Box Score
ABERDEEN, S.D. -- It was a two-point conversion from sophomore quarterback Jake Hodge that put the Minnesota State University Moorhead football team in the lead in the final minutes Saturday against Northern State. It was junior linebacker Nick Seedorff's play in the final seconds that made it stand.

Hodge converted a huge two-point conversion to put the Dragons up one point with 4:01 left, and Seedorff's interception of Jared Jacobson in MSUM territory with 46 seconds left sealed a huge 47-46 Dragon win over the Wolves in action Saturday at Clark Swisher Field in Aberdeen, S.D.

MSUM (1-4, 1-4 NSIC) overcame a rough day on special teams and 515 yards of offense from Northern State to earn the hard-fought win.

Hodge had a spectacular all-around day for MSUM. He was 30-of-47 passing for 292 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 101 yards and two touchdowns. He also converted the go-ahead two-point conversion late in the game.

"It was a gutsy performance by him," MSUM head coach Steve Laqua said. "It was crafty. He made plays; he made something out of nothing at times. I think the guys rallied behind him."

Hodge was not the only Dragon to have a big day. Junior running back Brandon Schell had 136 yards rushing and a touchdown, including a huge 64-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.  Sophomore Zayne Medhaug, who was making his return from injury, had 74 rushing yards and a touchdown as well. Sophomore wide receiver Adam Jiskra had 11 catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns, while redshirt freshman Cory Ambrose had 10 catches for 114 yards and a score.

"Everyone was touching the ball," Laqua said. "There was no one guy to key on. Our offensive line played tremendous. They were physical up front and played hard. And part of it was the offense spreading it around and making people defend from sideline to sideline."

While the Dragon defense allowed 515 yards of offense to the Wolves (1-4, 1-4 NSIC), they did deliver big plays when it counted. Sophomore linebacker Chris Lee had seven tackles, including two for loss, while senior defensive end Sam Callahan had seven tackles and a key fumble recovery. Seedorff had five tackles and the game-clinching interception.

"Our defense was battling. They kept coming back from adversity," Laqua said. "They were there, got a chance to make that play, and Seedorff catches the interception. I was happy to see our kids continue to persevere throughout the game."

MSUM was down 46-32 in the fourth quarter after Jacobson hit Taylor Houchin from 15 yards out to put the Wolves up by two touchdowns. That score came after a fumbled punt return by the Dragons.

The Dragons didn't go away. They came right back and scored on Schell's 64-yard touchdown with 9:40 left. With senior Wes Kramer's extra point, MSUM was within 46-39.

The Dragon defense then forced a three-and-out, and after a punt, MSUM had the ball at its own 34-yard line. MSUM went on a 14-play, 66-yard march -- which included a huge 20-yard pass from Hodge to Jiskra on a fourth down play -- and scored when Medhaug found the end zone from 10 yards out on a 3rd-and-8 with 4:01 left.

Laqua then elected to gamble and go for the two-point conversion, which would put MSUM up a point. Hodge found his way into the end zone for the two points, putting MSUM into the lead at 47-46.

"In the end, it was time for our program to make a statement, so we went for it," Laqua said. "Credit Jake Hodge, he made a great play out of nothing. He found a way. We needed to do something like that to start that mindset within our program -- that we're going to play to win."

Holding a slim one-point lead, it was up to the MSUM defense. The Wolves moved into MSUM territory in the final minute, converting two fourth downs along the way. However, on a 1st-and-10 at the Dragon 22-yard line, Seedorff made the interception at the 19-yard line, and the change in possession allowed MSUM to run out the clock.

After a rather quiet first quarter -- Northern led 7-0 after the opening 15 minutes -- things started happening quickly in the second quarter. After Northern missed a 26-yard field goal early in the quarter, MSUM took possession and drove 80 yards -- keyed by a 30-yard pass from Hodge to Ambrose -- and capped off the march with Hodge scoring from 12 yards out to get the Dragons on the board. MSUM's extra point attempt was blocked, leaving the Dragons down 7-6.

MSUM's defense got a stop, and the Dragons took over and their own 21. On a 3rd-and-2, Hodge broke free for a career-long 71-yard touchdown run. With Kramer's extra point, MSUM was now in front 13-7 with 11:27 left in the half.

Northern scored on a fake punt to regain the lead at 14-13 with 10:22 left in the half.  The Dragons answered with an 11-play, 64-yard drive, capped off by an 11-yard touchdown pass from Hodge to Jiskra. The extra point was blocked by the Wolves and returned for a two-point conversion, leaving the score at 19-16 with 7:30 left in the half.  Northern State regained the lead late in the half one a 54-yard touchdown run by Terrelle Walker and took a 23-19 lead into halftime.

The Dragons forced a three-and-out to open the second half, and then regained the lead themselves when Hodge connected with Jiskra for a 32-yard score. The extra point was no good, leaving the score at 25-23.

Later in the quarter, MSUM's defense got a big turnover, as junior Lomumba Ismail picked off Jacobson, giving the Dragons the ball deep in Wolves' territory.  On a 4th-and-7, Hodge hit Ambrose for a 17-yard score. With Kramer's extra point, MSUM led 32-23 with seven minutes left in the third.

The Wolves scored 23 unanswered points to take a 46-32 lead before MSUM battled back to take the lead with just over four minutes left.

"There were a lot of times when our guys could have hung their heads and let adversity beat them," Laqua said. "They're men of character, and that character shined through when the adversity struck today. It's another tangible sign that the program is moving forward."

Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: Today's victory at Northern State marked the first October road triumph for the Dragons since winning at Wayne State 19-16 on Oct. 19, 2002 and the first time the Dragons won at Northern since winning 49-35 on Nov. 16, 2002. Today's 586 yards were also the most yards gained by the Dragons since MSUM gained 587 yards in the same game nearly 11 years ago. The 93 points were the most combined points in a MSUM football game in school history.