Bears Take 28-20 Win In NSIC Opener

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Northern State’s road woes continued Saturday afternoon in St. Paul, Minnesota, as the Bears of Concordia-St. Paul handed the Wolves a 28-20 loss. NSU (1-2, 0-1 NSIC) had several bursts of offensive success but ultimately struggled to get the ball down the field, while CSP (1-2, 1-0 NSIC) found their rushing game and used big plays to stay on top for the win.

The Wolves recovered from a rough first quarter to put two touchdowns on the board in the second quarter, even taking the lead for a short time. In the opening 15 minutes of the game, the Wolves gained just 37 yards and were forced to punt on each of three possessions.

Una Latu put on a show of senior leadership that got the Wolves back into the game in the second quarter. The defensive back put NSU’s first points on the board by blocking a punt and returning the ball 13 yards for a touchdown, bringing the score to 7-7. Latu got the ball back in the Wolves’ hands by forcing and recovering a Golden Bears fumble on the next possession, leading to a 60-yard drive and a 21-yard touchdown reception by Brian Jark.

After the Wolves struck twice to take a 13-7 lead, the Bears answered with two quick touchdowns of their own to take the game back 13-21 at the half. After a scoreless third quarter, CSP went on to strike again in the opening minute of the final quarter to go up 13-28. NSU’s counter-attack put another Jark TD on the board, but fell short of overcoming Concordia’s defense, and the final score was set at 20-28.

The Wolves netted 352 yards in the game, including 308 passing yards. In 17 rushing attempts, NSU gained just 44 yards. The Wolves were also called for seven penalties that cost them 87 yards. Jark had 161 receiving yards and two touchdowns, one each from Jimmie Griffin and Wade Ginsbach. Chuck Driscoll rushed for 58 yards, with a high carry of 34 yards. Rudy Jones and Mike Liedberg had 10 tackles each, while Una Latu had eight tackles, one blocked punt, and a touchdown.

Concordia-St. Paul, who came into the game with an average of 40.5 yards of rushing offense, took their first win of the season by changing their game plan. The Bears’ rushing game accounted for 202 of their 392 total yards. Although they only scored one touchdown on the ground, it was CSP’s running game that got them down the field and into scoring position. Quarterback Kole Goodchild passed for 190 yards and three touchdowns, connecting with Tyrone Ruffin for each touchdown. Cawthorn ran for 93 yards, while Clinton scored the sole rushing TD. The top defenders responsible for shutting down NSU’s offense was Frain with nine tackles and Sullivan and Huynh with eight tackles each. CSP had four players break up passes, and also had three sacks.

Northern will return home next Saturday to host Southwest Minnesota State. The game will kick-off at 1:00 pm.

 

NSU ATHLETICS

NSU HOME

More Info:
2006 FB Prospectus
2006 Weekly Releases

Media Guide 2005 Football Media Guide

Football Contact
Ben Barnes
@northern.edu

NSU Football
Barnett Center
1200 So. Jay Street
Aberdeen, S.D. 57401