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Second half explosion Copy of Minot Daily News Article By MICHAEL LINNELL, Sports Editor mlinnell@ndweb.com
Dickinson State University head coach
Hank Biesiot said his team needed something to spark the team in the second
half. "Something good had to happen. We needed
a lift," he said. The field goal started a 29-point explosion
in the second half powering the Blue Hawks to a 29-7 Dakota Athletic Conference
football win Saturday at Whitney Stadium. While it was the kickoff that starting
things for the Blue Hawks, it was their diminutive running back, Larry Aldridge,
who finished things off. The 5-foot-8, 175-pound senior had 177 yards rushing
and three scores in the second half. MSU had done a great job of containing
the All-American candidate in the first half, limiting him to just 11 yards.
"It was in our minds," Aldridge said of what the Blue Hawks did better in the second half. "We knew we could make the block and run the football, we just had to start to do it." Aldridge scored on runs of 10, 24 and
3 in the second half. "We knew what kind of player he was
coming in," MSU head coach Mike Sivertson said. "He is an All-American for
a reason." The first half was positive and negative
for both teams. On the plus side for MSU, they had a 7-0 lead and controlled
the ball. But turnovers and a failure to score on four plays inside the DSU
6 kept the lead at just seven. The Blue Hawks, on the other hand, did not
do much with field position from the turnovers, but only trailed by the one
score. "We missed some opportunities in the
first half, so we were disappointed," Biesiot said. "But we were happy with
just being down one score." MSU's score was on a perfect long pass
from quarterback Jamar Culver to wideout Silas Sneed. Sneed took the pass
in stride and raced in for the 66-yard score. But turnovers - the Beavers
had four interceptions and a fumble - kept stalling drives. Culver was picked
off midway through the third quarter by DSU linebacker Philip Russell at the
Blue Hawk 22. It was the deepest the Beavers moved the ball into DSU territory
in the second half. "We survived some of the turnovers
in the first half," Sivertson said. "If you turn the ball over, all of the
other things you do well are meaningless. We can't keep giving away chances.
Not scoring on the goal line ... We have to get points there." While Aldridge's ground game was key
in the second half, so was his pass catching ability. DSU hit him on two swing
passes, the first for 9 yards, the second for 39. "They are two different kinds of passes,"
Biesiot said. "One was a read and the second was something they were giving
us. It (the second swing pass play) hasn't worked for 20-something years,
I guess it did today." The Blue Hawks quarterback Rafe Espinoza
only threw 15 passes, but had 137 yards and a touchdown. With MSU gearing
up to stop the run, Espinoza was able to mix in some roll out plays. MSU had some success in the first half
running the ball as well, but the Blue Hawks tightened up the defense in the
second. MSU was led by Manny Gutierrez's seven yards on 26 carries. "I guess obviously they played better
in the second half," Sivertson said of the Blue Hawks defense. "They must
have out executed us in the second." The DSU win tightens up an already close DAC as MSU, DSU, Black Hills State and Valley City State all have one loss in the conference. | |||||||||||||
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