MOORHEAD, Minn. — A dominant defensive performance helped the Minnesota State University Moorhead football team record a 37-0 win over the University of Mary in action Saturday at Scheels Field at Nemzek Stadium. The victory gave MSUM the River Rivalry Paddle for just the second time in the series' existence.

MSUM improved to 5-5 overall and 2-4 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference while Mary fell to 1-9 overall and 1-5 in the NSIC North. It is the first time the Dragons have reached five wins since the 2006 season when they finished 6-5.

The win gave MSUM a win on Senior Day, where 17 seniors and a student coach were honored prior to the game.

"It was a great way for our seniors to go out at home, with a win like that," MSUM head coach Steve Laqua said. "I'm happy to have our seniors who have done so much for our program in the last four years to go out at home with a big win."

The Dragons recorded their first shutout since blanking Waldorf, 44-0 on Oct. 11, 2003. It was the first home shutout since the Dragons blanked Dickinson State, 13-0 on Oct. 30, 1989, and the first home NSIC shutout since Oct. 22, 1988 when they shut out Northern State.

MSUM's defense controlled the game. The Dragons held Mary to just 131 yards of total offense, including just two yards of total offense. They also forced three turnovers. MSUM also blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown. Redshirt freshman linebacker Joe Rademacher had a game-high 11 tackles and a sack, while senior defensive lineman Steve Schutz had a game-high two sacks and a blocked punt.

"It was as dominating of a defensive performance that we've had in our time here as coaches," Laqua said. "They kept field position, and our third-down defense was great. I don't know if I can say enough good things about how the defense played."

The Dragons rushed for a season-high 354 yards, led by freshman running back Herman Gray with 108 rushing yards and a touchdown. Redshirt freshman running back Kayne Griffith rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown while senior receiver Preston Prince rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown.

Sophomore quarterback Demetrius Carr was 5-of-8 passing for 45 yards and a touchdown. Junior receiver Cory Ambrose had three catches for 33 yards and a score.

It didn't take long for the Dragons to build a lead, thanks to a pair of big plays from the running game. On MSUM's third offensive play, Griffith broke free for a 72-yard touchdown — the longest of his young Dragon career — to put MSUM up 7-0 just 2:16 into the contest.

After the Dragon defense forced a punt, Prince found the end zone on a 64-yard touchdown run to give the Dragons a 13-0 lead with 9:53 left in the first.

The defense came up big late in the first. Mary drove inside the Dragon 5-yard line — the Marauders' only trip inside the red zone all day — but turned the ball over on downs as the Dragons forced an incompletion on fourth down.

Later in the half, MSUM was able to find the end zone again. Carr hit Ambrose for a 24-yard touchdown to cap off a six-play, 52-yard drive to push the Dragon lead to 20-0 with 33 seconds left in the first half. Gray rushed four times for 22 yards to spark the drive.

"That score before the half to get the lead to 20-0 was big," Laqua said.

While the offense was kept off the scoreboard for much of the third, MSUM's defense continued its dominance, holding the Marauders to just 42 yards of offense in the third quarter. Late in the quarter, Gray scored from two yards out to cap off a nine-play, 66-yard drive to push the Dragon lead to 27-0  with 10:54 left. Gray had 47 rushing yards on that drive alone.

On Mary's next series, sophomore safety Abe Roehrich — who forced a fumble as well — intercepted Mary quarterback Caleb Buck inside the Marauder 20-yard line. That set up a 27-yard field goal by redshirt freshman Joe Tjosvold to extend the lead to 30— with 9:16 left.

The Dragons put the game away moments later, as Schutz blocked a punt — his fifth blocked kick of the season — and sophomore defensive lineman Jake Busse picked up the loose ball and brought it into the end zone from eight yards out to push the lead to 37-0 with 9:10 left.

"The special teams had a solid day," Laqua said. "We blocked a punt, made a field goal, converted a fake punt and we were able to dictate the field position."

MSUM's defense preserved the shutout with a pair of three and outs in the fourth quarter. Mary had one yard of total offense in the fourth quarter.

The Dragons will wrap up the season on Nov. 14 at Minnesota Crookston. Kickoff is 1 p.m. in Crookston, Minn. With a win, MSUM would have its first winning season since 2006.

Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game:
The Dragons allowed two rushing yards in today's victory which was the fewest since allowing -1 yards in a 21-20 loss at Northern State on Oct. 27, 2007.