ABERDEEN, S.D. – Turnovers played the difference in the Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragon football game against Northern State Wolves on Saturday in the second to last weekend of regular season Northern Sun Conference action, and the favor did not play for the Red and White.
The Dragons had three turnovers in the game, despite leading the game in total offense (passing, 184-152 and rushing yards, 175-138) as well as first downs (21-14) and had less penalties (5-25 to 10-92) as the Wolves. MSUM had 359 total yards of offense, 184 in the air as junior quarterback
Kevin Koch (Elmhurst, Ill.) went 15-for-36 on the day, and had three interceptions.
MSU Moorhead jumped to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter on a 35-yard touchdown caught by
Nick Scharpf (Horicon, Wis.). This came after
E'Boni Lucious-West (Country Club Hills, Ill.)t had crossed mid-field on a 20-yard rush. The drive took 1:20 and was four plays for 80-yards.
The Dragons led 7-6 at half after the Wolves had put six points on the board on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Joei Fiegler to Trevor Mau with 2:48 left in the second quarter. The point after attempt was missed.
In the third quarter the Dragons momentum down the field was cut as the Wolves' Marquis Mulkey picked off a Koch pass at the MSUM 48-yard line and ran it back for a touchdown to give the home team their first lead of the game.
NSU put up three more points in the fourth quarter, with 6:34 left to play to make the game a two-possession game, 16-7. In the Dragon's next possession they would give up their third turnover of the contest.
Lucious-West ended the day with 108 total yards on 23 carries.
Brett McWilliams (Roscoe, Ill.) had 41 yards on 11 carries. Scharpf had six catches for 94 yards and the touchdown.
Jake Larsen (Waupun, Wis.) anchored the Dragon defense with nine tackles.
Joey Dawson (Fargo, N.D.)had seven tackles in the game.
The Dragons will host St. Cloud State on Nov. 13 for the final game of the 2010 regular season. The game is set to kick-off at 1 p.m. at Alex Nemzek Stadium.
