Wayne State used three big pass plays of over 50 yards and four Mustang turnovers to earn a 49-10 blowout win over Southwest Minnesota State Saturday at Bob Cunningham Field.
The Mustangs scored first with the help of a blocked punt, recovering it in the end zone for a 7-0 lead with 7:17 to go in the opening period.
It was all Wildcats after that.
Wayne State got three big touchdown plays in the first half to take a 28-10 advantage and built on the lead from there.
Wayne State tied the score late in the first when Nick Bohn found Kendrick Watkins-Hogue on a 53-yard scoring pass to even the score at 7-7 with 1:53 to play in the quarter.
Following a punt early in the second quarter, Wayne State scored on six consecutive drives to put the contest out of reach.
The Wildcats took the lead for good at the 5:02 mark of the second quarter when junior Jadon Johnson ran down a Bohn pass and scampered 74 yards to paydirt, putting the ‘Cats in front 14-7.
After a Mustang turnover, Bohn connected with junior Ashten Schmaderer lon a 59-yard scoring pass to make it 21-7 before a late Carter Dicker 31-yard field goal made it 21-10 at the break.
The Wildcats took the second-half kickoff and marched 85 yards on 11 plays, capped by an 11-yard run by Bohn to make it 28-10.
Wayne State’s next two scores came via Mustang turnovers. The first, after a Mustan fumble, ended in a 10-yard run by Bohn with 7:26 to go in the third to make it 35-10.
Sam Rallis intercepted a Mustang pass on the next drive, and sophomore Dawson Forgy capped the short scoring drive with a one-yard plunge to make it 42-10. The Wildcats closed it out early in the fourth with a one-yard run by redshirt freshman Latravious Boyd.
Wayne State gained 497 yards in the contest to 290 for SMSU. The Wildcats had 119 yards rushing and 378 passing yards while the Mustangs had 128 on the ground and 162 through the air.
Bohn completed 14-of-26 passes for 356 yards and three scores. Watkins-Hogue was the top Wildcat receiver with six receptions for 129 yards and one TD followed by Jadon Johnson with two catches for 116 yards and one score.
Forgy led WSC rushers with 60 yards on nine carries with Bohn adding 30 yards on seven attempts and two TD’s.
Defensively Tate Hinrichs had 11 tackles for the Wildcats. Dexter Larsen added eight tackles with one sack, one forced fumble and one interception. Alex Schall and Sam Rallis each added interceptions for the Wildcat defense.
The Wildcats (2-1) will be on the road Saturday, traveling to Rolla, Missouri for a non-conference game at Missouri S&T starting at 6 p.m.
