him. He’s a pretty special talent.”
The Warrior quarterback totaled 339 yards and three scores in the first half. The sophomore continued to perform in the second quarter — at one point completing 12 consecutive passes while guiding the team to a 28-14 lead.
Offensively, Winona State completed 526 yards for the game while limiting the Marauders to only 296.
“I just trust my receivers and trust our whole line blocking up front,” Nelson said. “Our receivers run great routes, and it makes my job of passing it to them and getting it into their hands easier.”
The Warriors struck first a little over two minutes into the game with an 11-yard rush by Theo Burkett, the second time the running back has found the end zone in as many games.
The Marauders tied it up later in the quarter when backup quarterback Nick Jolliffe connected with his brother and teammate, Ben Jolliffe, for an 18-yard pass to make the score 7-7.
Winona State quickly answered with a score of their own, this time a three-play drive in 1:09 culminating with a 53-yard catch by wide-out Justin Bergeron — the first of his career — to give the Warriors a 14-7 advantage.
The University of Mary would respond with another score, getting a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter with a 26-yard strike from Jolliffe to Myron Baldoz-McArn to knot the game up again, but the Warriors reclaimed the lead with a 18-yard pass from Nelson to Alex Jensen to give Winona State a 21-14 lead.
The Warriors increased their lead with less than two minutes remaining in the half when Josh Mikes, the reigning NSIC Offensive Player of the Week, snagged a pass in the back left corner of the end zone to give the Warriors a 28-14 advantage.
Marauder Elby Pope managed an 89-yard punt return to cut the deficit to within seven, 28-21. With about five minutes left in the third quarter, Nelson was hit as he tried to throw, resulting in a backwards pass and an ensuing 57-yard scoop-and-score to tie things up at 28 apiece.
“We had a little protection issue, but we’ll look back at film and fix that,” Nelson said. “They brought a little more pressure in the second half, and they were able to disrupt some stuff. We ran a little three-step deep to get the ball out quick for little five or six yard gains to get the first down.”
Nelson was able to rush across on a keeper to give the Warriors a 35-28 lead during a third and goal. After not running the ball much of the first three quarters, Paul Preston stepped up in the final 15 minutes, ending the game as the leading rusher with 69 yards on seven carries.
“We knew Paul had fresh legs, told him in the second half be ready to roll. At the end of the game when he squirts out and makes a couple big plays, you can seal the game that way,” Sawyer said.
Andrew Spencer returned a 35-yard interception for Winona State to make it 42-28. Pope recorded a score for Mary with five seconds left to make the final score 42-34.
“I was talking with him right before the half and told him it was his time,” senior defensive back Larry Mbayu said of Spencer. “And he did it.”
Winona State’s receivers Dylan Ulferts and Mikes posted 239 yards in the air.
All five Warrior receivers recorded at least 50 yards, with Alan May, Jensen and Bergeron coming off the bench to add to the Warriors’ effort.
“Depth all over showed up today,” Sawyer said, “and that’s something we obviously pound at our guys that the next man up has to get the job done and today they did.”
Morgan Weaver and Ryan Gerts led the way for the Warriors defensively, recording nine tackles apiece. Mbayu added seven tackles, all solo stops, while Mitch Lunder joined Spencer in the interception department to help the Warriors.
Winona State also recorded three sacks – one apiece from Aaron Anderson-Walker and Ryan Cain – while Collin Corcoran and Dylan Thill were given half sacks.
Winona State (2-0) will hit the road once again next week when the team travels to Minnesota Crookston. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20 in Crookston, Minn.
