Minnesota State Notes
Mankato, Minn. --- With the game tied at ten with 8:51 left in the game, Minnesota State needed a clock-sustaining drive to put points on the board and they called on redshirt freshman running back Connor Thomas.  He ended a 10-play, 80-yard drive with a 12-yard touchdown run that gave the Mavericks a 17-10 victory over Missouri Western State in the NCAA Division II Football Championship Quarterfinal at Blakeslee Stadium.

Minnesota State acting head coach Aaron Keen was named the AFCA Region Coach of the Year…Junior guard Andrew Essman was a First Team All-Region pick by Daktronics…Juniors Sam Brockshus and Chris Schaudt and seniors Adam Thielen and Marcus Hall-Oliver were Second Team All-Region picks by Daktronics…Saturday’s national semifinal game will be the first in MSU’s history…MSU is 2-0 all-time in the month of December…The Mavericks have won 13 straight home games…Minnesota State has never played Valdosta State…The Mavericks have established a school record for points in 417…Senior wide out Adam Thielen has become the sixth Maverick in school history to record a 1,000 career season…MSU’s 3,059 yards of rushing, 625 rushing attempts and 37 rushing TDs are all second-most in school history.

Winona State Notes
Rayon Simmons, the WSU and NSIC’s all-time leading rusher, ended his Warrior career in style, rushing for 198 yards as the Warriors beat Lindenwood 41-21 in the Mineral Water Bowl. The Warriors rolled up 597 yards of total offense in the game to finish the season 10-2. This is the fifth time WSU has won ten games under head coach Tom Sawyer. Winona State scored 24 unanswered points in the second and third quarters to put the game away. Quarterback John Teigland capped his season by throwing for 303 yards and three touchdowns. The Warrior run defense allowed Lindenwood to gain just eight yards on the ground in the game.