BISMARCK, ND – In a ground battle between the University of Mary and St. Cloud State University, the Huskies kept the ball away from the Marauders in the third quarter and broke the game open in the fourth for a 33-7 SCSU win over UMary.
Facing one of the top run defenses in the Northern Sun, the Marauders ground out 183 yards on 39 carries and added 61 yards through the air, all on a
Nick McCann to
DeShawn Gay touchdown pass.
Devin Hope led UMary with 57 yards rushing on 11 carries.
Garrett Weissinger added 52 yards and Gay 33.
St. Cloud State pounded the Marauders for 254 yards on 57 carries. Curtwan Evans had 128 yards on 25 carries and Gregory Lewis 121 on 25.
Defensively, the Marauders kept the Huskies pass attack in check as Dwayne Lawhorn completed only 7-of-19 passes for 73 yards. UMary also sacked the SCSU quarterback three times, once each by
Luther Missoh,
Brock Pittsley and
Jacob Parker.
SCSU managed to edge the Marauders 327-244 in total yards and had a 39:41 to 20:19 edge in time of possession.
Marauders miscues led directly to the first two Huskies scores. UMary fumbled the ball away on the third play of their first two possessions. Lewis scored on a 3 yard run for the Huskies first points and Adam Stage hit a 48 yard field goal on SCSU's second possession for an early 9-0 lead over UMary.
Backed up into the red zone on the Huskies third possession, UMary stemmed the SCSU scoring threat when
Noah Krebs forced a fumble recovered by
Patrick O'Connell at the Marauders 8 yard line.
After the Marauders defense forced the Huskies to punt on their next two possessions, the Marauders struck quickly midway through the second quarter. With McCann in the game at quarterback on first down from the UMary 39 yard line, the junior dropped back and found Gay beyond the SCSU defenders. McCann placed a perfect ball, hitting the Marauders freshman in full stride. Gay outran the Huskies the final 40 yards to complete the 61 yard scoring strike and pulled the Marauders within 9-7 with 1:55 left in the half.
Momentum switched in the third quarter. SCSU drove the opening kickoff 75 yards in 19 plays, consuming 12:03 of the clock, and taking a 16-7 lead after Lawhorn scored on a 3 yard run.
A mistake on the ensuing kickoff cost the Marauders possession of the ball. Stage's high pooch-style kickoff was knocked back towards the SCSU players due to high winds and Stage recovering the unintended on-sides kick at the Marauders 44 yard line. A personal foul on UMary then placed the ball on the Marauders 29 yard line. Five plays later SCSU reached the UMary goal line as the third quarter expires, leaving the Marauders without an offensive play in the quarter.
SCSU scored two plays into the fourth quarter on a Lewis 1 yard run for a Huskies 23-7 lead.
Three plays later the Marauders fumbled for the third time in the game, setting up a 55 yard field goal by Stage. SCSU ended the scoring on a 2 yard run by Evans with 1:56 left in the game.
Krebs led the Marauders with 15 tackles.
Jarad Zittleman had 13 tackles and three pass breakups. In addition to a first-half sack, Parker knocked down two pass attempts. Fellow senior cornerback
Brady Zittleman also broke up a pair of passing plays.
After playing consecutive home games, the Marauders visit MSU Moorhead on Saturday, Oct. 28, in the Battle for the Paddle.
#marauders#
