Box Score It was the kind of come-from-behind victory the University of Minnesota Duluth hasn't experienced in nearly 14 years, but it couldn't have come at a better time.

Saturday afternoon, the No. 7Bulldogs bounced back from a 14-0 second-quarter deficit to upend Bemidji State University 31-21 in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division bout at Chet Anderson Stadium in Bemidji, Minn. In the process, they became the first UMD club to rally to win after being down by 14 or more points since Nov. 6, 1999.

UMD, which took its only lead of the afternoon with just over nine minutes remaining in regulation, would have most likely been eliminated from NCAA Division II playoff contention. Instead, the Bulldogs moved to 7-1 on the year and remained in the NSIC title hunt, one game back of league-leadig Minnesota State University-Mankato.

For just the second time this season, the Bulldogs were held scoreless in the opening 15 minutes and the two clubs were knotted 0-0 early in the second, before the Beavers (2-6 overall) struck for a pair of touchdowns within a six-minute span. UMD cut the Bemidiji State lead to 14-7 with 5:03 to go before halftime when freshman quarterback Drew Bauer hit senior wide Joe Reichert with a 39-yard scoring strike. Four minutes later, junior running back Austin Sikorski plowed in from two yards out for his 12th touchdown of the season to even the score. UMD, which game into the day sporting the seventh best rushing offense in NCAA II football, was held to just 69 yards on the ground in the first half.

Bemidji State used a 41-yard Ryan Shields-to-Matt Summers touchdown pass to regain the lead at the 3:50 mark of the third quarter, but it was all UMD scoring after that. Sophomore placekicker Drew Brees nailed a 38-yard field goal later in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 21-17 and then, with 8:56 to go in regulation, Bauers gave UMD its first lead of the afternoon slashing 14 yards into the end zone. Sophomore running back Logan Lauters sealed the victory, UMD's 12th straight over the Beavers, in the waning seconds of play with a 14-yard touchdown jaunt. Lauters finished with a team-high 84 rushing yards on 13 carries while Bauer ran 13 times for 52 yards and also completed 20-of-31 passes for a career-best 237 yards.

UMD held a slight edge in total offense (440 to 404 yards), but gave up a season-high 258 yards on the ground to the Beavers. Senior linebacker Colby Ring paced the Bulldogs defensively with nine tackles whille senior defensive back Kenny Chowa and Travis Nordhus were credited with seven stops.

The Bulldogs will be back at James S. Malosky Stadium next Saturday (Nov. 2) to face the University of Minnesota-Crookston in their regular season finales.