by Drew Steele / @WooItsDrew / sports@kvsc.org (Photo SCSU Athletics)

The St. Cloud State University Huskies opened the season Thursday night against the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota.  Last season, when the two teams met at Husky Stadium, the Huskies overcame a late 13-7 Marauders to win 14-13 on a late touchdown from Dwayne Lawhorn to John Solberg.  This season, it did not take any late game heroics for the Huskies to take the team from Bismarck down.  SCSU won handily by a score of 35-12.

While SCSU racked up over 276 yards on the ground Thursday, the Huskies would only score through the air.  The first touchdown was on the Huskies second drive of the game.   The touchdown was scored on a seven-yard pass from senior Dwayne Lawhorn to Nathan Gizma at the 6:17 mark of the first quarter.  This touchdown capped off a ten play, 74-yard drive for SCSU.  The next score would come just minutes later with two and a half minutes left on the clock in the first quarter.  Cambridge native, John Solberg caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Lawhorn to put the Huskies up 14-0. 

Just over five minutes into the second quarter the Huskies would strike again.  This time it was the junior from Big Lake, MN, Tanner Teige.  Teige was on the receiving end of a 49-yard pass from Lawhorn for the touchdown.  This would be the Huskies longest score of the day.   The Huskies would take the 21-point lead over the Marauders into the half.  

The SCSU would kick off to Mary to start the second half.  After a stale first drive of the half from both teams, Logan Nelson of the Marauders would fumble on Mary’s second drive of the half.  The fumble was picked up by Louis Williams on the Mary 24-yard line.  The Huskies would take advantage of the field position five plays later on a John Solberg reception.  This marked the second consecutive year that Solberg and Lawhorn connected for two scores against the Marauders. 

Half way through the third quarter and down 28 points, the Marauders started to make their attempt at a comeback.  The first step on the road back for Mary was made on a 56-yard pass from Logan Nelson to Kade Lynch.  The touchdown marked Logan Nelson’s first of his career.  Nelson, a junior from Billings, MT, sat out the entire season last fall due to a knee injury.  The Marauders were not done scoring just yet as Logan Nelson ran thirteen yards into the end zone.  The rushing touchdown from Nelson capped off the longest drive by either team in the game.  The drive was eight plays and 87 yards.  The fourteen unanswered points put Mary back to within two scores of the Huskies late in the third quarter.

With 1:35 remaining on the clock in the third quarter, SCSU would respond as Jason Bents, a sophomore from Osceola, WI, scored on a five-yard pass from Lawhorn.  The touchdown was the first of Bents career as a Husky.  He finished the day with forty yards and two receptions.  Both teams were held scoreless in the fourth meaning that the Huskies brought home their first win on the season.

Lawhorn led the team through the air on Thursday night with 133 yards and five touchdowns.  The offensive line did not allow Lawhorn to get sacked all evening. On the ground, Joe Blando led the team with 115 yards on 23 attempts.  Blando, a sophomore out of Oak Creek, WI, had to sit out last season due to an injury. Tanner Teige led the team in reception yards with 71 on the evening, and John Solberg led the team in touchdown receptions with two.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Huskies were led by Alec Hafferman, Joe Carpenter, and Jeremiah Makahununiu.  Hafferman led the team in total tackles with seven.   Carpenter and Makahununiu followed him with six for Carpenter and five for Makahununiu.  The Huskies pass rush was very affective with six players getting in on a part of a sack of the Marauders quarterback Nelson.

Next week, the Huskies will open their home schedule at Husky Stadium against the University of Minnesota-Crookston.  Crookston opened their season on Thursday as well as the Golden Eagles suffered a loss to the Dragons of MSU Moorhead.  Last season, Minnesota-Crookston went 1-10.  One of those losses included a 44-14 loss in Crookston to SCSU.  The Huskies look to do more of the same against Crookston on Saturday, September 14 at six pm.  You can listen live on 88.1 FM KVSC where Hans Bristol and Drew Steele will be on the call.