MINOT, N.D.- After trading scores early, the Minot State football team saw visiting Wayne State College open up the game with big plays en route to a 49-10 victory for the Wildcats at First Western Bank Field at Herb Parker Stadium for the first annual Energy Day. 

The Wildcats (3-0 overall) put on an offensive performance, finding ways to get downfield on big plays while putting up 575 yards. After opening with a big play of their own, the Beavers offense struggled to maneuver the stout Wildcat defense getting six first downs on the day. MSU was able to put up 23 rushing yards to go with 161 passing yards thanks to sophomore Dawson Macleary's potent arm. 

Macleary started the game off with a 56-yard pass from his own 14-yard line all the way to the Wayne State 30-yard line. Unfortunately, the Beavers (0-3) weren't able to get six points, but were able to nab a field goal to cut the Wildcats' lead to 7-3.

"We had talked about running that play as our first play anyway," Minot State head coach Mike Aldrich said. "I thought it got our momentum back to us after they marched down the field and scored that touchdown."

The Wildcats would continue their offensive prowess to a 35-3 halftime score, though.

"To be polite, I was very disappointed in how we played in the first half," Coach Aldrich said. "A lot of breakdowns, things that were completely within our control, and Wayne State did a great job of taking advantage of that."

Halftime breathed a new life in the Beavers as they marched down the field for the lone Beaver touchdown thanks to an 18-yard pass and finished with a 29-yard pass from Macleary to sophomore Erik Palmquist for the touchdown. The Wildcats would respond with 14 points to finish the game for the 49-10 victory. 

To go along with the 161 yards passing by Macleary, junior Ali Mohamed finished with 21 yards on the day followed closely by Evan Lovett with 17.

Hometown product senior Peyton Lamoureux was the primary target hauling in five receptions for 100 yards even. Palmquist also brought in the lone touchdown to go with 29 yards on the day.

Sophomore Kyle VanBerkom led the Beaver defense with seven tackles, five of them solo. Senior Caleb Ness, sophomore Jonathan Leon, and freshman Sean Pugh-Sykora all had a tackle for loss on the day to go with junior Knylen Miller-Levi and senior Pat Hardy's combination of a tackle for loss for four tackles for loss on the day. Ness and Leon's tackles for loss were sacks on a very elusive duo of QB's for WSC. Sophomore D.J. Schneibel also forced a fumble from the WSC offense.

Sophomore Dillon Fedor provided the first score for the Beavers, a 43-yard field goal. 

The Beavers will now turn their attention to next Saturday as they travel to Marshall, Minn. to face off against a Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs team that is coming off of a showdown atthe University of Mary. Kickoff next Saturday is set for 5 p.m.