Defense uses big second half stops to keep Drake from a comeback

While the score reflected another Potato Bowl win for the Green and White, one would not have guessed it by talking to coaches and players.

“We got the win, but the way we played in the second half is unacceptable,” head coach Bubba Schweigert said. “We did not take care of the ball and we had too many penalties after halftime. You cannot do those things and expect to win.”

UND may have faltered in the second half, but did enough to beat Drake, 21-18.

The Green and White came out strong in all facets in the first half.

Keaton Studsrud had one of his best days to start the game. On the first drive, the quarterback delivered a 59 yard strike to wide out Luke Stanley, who showed some impressive speed.

Studsrud would continue his solid day with a very accurate strike to Josh Seibel for his third touchdown of the day. The ball had to be delivered perfectly, as there was three defenders surrounding Seibel and there was very little room for error.

Defense and special teams were playing equally as well. Players like Dayu Idowu and Deion Harris were flying around, making hard hits, and limited Drake to 93 total yards and shut them out on the scoreboard.

“We started off pretty well I would say,” Captain Dayu Idowu said. “We held them through midway through the fourth quarter they hadn’t converted on third down at all. That is a positive on the defensive standpoint, but that is not how we finished.”

At the end of the first half, UND was up 21-0 and in command of the game.

That is when the wheels fell off.

Any offensive rhyme went out the window as Studsrud and the offensive line fell out of synch. To Drake’s credit, the Bulldogs made adjustments at half-time and dialed up the intensity, but UND’s protection could not have been worse as Studsrud had no time to get the ball away.

Because of the offense’s inability to get anything going and two turnovers, the defense was on the field for what felt like the entire second half. Drake took advantage of the opportunity and scored 18 straight points.

While things were starting to look bleak, UND’s defense came up clutch and made key plays when they were needed. Drake attempted one last onside kick and UND came up with the ball, icing the game.

While UND is 2-0 for the first time since the 2012-2013 season, no one on the team seemed to be satisfied with how they played during the Potato Bowl.

“There’s only one way to play, and that’s at a high emotional level, you need to play with grit, with focus and all that and you know, I am disappointed with our performance tonight.” Schweigert said. “We will take a win, all wins are earned, they aren’t easy, but we gotta address these issues and be ready week in and week out.”

This week’s preparation is going to be even more crucial because of the opponent. Next Sunday, the Green and White take on in-state rival NDSU.

Players know that they cannot play like they did against Drake if they hope to keep their undefeated streak alive.

“Guys are frustrated, coaches are frustrated,” Idowu said. “Which is more than expected because the opponent we have coming up this week is going to take advantage of all those mistakes we made and so finishing is something we need to work on and we have to make sure that we don’t get comfortable.”

While there is reason for concern, mature football teams find a way to turn frustration into positives and points of emphasis to work on for the next week.

UND will need to do all of that in order to be ready for the Bison this Saturday in Fargo.

Alex Stadnik is the sports editor for The Dakota Student. He can be reached at [email protected]