GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Drake University football team wasn't able to overcome a 21-0 halftime deficit, as North Dakota outlasted the Bulldogs for a 21-18 victory at the Alerus Center, Saturday night.
North Dakota, who rushed for over 275 yards with no turnovers in its season-opening victory at Wyoming last week, was held to just 25 yards rushing on Saturday. Drake forced three fumbles and corralled UND's John Santiago to just 24 rushing yards. Santiago totaled 148 yards and two rushing touchdowns last week.
North Dakota scored the only points in the first quarter in the opening drive of the game. Keaton Studsrud completed a 59-yard touchdown pass to Luke Stanley.
North Dakota used seven-play 47-yard touchdown drive to go up 14-0 midway through the second quarter, and then tacked on another touchdown at the 5:31 mark, taking a 21-0 lead at halftime.
UND held Drake to just 93 total yards of offense in the opening half and gave up 61 of those 93 yards in the Bulldogs' opening drive.
Drake finally got on the board near the end of the third quarter when Josh Lee made a 36-yard field goal, 21-3.
On the second play of the fourth quarter, Cam Bohnert pinned UND on the five yard line with a 35-yard punt, and finished the game with 11 punts for 438 yards and put four of them inside the 20 yard line.
The Bulldogs kept UND from getting out of the shadows of its end zone, and on third and 13 John Hugunin sacked Studsrud for a safety, making it a 21-5 game.
Drake made it a 10-point game, 21-11, when Conley Wilkins squeezed into the end zone on a one-yard touchdown run with 3:17 left to play. The Bulldogs couldn't convert on the two-point conversion to make it a one-possession game.
On North Dakota's ensuing drive, Studsrud fumbled a snap and DU's Al Wegener recovered the loose ball, putting Drake's offense on its own 35-yard line.
Fifth-year senior quarterback Andy Rice then capped off a nine-play 65-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Eric Saubert, putting Drake within three, 21-18, with 51 seconds left in the game.
North Dakota recovered the Drake's on-side kick attempt and ran out the final ticks of the clock.
Rice finished the game with 237 yard passing and completed 23-of-42 attempts. For the second straight game, Saubert was Rice's top target, recording six receptions for 66 yards.
Drake's defense shutout UND in the second half and only allowed 51 total yards in the final two quarters. Hugunin finished the game with a team-high eight tackles (six solo), four forced fumbles and two sacks.
The Bulldogs travel to South Dakota on Sept. 19. Kickoff set for 2 p.m.
