Box Score Excelsior Springs, Mo. --- The Minnesota State football team used a 34-carry, 179-yard effort from redshirt freshman Andy Pfeiffer en route to a 28-14 victory over Northeastern State in the 46th annual Mineral Water Bowl hosted by the Quarterback Club of Excelsior Springs. The game was played in front of 1,460 fans in Tiger Stadium on the campus of Excelsior Springs High School.
Northeastern State opened the scoring with an 89-yard punt return by Nate Robinson, which established a new Mineral Water Bowl record just three minutes and 17 seconds into the game. Minnesota State answered later in the quarter as junior wideout Adam Thielen hauled in a 13-yard pass from senior quarterback Jon Daniels to tie the game at seven.
On MSU's first possession of the second quarter, the Mavericks Daniels found junior Dennis Carter for a 31-yard touchdown completion on fourth down pushing the score to 14-7.
Northeastern State's Kyle Beam hauled in a 53-yard touchdown pass from Johnny Deaton to tie the game at 14-14 with 7:27 remaining in the first half.
Daniels then punched in a one-yard run with 27 second seconds remaining in the first half, capping a 14-play, 65-yard drive that chewed up seven minutes which gave MSU a 21-14 lead at the break.
The lone points in the second half came on a one-yard touchdown run from Pfeiffer.
The Mavericks finished running 90 plays for 369 yards, 241 coming on the ground and 128 coming through the air. MSU's defense limited NSU to just 184 yards on 56 plays and just 14 first downs. The Mavericks dominated the time of possession, 43:46, 16:14.
Defensively, junior linebacker Marcus Hall-Oliver led MSU with six tackles while redshirt freshman Kelend Smith a pair of interceptions while sophomore defensive back Drew Schaeppi and senior defensive back Tory Garrett each had one.
Minnesota State's season ends with a 9-3 record.
Coach Hoffner discusses the win:
