UMD Crushes Moorehead

NSO – NEWS RELEASE

Sometimes the best way to beat a good offense is with a better offense and the University of Minnesota Duluth proved that Saturday night.

The No. 4 Bulldogs piled up a season-high 539 total yards, scored one six of their first seven possessions and cruised to a 63-28 victory over Minnesota State University-Moorhead at James S. Malosky Stadium. UMD, which moved to 5-0 on the year and extended its regular season winning streak to 13 games going back to last year, got four rushing touchdowns from senior running back Austin Sikorski while sophomore quarterback Drew Bauer figured in on three other scores.

Sikorski, the 2014 NSIC North Division Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, ran for 102 yards on 11 carries and gave the Bulldogs a 14-0 lead on their opening two possessions of the night with touchdowns from eight and 10 yards out. It marked his 14th career 100-yard outing (and third in as many weeks) and moved him into third place on UMD’s all-time rushing charts (3,071) yards. Junior running back Logan Lauters had a game-best 107 yards (the fourth time he’s reached the 100-yard barrier this season) and one touchdown on the ground on 13 tries for the Bulldogs, who raced out to a 35-0 lead and was up 42-21 at the half.

Drew Bauer became the first Bulldog in history to achieve the touchdown trifecta as he threw for one touchdown (a 30-yarder to senior wide out Zach Zweifel with 53 seconds left in the third quarter — his final play of the evening), ran for another (reversing his field and scampering 24 yards) and caught a third (an 11-yard toss from freshman wide out Nate Ricci).

“Our best defense is when the offense is on the field,” said Bauer, who completed 10 of 16 passes for 147 yards and tacked on 57 rushing yards before giving way to junior Eric Kline. Kline’s second pass of the game — and season — went seven yards into the hands of freshman James Conner for the final touchdown of the night.

MSU-Moorhead (1-4) came into the weekend averaging just under 490 yards a game, but was held to well under that — 339 yards overall  — by a Bulldog defense spearheaded by sophomore safety Hunter Malberg. Malberg had two interceptions, three pass breakups and four total tackles. Senior inside linebacker Gavin Grady topped the club with nine stops, including one quarterback sack.

The victory was the Bulldogs’ 13th in a row over the Dragons (dating back to 2000) and kept their perfect all-time NSIC North Division home record intact at 20-0.

UMD will be on the road next Saturday to renew its longstanding intrastate rivalry with St. Cloud State University.