In front of a record-breaking crowd, the No. 20 Bulldogs defeated No. 3 Minnesota State, Mankato by a score of 30-10 on Saturday evening in Duluth. For UMD, it's their first win over the Mavericks since 2011 and gives the Bulldogs a 2-0 record on the season.
Defensively, Minnesota Duluth held the Mavericks to just 247 yards of total offense. Senior
Austin Kurylo led the Bulldogs with nine total tackles and two pass break-ups. Junior defensive back
Marcus Glodowski posted eight total tackles, while also tallying an interception on the night. On the defensive line, senior
Paxton Woods turned in a terrific interception, which eventually led to a Bulldogs touchdown on the ensuing UMD drive.
On the offensive side of the ball,
John Larson finished the night with two rushing touchdowns, while also throwing for 184 yards and a passing touchdown. Through the air, wide receiver
Armani Carmickle secured one touchdown reception and 63 yards against MSU. For the senior Carmickle, it's touchdowns in back-to-back games. On the ground, senior running back
Cazz Martin led all UMD rushers with 71 yards and one touchdown.
The Bulldogs got the party started early in the first quarter. After the UMD defense forced a punt on the Maverick's first possession, the Bulldog's offense went to work. On his first pass attempt of the game, Larson connected with Carmickle on a long 42-yard touchdown reception to give Minnesota Duluth the early 7-0 lead.
Following another strong defensive stand by the UMD defense, Mankato would punt deep in their own territory. On the ensuing Bulldogs drive, Martin would cash in on an 8-yard run to increase the UMD lead to 14-0. Minnesota State would then use a 14-play drive to put three points on the board, making the score 14-3 late in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the UMD defense turned in a crucial stop on fourth down to shift the momentum back to the Bulldogs and give them possession within Mankato territory. Larson would find the endzone on a four-yard run to increase the UMD lead to 21-3. The Mavericks would use a 10-yard touchdown pass on the next possession to cut the lead to 21-10, late in the first half. In the second half, neither team could find the endzone until late in the third quarter. On a third down and ten from the Mankato 11-yard line, Larson exploded for a beautiful quarterback draw to give UMD a 30-10 lead. The Bulldog defense stood tall in the fourth quarter to secure a 30-10 win.
For UMD, 6,536 fans attended the game at James S. Malosky, a new school record. The win snaps the Mavericks 36-game NSIC win-streak, dating back to 2016. The Bulldogs also improve to 2-0 on the season, and 2-0 in NSIC play.
Next Up
The Bulldogs will look to improve to 3-0 on the season as they travel to Winona State University on Saturday, September 18 for a 1:00 PM kickoff with the Warriors.
