Valley City State Football defeated Mayville State University to secure a home win Saturday afternoon, improving their record to 3-5 overall and 2-4 in the conference. The Vikings scored the final 10 points of the game, clinching the close victory with a final score of 10-6.
 
Trailing 6-0 late in the third quarter, the Vikings took a 7-6 lead on touchdown pass from Avery Thorsgard to Trent Finney. Yzan Lorenzo added a fourth quarter field goal for VCSU and the Viking defense stepped up with key stops down the stretch to seal the victory.
 
MSU opened the scoring with 3:47 left in the first quarter with a successful 25-yard field goal attempt by Kaden Johnson. VCSU responded on the next drive with a 36-yard connection between Thorsgard and Deutsch. However, they couldn't capitalize on their good field position, and the first quarter came to an end.
 
The second quarter began with a blocked field goal attempt by VCSU kicker Yzan Lorenzo, as MSU's Bailey Mullenberg made the block and recovered the ball at Mayville's 45-yard line. The drive ended with a 42-yard punt back to VCSU.
 
With 3:08 left in the second quarter, VCSU's Loke Iese intercepted a pass and returned it 31 yards to Mayville's 17. VCSU attempted a 32-yard field goal by Yzan Lorenzo, but it was no good. The teams traded drives in the final minutes, and VCSU went into halftime scoreless, trailing 3-0.
 
The Vikings received the ball to start the second half but were forced to punt. The Comets moved down the field to the Vikings' 20-yard line on their drive. After a few short rushes, they faced a fourth down and aimed to add another score. Kaden Johnson attempted a 37-yard field goal, just clearing the uprights to give Mayville a 6-0 lead.
 
With 2:49 left in the quarter, Thorsgard spotted a gap in the defense and advanced to Mayville's 33, adding 22 yards to his then total of 71. He maintained the momentum by connecting with Laggarius Marshell for a lateral pass, who gained additional yards to bring the team to Mayville's 16.
 
With 54 seconds left in the third quarter, Trent Finney, who had been sidelined for a few minutes due to a minor injury, made his much-anticipated return by catching an 18-yard touchdown pass from Avery Thorsgard, bringing the Vikings into the end zone. They opted for a PAT, and Yzan Lorenzo redeemed himself, successfully adding the extra point to put the Vikings ahead, 7-6.
 
The defense stepped up on Mayville's next drive, forcing a fourth down stop. Taquez Chatman and Georgia Mageo teamed up to bring down a Comet at the Mayville 45. VCSU regained possession after a brief 2:20 drive by the Comets, taking over on downs with 6:34 remaining.
 
The next drive began with a solid rushing play from Thorsgard, who gained 10 yards to the Mayville 34. Although the Comet defenders caused Thorsgard to momentarily lose control of the ball, he quickly regained possession. Undeterred by the slip-up, he gained additional yards on back-to-back rushing plays, bringing the Vikings to the Mayville 24 with 4:10 left in the game.
 
The Vikings gained a couple of yards but ultimately faced a fourth down. With 2:48 remaining, Yzan Lorenzo successfully added 3 points to the scoreboard, giving the Vikings a 10-6 lead as the Comets prepared for their final drive.
 
With a minute left to play on fourth down, VCSU's Micah Olson found a gap in the defense and sacked Mayville's quarterback, Aiden Marcussen, securing the win for VCSU. The Vikings then kneeled out the clock, clinching the game with a final score of 10-6.
 
The Vikings totaled 202 yards of offense, including 110 on the ground and 92 by air. Scoring one passing touchdown and one field goal, the Vikings defeated the Comets 10-6.
 
Thorsgard completed 10 passes on 16 attempts for 92 yards and a touchdown and totaled 87 rushing yards for VCSU. Finney totaled 16 receiving yards on his touchdown catch. Marshell totaled 17 rushing yards and Deutsch added 54 receiving yards.
 
Defensively, Moziah Rogers-Tivao totaled 11 tackles and Khalil Toney added eight, each recording six solo tackles in the game. Loke Iese caught an interception pass and added 31 yards. TaQuez Chatman recorded 6 total tackles and two sacks for a loss of thirteen yards.
 
UP NEXT: VCSU returns home next Saturday, Nov. 9, to take on Dickinson State University. Kick-off is scheduled for 3 p.m.