South Dakota Pulls Away from Murray State 48-20
It was 14-14 at halftime. By the end it was 48-20, which means South Dakota won the second half 34-6.
Murray State had the first score, an 11-yard Baxter Wright pass to Dimitri Howard with 7:36 left in the first quarter, and South Dakota tied it at 7-7 on Austyn Modrzewski's 4-yard pass to Brayden White. Modrzewski found Chris Herrin from five yards out at 2:14 of the second to go up 14-7, and Wright answered with a 4-yard throw to Malachi Williams at 0:36 to square it at the break. Then South Dakota ran off 27 straight points. Tennel Bryant ran in from five yards, Modrzewski scored from one yard (the extra point was blocked, so it was 27-14), and White caught a 9-yarder at 10:15 of the fourth. Reid Watkins added a 2-yard run a minute later to make it 41-14.
The strange part is the yardage. Murray State outgained South Dakota 351 to 327 and had the better passing day, 206 yards to 153. What it did not have was the ball at the end of its possessions: two lost fumbles to South Dakota's zero, while Modrzewski's one interception was South Dakota's only giveaway. Murray State did get a late touchdown, a 20-yard pass from Collin Shannon to Trey Firestone at 5:33 (the two-point try failed), and Courtney Rivers closed it with a 6-yard run at 1:12.
South Dakota moves to 6-1. Murray State is 1-4. Fantasy-wise, Modrzewski led all scorers with 32.1 points on three passing touchdowns and a rushing score, White had 26.8 from two touchdown catches, and Wright of the losing side was third at 20.1. That 20.1 was by far his best day of the season.