MARSHALL, Minn. – A change in venue did not change the performance of the Northern State football team on Saturday.
The Wolves, playing in their first road game of the season, picked up a 30-3 win over Southwest Minnesota State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action.
Northern received touchdown passes from in the opening quarter, one each from Ty Englehart and Joey Dube-Garrett.
Englehart hooked up with Jakoby Boykins for an 8-yard touchdown to start the scoring on NSU’s first possession of the game. Dube-Garrett then threw a 10-yard TD pass to Jessie Campbell on the team’s next possession and the Wolves were off and running.
“Offensively, I’m really encouraged with the efficiency and explosiveness we saw in the passing game,” said Northern coach Mike Schmidt. “Both QBs had really good games and we spread the ball around to a lot of different playmakers. That’s really encouraging and we needed them to play big in this game.”
Dube-Garrett, who finished with 179 yards passing, then hooked up with Cooper Eisenbeisz on a 57-yard touchdown pass to start the second quarter.
“Our key to the game was starting fast,” Schmidt said. “Scoring on our first three drives was big along with the defense forcing punts and getting a turnover. I loved the complimentary football.”
Jeremy Caruso added a 32-yard field goal later in the quarter as the Wolves owned a 23-0 advantage at halftime.
Hank Kraft, who rushed for 107 yards, tacked on a 1-yard run for a touchdown in the third quarter to cap the NSU scoring.
The Wolves finished with 476 yards of total offense in the contest, with 317 coming through the air. Eisenbeisz had 76 yards receiving, DJ Smith followed with 74 yards, and Campbell had 72.
Linebacker Jake Adams led the defense with 15 tackles.
“Jake played a great game. He took the game over in the second half similar to what he did last week against Winona,” Schmidt said. “He felt omnipresent. Every time a running back bounced a run play or the QB scrambled, there was Jake to make a play. He was everywhere tonight.”
The Wolves will continue on the road with a contest against Minnesota State on Saturday at Mankato. The Mavericks are nationally ranked and also unbeaten.
“Overall, we’re in a great spot. We’re 3-0 with a tough test next week at Mankato. MSU is a legit national championship contender and the best team I’ve seen in the NSIC in my time at Northern,” Schmidt said. “They’re loaded. I’m excited to see how we respond to a great challenge against a great opponent in a hostile environment on the road.”
To see a complete box score, click on the following link:
https://nsuwolves.com/sports/football/stats/2026/southwest-minnesota-state/boxscore/14641
