SIOUX FALLS – Combining strong play from all three phases of special teams, defense and offense, the #6 University of Sioux Falls Football Team (8-0, 4-0 NSIC South) continued on the winning path with a 51-17 decision over Concordia-St. Paul (2-6, 0-4 NSIC South) on Saturday before 1,732 at Bob Young Field.

Junior running back Max Mickey had his sixth 100-yard rushing game of the season with 16 carries for 128 yards and three total TDs to key USF to its eighth straight win and fourth in a row in NSIC South play. Overall, USF, which retained the lead at the top of the NSIC, had 41 carries for 249 yards rushing and 432 total yards on 69 plays. As for Mickey, he now has 1,161 yards rushing on 116 carries and a 10.0 per carry average. Today, he had TD runs of 25 and 76 yards – a career-high – and a 30-yard receiving score as he now has 14 total TDs. In all eight games this season, USF has had at least 400 yards in total offense.

"Concordia-St. Paul came in keying on our running game and we stayed patient and found some openings, especially with Max (Mickey) breaking through on a 76-yard in the second quarter," said USF head football coach Jed Stugart, whose team had a season-high in points. "Our offensive line kept attacking and eventually we had some openings that we could exploit. Max and Justin (Fulks) both broke tackles and found their way into open space," he said.

Stugart was also pleased with the play of the defense, which held CSP to 17 points. In total the Cougars added two more sacks and have 29 on the season. They also picked off their 14th pass of the season as Tosin Adedeji followed up with a team season-best 62-yard return. This year USF has had three interception returns of over 50 yards and non of them have resulted in scores.  In addition, USF held the Golden Bears to 73 yards rushing on 35 carries and allowed just 334 yards on 78 plays total.Senior linebacker Michael Mehling tied a career high with 11 tackles, which was his fourth game with a double digit total in tackles. He also had a sack, TFL and three quarterback hurries as he harassed CSP QB Ron Johnson all day.

"I was pleased with how we handled things up front on defense and we only allowed one big play, which continues to be a factor for us. It was a really solid effort from the defesne," said Stugart. "And, I was really pleased with our special teams play. Kyle Groeneweg is coming really close at breaking one off," he said.

In total, USF had 275 yards in punt or kickoff returns. Groeneweg had six punt returns for 120 yards, including a long of 53 yards. He added two kickoff returns for 62 yards with a long of 55.  Also Erik Albeck had a career long 52-yard return off a kickoff reverse in the second half.

With the game tied at 7-7, USF outscored, CSP, 17-7 in the second quarter and 21-3 in the fourth quarter to pick up its seventh double digit win of the season. Interestingly, when USF has scored 50 points, they are now 66-0 all-time at the school.

USF quarterback Luke Papilion moved into second place all-time in pass TDs with his two giving him 74 in his career. He is 11 behind USF Hall of Fame quarterback Kurtiss Riggs, who had 85 from 1993-96.

Papilion was 8-of-25 for 141 yards and two passing TDs and he added six carries for 19 yards as added a one-yard scoring run. The rushing TD by the senior gives him 40 for his career, which ranks ninth all-time at USF, and the 19 yards pushes him over 700 yards on the season (711). Justin Fulks, who had a 10-yard scoring run, added nine carries for 54 yards while Brady Rose had a 25-yard run. The 249 rushing yards by USF, the nation's second leading rushing team, was a season low but USF still averaged 6.07 yards per carry.

The receiving corps was led by senior wide receiver Josh Angulo, who has three receptions for 53 yards, including a 29-yard catch that set up a fourth quarter TD. Kyle Athmann had two receptions for 36 yards and a pair of TDs. It is the first time in his career that he had two TD receptions in a game. Also, Brady Rose had two receptions for 24 yards.

After CSP head coach Shannon Currier's attempt on 4th and one from his own 34 was unsuccessful in the first quarter, USF opened the scoring with a four-play, 34-yard drive in 31 seconds with Mickey's 30-yard TD reception and Brett Garner's extra point providing a 7-0 lead at the 13:02 mark. However, CSP answered as Darius Chapes, who had 14 carries for 59 yards, culminated an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive with a one-yard TD run and a 7-7 tie with 8:29 left in the first quarter.

But, USF, which has scored at least 37 points in every game this season, answered four minutes later. Athmann hauled in an 18-yard TD pass from Papilion as the Cougars took a 13-7 lead. The extra point was blocked following the five-play 33-yard drive.

Midway through the second quarter, Mickey, who has had five runs over 50 yards this season, broke free on a career-long 76-yard TD gallop to cap a four-play, 92-yard scoring drive in 1:28. Garner's extra point gave USF a 20-7 advantage. USF continued to build on the lead after a Groeneweg 15-yard punt return set up USF as the CSP's 49-yard line. After Rose ran for 25 yards, Fulks had a 14-yard run and finished off the scoring drive with a 10-yard TD run at the 5:37 mark for a 27-7 USF advantage.

Late in the first half, Garner gave USF a 30-7 lead when he knocked home a career-best 45-yard field goal with six seconds to play in the half.

While the third quarter has been one owned by USF to a 111-to-24 advantage in 2016. Today, it was CSP that had the only score of the third quarter. CSP quarterback Ron Johnson, who completed 24-of-42 passes for 261 yards, hit Gabe Steed on a 26-yard TD strike to close the game to 30-14 at the 5:52 mark.

But the Cougars, who moved its all-time mark to 58-5 at Bob Young Field with the win, answered in the fourth quarter. First, Mickey capped off a 62-yard drive with a 25-yard TD run straight through the middle of the Golden Bears' defense.

After CSP's Jonas Schenderlein knocked home a 40-yard field goal, USF added two more TDs. Papilion scored on a one-yard TD to cap a 30-yard scoring drive which was set up by Albeck's career-best 52-yard kickoff return. Papilion's TD run, his 13th of the season, gave USF a 44-17 with 11:17 to play. Then, Athmann caught an 18-yard TD pass from backup quarterback Corbin Lawler with 5:08 to play. The TD was set up after Clint Sigg caught his first career pass at USF, an acrobatic 24-yard reception from Lawler.

Next for USF will be a road matchup with Minnesota State on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 1 p.m.

NOTES –

~ While USF's running attack had just 249 yards, they still hold a 7.8 yard per carry average with 351 attempts for 2,731 yards, which is an all-time best after eight games at USF. The Cougars are averaging 341.4 yards per game as a team.

~ Breaking down by quarters, USF has a 68-28 edge in the first quarter, 75-70 in the second quarter, 111-24 in the third quarter and 90-57 in the fourth quarter. That amounts to a 344-to-179 overall mark. USF upped their averaged to 43.0 ppg this season.

~ With 128 yards today, Max Mickey has moved his career total to 2,180, which ranks 11th all-time at USF. He needs 75 to move into the top 10 at the school all-time.