SIOUX FALLS – With #7/7 Minnesota-Duluth knocking at the door late, the #6/12 University of Sioux Falls defense stepped up as cornerback
Clifford Redmond knocked away a fourth-down pass in the end zone to preserve a 35-31 win at Bob Young Field before 2,453 in attendance. The win was USF's first-ever over a top-10 ranked program in the DII era (since 2011).
The victory was USF's 10th straight at Bob Young Field, where the Cougars (3-0) improved its overall record to 53-3. USF is 2-0 on its new turf while avenging a 32-7 loss to Minnesota-Duluth two years again on the road. The victory moved USF to 3-0 and a first place tie in the NSIC South while UMD drops to 1-2.
“I am proud of the effort of our team,” said USF head coach Jed Stugart, who ran his record to 47-13 in winning his 60th game at USF. “We had big plays all over the place. It is all about heart that these guys showed when things were tough. They find a way. I am just amazed by their focus and concentration,” he said. .
Redmond, who stepped in for all-league and honorable mention All-American cornerback John Tidwell, had five tackles, TFL and two pass breakups to lead a defense that allowed 432 yards but made the play late to help USF to a a second straight 3-0 start to the season.
"I saw the ball and just reacted," said Redmond, a junior from Elk Grove, Calif. "But everybody stepped up in the fourth quarter," he said.
Indeed. On the ensuing USF drive, quarterback Luke Papilion connected with Brady Rose, who wrestled the ball away from two UMD defenders for a 17-yard gain and conversion of a crucial third down. Then facing a 3rd and five with the clocking winding under two minutes, junior wide out Josh Angulo grabbed a nine-yard pass for a first down at the 40-yard line. After that play and UMD out of time outs, the Cougars went to victory formation and celebrated a key NSIC victory.
While the USF offense was slowed a bit in the second half, they still rolled up 464 yards on just 58 plays for a season-best eight yards per play. In the first half, the Cougars churned out 347 yards as they took a 35-14 lead over the Bulldogs.
Junior quarterback Luke Papilion, a Harlon Hill candidate, completed 15-of-28 passes for 218 yards and added seven carries for 125 yards and two TDs, including a career-best 56-yard TD. It was Papilion's fifth time when he has rushed for 100 yards and thrown for 200. He also had his 10th straight (12th overall) game of 200 yards passing or more. Papilion also went over 100 yards rushing for the seventh time in his career.
Sophomore running back Max Mickey had his second straight 100-yard rushing game (3rd in his career) as he totaled 124 yards on 21 carries with two TDs. It is the first time since last Sept. 27 against Minnesota-Moorhead that two Cougars had rushed for 100 yards in the same game.
The Cougars' receiving corps were led by Angulo with five catches for 53 yards while Mickey had five catches for 19 yards and Rose had three for 83 yards with senior Garrett Shutt grabbing two receptions for 63 yards. With his five catches, Angulo has 101 in his career as he surpassed 100 catches in his career and moved into 10th all-time (Todd Peterson, 97, 1985-88).
As for UMD, they finished with 84 plays for 432 yards, led by Logan Lauters with 33 carries for 114 yards and a TD. Quarterback Drew Bauer completed 13-of-27 passes for 198 yards and a TD. He also rushed for 30 yards and a TD.
In some ways, this was a game of two-halves as the Cougars jumped to the 21-point halftime lead (35-14) against the Bulldogs, who had a 17-0 edge in the second half.
While both teams came in with vaunted offensive units. It was the defense - USF specifically, that struck first in one of the most watched games in the league and in DII.
Opening the scoring was senior safety David Clark who had a 33-yard interception return with 7:58 left in the first half. It was USF's first defensive score of the season after having seven a year ago.
Late in the quarter Mickey broke off his 70-yard TD run, breaking in the open on a option pitch from Papilion as USF led 14-0 after one quarter.
Early in the second quarter, UMD rebounded with a 5-play, 69-yard TD drive, capped by a Beau Bofferding 23-yard TD run.
In a back and forth sequence, the Cougars moved the ball 61 yards on three plays, using just 45 seconds off the clock to a take a 21-7 advantage with 13:10 left in the half. With 2:42 to play, UMD's Buaer connected with Dominic Bonner on a 35-yard TD strike to cap a 87-yard drive in 14 plays.
Once against USF had an answer with Papilion going a career-best 56-yards for a TD on a drive that used just 18 seconds of clock time. Then after holding UMD, the Cougars built on their lead as Mickey scored on a one-yard TD run with 18 seconds left in the half. Mickey's score capped a seven play, 61-yard scoring drive. USF's quick strike offense continued to be in force as all four offensive TD drives took no longer than 1:28 off the clock.
In the last 15 games, USF has had 58 TD drives in three minutes or less, including 16 this season. Of that, 38 TD drives of taken less than two minutes and 18 in under a minute. In 25 of those 58 drives, USF scored in four plays or less.
With USF seemingly in a comfortable situation at halftime, UMD came out in the second half on fire. They put up two TDs in the third quarter, including a four-yard run by Lauters and a two-yard run by Bauer to cut the lead to 35-28. At the 10:17 mark of the fourth quarter, Andrew Brees had a 31-yard field goal to slice the deficit to 35-31.
UMD had momentum and looked poised to come all the way back after recovering a fumble at the USF 36-yard line with 9:27 to play. After moving the ball to the Cougars' 11, two runs by Lauters gained two yards total and then USF's defense stepped up and broke up two straight passes, including Redmond's swat on fourth down.
USF's defense was led by senior linebacker Clint Wilson with 11 tackles and 1.5 TFLs. For the second straight week, sophomore safety Joshua Butler had 10 tackles and added a pass breakup. Senior defensive tackle Grant Schindler had a big day with five tackles, including two sacks and a season-best 3.5 tackles for loss. In addition, Solomon St. Pierre had his second interception of the season and his 15th all-time to move into a tie for 5th all-time at USF with Leo Fenceroy (2001-02) and DJ Edman (1975-78).
Next for the Cougars will be a trip to Aberdeen, S.D., on Saturday to face Northern State on Gypsy Days.
