CEDAR CITY, Utah--It was another balanced effort resulting in another win for the Fighting Sioux. UND scored on each of its first three possessions and the defense came within four and a half minutes of a second straight shutout as the Sioux toppled Southern Utah 37-10 tonight at Eccles Coliseum.
UND ran for 314 along the ground, including 138 by sophomore Ryan Chappell (Grand Forks), while Danny Freund (Jr., Kenosha, Wis.) led the aerial attack with a 20-for-29 effort for 236 yards and a touchdown. In all the Sioux managed to rack up more than 500 yards of total offense for the second straight game.
The defense, meanwhile, held the Thunderbirds scoreless for nearly 56 minutes and held SUU to 242 net yards of total offense.
The Sioux were clicking on all cylinders from the opening kickoff, needing fewer than two minutes to march 74 yards downfield for the game's first points. Freund hit Weston Dressler (Sr., Bismarck, N.D.) on an out pattern, and the speedy Dressler turned it up field and outran the SUU defender for a 7-0 lead.
UND used a time-consuming approach on its next offensive series, piecing together a 16-play drive that chewed up 79 yards and over seven minutes of play and culminated with a 24-yard field goal by Brandon Hellevang (So., Fargo, N.D.).
Chappell made it 17-0 with two minutes left in the opening quarter, bouncing off tackle right and racing 24 yards to paydirt for his first rushing score of the season.
Another Sioux tailback, junior Brandon Brady (Bloomington, Minn.) scored a touchdown of his own with 9:07 left in the second quarter, finding the end zone from six yards out for a 24-0 Sioux lead.
Hellevang put the finishing touches on the first half fireworks with a career-long 56-yard field goal with three-and-a-half seconds left on the clock sending the Sioux into the locker room with a 27-0 halftime lead.
Freund and the Sioux marched 73 yards in six minutes on their first drive of the second half, finishing it off with a 31-yard field goal by Hellevang to make it 30-0.
That would be UND's final points until just under 10 minutes remained in the fourth quarter, when Chappell broke off a career-long 73-yard touchdown run and put the Sioux ahead 37-0. Chappell would finish with 138 yards on just 12 carries.
The Thunderbirds finally snapped UND's shutout bid with 4:34 remaining in the game on a 48-yard field goal by Steve Pulver. SUU added a late touchdown for the 37-10 final.
Sophomore linebacker Bobby Stroup (Fargo, N.D.) led the Sioux defense with seven tackles, including one tackle for a loss and one quarterback hurry. The Sioux defense collected three quarterback sacks and one turnover.
UND (2-0, 0-0 NCC) returns home next Saturday to open North Central Conference play against Central Washington in the annual Potato Bowl and Hall of Fame Game.
Notes: Dressler became UND's all-time leader in career receiving yards, surpassing Ron Gustafson, who had 2,281 yards from 1971-74. Dressler, who caught five passes for 79 yards, currently has 2,286 career receiving yards ... Freund completed his first five passes after completing his first eight in the season opener two weeks ago ... Quarterback Ryan Konrath (So., White Bear Lake, Minn.) saw action at wide receiver and nabbed his first career reception in the second quarter.
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