BISMARCK, ND – Back in the lineup after missing three games to injury,
Ryan Blair threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns in his second start of the year. Despite the Marauders passing prowess, it was the Northern State University rushing attack that controlled the game as the visiting Wolves claimed a 53-14 win over UMary.
Blair, who threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns in the Marauders 28-22 week 0 win over visiting Midland, completed 28-of-41 passes for 348 yards. He connected with
Hudsen Sheldon for a 55 yard touchdown strike and found
Damani Wilks for a 26 yard scoring pass.
Sheldon, who has now rushed, passed and caught a touchdown over the last three weeks, finished with three catches for 70 yards, passed for 18 yards and ran for 7 yards. Blair and Sheldon combined to throw for 366 yards passing, a season-best for the Marauders offense.
Wilks, who found the end zone for a second straight week, posted season-highs with six catches for 133 yards.
Luke Bodine paced UMary with seven catches in the game for 58 yards.
UMary (2-3 overall, 1-3 NSIC, 0-1 NSIC North) had an opportunity to claim a lead on its for possession but Northern State (3-1, 3-1, 1-0) intercepted a pass in the end zone. The Wolves then drove the field and took the lead on a 40 yard touchdown catch by Trey Birdsong.
After the Wolves scored early in the second quarter, Marauders special teams miscues led to a pair of Wolves scores. A fumble on a punt snap by UMary was recovered by NSU at the Marauders 11 yard line, leading to a touchdown three plays later. NSU then blocked a UMary field goal attempt and returned the ball 73 yards for a score and a 29-0 lead.
The Marauders got on the scoreboard late in the first half when Blair found Sheldon uncovered behind the Wolves secondary for a 55 yard scoring pass. At intermission UMary trailed 32-7.
After a pair of Northern State scores in the third, UMary found its way back onto the scoreboard late in the quarter on the Wilks 26 yard touchdown pass from Blair. NSU posted the lone points in the fourth quarter.
The Marauders finished with 22 first downs and 370 yards of offense. Northern State, behind 163 yards rushing by Wyatt Block, posted 28 first downs, 414 yards rushing and 552 total yards.
Tuakoi Mahe led the Marauders defense with seven tackles (six solo).
Jack Stouffer also added six solo stops.
Up next for the Marauders is a visit to the University of Jamestown on Saturday, October 4. This will be the first Northern Sun meeting between the Marauders and Jimmies, who formerly competed against one another as members of the North Dakota College Athletic Conference and the Dakota Athletic Conference prior to UMary joining the NSIC in 2006.
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