Article

MSU finishes with winning football season

1994 last time MSU bests .500 mark

November 7th, 2004
By Seth Mork
Free Press Staff Writer

MANKATO After a mad scramble at the beginning of the season to assign coaching and personnel positions, things seem to have paid off.

Freshman fullback Dan Smedberg (38) fights of UNO's Jeremiah Scott on his way to a second-quarter touchdown.

The Minnesota State football team earned its first winning season since 1994 with a 20-13, senior-day victory over the University of Nebraska-Omaha in the season finale Saturday at Blakeslee Stadium.

"As a new coach coming into a program like MSU and especially coming off of a 0-11 season last year, to get back on the winning track feels really good," head coach Jeff Jamrog said.

The contest started out slow as UNO got on the scoreboard first behind the leg of placekicker Andy Severson on a 27-yard field goal at the 7:23 mark in the first quarter.

MSU countered with a field goal of its own with 1:55 left in the first quarter when senior placekicker Ryan Caperoon kicked a 27-yard field goal. MSU later broke the tie late in the second quarter on a 16-yard touchdown run from fullback Dan Smedberg to take a 10-3 with 4:40 left in the half.

Time was not an issue as UNO put together a nine play 74-yard drive capped off by a two-yard touchdown run by junior running back Jamar Day.

The third quarter saw no points, as both team's defenses clamped down and held the tie to the fourth quarter.

"They [MSU] came out a lot harder than we expected early," UNO wide receiver Chris Denney said.

Scoring resumed early in the fourth quarter as Caperoon kicked his second field goal of the day, this one from 47-yards out giving MSU the 13-10 advantage.

Once again UNO would come back with points of its own on another field goal by Severson from 26-yards out.

MSU scored last as workhorse junior running back Sean Treasure scored a touchdown from three-yards out giving MSU the lead for good. Treasure finished the game with 153 yards on 36 carries. Treasure, in his first year at MSU, finished the season with six 100-yard rushing games.

"I got to give a lot of credit to my offensive line," Treasure said. "They are like my older brothers, they look out for me every game."

After the Treasure touchdown late in the fourth quarter, UNO had one last shot that was taken away by sophomore defensive back Tony Wnek when he picked off a Brian Masek pass to seal the game.

"It was just one play," Wnek said. "You have to give a lot of credit to the whole team, it was a team effort."

In a big team win, Jamrog said he believes this win ranks up there with some of best wins in his coaching career.

"This was a tremendous victory for our team, especially for our seniors," Jamrog said. "I told the seniors before the game, this will be a game that you remember for the rest of your life."

Adam Stroik, one of the seniors who said he feels this victory is extra special, ends his career of ups and downs at MSU on a high note.

"I can't even describe it," Stroik said. "To beat a team that I haven't beaten before in the last game of my career, it feels great."

The win over UNO is the first since 1996 and snaps a seven-game losing streak for MSU against UNO head coach Pat Behren's squad.

"We got outplayed, out hit and they tackled extremely well all game," Behren said. "They [MSU] were the best tackling team we have faced all year."

With a win in the season finale, Jamrog hopes this momentum and confidence will carry over into next season.

"We are going to have to keep building and start recruiting the best players we can," Jamrog said. "I told the team that they always have to believe, and they have done everything they were asked to do."

 

Pat Christman

Freshman fullback Dan Smedberg (38) fights of UNO's Jeremiah Scott on his way to a second-quarter touchdown