DULUTH, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston football team fell 66-17 to No. 20 University of Minnesota Duluth Sat., Oct. 24 at Griggs Field at Malosky Stadium in Duluth. The Bulldogs put up 541 yards of offense led by Darren Walker, who had 136 yards rushing and a touchdown, and quarterback Drew Bauer, who was 8-of-11 for 130 yards with two touchdown passes. The Golden Eagles fall to 0-8 (0-4 Div.) with the loss. Minnesota Duluth improves to 6-2 (4-0 Div.) with the victory.

Minnesota Crookston was led by Dre Person (Jr., RB, Detroit, Mich.), who had his second-consecutive 100-yard rushing game. Person finished with 26 carries for 107 yards and a touchdown. Nathan Cole (R-So., QB, Aliso Viejo, Calif.) came off the bench and was 6-of-16 for 51 yards with an interception in the passing game. His top target was Lincoln Tappe (Fr., WR, Aiea, Hawai'i), who had three catches for 28 yards, while Tommy Smith, III (Sr., WR, Naranja, Fla.) had three catches for 24 yards.

In addition to Bauer and Walker, Jamiah Newell had six rushes for 64 yards and a two touchdowns. Beau Bofferding was the leading receiver with two catches for 41 yards and a touchdown.

UMC's defense would give up 378 yards on the ground. The leading tackler was Tanner Walsh (Sr., DB, Gaylord, Minn.), who finished with seven tackles. Casey Kraska (R-So., DL, Stephen, Minn.), Bubba Cook (Fr., DL, Surprise, Ariz.) and Tory Slater (R-Fr., DL, Barnum, Minn.) each had tackles for loss.

UMD was led by eight tackles from Gus Wedig. Nick Thorpe had a sack and 1.5 tackles for loss for the Bulldogs.

Minnesota Duluth would start out with three-straight touchdowns early on in the first quarter. Bauer would find Bofferding for a 23-yard strike to complete a 71-yard, seven-play drive. Later in the quarter, the quarterback Bauer would run in from 35 yards out to extend the lead to 14-0. Even later in the first quarter Jonathan Harden would go in from one-yard out after Bofferding 52-yard punt return.

UMC would however start to move the football late in the first quarter as Tra Hearns (So., QB, Bloomington, Minn.) found Adam Connette (So., WR, Corona, Calif.) for 36 yards to move UMC into the red zone. The Golden Eagles then changed quarterbacks and put Nathan Cole in. The redshirt sophomore would run in from six yards out to cut the deficit to 21-7.

Minnesota Duluth would add a score to open the second quarter as Bauer found Justin Fowlkes from 27 yards out to extend their lead to 28-7.

The Golden Eagles would counter as they took the ball 90 yards on 14 plays culminating in a Person one-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 28-14.

UMD would strike quickly as Walker's 56-yard run would extend the Bulldog lead to 35-14.

The Bulldogs get a defensive stop and strike quickly led by a Bauer 62-yard pass to Bofferding which would put UMD in the red zone. An eight-yard rush for Newell would make the score 42-14 Bulldogs.

UMD would quickly get the ball back as Cole threw a first-play interception to Tony Beasley, again setting up the Bulldogs in UMC territory. UMC's defense would stop the Bulldogs in the red zone but an Andrew Brees 24-yard field goal made it 45-14 Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs would extend their lead early in the second half as Newell went in from three-yards out to make it 52-14.

UMD would extend their lead to 59-14 when back-up quarterback Nate Ricci found Keynon Phillips on a 16-yard strike in the third quarter.

The Bulldogs would score their third touchdown of the third quarter as Ricci took it in from 20-yards out to make it 66-14.

The Golden Eagles would get on the board in the second half as Mike Maw (Jr., K, White Bear Lake, Minn.) hit a 31-yard field goal to make it 66-17.

UMC will remain on the road as they head to face University of Mary Oct. 31 at 1 p.m. in Bismarck, N.D. The Marauders came into Saturday with a 0-7 mark.
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The University of Minnesota Crookston is a NCAA Division II university located in the Red River Valley of Northwest Minnesota. UMC sponsors 11 intercollegiate athletic teams with membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate conference (NSIC) and the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). The NSIC is a 16-team conference with schools situated in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.