The Fighting Hawks (9-3) saw their nine-game winning streak come to an end after building a 24-7 lead with a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half. The 11-yard scoring pass from Keaton Studsrud to Demun Mercer put the momentum squarely on the home team's sideline, but the Spiders would start to chip away at the deficit.
   
UR sophomore Kevin Johnson ran for a 9-yard to make it a 24-14 contest entering the fourth quarter. His rushing score came on a drive that was extended by a running into the punter penalty on the Fighting Hawks.

After a 37-yard field goal by Trau that was set up by a blocked punt, the Richmond defense would force yet another three-and-out. The Spiders ran that punt back for an apparent game-tying touchdown, but that score was negated by a block in the back.

That did not deter Johnson and company, however, as he capped a 54-yard drive with a scoring toss to Garrett Hudson that tied the game at 24-24 with 5:24 remaining.

UND managed a first down on the ensuing possession with a 19-yard completion to Luke Fiedler, but the Spiders' defense would once again hold and leave its offense with three minutes to work with.

Facing a 3rd-and-14, Johnson eluded the rush and stepped up into the pocket to complete a 54-yard reception to a diving Tyler Wilkins. The acrobatic catch put Richmond on the UND 20-yard line and after four runs play, Trau drilled the game-winning field goal.

The Fighting Hawks, who lost at home for the first time this season, controlled the first half and took a 17-7 lead into the break. Sophomore Brady Oliveira opened the scoring for UND with a 4-yard scamper in the first quarter, but that touchdown was quickly matched two plays later when Johnson found Brian Brown on a 79-yard scoring strike to even things up at 7-7.

After the homerun play by the Spiders, the teams would trade a pair of punts before UND connected on its own big passing play. Studsrud handed off to Oliveira, who then tossed it back to the junior captain and he found Mercer wide open on a flea flicker that resulted in a 69-yard touchdown pass.

Mercer would finish with five catches for 122 yards and the first multiple-touchdown game of his career. 
 
Studsrud finished the game 16-of-29 for 182 yards passing and two scores, while Oliveira added 60 yards rushing and classmate John Santiago added 59.

Redshirt freshman Deontez Thompson led all rushers with 68 yards, but earned those on 21 carries. Johnson went 15-for-22 for 289 yards and two scores, while leading the Spiders to a pair of playoff wins in his first two career starts. Brown finished with seven catches for a game-high 189 receiving yards.

GAME NOTES: Captains for the program's first Division I playoff game were senior Luke Mathewson and juniors Connor O'Brien, Cole Reyes and Keaton Studsrud ... The loss snapped UND's nine-game winning streak, which was the program's longest since the 2005 season ... The nine wins were a DI program record ... It was also UND's first playoff loss in the Alerus Center after the team had won all 10 of its DII postseason games in the building ... Junior De'mun Mercer became the first Fighting Hawk to post back-to-back, 100-yard receiving games since Greg Hardin accomplished that feat as a senior in 2013 ... Mercer finished with five catches for 122 yards and the first multiple-touchdown game of his career ... Senior Dylan Bakker logged 13 tackles, including a career-high 11 solo stops, while Cole Reyes added a career-high 12 tackles ... Sophomore Brady Oliveira scored his team-leading 10th rushing touchdown of the season ... UND's three losses this season were by a combined total of eight points ... The Fighitng Hawks fnished the season 1-1 against ranked opponents ... The 12th-ranked Spiders were the higest-ranked team UND faced in 2016.

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