COPY OF ARTICLE FROM MINOT DAILY NEWS link

By MICHAEL LINNELL Sports Editor, mlinnell@minotdailynews.com

Second half Dominance

Chris Bieri/MDN Minot State University running back Manny Gutierrez (34) cuts back for more yardage as Dakota State University's Toby Hall (7) and Richard Salazar (24) try to defend during Dakota Athletic Conference football Saturday at Herb Parker Stadium. MSU won the game 30-3.

What a difference a half makes.

Minot State University looked to be on the ropes after a fired up Dakota State University team went to the halftime locker room down just 7-3.

The second half, however, was a completely different story.

The Beavers outscored the Trojans 23-0 and the Beavers' defense dominated DaSU as MSU powered to a 30-3 Dakota Athletic Conference football win Saturday at a cold Herb Parker Stadium.

“We all felt down, myself included, at half. Everybody was wondering what was going on,” MSU senior linebacker Kenny Mack said. “But the bottom line is that we gave up just three points. We have come to expect to not give up anything.”

The turning point in the second half came on a 3rd-and-long for the Beavers. MSU quarterback Jon Meier featured a long pass down the left sideline to Chauncy Hendershot, good for 19 yards and close to a MSU first down. There wasn't a measurement, however, as DaSU was flagged for a personal foul moving the ball to the Trojans' 9. The Beavers' Neil Graham bowled in from the 3 two plays later.

Dakota State fumbled on the MSU 7 two plays into its ensuing drive and MSU's Manny Gutierrez, who has been out for three games due to injury, scored from the 7 to put MSU up 20-3.

“It was great to find the end zone,” Gutierrez said. “It took me a little while to get into a rhythm and to be able to make the reads. We didn't have the ball much in the first half and couldn't get a rhythm as a unit early.”

The Trojans kept the ball away from the Beavers in the first half mainly due to one solid drive. After the Beavers scored — on a 1-yard fumble recovery by offensive lineman Ryan Rusznak early in the first quarter — the Trojans used an 18-play drive culminating in a 39-yard field goal by Mitch Lynch. Two different times the Trojans successfully converted fourth down plays.

“They did some good things in with their quarterback run game,” MSU head coach Mike Sivertson said. “That is a team that is capable of doing some good things. We made some adjustments in the second half and the defensive line did a great job in the second half.”

The Beavers hounded Dakota State's quarterback Donald Strand the entire afternoon, but once MSU took the lead, the defense made it very difficult for the Trojans to move the ball. MSU sacked Strand, a converted wideout who was in just his third game at quarterback, four times, forced two Dakota State fumbles and held its second consecutive opponent to fewer than 100 total yards of offense.

“We didn't have time to throw the ball all day,” DaSU head coach Nate Holtz said. “We aren't a straight drop-back passing team. (Strand) did a good job, but (MSU) didn't allow him much. It is tough when your best wideout is playing quarterback.”

After giving up 65 yards in the first half, the MSU defense, thanks to a total of six sacks, held the Trojans to zero yards rushing and only 18 yards passing.

“We were getting so much pressure once we got the lead,” said Chase Spencer, who recorded three sacks and forced a fumble. “They had a good quarterback, but we beat them off the line. We didn't change much (against the option game). We just got in the gap and played.”

MSU put the game away with a long drive that ended with a 24-yard Michael Fox field goal early in the fourth qarter and a Meier-to- Chris Bowen 10-yard TD strike late in the fourth.

“It think we wore them down,” Mack said. “If you keep hitting guys like that, it's going to take its toll.”

Graham and Gutierrez paced the running game as Graham finished with 71 yards on 18 carries and Gutierrez 64 yards on 12 carries. Meier finished with 144 yards passing with one score and one interception. MSU outgained the Trojans 282-85.

DaSU (2-3 DAC, 3-6 overall) was led by Sheldon Davis' 75 rushing yards. Strand was limited to just 37 yards passing and minus-17 rushing.

The Beavers (4-1 DAC, 4-4 overall) find themselves in sole possession of second place with two weeks remaining in the regular season as Jamestown College defeated Dickinson State. MSU travels to Jamestown Saturday for a 1 p.m. clash with the Jimmies.