(KWMN)- The Winona State football team made the cross-state trek to Moorehead last Saturday to face off with the MSU-Moorhead Dragons.
After falling behind early, the Warriors stormed back to make it a close game in the final minutes of the 4th quarter, but the Dragons were able to run the clock out on their final drive, and the Warriors lost, 20-17. This marks their 5th loss of the season, four of which coming after a win, as they dropped to 4-5 on the year.
The Warrior schedule continues to go back and forth, neither winning nor losing consecutively so far this season. Off a loss, they hope that trend continues, but it won’t be easy with Mankato up next.
A theme in the loss to Moorhead is one the Warriors have seen time and time again in their losses this season–missed opportunities.
Although not a bad game by any means from the defense–five sacks, six total tackles for a loss and only 20 points given up to a team that averages 35 a game–there were two instances in the game where the Moorehead offense was backed up inside their own five. In both instances, the defense allowed a touchdown drive, one being a 97-yard touchdown drive, the other 99 yards. On top of that they forced three fumbles but could only recover one of them. Not to mention the Dragons were able to waste eight minutes off the clock in the 4th quarter during a drive that ended with a turnover on downs. The defense eventually got the job done, but the eight minutes off the clock, down two scores, plagued the Warriors chances to make the comeback.
Offensively, a redzone interception from Cole Stenstrom left the Warriors with zero points after a successful drive, and a missed field goal from Jacob Scott from 28 yards ended up being the difference in the game. Scott’s miss was certainly uncharacteristic. Even with the miss, he still leads the NSIC in field goals made. Nonetheless, two huge plays that didn’t go the Warriors way were the difference in the end.
To take a positive spin on the missed opportunities, the Warriors were in the right spots to make the plays, they just didn’t on Saturday. A fixable problem indeed, but time on the season to fix those mistakes is running out.
QB1 Cole Stenstrom finished the day with 202 yards through the air, a touchdown, and the aforementioned interception. It was a solid day for Stenstrom, eclipsing 200 yards for the sixth time in his last seven games. The rushing attack missed the mark. Only garnering 102 rush yards. Some of that had to with the fact they were down for the majority of the second half, but there seems to be a concerning trend emerging.
In the Warriors four wins on the year, they’ve been able to eclipse 150 yards on the ground every time. In their four, and now five, losses on the season, they haven’t been able to reach that number once. A lot of this trend can simply be attributed to playing much better teams, and their losses have certainly come against much better teams. four out of their five opponents they’ve dropped to have been ranked or are currently ranked in the top 25. Moorehead being the only one that wasn’t.
It’s less about the actual number of rush yards the Warriors can acquire, and more about the fact that the offense seems to be heavily reliant on the run game. The question is, how can the Warriors be less reliant on rushing? It’s not a bad thing to want to run the football, plenty of times find success in doing so. The Warriors being one of them, as we’ve seen often times this season. But when the rushing attack isn’t there, the Warrior offense needs to find a way to be equally successful, and that still remains something to be figured out.
The Warriors quest to bounce back won’t be an easy one, as the MSU-Mankato Mavericks visit Maxwell Field this Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
Head Coach for the Warriors, Brian Bergstrom, joined the WSN to discuss the loss, how to get better and more.
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