Box Score
MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead football team's rally fell two points short on Saturday as the Dragons were edged by Concordia-St. Paul, 36-34 in their homecoming game at Alex Nemzek Stadium in Moorhead, Minn.

Concordia improved to 3-1 overall and in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference with the win, while MSUM fell to 0-4 overall and in conference play.

The Dragons were down 36-21 with 7:15 left, but battled back to within two at 36-34 with 1:16 left. They then recovered an onside kick and drove down to the Golden Bear 6-yard line before a field goal attempt was blocked in the final seconds.

"The kids kept battling. I was proud of how they competed," MSUM head coach Steve Laqua said. "We played well enough to win. I liked the plays we made when the pressure was on and when our backs were to the wall. We made plays to get back in the game."

It was a career day for a pair of Dragons offensively. Sophomore quarterback Jake Hodge was 21-of-38 passing for 285 yards and two touchdowns; he also rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore receiver Adam Jiskra had nine catches for 180 yards and a touchdown.

"Jake made some tough runs," Laqua said. "And he and Adam Jiskra seemed to find their groove. Our offensive line did a nice job of protecting our quarterback, especially our tackles, Bennen Bierman and Troy Peterson."

Junior running back Brandon Schell had 59 rushing yards and a score for MSUM, while sophomore receiver Preston Prince had six catches for 44 yards.

On defense, senior defensive end Sam Callahan had nine tackles, while sophomore linebacker Chris Lee and freshman defensive lineman Zach Drevlow each had seven tackles. Sophomore Jaylen Raye had a forced fumble to go with six tackles, while redshirt freshman Brandon Nelson had a fumble recovery and an interception.

Trailing by 15 midway through the fourth quarter, MSUM mounted its rally. The Dragons went on a seven-play, 65-yard drive, and scored when Hodge found the end zone from one yard out. With senior Wes Kramer's extra point, the Dragons were within 36-28 with 5:03 left.

The Dragons forced a punt, but fumbled on their next possession. However, on a fourth and short at the Golden Bear 44-yard line, Callahan and fellow senior Mike Mann stopped Concordia's Tre Spears short of the first down, giving the Dragons the ball back with 1:32 left.

"Our defense took a step in the right direction today," Laqua said.

Hodge and MSUM went to work. He hit redshirt freshman Cory Ambrose for a 16-yard game, and then found a wide-open Jiskra in the end zone for a score, bringing MSUM within 36-34. The Dragons needed a two-point conversion but the pass failed, leaving the score at 36-34 with 1:16 left.

With no timeouts left, MSUM had to go for the inside kick. Kramer delivered a perfect onside kick, which was recovered by Jiskra, to give the Dragons the ball back at their 48-yard land with just over a minute left.

Hodge hit Jiskra for a 17-yard gain, and then, a pair of penalties – including a personal foul – helped the Dragons move inside the 10-yard line.
MSUM attempted the field goal, but it was blocked by Concordia standout Zach Moore to clinch the win for the Golden Bears.

The Dragons got on the board first as Schell capped of an impressive 14-play, 85-yard drive with a 9-yard run on fourth down to give the Dragons the early 7-0 lead in the first quarter.

The Golden Bears scored 22 unanswered points to take a 22-7 lead early in the third quarter. The Dragons battled back in the third when they marched 85 yards on 12 plays and scored when Hodge hit freshman receiver Dan Grande from 20 yards out. With Kramer's extra point, MSUM was within 22-14.

Early in the fourth, MSUM was within 29-21 after Hodge scored from three yards out. Concordia answered to move the score to 36-21 before the Dragons mounted their rally in the final five minutes.

"I certainly hope our kids believe we are knocking on the door," Laqua said. "We're close to a breakthrough. We are battling the injury bug, but we're still close."

MSUM returns to action on the road at Northern State next weekend. Game time is 2:30 p.m. in Aberdeen, S.D.

Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: Adam Jiskra's 180 receiving yards were the most by a Dragon since Jabari Taylor collected 186, in a 41-27 victory over Southwest Minnesota State in the Metrodome, on Nov. 10, 2007.