MOORHEAD, Minn. – A poor start again plagued Minot State University football on the road.

The Beavers had two big miscues on the first two drives of the game that both changed the complexity of a wind-swept game and placed MSU in a hole it never fully recovered from.

The miscues and 21 second quarter points from Minnesota State University-Moorhead helped the Dragons to a 52-7 win over Minot State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football Saturday at Alex Nemzek Field.

"We had the play where we stopped them on fourth down, but the penalty gave them another shot inside the red zone and they (MSU-M) capitalized and we had the fumble. Both of those aren't plays you want obviously, but I don't think we overcame anything from there," said MSU head coach Tyler Hughes. "That was, what, midway through the first quarter? We should be able to overcome things like that and we didn't."

The two big plays turned what could have been a 7-0 Minot State lead into a 7-0 MSU-M lead after the first quarter – and it took a goal line stand by the Beavers at the end of the quarter to keep it a one-score game.

MSU looked to have turned MSU-Moorhead over on downs on the Dragons' first drive of the game. But a key off sides penalty on the Beavers defensive line gave MSU-M another shot, in which they converted on the fourth down play. The Dragons later scored on a Jake Hodge 7-yard run five minutes into the quarter to go up 7-0.

Minot State took the ball just under 70 yards to the MSU-M 2-yard line on the ensuing possession, but the Beavers fumbled into the end zone and the Dragons recovered. That Dragons possession ended with the Beavers holding at the 1, but consumed the first quarter with Minot State only getting one drive with the wind at its back.

"We didn't really do anything well," Hughes said. "We got outplayed and outcoached at every spot. It wasn't a good effort by our guys and our coaching staff at all today. Not a good effort by anyone."

The 35-mile-per-hour southeast wind played a key role in the game, but it was the Dragons (2-7 overall, 2-7 NSIC, 1-4 NSIC North) ability to utilize it that was the difference. MSU-Moorhead scored 31 points with the wind in the second and third quarters and allowed Minot State just seven plays with the advantage before halftime.

MSU-Moorhead continued to pile up yards this season as they rolled to 613 total yards on 96 total plays. The Dragons rushed for 360 yards, led by Hodge. Hodge, who  played his first game after being out for a couple games due to an injury, scorched the Beavers for 101 yards rushing and a score and 253 yards passing and four three scores. Zayne Medhaug finished with 86 yards rushing and two TDs for the Dragons.

Minot State (1-8, 1-8, 1-4) finished with 212 total yards led by Jarvis Mustipher (So., RB, Melbourne, Fla.) who finished with 96 yards rushing on 14 carries and the Beavers lone touchdown. Zac Cunha (Jr., QB, Rocklin, Calif.) threw for just 105 yards on 16 completions, hitting Porter Sturm (Jr., WR, Roy, Mont.) six times for 32 yards.

Aaron James (Jr., LB, Oklahoma City, Okla.) finished with 11 tackles, while Thomas Bryson (Jr., DL, Layton, Utah) added 10 tackles to pace the Beavers' defense.

Minot State dropped its fifth straight road game this season and its sixth straight on the road over the past two seasons, getting outscored 223-48 away from Minot in 2014.

The good news is, Minot State closes the season with two home games beginning with St. Cloud State Saturday at 1 p.m. at Herb Parker Stadium.