Rolla, Mo. -- The Wayne State University football team (0-3 overall) fell 51-45 in overtime at Missouri S&T (2-1 overall) on Saturday afternoon at Allgood-Bailey Stadium.

HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter

The host Miners took a 7-0 lead on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Luke Hetzler to Breon Michel just over five minutes into the game.  MST received a break as no holding penalty was called on the play as Jalen Lewis (Pontiac, Mich. / West Bloomfield) was getting his head turned around by the right tackle.  On WSU's first play after the kickoff, a perfectly executed flea-flicker resulted in a 75-yard touchdown reception by sophomore Jesse Prewitt III (Columbus, Ohio / Northland) from freshman Josh Kulka (Clinton Township, Mich. / Chippewa Valley).  Griffin Milovanski (Saugatuck, Mich.) made the PAT for his first collegiate point.

The 7-7 draw was short lived as Miner Gideon Niboh returned the kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown.  The Warriors again tied the game, 14-14, as Kukla and Prewitt III connected on a 14-yard scoring pass with Prewitt doing some fancy footwork after catching the pass at the MST 11.  On the second play after a Missouri S&T punt, Kulka completed a 68-yard scoring pass to sophomore Trevonte Davis (Flint, Hamady) to put the Warriors in front 21-14. 

Second Quarter

Following another Miner punt, Wayne State drove into the red zone with Milovanski making a 33-yard field goal attempt increasing the WSU advantage to 24-14. midway through the second stanza.

Late in the period, the Warriors thought they had extended their lead but a holding penalty and back-to-back sacks preceded a punt by WSU that was blocked.  Missouri S&T returned the punt to the Wayne State 3.  A three-yard touchdown run on the very next play by Aaron Moya cut the Wayne State lead to three (24-21) at halftime.

Kulka drove Wayne State into the red zone, however he was injured on a 21-yard scramble when he was tackled at the MST 4.  A WSU completion in which it appeared the receiver reached the ball into the end zone was ruled otherwise by the GLVC officiating crew, and a quarterback keeper on the next play by Chase Churchill (Richmond, Mich.) was ruled short of the goal line.

Third Quarter

The host Miners regained the lead, 28-24, on an eight-yard touchdown reception by Gabe Goodwin capping a 66-yard scoring drive.  On its next possession, Missouri S&T had a 54-yard touchdown pass to Michel to extend its lead to 35-24.

The Warriors responded with a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive with freshman Myren Harris (Clinton Township, Mich. / Chippewa Valley) scoring on a nine-yard scamper. 

Fourth Quarter

The back-and-forth scoring continued with the Miners Michael hauling in a 70-yard pass from Hertzler giving the hosts a 42-31 lead early in the final period.  Following an MST punt with a 25-yard punt return by freshman Eli Haddad (Rockford, Mich.), WSU drove 32 yards with senior Avery Hall (Indianapolis, Ind. / Cardinal Ritter) scoring on a two-yard plunge.  The two-point conversion pass was incomplete putting WSU behind 42-37. 

Missouri S&T missed a 35-yard field goal and Wayne State followed with a 10-play, 80-yard drive with Davis catching a 17-yard touchdown pass from Churchill with 1:36 left.  Churchill's two-point conversion pass was complete to Dayton Keller (Jackson, Mich. / Lumen Christi) putting the Warriors in front 45-42.  

The Miners drove 37 yards following the kickoff with Zach Glaess making a 40-yard field goal attempt on the final play of regulation to knot the game at 45-45.

Overtime

Wayne State had the ball first and after two incompletions, Churchill gained seven yards on third down before a fourth down incompletion ended the drive.  Moya gained 13 yards on the first play before a no gain and a Miner holding penalty.  Payton McAlister then had an eight-yard carry to the WSU 1, before a four-yard loss.  After a two-yard gain, Moya had a two-yard plunge for the winning touchdown.

TEAM STATS

Wayne State set a school-record with 673 yards of total offense, just eclipsing the previous school mark of 671 set by the 1967 Tartars in a Sept. 30 contest at Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  WSU out-gained the Miners 230-138 on the ground, and 443-361 through the air.

LEADING THE WARRIORS

Hall had a team-high 73 yards on the ground with one touchdown.  Kulka was 12-of-19 for 286 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, while Churchill finished the game 9-of-26 for 157 yards with one touchdown and one interception.  Davis posted game-high totals of nine receptions and 244 receiving yards with two touchdowns.

LEADING THE MINERS

Moya rushed for a game-high 103 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns.  Hertzler passed for 361 yards and four touchdowns on 21-of-35.  Michel hauled in seven passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns.

UP NEXT

Wayne State will conclude its four-game non-conference slate with a 6 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Sept. 25 vs. Saginaw Valley State at Tom Adams Field.