DULUTH, MN – Facing their second nationally-ranked football team this season, the University of Mary football team didn't back away from the challenge. The visiting Marauders held the lead at the end of the first quarter but 11^th/15^th ranked University of Minnesota Duluth caught fire in the second as the Bulldogs claimed a 54-32 victory.
 
UMary also held an early lead against #11 Augustana in the second game of the season before succumbing to the Vikings 21-20.
 
Damani Wilks headlined the Marauders effort with a pair of touchdown receptions, including a 43 yard score in the second half. He finished with six catches for 113 yards. The two touchdowns are a career-best for Wilks. He tied his career mark for catches and crossed the century mark in yardage for a second time.
 
The Marauders started strong. On the opening drive of the game the defense held on a 4^th-and-3 play from the UMary 25 when Kalani Washington broke up a pass to force UMD to turn the ball over on downs.
 
UMary took advantage of the opening opportunity. Behind a 35 yard pass catch and run by Luke Bodine and an 11 yard run by Xavier Brackenridge, the Marauders drove to the UMD 25 yard line. Jack Henninger kicked a career-long 43 yard field goal at 8:36 of the first quarter to give UMary a 3-0 lead.
 
In the 18^th meeting between the Marauders and the Bulldogs, this was the first time UMary had ever put points on the scoreboard first.
 
The Bulldogs immediately responded with a 75 yard touchdown pass from Kyle Wallsjasper to tight end Luke Dehnicke. It was the first of four touchdowns for Dehnicke, who also caught a 2-point conversion and finished with eight receptions for 230 yards.
 
Brackenridge sparked the Marauders next drive, turning a short pass from Jordan Solomon Polo into a 44 yard gain. Hudsen Sheldon capped the scoring drive with an 8 yard TD pass to Wilk in the right side of the end zone. A 2-point conversion from Quin Hafner to Wilks gave the Marauders an 11-8 lead at 5:24 of the opening quarter.
 
UMD followed with a pair of scores before UMary again reached the end zone. Midway through the second quarter, Polo Solomon found Karsyn Jablonski for a 4 yard TD reception in the back right corner of the end zone, closing the gap to 23-18. Another two scores by the Bulldogs sent UMD into halftime with a 37-18.
 
With another two touchdowns on the board for the Bulldogs, the Marauders found the end zone early in the fourth quarter when Wilks hauled in a 44 yard TD strike from Polo Solomon.
 
Taking advantage of a Cameron Brusven fumble recovery at the UMD 42, UMary closed out the scoring on a 6 yard run by Sheldon.
 
Polo Solomon finished the day completing 20 of 38 passes for 295 yards and two touchdowns. Sheldon ran for 25 yards and a touchdown and completed 6-of-8 passes for 59 yards and a score.
 
Bodine finished with 91 yards receiving on five catches. Brackenridge added 68 yards on two catches and ran for 28.
 
Defensively Abram Jopp led UMary with eight solo tackles. Travis Biery had a sack and four tackles.
 
The Marauders generated 21 first downs and 403 yards of offense, including 354 passing. The Bulldogs had 22 first downs and 501 yards of offense, including 300 passing.
 
Walljasper completed 13-of-16 passes for 230 yards and six touchdowns. He also ran for 90 yards and a score.
 
The Marauders return home for the Battle for the Big Lake trophy when Minot State University travels down Highway 83 for a 2 pm game on Saturday, November 1.
 
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