Box Score
CROOKSTON, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead football team came up short on the road on Saturday in a 20-14 loss to Minnesota Crookston in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action at Ed Widseth Field in Crookston, Minn.

UMC improved to 2-5 overall and in the NSIC with the win, while MSUM fell to 1-6 overall and in the league. The game was the second in the Red River Valley Showdown series.

"In the end, they played a better football game we did," MSUM coach Steve Laqua said. "Today, they were a better football team. We're discouraged by the loss, but we're going to pick ourselves up off the mat and be ready to go for next week."

A week after putting up a school record 685 yards in a loss to No. 11 Minnesota Duluth, the Dragon offense struggled without injured quarterback Jake Hodge, the reigning NSIC Offensive Player of the Week. MSUM managed just 297 yards of offense, including only 87 through the air. The Dragons were just 4-of-13 on third-down conversions.

"We lacked the ability, offensively, to get first downs on third down," Laqua said. "Our third-down production wasn't where it needed to be. Overall, we didn't generate enough offense to win."

Sophomore running back Zayne Medhaug rushed for a career-high 135 yards on 19 carries, while sophomore Myles Montplaisir, one of two players who saw time at quarterback for MSUM, rushed for 21 yards and both touchdowns. Sophomore Ryan Toelle was 9-of-14 passing for 87 yards and an interception. Dragon quarterbacks were sacked three times in the game.

Redshirt freshman receiver Cory Ambrose had three catches for 49 yards for MSUM, while Medhaug had three catches for 21 yards.

On defense, sophomore Chris Binford had 13 tackles, while redshirt freshman Jesse Beilke has nine. Freshman Spencer Robbins had a sack while redshirt freshman Brandon Nelson had an interception.

MSUM was poised to get on the board first on the game's initial drive but was unable to convert on a field goal attempt. The Golden Eagles scored first, going on a 12-play, 74-yard drive, which was capped off by a 12-yard touchdown run by Talo Pascal with 2:22 left in the first quarter.

The Dragons capitalized on good field position in the second quarter to get on the scoreboard. They went 38 yards on six plays, capped off by a 1-yard run by Montplaisir. Senior Wes Kramer's extra point tied the game at 7-7 with 11:19 left in the half. A key play on the drive was an 18-yard pass from Toelle to Medhaug.

The Golden Eagles scored in the final minute of the first half to take a 14-7 lead into halftime.
Late in the third quarter, MSUM went on a nine-play, 67-yard drive and scored on a 3-yard run by Montplaisir. Kramer's extra point tied the game at 14-14 with 4:06 left in the third.

However, the tie was short-lived. The Golden Eagles went 94 yards on just five plays – with a huge play being a 52-yard run by Tommy Smith and scored when Kyle Larson hit Pascal for a 12-yard touchdown. The extra point was blocked by Dragon Steve Schutz, leaving the score at 20-14 with 1:31 left in the third.

"Defensively, we didn't do a good job on third down and we gave up too many big plays," Laqua said. "It's tough to win a football game if you don't play well on third down."

The Dragons had one last chance in the final minutes. Toelle hit Ambrose for a 33-yard gain to bring the Dragons near midfield, and one play later, hit Ambrose for an 11-yard game. However, the drive ended with an interception, and the Golden Eagles were able to run the final 1:45 off of the clock.

Redshirt freshman linebacker Aaron Bohl added six tackles for MSUM, including 1.5 for loss. Freshman linebacker Glen Miron and senior defensive tackle Mike Mann had five tackles each.

MSUM returns home to face Mary on Oct. 26.

"With a day like today – how we respond will show a lot about the character of the guys in our football program," Laqua said.

Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: Stat The Dragons went over the 200-point mark for the season for the first time since scoring 341 points in the 2007 season.