The M State Spartan football team traveled to Grand Rapids to play the Itasca Community College Vikings in their final game of the season. The Spartans dropped another tough game to the Vikings by a score of 27-22.

"We are all disappointed we didn't win more games this year. We certainly expected to win and had opportunities to win" said Steve King, head coach of the Spartans. "It was difficult for the sophomores to end the season this way, battling for 60 minutes and coming up short. But I will tell you this, I honestly would not trade one sophomore for one, two, or five more wins. That is how much each of them means to me and the program."

The Spartans started fast as they received the opening kickoff and drove the entire 54 yards for a touchdown on the ground, highlighted by the running of quarterback Trent Graves and running back Ray Gardner. Gardner had a 20 yard burst and also scored the first touchdown of the evening on a three yard plunge. Porfirio Diaz added the extra point and the Spartans had an early 7-0 lead.

The Spartans would add to that lead after Spartan defensive back Eric Brown intercepted a Viking pass and the Spartans took over at the Viking 26 yard line. Gardner had runs of 24 yards and 15 yards to set up a 35 yard Graves to wide receiver Zach Ries scoring strike. The extra point by Diaz was good and the first quarter ended with the Spartans leading 14-0.

The Vikings were playing for a playoff spot, and would not quit, as they came right back with drives of 60 yards and 67 yards to tie the score at 14.

The Spartan offense answered and put together a 60 yard drive that featured a key Graves to Spartan wide receiver Aaron Link connection for 20 yards. A defensive pass interference call against the Vikings moved the ball to the Viking 13 yard line. Two plays later, Graves made a great play by scrambling to the left and found Gardner in the back of the end zone. Gardner dragged his feet to stay in play, held on to the ball, and the Spartans had a touchdown. The extra point attempt by Diaz was blocked and the score stood at 20-14 in favor of the Spartans.

The Spartans had one more scoring opportunity before the half. The Itasca offense marched to the Spartan 20 yard line, but the Spartan defense held and the Vikings turned the ball over to the Spartan offense at the Spartan 20 yard line with 28 seconds left in the half. Graves hit Gardner for 22 yards, and as time ran out in the half, Graves hit Ries for 18 yards. But an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Vikings gave the Spartans an untimed down from the Viking 26 yard line. The Spartans elected to try a 43 yard field goal, but the Diaz kick was inches short and the half ended with the Spartans leading 20-14.

The second half opened with Itasca receiving the opening kick and marching 55 yards on 11 plays and chewing up over 5 minutes of clock for the touchdown and extra point. The Vikings now led 21-20. The Spartans refused to quit, and put together their own drive. This drive had the Spartans starting on their own 43 yard line. They moved the ball to the Itasca 40 yard line, and faced a fourth down and twelve. Graves found Link on a screen pass for 22 yards and a Spartan first down at the Viking 18 yard line. The Spartans could not convert this opportunity to points, as a quarterback sack and a bad snap took them out of field goal range and they turned the ball over on downs.

The fourth quarter found the Spartan defense holding again with their backs against the goal line. The Spartan offense took over at their own 20 yard line, but a quarterback sack of Graves that forced a fumble was recovered by the Vikings on the Spartan 8 yard line. Two plays later they scored a touchdown. This made the score 27-20. The Vikings attempt at an extra point kick was blocked by the Spartans, fumbled and kicked around by both teams and finally Demetrius "D" Wooden of the Spartans received a lateral and went the distance. In college, this results in two points for the defensive team, so the Spartans received the two points and the score was now 27-22 in favor of the Vikings.

The Spartans would have two more great scoring opportunities in the fourth quarter. Ray Gardner had a great return of the ensuing kickoff to set the Spartan offense up at the Itasca 44 yard line. Graves found Gardner for a 14 yard screen pass and Chris Peterson for a 12 yard strike. The drive stopped when the Spartans failed on a fourth and one run attempt and the Vikings took over at their own eight yard line. The Spartan defense held, and forced the Vikings to punt from their own end zone. The Spartan offense took over at the Viking 37 yard line, drove the ball and a 15 yard Grave to Jeremy Umlauf connection set the Spartans up first and goal. Two short run plays and two incomplete passes later, the Spartans came away empty and the Vikings ran the clock for the 27-22 win.

The M State Spartan football team lost the final home game of the season 43-21 to the Minnesota West Community and Technical College Blue Jays from Worthington.

"It's always a tough day when you have the sophomores putting on their Spartan blue jerseys for the final time," said Steve King, head coach of the Spartans. "There are 13 young men that have certainly had an impact on this team and are leaving it in better shape than when they came. They are a special group of people that I will miss. All of us are disappointed in our record, but I told the team that they have nothing to apologize for. We have worked hard and we have high character people on this team. We never quit, but we just don't quite have all the pieces to win. I believe that this group of sophomores has laid the foundation for a successful football program in the future."

The Blue Jays controlled the line of scrimmage on the first drive of the game and marched 86 yards in 11 plays to take an early 7-0 lead. That score stood as the teams entered the second quarter, but Minnesota West was driving again. The Spartan defensive created a turnover as defensive back Edward Kiadii made a nice play and an interception to give the ball back to the offense. The Spartans were unable to move the ball and were forced to punt.

The Blue Jays took over and put together a 55-yard scoring drive. Demetrius "D" Wooden blocked the extra point, but it bounced right back into the surprised holder's hands, and he scampered into the end zone for the two-point conversion. That made the score 15-0 in favor of the Blue Jays.

The Spartans would answer as Zach Ries had a nice kickoff return to the Blue Jay 40-yard line. The Spartans were moving the ball, and quarterback Trent Graves hit Aaron Link for a key third-down conversion to keep the drive alive. Then Graves found Ray Gardner for a 16-yard scoring pass to get the Spartans on the board. Porfirio Diaz nailed the extra point and the Spartans had cut the lead to 15-7.

The two teams exchanged punts, and Minnesota West got the ball back with less than two minutes left in the half and drove 49 yards to score a touchdown with 12 seconds left on the clock. The extra point was good, and the halftime score was 22-7 in favor of the Blue Jays.

The Spartans received the opening kick of the second half, and a nice return by Chris Peterson set up the offense at the Blue Jay 36-yard line. The Spartans came out in the Wildcat offense that has Link in the quarterback spot, and he promptly completed two passes, his second a 23-yarder to Gardner to put the Spartans on the Blue Jay 10-yard line. The Spartans fumbled on the next play, and the scoring threat ended.

It was the Spartan defense that answered this time, forcing another Blue Jay turnover. This time a fumble recovery at the Blue Jay 25-yard line gave the Spartan offense a great opportunity. They would convert, as Aaron Link made a great catch of a Graves pass in the corner of the end zone for the touchdown. The Diaz extra point was good, and the Spartans had cut the lead to 22-14.

The Spartans couldn't hold the Blue Jays down though, as they took the next drive 55 yards and scored a touchdown and kicked the extra point for a 29-14 lead. The Spartan defense created another turnover with a Chris Peterson interception, but the Spartans gave it right back on an interception, and the Blue Jays offense went 65 yards for another touchdown and extra point to make the score 36-14.

The excitement for the day wasn't over yet for the Spartan fans. The Blue Jays were driving and faced a fourth and goal from the Spartan four-yard line. The Blue Jay running back had the ball stripped from him as he was heading toward the goal line, and Spartan defensive back Wooden picked up the ball and ran 101 yards for the touchdown. The extra point was good, and the Spartans trailed 36-21.

The Spartans attempted the onside kick but failed to recover. The Blue Jays would add another touchdown on a 25-yard interception return for a touchdown. The extra point kick was good, and the final score was Minnesota West 43, Spartans 21.

The Spartans travel to Grand Rapids to play Itasca Community College on Thursday for the final game of the season. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

The M State Spartan football team traveled to Rochester on Saturday to take on the Rochester Community and Technical College Yellowjackets. The Yellowjackets, ranked No. 11 in the junior college national polls and the only undefeated team in Minnesota community college football, were too much for the Spartans as RCTC won the game 41-0.

"They are a very balanced football team," said Steve King, head coach of the Spartans. "All three phases of their game are solid. The score may not indicate it, but we did some things right today. Offensively, we moved the ball into the red zone a number of times but failed to convert. Defensively, we played hard and had sacks and tackles for losses, but we couldn't contain the big play. We never quit, and we were not intimidated. We'll move forward and work for a strong finish to the season."

The Spartans started the game on defense, and Troy Thorson intercepted a Rochester pass at the Spartan 10-yard line and returned it 52 yards to the RCTC 38. The Spartans were unable to move the ball against the fifth-ranked defense in the nation and turned the ball over on downs. The Spartan defense forced RCTC to punt, and the offense took over. After a nice 15-yard run by Ray Gardner, the Spartan offense fumbled on the next play and RCTC took over at the Spartan 38-yard line. The Yellowjackets converted the Spartan mistake into a touchdown. Demetrius Wooden blocked the extra point, and the Yellowjackets had a 6-0 lead. That was the score at the end of the first quarter.

On the Spartans' third series of the game, they moved into the red zone after a 38-yard Trent Graves to Aaron Link connection and a hard 18-yard run by Irie Collins. This put the ball at the RCTC 12-yard line, but a fourth down pass by Graves was intercepted, and the drive stalled. This turnover also led to a Yellowjacket touchdown, and the extra point was good for an RCTC 13-0 lead.

The Spartans' Eric Brown returned the ensuing kickoff 65 yards to the RCTC 25-yard line, but the Spartans were unable to convert. RCTC took over on downs and scored on a nice quarterback keeper of 55 yards for the touchdown. The extra point was good, and the lead was 20-0.

RCTC caught the Spartan kickoff return team napping and executed an onside kick. They took over at midfield and moved the ball down the field for a touchdown and the extra point. This made the score 27-0 in favor of RCTC at the half.

The Spartans refused to quit and had one more chance for points in the third quarter. Graves found Gardner for 12 yards and a key third-down conversion. Gardner then broke loose around the left end for a 37-yard run to put the ball at the Yellowjacket 38-yard line. Graves then hit Link for a 25-yard completion, putting the ball at the RCTC 13-yard line. The drive was stopped on a Spartan fumble after a hard run of 11 yards by Gardner that almost had him finding the end zone. This was the last chance for the Spartans, and the Yellowjackets tacked on two more touchdowns and extra points for the final score of 41-0.

The Spartans return home for their final home game of the season this Saturday. The opponent is Minnesota West Community and Technical College out of Worthington. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. at the M State field.

The M State Spartan football team lost in overtime to the Central Lakes College Raiders on Saturday. The final score was 19-13. Both teams had opportunities to put more points on the board, but the kicking game for both teams struggled, and Central Lakes scored a touchdown in overtime to win the game.

The Spartans had the first scoring chance and elected to go for a fourth and two at the Raiders 8-yard line. The Spartans failed to convert, and Central Lakes put together a 93-yard drive to score, with quarterback Andrew Maskell to wide receiver Alex Leach for the touchdown. Felipe Castro added the extra point for the 7-0 lead, and that score stood at the half.

The Raiders got the ball to open the second half and put together a 16-play, seven-minute drive that resulted in a Castro 37-yard field goal to give the Raiders a 10-0 lead.

The Spartan offense was forced to punt, but the defense forced a turnover, and the Spartan offense took over at the Raider 19-yard line. Two plays later, quarterback Trent Graves found wide receiver Aaron Link for a 19-yard scoring strike. Porfirio Diaz, the Spartans' reliable kicker, hit the left upright, and the score was 10-6 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Raiders again drove the ball, but the Spartan defense held and forced the Raiders to settle for a 32-yard Castro field goal, widening the Raiders' lead to 13-6. The Spartans answered with Graves hitting Ray Gardner out of the backfield for a big gain. Graves then scrambled around the left side for a nice gain, and Irie Collins finished the drive with a punishing five-yard run. This time, Diaz hit the extra point, and the Spartans had the game tied at 13.

Central Lakes had two more chances to win the game with field goals, one as time expired, but both kicks missed. This sent the game into overtime. In college, each team gets the ball at the 25-yard line.

The Spartans were on offense first but lost yardage on a quarterback sack that took them out of field goal range and turned the ball over on downs.

Central Lakes was able to get its running game going in overtime, and Michael Iverson scored the game-winning touchdown with a five-yard run.

"This was great college football game. We did everything but win," said Steve King, head coach of the Spartans. "I told the guys after the game how proud I was of them. They could have folded as a team long ago, but today they played 60-plus minutes of determined football against a very good team. We look forward to a strong finish to the season."

The loss dropped the Spartans to one win and five losses. The Raiders improved to a record of five and one.

The M State Spartan football team traveled to Willmar on Saturday to play a night game against the Ridgewater College Warriors in a southern division matchup. It was all Warriors as they defeated the Spartans 32-3. Both teams entered the game with 1-3 records, but Ridgewater was definitely the better team on this night.

"We were ready to play," said Steve King, head coach of the Spartans. "We had a great couple of days of practice, and we were very focused in the pregame. I can't fault the team for their preparation for this game. Ridgewater matched our intensity level and created big plays early in the game. We never got on track offensively. We had far too many negative yardage plays and always found ourselves in second and third and very long. They were more physical as a team on both sides of the ball, and that led to the negative yardage plays for us and the big plays for them."

The Spartans received the opening kickoff and, on the first play from scrimmage, Trent Graves went around the left side for a 40-yard gain. But, as would be the theme for the evening, the Spartans went backward after a good play and were forced to punt.

After a great Ricky Parker punt, the Warriors took over on their own 4-yard line and marched the length of the field, scoring on a 48-yard touchdown pass from Jackson Illies to Pat White. The Spartans blocked the extra point, and the Warriors led 6-0.

The two teams exchanged punts, and the Spartans moved the sticks and had the ball first and 10 at the Warrior 30-yard line. This time the Spartans had two fumbled shotgun snaps and turned the ball over on downs at the Ridgewater 46-yard line. The Warriors took advantage of the Spartans' offensive mistakes as Illies hit White on the first play for a 54-yard touchdown strike.Ridgewater led 12-0 after the extra point was blocked.

The two teams again exchanged punts, and the Warriors put together a nice 70-yard drive aided by a Spartan facemask penalty and a key fourth-and eight-conversion by the Warriors deep in Spartan territory. This time Illies found Justin Brown in the end zone for a three-yard touchdown pass. Illies then found Patrick Cincinatus out of the backfield for the two-point conversion and the Warriors increased their lead to 20-0.

The Spartans refused to quit and found themselves again at the Warrior 30-yard line, but the drive was stopped by a Warrior interception of a Graves pass. The defense forced the Warriors to punt, and the Spartans marched down to the Warrior nine-yard line. Quarterback sacks again pushed the Spartans back, and they settled for Porfirio Diaz 42-yard field goal. At the half, Ridgewater, led 20-3.

Ridgewater sealed the deal as they took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 68 yards for the touchdown, with Eric Orth scoring from three yards out. The Spartans again blocked the extra point, and the lead was now 26-3.

Ridgewater tacked on another touchdown on a 75-yard punt return by Brown. The extra point attempt was blocked, and the final score was Ridgewater 32, Spartans 3.

"I did see some freshmen play better this game, and that is what we are going to need to get on track," King said. "Ridgewater put together their best game of the season. We need to keep working and do that next week against Central Lakes. It looks like we may be the healthiest we have been all year, so we are looking forward to great game."

The Spartans host the Central Lake Raiders on Oct. 3 at 1:30 p.m. at M State. Spartan volleyball also plays at 1 p.m. at home. You can pay one admission price and see both contests this Saturday.

For the second game in a row, the Spartans failed to hold a 14-point second-half lead and lost M State's Homecoming game 35-24 to the Vermillion Ironmen, dropping the Spartans' record to one win and three losses.

"We had every opportunity to put this game away in the second quarter offensively, and we didn't. We had one touchdown called back because of a penalty, and twice we were inside the 15-yard line and didn't put any points on the board," said Steve King, head coach of the Spartans. "We put up some nice offensive numbers, but the points just weren't there. Defensively, we really got banged up and lost three starters. They have a very good quarterback and got the passing game rolling in the second half. We just couldn't stop them."

The Spartans opened the scoring in the first quarter when the defense held and forced the Ironmen to punt into the wind. The Spartans took advantage of the short field and scored six plays later on a one-yard quarterback sneak by Trent Graves. Porfirio Diaz added the extra point, and the Spartans led 7-0.

The two teams exchanged punts before Troy Thorson intercepted a Vermillion pass and again set up the offense with a short field. The Spartans put together a seven-play, 35-yard drive, and Irie Collins scored on a four-yard plunge on the first play of the second quarter. Diaz added the extra point, and the Spartans led 14-0.

The defense held the Ironmen, and Eric Brown again showed his speed with a 38-yard punt return to the Vermillion 28-yard line. On fourth and 10 from the 28, Aaron Link caught a tipped ball from Graves and found the end zone, only to have the touchdown called back due to an illegal forward pass whistled when Graves crossed the line of scrimmage when he threw the ball. Vermillion took over on downs at its own 32-yard line and five plays later was in the end zone on a 34-yard touchdown pass. The extra point was good, and the score was now 14-7.

The Spartans would knock on the door three more times before the half but failed to put any points on the board. Their best opportunity came when the Spartans took over on their own 10-yard line and put together an impressive 13-play drive all the way down to the Vermillion 9-yard line. On third and goal, Graves' pass was intercepted, and Vermillion took over.

With 15 seconds left in the half, Spartan defensive back Eric Brown intercepted a Vermillion pass and returned it to the Ironmen's 9-yard line. With no timeouts left, the Spartans had a chance to attempt a pass into the end zone and, if incomplete, kick a field goal. On the first play, time ran out when Graves was flushed from the pocket.

The Spartans received the kickoff to open the second half and put together an impressive 55-yard drive highlighted by a 30-yard Graves to Chris Peterson pass connection for 30 yards. Three plays later, Graves scored again from one yard out on a quarterback sneak, and Diaz added the extra point for the 21-7 Spartan lead.

Vermillion answered right back and got its passing game rolling in the second half. They scored on a 21-yard pass, and the kick was good, cutting the Spartan lead to 21-14.

Vermillion forced the Spartans to punt and put together a 53-yard scoring drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown run and successful kick, knotting the score at 21.

As the third quarter ended, the Spartan offense had perhaps its most impressive drive of the season, a 15-play, penalty-free drive that consumed more than six minutes of clock. The offense couldn't find the end zone, but Diaz split the uprights with a 32-yard field goal, and the Spartans regained the lead 24-21.

Vermillion came right back and was knocking at the door when Izaak Bray intercepted a Vermillion pass in the end zone to maintain the Spartan lead.

The Spartans took over at the Vermillion 20-yard line and were forced to punt. The Ironmen put together a 60-yard drive and scored on a run from two yards out. The kick was good and, for the first time, the Spartans trailed, 28-24. The Spartans were unable to mount a serious threat the rest of the game, and Vermillion put one more touchdown on the board for the final score of 35-24.

"As disappointing as it is to lose games you have a lead in, it is a sign that we are a better football team and that the program is headed in the right direction," said King. "I am looking forward to this week of practice and a strong finish to the season."

The Spartans travel to Willmar to play Ridgewater College next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

The M State Spartan football team traveled to Thief River Falls to take on the Northland Pioneers on Saturday and came up short in a game they led for much of the game. The Spartans had a chance to win as time ran out, but the game winning field goal was blocked.

The Spartans opened the scoring in the first quarter on a Pioneer fumble that was recovered at the 17 yard line by the Spartans. On the first play, Ray Gardner ran 17 yards and bulled his way into the endzone for the touchdown. The Porfirio Diaz extra point was good and the Spartans grabbed an early 7-0 lead.

The Spartan scored again early in the second quarter as the defense force another fumble. Defensive back Eric Brown scooped up the loose ball, turned on the jets, and scored from 60 yards out. The Diaz kick was good and the Spartans led 14-0.

The Pioneers answered with a 6 play drive of their own and scored on a 2 yard plunge. Demetrius Wooden blocked the extra point attempt and the Spartans held the 14-6 lead.

The Spartans started the next drive on their own 20, and put together a 10 play drive to the Pioneer 15 yard line where they stalled. Diaz booted the 32 yard field goal and the Spartans led 17-6.

Northland again answered as they drove the ball and scored on a 27 yard pass completion for the touchdown. The two point conversion failed and the Spartans lead was cut to 17-12.

This time the Spartans answered in one play as quarterback Trent Graves took a quarterback sneak 67 yards for a touchdown. The Diaz kick was good and the Spartans took a 24-12 lead into the locker room at half time.

On the first play of the second half, Northland called a run play to the right and cut it back all the way across the field to score from 60 yards out. The two point conversion again failed and the Spartans lead was 24-18.

The Spartan offense again answered and had a nice 5 play drive with Aaron Link running the Wildcat offense. He hit Jake Hutt for a 33 yard shovel pass and the found Ray Gardner on a fade route for 38 yards and the Spartan touchdown. The lead was now 31-18 for the Spartans.

The Spartans turned the ball over to the Pioneers on an interception that was returned to the Spartan 20 yard line. They scored on a 15 yard reverse two plays later. The extra point attempt missed wide left, and the Spartans held a 31-24 lead.

The Spartans drove, but Northland held and took the ball over after a Spartan punt. They put together a nice eight play drive and scored on a 5 yard run. This made the score 31-30 in favor of the Spartans. The Pioneers had failed to convert any of the extra point attempts or two point conversions to this point in the game and elected to go for the win. The quarterback scrambled to his right, was hit short of the goalline, but managed to find the endzone for the two point conversion. Now the Spartans trailed 32-31.

The Pioneer kickoff went out of bounds, so the Spartans had good field position . During the drive, Graves hit Link for a 33 yard pass to the Pioneer 25 yard line. The Spartans ran the ball on the next four plays to get to the Pioneer 8 yardline and position themselves for a game winning Diaz field goal. The field goal attempt from 25 yards was blocked and the Pioneers won the game.

"It was a great college football game, and we missed an opportunity to win which is unfortunate because we battled and led most of the game." Said Head Coach Steve King. "We practice the final field goal twice a week and I was extremely confident we would convert and win the game. Diaz had a great day kicking with four extra points and a field goal, so we were where we wanted to be. As the game went on, we had trouble stopping the run and that hurt us. We also had a couple of key turnovers offensively and failed to finish some drives. We are a better team, but we need to learn how to win, and that is often the most difficult aspect of the game for a team looking to turn the corner."

Ray Gardner was over 100 yards in rushing for the game. The Spartans host the Vermilion Ironmen on Saturday, September 19 at 3:00 in the M State Homecoming game.

Saturday, Sept. 5th

M State - Fergus Falls 36 vs Fond du Lac TCC 21

On a beautiful day on the M State field, the Spartans defeated the Fond du Lac Thunder 36-21. It was the Spartans' first win of the season, and they even their record at one win and one loss.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Spartan offense was set up by a Tanner Gramm interception return to the Thunder 18-yard line. The Spartans were unable to move the ball, but Porfirio Diaz banged in a 38-yard field goal to put the Spartans up 3-0.

The Spartans recovered a fumble deep in the Thunder territory but, as was the story all day, they had trouble moving the ball against the Thunder. A 42-yard Diaz field goal missed wide left.

On the first play after the missed field goal, Tanner Gramm intercepted another pass and this time finished the job himself with a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Diaz kick was good, and the Spartans led 10-0.

The Spartans scored again in the second quarter when Fond du Lac was called for roughing the punter. On the next play, Spartan quarterback Trent Graves hit freshman wide receiver Zach Ries for a 42-yard touchdown pass. Diaz kicked the extra point, and the Spartans held a 17-0 halftime lead.

The Thunder answered the bell in the second half with a nice drive that ended with an 8-yard touchdown run by Logan Wells. The extra point kick was good, cutting the Spartan lead to 17-7.

The fourth quarter was wild as each team put points on the board. The Spartans scored first in the quarter, with Brandon Fearing intercepting a pass and returning it 96 yards for the touchdown. The extra point attempt was blocked, and the Spartans' lead was 23-7.

The Thunder answered with another drive, and again Wells scored on a 4-yard run. The two-point conversion was good, and the Spartan lead was cut to 23-15.

On the Fond du Lac kickoff, Eric Brown fielded the ball at the Spartan 20 and exploded through a seam for an untouched 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The extra point attempt by Diaz missed wide left, giving the Spartans a 29-15 lead.

The Thunder answered again, this time with Wells taking the ball off the left side for a 25-yard touchdown run. The extra point attempt missed, and the Spartans led 29-21.

The Spartans sealed the victory with a final scoring drive of 52 yards. Aided by a personal foul on the Thunder and two nifty Graves runs, Graves punched the final touchdown in from one yard out on a quarterback keeper. Diaz split the uprights for the extra point, and the final score was 36-21.

"It was a total team effort on a great day to play football on a beautiful field. The defense turned the pressure up and created a mess of turnovers and created points on a day when the offense just wasn't clicking," said Steve King, Spartans head coach. "We know we have to play better offensively, and we expect to. Special teams played very well, with both Ricky Parker and Diaz kicking the ball well.

"It is always a great feeling to win at home and on Parent's Day. It is also fun to see guys score their first collegiate touchdown, and we had four of them today."

The M State Spartan football team kicked off its season in St. Cloud on Saturday against the defending state champion Mesabi Range Norsemen. The Spartans lost the game 13-3, but head coach Steve King saw some positives.

"It was a good college football game. We played a good team, and we are definitely a better team than we were last year," King said. "We had our offensive opportunities, but we didn't complete the drives. We left some points on the field and made the typical first-game mistakes. Defensively, we played a solid game. We allowed a couple of key third- and fourth-down conversions, but overall the defensive unit was solid."

The Spartans received the opening kickoff but immediately fumbled the snap, and the Norse recovered at the Spartans 34 yard line. Two plays later, Avery Walker turned the corner and ran 26 yards for a touchdown. The extra point kick was good, and the Norse led 7-0.

The Spartans took the next drive and put together a nine-play drive that took them to the Mesabi 19-yard line, where the drive stalled. The Spartans' Porfirio Diaz attempted a 36-yard field goal into a driving wind, and the kick came up short.

The two teams traded punts for the next two series, then the Norse put together a nine-play, 65-yard drive that was kept alive by a fourth-and-eight conversion that took them all the way to the Spartan 3 yard line. Quarterback Mario McCollough kept the ball on the option and scored the touchdown. The extra point attempt failed, and the Norse led 13-0.

The Spartans missed a golden opportunity to close the gap late in the first half when they put together a great 10-play drive that started at their own 9 yard line. The drive was highlighted by a 13-yard third-and-10 conversion that found quarterback Trent Graves hitting Aaron Link on a screen. Later in the drive on a third and five, Graves hit Link again for a 61 yard pass to the Mesabi 12-yard line. A facemask penalty on the tackle moved the ball to the Mesabi 6-yard line. On fourth and goal from the one yard line, Graves found the end zone, but the Spartans were flagged for an illegal formation and were moved back to fourth and goal from the 6. King chose to kick the field goal, but Diaz missed from 23 yards out, and the score remained 13-0.

The Spartans finally put some points on the board on their second drive of the second half. The drive started on the Spartan 39-yard line and ran nine of the 10 plays in the drive to reach the Mesabi 7-yard line. This time, Diaz banged the 28-yard field goal home, and the Spartans trailed 13-3. The teams traded punts the rest of the game,and the final score was 13-3.

Link led the team with four catches for 97 yards. Trent Graves was 7 of 15 passing for 112 yards and one interception. Ray Gardner led the rushing game with 18 carries for 41 yards.

"As coaches, we saw a lot of positives. There was a point where this game could have gotten out of hand, but we kept battling and made a good game of it," King said. "Joe Barfknecht made some very good defensive adjustments to shut out a good Mesabi offense in the second half. We are looking forward to an exciting season with this group of men. They are committed to getting Spartan football back on track, beginning next week at home against Fond du Lac."