GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- With the help of a trio of touchdowns from running back Josh Murray (Pepin, Wis.), the white jersey-clad offense won the University of North Dakota's 2010 Canad Inns Sioux Spring Football Game with a score of 45-36. Over 1,000 fans showed up at the Alerus Center for the Saturday afternoon scrimmage.
Murray scored his first TD of the day during the afternoon's fourth series. The series began with a 29-yard rush by running back Mitch Sutton (RB, Plover, Wis.) and was followed by a 22-yard pass reception from quarterback Jake Landry (Grand Forks, N.D.) to wide receiver Jon Heimler (Colfax, Wis.). Sutton and wide receiver Drew Daggett (Frazee, Minn.) combined for another 22 yards to place the ball at the seven-yard line. Facing second-and-goal, Landry handed off to Murray who shuffled past the defense for the score.
In the second series of the new half, Murray again rushed his way into the end zone. Starting at the 20-yard line, wide receiver Jarrel Davis (Maimi, Fla.) moved the ball to the 14-yard line on a pass from quarterback Brent Goska (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.). Murray then rushed for another five yards to set himself up for the nine-yard TD run.
His final score came shortly after the previous. With a new series starting at the red zone, Murray grabbed a short pass from Goska on the right side, shifted directions, and moved his way diagonally through the defense with just enough room to step one foot into the end zone before running out-of-bounds.
"What I saw today was a progression of the last few weeks," head coach Chris Mussman said. "I liked our balance. It was good give and take. That's going to be critical. We know the strength of our team is the defense, but we know that offensively we are going to be called upon to step up in order to win a football game."
Though the offense got the win, the defense didn't make things easy. On the third play of the afternoon, defensive back Justin Belotti (Kenoska, Wis.) got a hand on a pass intended for Daggett. Defensive back Erik Mersereau (Port Washington, Wis.) was able to snag the loose ball to put the first points on the board for the defense.
A pair of redshirt freshmen defensive backs also tallied interceptions of their own. In the second quarter, Karl Hager picked off a pass from QB Seth Nichols (McVille, N.D.) intended for Davis and early in the fourth quarter, Chris Hall (Jacksonville, Fla.) nabbed an interception on a pass from Marcus Hendrickson (Perham, Minn.) to wide receiver Greg Hardin (Bellevue, Neb.).
The defense combined for 72 tackles (42 unassisted, 30 assisted), 10 tackles for loss, and three sacks. Three players - linebacker Mitch Goertz (Rothschild, Wis.), defensive back Chavon Mackey (Jacksonville, Fla.), and linebacker Garrison Goodman (San Ramon, Calif.) - led with five tackles each.
Defensive lineman Jay Nelson (Wheaton, Minn.) notched three solo stops - with a team-best two for loss - and one of three quarterback sacks. Defensive lineman Seth Stanchik (Hudson, Wis.) and Finley were credited with the remaining two sacks.
Nelson was one of five players to record a team-high three solo tackles.
- Go Sioux -
