BISMARCK, N.D. — The Minnesota State University Moorhead football team built a 28-0 halftime lead and went on to defeat the University of Mary, 48-20 in action Saturday night at the Community Bowl in Bismarck, N.D.
MSUM is now 3-1 overall and in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference while UMary fell to 0-4 overall and in the league. It is the first time MSUM has started 3-1 since the 2015 season. MSUM will retain the Paddle trophy for a fourth straight year.
Over the past two games, MSUM has outscored its opponents 62-7 in the first half.
The Dragons outgained the Marauders 507-279, including 281-137 through the air.
Sophomore quarterback
Jakup Sinani was 19-of-31 passing for 272 yards and three scores. He also rushed for 40 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore running back
Ty Jochim paced the ground game with 70 yards on 17 carries. Sophomore running back
Zach Simons rushed for 61 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries while sophomore running back
Denver Colgrove rushed for 56 yards and a score on 14 carries.
Sophomore receiver
Grady Bresnahan had eight catches for 103 yards while junior receiver
Zach Sweep had five catches for 83 yards and two scores. Sophomore receiver
Jake Richter had five catches for 67 yards and a score.
Sophomore linebacker
Matt Schoh led the defense with seven tackles, including 1.5 for loss. Sophomore defensive lineman
Darius Woods-Steichen had two sacks and a forced fumble while defensive linemen
Hunter Sall and
Matthew Domek added sacks. Senior cornerback Jerry Race had an interception to go with six tackles while freshman defensive end
Gerald Smith recovered a fumble.
Aaron Doan added six tackles as well.
Sinani was directly involved in MSUM's first three scores. His 14-yard run put MSUM up 7-0 with 5:02 left in the first quarter. He followed with an 18-yard scoring pass to Sweep later in the quarter to make it 14-0.
"We really established the run game early in the first quarter and that allowed us to get our offense in a rhythm which led us to a lot of points in the first half," MSUM head coach
Steve Laqua said. "We had 41 players after four drives and they had 14."
Sinani added a second 14-yard scoring run in the second to make it 21-0 with 9:54 left in the half. Later in the half a Bresnahan 25-yard punt return set the Dragons up in Marauder territory and they capitalized when Simons scored from two yards out to make it 28-0.
The Dragon defense shined in the first half as well, forcing six straight three-and-outs after the Marauders' first possession.
"The defense played outstanding football in the first half and was able to flip the game for us," Laqua said.
UMary scored to make it 28-7 early in the third, but Sweep hauled in a 34-yard pass from Sinani for a score to make it 35-7 with 10:51 left. Minutes later, Richter caught a 45-yard touchdown from Sinani to make it 41-7.
The defense set up MSUM's final touchdown of the day. Woods-Steichen sacked Marauder quarterback Jason Hoekstra and knocked the ball loose, and Smith picked up the fumble and ran it to the UMary 4-yard line. Two plays later Colgrove scored from 2 yards out to make it 48-13. The Marauders added one more score late but the game was well in hand at that point.
MSUM goes on the road for a second straight week at Upper Iowa. Kickoff is at 3 p.m. on Saturday in Fayette, Iowa.
"It's the start of south division play and that will be extremely challenging," Laqua said. "We have to play outstanding football, especially this week on the road."
Steve d'Eustachio Stat of the Game: Tonight's win was the first win away from Moorhead for the Dragons at night (kickoff after 6pm) since winning 41-27 in the Metrodome over Southwest Minnesota State on Nov. 10, 2007. It was also the first win on the road of this sort since their 31-27 victory at the University of Nebraska Kearney on Sept. 4, 1982.
