MOORHEAD -- The Minnesota State Moorhead football team pushed No. 15-ranked Minnesota State Mankato to the limit but the Mavericks held off the Dragons 24-19 in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference game on Saturday at Nemzek Stadium.
Down 12 in the fourth quarter, MSU Moorhead capped a 94-yard scoring drive with a 12-yard scoring pass from quarterback Jack Strand to Carson Elbert to pull within five points with 1:54 to play.
But the Mavericks recovered a Dragons onside kick attempt and Mankato quarterback Hayden Ekern ran for 24 yards to the Dragon 11 yard line on a fourth-and-1 play with 1:22 to play. Two Ekern kneel downs ended the game.
The Dragons fell to 2-3 in the NSIC and 2-4 overall while the Mavericks improved to 5-1 in the conference and 6-1 overall. MSUM plays next at Concordia-St. Paul at noon Saturday, Oct. 19.
The Mavericks opened the scoring Saturday on Matthew Jaeger's 40-yard field goal with 11:35 left in the first quarter. But the Dragons scored the next nine points on Fynn Ridgeway's 3-yard scoring run three seconds into the second quarter and Max Watson's 38-yard field goal that was set up a Josiah Behm interception.
Mankato used a lengthy drive and a big play to score two touchdowns in a three-minute span late in the second quarter.
Ekern finished off a 12-play, 80-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run that put the Mavericks up 10-9 with 5:45 left in the first half.
After a Dragons three-and-out, Ekern threw to Isaiah Emanuel for a 65-yard gain to the Dragon 11-yard line. One play later, Ekern hit Gabe Hagen for a 10-yard touchdown and a 17-9 lead with 2:49 before halftime.
But the Dragons responded, driving 62 yards in 12 plays to set up Watson's 33-yard field goal as time expired in the first half and trimming Mankato's lead to 17-12 at the half.
MSU Moorhead couldn't get much going in the third quarter, recording just one first down in its first two drives of the second half.
Ekern drove the Mavericks 60 yards in 12 plays and capped the drive with a 1-yard TD run for a 24-12 lead with 3:51 left in the third quarter.
The Dragons put together a promising drive late in the third quarter and early in the fourth, moving from their own 25 yard line to the Mankato 5 yard line before turning the ball over on downs.
While the Mavericks didn't score on their next possession they did bleed the clock, burning up more than six minutes before punting and pinning the Dragons at their own 6 yard line with 6:38 to play.
MSU Moorhead needed most of those final minutes to pull within a score and the onside kick recovery and Ekern's fourth down run sealed the deal.
Ekern completed 10 of 17 passes for 168 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He ran for 59 yards and the two scores on 16 carries. Sam Backer led the Mavericks with 130 rushing yards on 19 carries.
Strand hit 38 of 55 throws for 331 yards and one TD. The scoring pass was Strand's 66th of his career, a new Dragons record.
Madden Thorson caught 15 passes for 114 yards, Gage Florence had six catches for 53 yards and Elbert had three receptions for 40 yards and the touchdown.
MSU Moorhead's Gavin Jarchow had 11 tackles and Tate Gustafson and Jack Bungarden both had nine tackles. Jack Johnson and Behm both made eight stops and Behm had the game's only interception.