Third-string quarterback Cody Rose rushed for two touchdowns and passed for another as Minnesota State defeated Upper Iowa 48-17 in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football victory Saturday.

The victory (10-0) gave Minnesota State the South Division championship at 7-0, and the Mavericks equaled a school record for victories.

The Maverick offense racked up 403 yards of total offense in the win, while the defense held Upper Iowa to 320 total yards. Quarterback Steve Pachan, who has been playing in place of injured Ryan Fick, took a big hit in the first half and didn’t play again, allowing for Rose, a redshirt freshman and transfer from the University of Wisconsin, to see his first significant action.

“He did a nice job,” coach Todd Hoffner said. “He threw a pick, but he did a good job. He’s our third-string quarterback, and he found a couple of ways to score.”

Jake Aberg put Minnesota State on the board with a 5-yard touchdown run, and Kelvin Rodgers made it 14-3 with a 78-yard kick return for a touchdown, the fourth of his career.

“He also had an interception so he made two big plays,” Hoffner said. “He’s a special player.”

Rose took over in the second quarter and passed 13 yards to Cameron Sprecher for a touchdown, and he scored on runs of 8 and 5 yards before halftime as the Mavericks led 38-3.

Minnesota State started the second half with Sam Brockshus’ 30-yard field goal, and Rose added a 7-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Rose completed 10 of 17 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown. Aberg added 17 carries for 105 yards.

Defensively, Troy Jones led Minnesota State with five tackles, while Kevin Klug and Matt McQuiston each added four. The defense made three interceptions, pushing the season total to 27, which ties a team record for interceptions in a season.

“I thought we came out and played really hard,” Hoffner said. “It was a very dominant performance.”

The Mavericks wrap up the regular season at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Cloud State.

“Last year, we shared (the South Division title), and this year we’re outright champs so that’s exciting,” Hoffner said. “Hopefully, the players are still hungry for more. There are still a lot of things at stake.”