Mayville, N.D. — The Mayville State football team delivered one of its most dramatic wins in school history Saturday afternoon, edging Dickinson State 34–32 in a triple-overtime thriller at Jerome Berg Field. The victory marked a statement performance for the Comets after improving to 4-2 on the year.
Mayville State came out strong, with quarterback Aiden Marcussen connecting with Cameron Spaeth for a 47-yard touchdown strike on the opening drive. The early score ignited the home crowd and set the tone for a back-and-forth battle.
Dickinson State responded with a pair of touchdowns through the air to take a 14–7 lead into halftime, but the Comets refused to let momentum slip away. In the third quarter, Isaiah Smith broke free for an 18-yard rushing touchdown to even the score at 14–14.
The Blue Hawks struck again early in the fourth quarter, but Mayville State countered immediately. Running back Moses Nuahpa powered into the end zone from seven yards out, and Bryson Heck's extra point tied the contest at 21–21, forcing overtime.
In the first overtime, Heck gave the Comets a 24–21 edge with a clutch 42-yard field goal before Dickinson answered with a kick of its own to extend the game to a second overtime.
The Blue Hawks regained the lead on a short touchdown run followed by a two point conversion to make it 32-24, but Mayville State wasn't finished. On third down, Marcussen found Smith on a 25-yard touchdown connection, followed by a two point conversion to tie it 32-32 and send everyone into a third overtime.
In the third overtime, teams will swap opportunities at two point conversions, and the Comets would be able to get their first. Dickinson would pass into the endzone for the tie, but it would sail high giving the Comets a 34-32 3OT historic win.
It was the first time Mayville State had beaten Dickinson State since 2011.
Marcussen finished 6-of-12 passing for 144 yards and two touchdowns, while Nuahpa and Smith combined for 115 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. Spaeth led all receivers with 103 yards on three catches.
Defensively, Marcus Johnson anchored the Comet front with three tackles for loss and a sack, helping stall multiple Dickinson drives. Punter Kelby Azure also played a key role in the field position battle, averaging 40 yards per punt across six attempts.
The Comets will look to carry their momentum into next week's match up at Valley City State as the continue to push through their Frontier Conference schedule. For full schedule details visit: https://msucomets.com/sports/football/schedule
