Zonteda Field Goal Lifts Minneapolis Past Nashville
Riley Kade — JRSports One
Sandy Zonteda kicked a 19-yard field goal with 3:29 left in the fourth quarter, and Minneapolis beat Nashville 17-16. Nashville had led 16-14 at the end of the third quarter, and the kick gave the Maulers the third lead change of the afternoon.
The decisive moment came when Zonteda's kick put Minneapolis ahead for good. Emilio Jintoza's pass was intercepted by Zach Faindridge at 0:46 and returned one yard, the last turnover of the game.
Nashville struck first when Travis Wearson ran two yards for a touchdown at 11:51 of the first quarter, making it 7-0. Yu-chen Yungzaki answered with a two-yard touchdown run at 7:46 to tie it 7-7. His four-yard touchdown run at 14:54 of the second quarter put Minneapolis up 14-7.
Zach Leatrick kicked field goals of 22 yards at 8:11 and 49 yards at 1:52 to bring Nashville within 14-13. Yungzaki fumbled at 4:45, and Jason Brorkford recovered for Nashville, which had trailed 14-10 at the time. Logan Sird intercepted Ben Dat at 0:02 of the second half of the second quarter and returned it one yard, with Minneapolis still ahead 14-13.
Cole Dirworth intercepted Jintoza at 12:40 of the third quarter and returned it seven yards. Nashville converted a fourth-and-1 at 7:10 when Wearson ran four yards to the Minneapolis 25. Leatrick's 35-yard field goal at 4:52 then gave Nashville a 16-14 lead.
Ben Dat completed 23 of 33 passes for 254 yards for Nashville with no touchdowns and one interception. Joel Gos caught 11 passes for 140 yards. Yungzaki carried 19 times for 100 yards and two touchdowns for Minneapolis, and Jintoza finished 18 of 27 for 207 yards with two interceptions. Hunter Chainworth had four sacks for Minneapolis, while Miles Folfield made seven tackles and forced two fumbles for Nashville.
Wade Crull, a Minneapolis free safety, left with a hamstring strain and was ruled out for the game, and Julio Culez replaced him. Culez was later listed out with an ankle sprain. Nashville also lost wide receiver Heath Pandson to a hamstring strain, ruled out for two weeks, and cornerback Connor Suson to a hamstring strain.
Minneapolis improved to 5-2 with the one-point win, while Nashville fell to 2-6.
