No Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. No All-American running back. No problem.

With both quarterback Drew Bauer and Logan Lauters incurring season-ending injuries one week ago, the University of Minnesota Duluth needed a ramped-up effort from its defensive crew Saturday  -- and the Bulldogs got it. UMD scored a pair of first-quarter touchdowns (both as a result of turnovers) and then held on for a 14-9 North Division victory over Bemidji State University, limiting the host Beavers to just 181 total yards in the process. 

The Bulldog ballstoppers didn't take long to set the tone as on the opening snap of the afternoon, junior strong safety Tavaughn Blair, a 2015 transfer from the University of Northern Iowa, picked off his first pass as a Bulldog at the UMD 45-yard line. Seven plays later, junior running back Darren Walker scooted in from 14 yards out to put the Bulldogs up 7-0. On Bemidji State's next series, punter Isaac Aanerud mishandled a snap which was recovered deep in UMD territory and it took UMD just one play -- a 15-yard touchdown run by Bauer's replacement, junior Nate Ricci -- to capitalize. The Beavers parlayed a UMD miscue (fumble) into an eventual touchdown with 5:57 to go before halftime, but sophomore Zach Bassuener blocked the extra point try to make it 14-6.   Aanerud added a 27-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, but that's as close as the Beavers would get while losing to UMD for the 16th consecutive time and seeing their program-best winning streak halted at six games.

Walker led all rushers with 75 yards on 15 carries while Ricci, in his first collegiate quarterback start (Bauer had handled that role in every game since the 2013 opener),  ran 18 times for 61 yards. He also completed 9 of 19 passes for another 80 yards. UMD (7-3 overall and 5-1 in the NSIC North Division) finished with 296 yards of total offense, including 194 on the ground. The 181 overall yards the Bulldogs gave up were its lowest since Minot State University mustered just 95 yards in a 56-0 drubbing last November.  Senior free safety David Boegel and senior inside linebacker Brent Stiglich both had a team-leading seven total tackles for the Bulldogs, who established a 2015 best for quarterback sacks with five.

 

The two long-time rivals combined to go 5-for-12 on fourth down conversions. UMD converted all three of it six fourth-down tries out of punt formation via the arm (a 22-yard pass) and legs (runs of 21 and 11 yards) of senior Andrew Brees.

UMD will close out the 2015 regular season next Saturday afternoon (Nov. 14) by hosting Minot State.