Any hopes the University of Minnesota Duluth had of securing its eighth consecutive NCAA Division II playoff berth all but vanished Saturday afternoon in Aberdeen, S.D. in a 23-15 setback to Northern State University. The No. 18 Bulldogs, who came into the day sporting a 24-game NSIC North Division winning streak, committed six turnovers -- their most in eight years - and were held to their lowest point output this season while falling to 6-3 overall and 4-1 in North Division.

UMD (6-3 overall; 4-1 NSIC North Division), which trailed 20-7 at the half, did have a golden chance to tie the Wolves (5-4; 5-0 North Division) late in the fourth quarter when it drove down to the Northern State three-yard line, but failed to get into the end zone on three successive running attempts, the last coming on a fourth-and-goal play from the one-yard line. Junior quarterback Drew Bauer, who was stopped short of the goal line on that final try, wound up rushing for a game-best 111 yards (his eighth 100-yard day as a collegian) and both Bulldog touchdowns on career-high 28 carries. He also ran in a two-point conversion on the second of those scores, which, at the time, brought UMD to within 20-15 with still 3:49 remaining in the third quarter. Bauer completed six of 15 passes for 56 yards, but was picked off twice as was his backup, sophomore Nate Ricci, while the Bulldogs coughed up the football another two times on fumbles.  It marked the first time a Bulldog club made six turnovers in one game since a 45-27 loss at Missouri Western State University on Sept. 8, 2007.

Senior All-American running back Logan Lauters returned to the Bulldog lineup after being out the past four outings with an ankle injury and rushed 12 times for 56 yards. Senior Justin Fowlkes was on the receiving end of four of UMD's six completions while junior Beau Bofferding had one catch to extend his streak of games with at least one reception to 22.

UMD held Northern State to just 224 yards of total offense (and only 62 the entire second half) and 12 first downs but generated not much more of its own (279 yards). Junior inside linebacker Beau Bates paced UMD defensively with nine total tackles and sophomore end Karl Finkel had a hand in seven stops for the Bulldogs, who lost to Northern State for the first time in eight games (a run that began back in 2004).  Other highlights included freshman Mitchell Johnson-Martin registering his first interception as a Bulldog and senior Darion Fletcher being credited with two pass breakups, giving him a school-record 16 on the year -- one more than the previous single-season mark set by Marcus Davis in 2005.

The Bulldogs will be at Bemidji State University next Saturday for their final 2015 regular season road assignment.