Minnesota-Crookston kicker Chris Secrest kicked a game-winning field goal with two second remaining to lead UM-C to a 31-29 win on Friday night over the Mayville State University Comets football team.

The Comets led by as much as 21-7early in the first half, returning a fumble for a touchdown and running back an intereception for a touchdown along with a score on offense. The Golden Eagles would come back to tie things up at 21-21 before the end of the first half.

After a 42 point first half, the teams combined for 18 total points in the final 30 minutes of play. The Comets went on to score with 2:28 remaining in the game with a touchdown run by quarterback Jake McLain. The Comets gave McLain the football again on the two-point version attempt, and McLain would give Mayville a one point lead at 29-28 with a successful two-point conversion.

Mayville State held the Golden Eagles on the ensuiing UM-C possession and got the ball back with 1:17 remaining. The Comets took knees to run down the clock and punted the ball to UMC with 13 seconds remaining. Quarterback A.J. Barge hooked up with Eric Fiege for a 17-yard completion and with two seconds remaining in the game and kicker Chris Secrest hit the 38-yarder to seal the 31-29 victory.

In the first half, the Comets jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a Rashad Flanders 28-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown. UMC tied the game up less than two minutes later when Barge connected with Trent Nyhus for an 11-yard touchdown. Jerril Jenkins put the Comets back up on top with a three-yard run finishing an eight play, 64-yard drive for the Comets. Mayville extended the lead just 30 seconds later when Dominique Bradley grabbed a Golden Eagle pass and scampered 25 yards to put Mayville up 21-7. UMC would go on to score the final two touchdowns to tie the game at the half. With 1:23 remaining in the first half, Barge found tight end Ben Viaene for a 31-yard touchdown strike to close out a 56-yard drive. Barge ran in an eight-yard touchdown before the end of the half to tie the game at 21-21.

The second half saw no scoring in the third quarter as neither defense wanted to give up a game-changing play. In the fourth quarter, Barge found the end zone again rushing for a three-yard score to close out a nine play, 91-yard drive. The Comets stormed back with a seven play, 47-yard drive that found McLain rushing for a three-yard score to put the Comets within one. Instead of settling for a tie game, Mayville went to McLain again who rushed in for the two-point conversion and the 29-28 lead.

The Golden Eagles got the ball back and after turning it over to Mayville in four downs, the game looked like it would be over. The Comets knelt and the Golden Eagles called a timeout. Mayville then had a false start that pushed them back five more yards. The team knelt again and then took a delay of game penalty pushing them back to fourth and 34. A 32-yard punt by Tony Evanstad was just about negated by a 23-yard return by Fiege and the fans could sense the game was far from over. Fiege then caught the 16-yard pass from Barge and Secrest came on to make the field goal.

MSU is now 1-1 on the season and will move on to play Trinity Bible College on Saturday.