WAYNE, Neb. – The University of Sioux Falls Football team fell to Wayne State College, 62-14, Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in its final road contest of the regular season. The loss moves the Cougars to 6-4 overall and 6-3 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play.
Sioux Falls finished with 387 yards of total offense, including 261 passing yards and 126 rushing yards, while recording 21 first downs. The Cougars were led through the air by Tate Schafer, who completed 17-of-27 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Adonis Hutchinson added a team-high 70 receiving yards, while Hank Brown Jr. and Blake Stahl each recorded touchdown receptions.
Wayne State capitalized on seven USF turnovers, including two interceptions returned for touchdowns, to build an early advantage and secure the victory.
First Half Recap
Wayne State opened the scoring with a 67-yard touchdown pass on its first possession before returning an interception 35 yards for a touchdown to take a 14-0 lead midway through the opening quarter.
Sioux Falls responded with an eight-play, 67-yard scoring drive, capped by a nine-yard touchdown connection from Schafer to Brown Jr. JT Frieders converted the extra point to bring the Cougars within 14-7 with 5:00 remaining in the first quarter.
The Wildcats answered with a 72-yard rushing touchdown less than a minute later, extending their advantage to 21-7 heading into the second quarter.
Wayne State added three touchdowns in the second period, including a 27-yard interception return, to take a 42-7 lead into halftime.
Second Half Recap
The Wildcats continued to build their lead in the third quarter, scoring on a three-yard rushing touchdown before adding a 57-yard touchdown pass late in the period to extend the advantage to 56-7.
Sioux Falls found the end zone early in the fourth quarter, putting together a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Schafer connected with Stahl for a 48-yard touchdown pass, and Frieders added the extra point to make it 56-14 with 12:41 remaining.
Wayne State added a final touchdown with 1:50 left in regulation to close out the 62-14 contest.
Key Standouts
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Tate Schafer completed 17-of-27 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns.
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Adonis Hutchinson led USF with 70 receiving yards on five catches.
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Hank Brown Jr. recorded six receptions for 39 yards and a nine-yard touchdown.
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Blake Stahl hauled in a 48-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter.
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Christian Nash led the Cougars on the ground with 47 rushing yards on six carries, including a 22-yard run.
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Caden Henkes added three receptions for 38 yards.
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Garret Hoffman led the defense with nine tackles, including five solo stops.
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Andy Henson finished with eight tackles and a half tackle for loss.
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Vayo Kamara contributed six tackles, including three solo stops.
By the Numbers
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387 – Total yards of offense for Sioux Falls.
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261 – Passing yards recorded by the Cougars.
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126 – Rushing yards for USF.
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21 – First downs recorded by Sioux Falls.
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48 – Yards on Blake Stahl's fourth-quarter touchdown reception.
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4-of-4 – Fourth-down conversions for the Cougars.
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31:59 – Time of possession for Sioux Falls.
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7 – Total turnovers committed by USF.
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2 – Touchdown passes thrown by Tate Schafer.
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2-of-2 – Extra-point attempts converted by JT Frieders.
Up Next
Sioux Falls will host Concordia-St. Paul on November 14 for Senior Day with kickoff slated for 1pm at Bob Young Field.
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