MOORHEAD, Minn. - The Minnesota State University Moorhead football team will head to Bismarck, N.D., on Saturday to face the Mary Marauders in the annual Battle for the Paddle game that dates back four years. The Dragons are 0-4 in the trophy game.

THE GAME WILL BE TELEVISED (courtesy of U-Mary Media Relations)
The NBC North Dakota Sports Network will televise the University of Mary and Minnesota State University Moorhead "Battle for the Paddle" on Saturday, October, 30, when the Marauders host the Dragons in Northern Sun football. Coverage begins at 2:30 PM with kickoff set for 2:37 PM.

The Marauders-Dragons game will originate from KFYR-TV in Bismarck, ND, and can also be viewed on KMOT-TV in Minot, KUMV-TV in Williston, and KQCD-TV in Dickinson.

KFYR-TV sports director Lee Timmerman, a multiple recipient of the North Dakota Sportscaster of the Year honor and other awards, will handle the play-by-play. Scott Westerberg, the weekend sports anchor and the host of "Marauders Weekly," provides the color commentary. Ali Adair handles the sideline reporting.

This is the second Marauders football game in 2010 televised by the NBC North Dakota Sports Network. Look for two U-Mary basketball games to be broadcast this winter.

VIEW THE GAME LIVE

LIVE STATS    LIVE STREAMING

THE BATTLE FOR THE PADDLE
The MInnesota State University Moorhead Dragon football team (2-6, 2-5 NSIC) have yet to boast the Paddle trophy that has a four-year history between the two institutions. The Mary Marauders have defeated the Dragons in each of the four games between the two teams including last year's contest in Moorhead where teh Maruaders took the game, 39-13.

WEEK EIGHT RECAP
An early ten-point lead was not enough for the Dragons in week eight as the No. 11 ranked Augustana Vikings took a 47-17 victory at Alex Nemzek Stadium.

MSU Moorhead came into this game the underdogs, but did not show it as they came out with big stops on defense in the first quarter against Augustana. The Red and White was the first team on the board, going up 3-0 on a 24-yard field goal by freshman Wes Kramer. The kick followed an eight-play, 57-yard drive that was highlighted by a 32-yard pass from Kevin Koch to Ty Small that put the ball in on the Augustana 11-yard line.

The Dragons went up 10-0 in their next possession on a 3-play, 56-yard drive that took one minute and two seconds. Eboni Lucious-West scored on a three-yard rush after the Dragons ran a flee-flicker that was handed from Koch to Brandon Thompson, who threw the ball 47-yards to Small.

The Vikings scored their first points with 13:41 left in the second quarter, as Josh Hanson connected with Sam Holsen for an 82-yard touchdown pass to close the gap to three. Two possessions later, Hanson was picked off and turned into six more points by the Dragon's junior Tyler Hewson. It was a 40-yard pick-off return, which was one of the Dragons four interceptions on the day, that tied a MSUM-game record.

Augustana came back to score a field goal in their next possession, held by the Dragons defense in the red zone, but would score the next 37 unanswered points to win the game.

The major highlight for the Dragons in the second half was D.J. Elliot's three interceptions, two of which came in the end zone. He tied a school record for interceptions in a game, tying Bob Hopek (Concordia, 1966), Dan Choudek (Bemidji State, 1984) and Josh Jones (Concordia, 2006).

Koch ended the game going 21-for-40 for 170 yards with a long pass of 32 yards, and had three interceptions. Thompson caught eight passes for 40-yards on the day while Small finished with four catches and 86-yards. Kramer had a 24-yard field goal and two extra points. Jeff Schuette led the Dragon defense with 11 tackles and one sack for a loss of two yards. Jake Larsen had ten tackles in the game. Steve Parks also had a quarterback sack for a loss of five yards.

THE OPPOSITE JERSEY…U-Mary Marauders
The Marauders have had a less than favorable season and are hungry for a win, with a 1-7 overall record, the team has recently suffered back-to-back losses in the final minutes of the game. The most recent loss coming in Bemidji, 23-22, on an 89-yard drive that was capped by a 26-yard field goal by the Beavers to take the lead with 21 seconds left on the game clock. The week prior, the Wayne State Wildcats scored with 45 seconds recmaing for a 33-28 win over the Marauders in Wayne, Neb.

On the season, the Marauders are led by quarterback Craig Bagnell who has started all eight games with a passing efficiency of 107.9. He has completed 114 of 191 attempts with six interceptions for 1160 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, the team is led by Jamal Lomax who averages 73.2 yards per game after carrying the ball 100 times this season in five games for a total of 366 yards. Marcus Broome leds the defense with 64 tackles, while Xaviaier Cleveland has 10 sacks on the year.

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LISTEN IN, WATCH LIVE...
All Dragon football games are broadcast live by the Voice of the Dragons, Steve D'Eustachio with color man The Legend, Larry Scott on 106.9 the Eagle. The pre-game show begins 20 minutes prior to kick-off and can also be heard live on www.theeagle.tv

All MSU Moorhead conference football games can be viewed for FREE on the internet, live on New Media Television Networks, Inc. through the Northern Sun Intergollegiate Conference LIveStreaming. Visit live streaming channel under Dragon Sports Media for all HOME events to view the Dragons channel on New Media Television.