MINNEAPOLIS — Statistically, the Nicollet football team got shellacked by Ada-Borup in the Class 9-Man State Tournament semifinals Saturday at Mall of America Field.

The Raiders were out-gained 419 to 267 in total yards, and 304 to minus-23 on the ground. Most football fans are aware, however, that statistics don’t always tell the whole story.

Nicollet trailed virtually the entire game against the Cougars but, thanks to some big plays on both offense and defense, and the right arm of senior quarterback Jordan Rudenick, the Raiders were able to pull out an improbable 36-35 triumph in the Metrodome.

Rudenick, who led his team to a comeback win against Grand Meadow in the state quarterfinals a week earlier, worked his magic again against the Cougars. The quarterback engineered another late comeback, hitting Nick Mans with a 4-yard scoring pass with 1:49 to play to tie the game at 35.

Rudenick then kicked the extra point, giving Nicollet the one-point lead. Ada-Borup tried to comeback in the closing minutes but an interception by Matt Renne all but sealed the win.

“I had confidence in (Rudenick),” Nicollet head coach Tom Murphy said. “He did it last week and he’s been doing it all season. That’s what he does — he makes plays.”

For most of Saturday’s game, Ada-Borup was in control and appeared destined to win. After ramming the ball down the Raiders’ throats in the opening drive, the Cougars had an 8-0 lead with less than three minutes gone in the game.

Although Nicollet was getting dominated in time of possession (31:11 to 16:49 for the game), the Raiders stayed within striking distance. Nicollet trailed 35-23 at the end of three quarters and looked to be in deep trouble. That’s when Rudenick came up with some of his biggest plays to bring his team back.

One of the turning points in the comeback was supplied by Ada-Borup. On a 4th-and-9 at his own 26, Jeff Petrick lined up in punt formation. The snap from center was low and Petrick dropped to one knee to field the ball. The officials immediately blew the play dead, giving Nicollet a 1st-and-10 at the Cougars’ 14-yard line.

One play later, Rudenick threw a scoring pass to Renne in the left corner of the end zone. The conversion pass failed, leaving Nicollet trailing 35-29. Ada-Borup came right back with a 45-yard drive, but the march was stopped when Jared Blackwell stripped the ball out of Bill Atwood’s hands and recovered the fumble at the Nicollet 26.

“I had been trying to get the ball out all game,” Blackwell said. “I finally got it out and the ball stayed right where I could recover it. That was a pretty big play but we made a lot of big plays today.”

After an exchange of possessions, Nicollet got the ball back at its own 10 with just 4:44 to play. Rudenick methodically drove the Raiders down the field, hitting Renne with a 15-yard pass on 4th-and-10 at the Ada-Borup 45 to keep the drive alive.

An 11-yard pass to Derek Wilking brought the ball down to the 4. At that point, Rudenick rolled to his left on a quarterback draw, saw Mans open, and flipped him the ball in the end zone.

Ada-Borup drove back, getting the ball down to the Nicollet 30 with just over a minute left. Renne ended the drive, however, but intercepting a pass at his own 9.

“We just didn’t quit,” said an exhausted yet elated Rudenick, who finished 20 of 36 for 290 yards and five touchdowns. “When we were down by 12, coach Murphy came out and said if we quit now we’ll regret it for the rest of our lives. We took that to heart.”

Nicollet (10-2) will take on Stephen-Argyle for the state championship at 10 a.m. Friday at the Metrodome.

“At the start of the year I never thought we’d be here,” Murphy admitted. “I thought we could maybe win a section championship but this ... this is not what I expected.”