The University of Minnesota Duluth returned to the win column with a 63-0 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference triumph over the University of Minnesota Crookston Saturday afternoon at Malosky Stadium in Duluth, Minn.

In the first quarter, sophomore running back Wade Sullivan got the Bulldog offense rolling. On the opening drive of the game, he carried the ball on all seven plays en route to a nine-yard touchdown run to give UMD an early 7-0 advantage. The first-quarter score was his seventh of the season and 20th as a Bulldog. Two drives later, fellow sophomore running back Zach Ojile would bounce off a Crookston defender on fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line to push UMD's advantage to 14-0. Ojile's score was his sixth of the 2019 campaign and 12th as a Bulldog. 

The Bulldogs (6-3, 5-0 NSIC North) would stick to the rushing attack in the second quarter when junior running back Cazz Martin broke loose for a 55-yard touchdown run. It was the first of Martin's three touchdowns on the afternoon, who now has seven touchdowns this season. Halfway through the second quarter, senior running back Bryce Heim became the fourth of seven Bulldogs to find the endzone. Heim took a pitch to the right from the two-yard line to pick up his first touchdown of the season and sixth as a Bulldog. UMD took to the air on their next possession when redshirt freshman quarterback Keagan Calchera found junior wide receiver Qunicy Woods on a seam route in the endzone from 27-yards out for the fifth Bulldog score of the half. Martin would tack on another touchdown late in the second quarter to give UMD a 42-0 halftime lead.

The Bulldogs scored three more touchdowns in the second half. Calchera rushed in from four-yards out, Martin broke free again for a 39-yard touchdown run, and sophomore wide receiver Kurtis Weigand rushed in for a seven-yard score.

NOTABLE
UMD amassed 303 yards on the ground in the first half, with Sullivan responsible for 146 yards while Martin also picked up 135 yards … For the game, the Bulldogs ran for 445 yards ... the 42 first-half points were the most the Bulldogs scored in a half since last year's record-setting meeting with Minnesota Crookston on October 27th, 2018, when UMD put 56 on the board in the first half ... the Bulldog defense held Minnesota Crookston (0-9, 0-5 NSIC North) in check all afternoon by only allowing 114 total yards and four first downs ... Junior linebacker Nate Pearson paced the defense with two tackles for loss and four total tackles and sophomore linebacker Bryce Hader also contributed four tackles, one of which was for loss ... sophomore linebacker Seth Desrocher and junior linebacker Justic'e King picked up one sack each ... redshirt freshman Dayvia Gbor picked up his first career interception late in the third quarter.  

A total of 14 Bulldogs played their final regular-season game at Malosky Stadium on Saturday. The 2019 senior class includes defensive back Bill Atkins, wide receiver Nick Eliason, defensive back Tyrik Carmickle, running back Kyle Webb, kicker Dan Branger, running back Bryce Heim, punter Cameron Hausman, linebacker Isaac Erdmann, linebacker John Birkholz, linebacker Aaron Gorres, offensive lineman Dan Bartels, offensive lineman Zach Oruruo, wide receiver Obi Ibeneme, and defensive lineman Tom Johnson.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs will travel to Bismark, North Dakota for an NSIC North road assignment next week (Nov. 9) against the University of Mary. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at the Bismark Community Bowl.