MOORHEAD, Minn. - An offensive battle that resulted in a cumulative 80-point game left the Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragons (1-2, 0-2 conf.) short of the conference win, as the Concordia-St. Paul Golden Bears (1-2, 1-0 conf.) earned their first victory of the season, 45-35.
Two punts, one fumble and 13 red-zone scores were tallied by the two offenses on Saturday, at Alex Nemzek Field where the victor came away with 474 total yards and the home team trailed with 342. A large part of CSP's offense came from Jordan Schultenover who had eight catches in the game for 212 yards and scored once.
Freshman
Zach Fry led the game in passing, completing 17-of-28 attempts for 260 yards and three touchdowns. CU split time between Mitch Brecke (8-14, 148 yds., 2 TD) and Spencer Ohm (6-11, 130 yds.).
Tim Zander picked off an early pass attempt by CU's Mitch Brecke, just thirty second into the game to give MSUM the early momentum they needed to start the game. The play resulted in a field goal by
Jimmie Mattson to give the Dragons the 3-0 lead at 12:58 in the first.
MSUM increased their lead to six just over three minutes later by the touch of Mattson's foot.
The team's traded touchdowns in the final minutes of the first quarter as the Golden Bears' Jerry Shaw ran in from four yards out and Fry connected with
Josh Pieper for a ten-yard score. Both team's missed their extra point kick.
Fry threw another touchdown at 11:14 in the second to
Nick Scharpf to give the Dragons their biggest lead of the season, 18-6. The team was unable to convert a two-point conversion to increase the lead to two scores.
Concordia-St. Paul began to move the ball better in the second quarter as they answered Frye's second TD of the game with two scores to give them their first lead of the game, 21-18.
Fry connected with Pieper with 18 seconds left in the first half to take the lead back. The drive took 2:29, was eight plays for 82 yards.
The Golden Bears didn't hold back as it took them one play to set up a 19-yard field goal by Jimmie King as time ran out of the half, making the game dangerously close, MSUM's 25-24 lead.
The team's went into half time with a combined 467 yards with the Dragons leading by one point but trailing in total yards, with 193. The score at half was 25-24.
The game was tied at 1:58 int eh third after the team's traded field-goals and CU's Sam Campbell ran in a one-yard score to put the Golden Bears up by a touch down.
MSUM tied hte score at 35 as Bre McWilliams rushed for a 16-yard touchdown that was a seven play-65 yard drive to cap the third quarter.
CU stole the momentum in the fourth as a 12-play, 73 yard drive resulted in the visiting team taking the lead for good. CU scored again with just over four minutes left int he game but after a Dragon turn-over, they successfully ran out the clock.
Joe Johnson led the Dragon's receivers with five catches for 119 yards, his longest was a 46 yard catch from Fry. Pieper ended his two-TD afternoon with 26 yards and three catches.
Enol Gilles had 69 total yards on 20 carries.
The Dragons head out for their first road-trip on Sat., Sept. 19 as they will face the Bemidji State Beavers in another NSIC contest, starting at 1 p.m.
