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Aberdeen, S.D. – The Northern State University football team made history on Saturday evening from The Bank with a 3-point upset victory over No. 10 Minnesota Duluth. The top-10 victory for the Wolves is the first in the Schmidt-era and only top-10 win in the last 20-plus years. In addition, the loss is the first of the season for the Bulldogs.
THE QUICK DETAILS
Final Score: NSU 34, UMD 31
Records: NSU 4-2 (4-2 NSIC), UMD 6-1 (5-1 NSIC)
Attendance: 5077
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Minnesota Duluth scored on the opening drive of the contest, however the Wolves rallied back to take the lead at the end of the quarter
- Jeremy Caruso put NSU on the board with a 36-yard field goal at 5:12 in the first, followed by a quick 3-and-out by UMD to give the Wolves the ball back
- Three plays and a 62-yard receiving touchdown by Wyatt Block, via Brock Bagozzi, gave Northern their first lead of the contest
- The Bulldogs tied the game five minutes into the second with a 32-yard field goal and Caruso responded with a 27-yard of his own for the 13-10 lead just three minutes later
- The Wolves closed out the half, extending their lead to ten on a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Bagozzi with under a minute to play
- Duluth opened the second half with a rushing score and held Northern to a 3-and-out, however a muffed punt return by the Bulldogs and recovery by Andrew Ewald turned the tables in NSU's favor
- The Wolves kicked off the drive on the Duluth 18 yard-line and a 9-yard rush by Daniel Britt set DJ Smith up for the 9-yard receiving touchdown and a 27-17 lead for NSU
- UMD clawed back with under five minutes remaining in the third, scoring on a 6-yard run by Walljasper; once again they were within three of the Wolves
- As the third quarter ticked down, the Wolves went 78-yards down field, capped off by a 28-yard rushing touchdown by Daniel Britt to extend their lead to ten
- The team's traded possessions in the fourth, however UMD broke through with 1:36 remaining in regulation for their fourth touchdown of the contest
- Duluth successfully executed an onside kick and had the ball on the 50 yard-line with 1:35 on the clock
- A 5-yard pass and pass interference penalty by the Wolves and the Bulldogs at the Northern 34 yard-line and within scoring distance, however Tasean Young Jr. sealed the game for NSU with an interception at the 25
- Northern led the contest with 257 yards rushing and added 96 yards passing for 353 yards of total offense in the win; averaging 12.0 yards per completion and 5.8 yards per rush
- The Wolves defense tallied one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and one interception in the win
- Bagozzi threw for 80 yards and a touchdown, leading the team, while Britt tallied a team second best 81 yards rushing; the pair each recorded a passing and rushing touchdown in the win
- Block had a career day for the Wolves, notching 156 yards rushing with a 44-yard long, and 81 yards receiving with a 62-yard long
- Jake Adams led the defense, returning to double figures with 17 tackles, including five solo stops, one pass break-up and one QB hurry
- Elijah Jopp and Max Van Landingham followed with eight tackles a piece, while Javonnee Szymanski notched the team's forced fumble
- Caruso tallied two field goals and four PATs, scoring ten points for the Wolves in the win, while Jackson Isakson punted for 73 yards including a 43-yard long
- Cooper Eisenbeisz led returners with 95 total yards, including a 53-yard long on Northern's opening return of the game
NORTHERN STATE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Wyatt Block: 156 yards rushing, 6.5 yards per carry, 81 yards receiving, 1 touchdown
- Daniel Britt: 81 yards rushing, 9.0 yards per carry, 1 touchdown
- Jake Adams: 17 tackles, 5 solo tackles
- Tasean Young Jr.: 2 tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 63 return yards, 1 interception
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Northern tallied their second straight win over the Bulldogs, the first back-to-back win seasons for NSU over UMD since 1999/2000
- Block recorded his third straight 100-plus yard rushing game this season with a season second best 156
- NSU is just the third team to rush for over 100-yards and only to rush for over 200 yards against UMD this season
UP NEXT
The Wolves are back in action next Saturday from Dacotah Bank Stadium in their lone non-conference contest of the season. NSU will host Southwest Minnesota State for a 4 p.m. kickoff as a part of Family Weekend. Promotional details for the contest will be released on nsuwolves.com early in the week. Tailgating and stadium information can be found
HERE.
