The St. Cloud State Huskies Football opened the 2018 regular football season with a thrilling 14-13 win over the University of Mary on Thursday night at Husky Stadium.

In the first quarter, it appeared both teams were getting some rust shaken off them from the offseason, as both offensives missed crucial scoring chances and three total turnovers were commited by both teams. Mary Junior quarterback Jordan Velarde had two fumbles recovered by St. Cloud State, and SCSU quarterback Dwayne Lawhorn was intercepted by the Mary defense on a promising drive.

After a scoreless first quarter, the scoring got started in the second quarter after Mary quarterback Jordan Velarde found an opening on the right side of the field and ran the ball in for a touchdown nearly untouched. A Brody Riggs kick would make the score 7-0 in favor of Mary, and Husky Stadium was silenced by SCSU trailing.

Headed into the second half, it was critical for the Huskies to find a response on either side of the ball. Late in the 3rd quarter the Huskies would find that answer as Lawhorn found senior wide reciever John Solberg in the end zone for the game tying touchdown.

Despite a little momentum for the Huskies, it did not bother the Marauders offense which came storming back to the field with a touchdown drive of their own. A seven play seventy-four yard drive gave Mary a 13-7. They failed a two point conversion attempt.

Going into the fourth quarter, both teams traded punts until late in the quarter. The Huskies offense had all the pressure on them to find a victory for the Huskies, and it quickly turned into the Dwayne Lawhorn to John Solberg show. 

Solberg alone on that drive had fifty nine yards reciveing through the air. After a pair of Solberg catches, it set the Huskies up for a 2nd down and 10 from the Mary 15 yard line. With Husky stadium holding their breath, junior quarterback Lawhorn rolled to his right and found Solberg in the back of the end zone for the game tying touchdown.

Sophomore Adam Stage would knock through what would be the game winning extra point to seal the victory for the Huskies.

The thrilling 14-13 win for the Huskies marks them at a record of 1-0 to begin the 2018 season. St. Cloud State is now 13-0 all time against the University of Mary.

St. Cloud State will get back to work this coming week, as they head on the road for a week two battle with Minnesota-Crookston on September 8th, with kickoff set for 1pm.