DULUTH, Minn. – Minot State University carried a 10-8 lead into the second half, but Minnesota Duluth rallied for 21 points in the third quarter to win going away 36-10 in the regular-season Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference football finale Saturday at Malosky Stadium.

The Beavers (1-10 overall, 1-10 NSIC, 1-6 NSIC North) battled the perennial powerhouse Bulldogs for much of the game, but became worn down on defense midway through the third quarter. UMD (8-3, 8-3, 6-1) seized the game with a long run by Nate Ricci, a short run by J Harden and then a pass from Justin Fowlkes to Ricci on a double reverse pass to open up a comfortable lead.

Minot State scored the game's first points as they marched 90 yards in eight plays behind the legs and arm of freshman quarterback Isaiah Weed (Fr., Bonney Lake, Wash.). Weed, making his second start of his career, broke off a 70-yard run to set up a 9-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Cooper (Jr., DB, Fresno, Calif.). Cooper, a converted defensive back during the week, caught his first career touchdown pass.

Duluth countered with a safety as MSU was penalized in the end zone during a punt and then drove 46 yards in six plays as Harden scored from 2 yards out. But a failed PAT attempt make it just 8-7.

Aaron La Deaux (Jr., P/K, Port Orchard, Wash.) put MSU in the lead again with a 42-yard field goal, his second longest of his career, with 8:54 remaining in the second quarter. The field goal was set up by a fourth down stop by the Beavers defense deep in Duluth territory.

But MSU couldn't hold the lead as the offense never got going. The Beavers picked up two first downs on their first possession in the second half, but finished with just 49 yards and four first downs the rest of the half.

Ricci and Darren Walker each went over 100 yards rushing in the game as Walker ended with 116 on 15 carries, while Ricci had 100 on 10 carries. UMD ended with 246 yards on the ground overall. Ricci also added 107 yards passing.

Weed threw for 70 yards on 11 of 28 passing with one TD and one interception. He also had 95 yards rushing. Cooper caught four passes for 13 yards to lead MSU in catches. Trevin Swensen (Jr., LB, Shelly, Idaho) and Brady Kortes (Sr., DB, Fairview, Mont.) each had 10 tackles to lead the Beavers. Maurice Talley (Sr., DB, Elk Grove, Calif.) intercepted his second pass of the season and had four tackles and seniors Mitchell Matthias (DL, Merritt Island, Fla.), Marcel Brinson (DB, Gilroy, Calif.) and Aaron James (Oklahoma City, Okla.) combined for 22 tackles in their final game as Beavers.  

About Minot State
Minot State University is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and NCAA Division II offering 14 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletics programs. The NSIC is a premier NCAA DII, 16-member conference featuring teams in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa. The Beavers are the only public NCAA Division II institution in the state of North Dakota.