The University of Mary football team took its first lead Saturday at the MDU Resources Community Bowl midway through the fourth quarter, then lost it on the next snap. No. 17 Minnesota Duluth turned an intercepted two-point try into points of its own and pulled away for a 27-12 win over the Marauders in Bismarck, according to the official box score.
How It Went
Neither team scored in the first half. UMary's opening drive reached the Duluth 15-yard line before a fumble ended it, and the Marauders were intercepted on fourth-and-goal from the 1 as the half ran out, per UMary Athletics.
The defense kept it level. Christopher Federico stopped a Bulldogs drive at the UMary 11 with a fourth-and-2 tackle for no gain, and Travis Biery later picked off a pass tipped by Cameron Brusven, according to the school's recap.
Duluth broke through in the third quarter on a 22-yard Derrick Johnson touchdown run plus a two-point run by Ryder Patterson, then a 28-yard Drew Henson field goal for an 11-0 lead, the scoring summary shows. Biery blocked a 59-yard field goal try early in the fourth.
UMary answered from there. Xavier Brackenridge finished a nine-play, 45-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run with 10:21 left; the two-point pass failed, leaving it 11-6, per the box score. A kickoff that UMary recovered at midfield set up a five-play drive capped by Ryan Blair's 28-yard touchdown pass to Seb Harris with 7:19 to play. That made it 12-11, and UMary Athletics noted it was the first UMary touchdown for Harris, a native of London, England.
The lead lasted one play. Duluth's Jayce Walrath intercepted the Marauders' two-point attempt and returned it the other way for two points and a 13-12 Bulldogs lead, according to both schools' releases. Riley Grossman then threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Parker Schuh, and Patterson added a 15-yard touchdown run with 1:44 left.
The Numbers
According to the box score:
- Brackenridge ran 23 times for 92 yards and a touchdown, with a long of 38.
- Blair completed 14 of 28 passes for 126 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.
- Harris caught three passes for 47 yards and the touchdown.
- Federico led UMary with 11 tackles, nine of them solo. Biery had seven tackles, the interception and the blocked kick.
- UMary held Duluth to 11-of-20 passing for 140 yards. The Bulldogs still outgained the Marauders 385-240, running for 245 yards to UMary's 114.
- Grossman went 10 of 18 for 132 yards, and Johnson ran for 80 yards for Duluth. Walrath had nine tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.
The box score lists attendance at 1,125.
The Season So Far
- UMary is 3-5 overall and 2-5 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, with two straight losses, according to UMary's schedule page and the NSIC standings (as of Oct. 24).
- Minnesota Duluth improved to 6-2 overall and 6-1 in league play and has won three straight, the NSIC standings show.
Next Up
- UMary plays at Minot State at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, in Minot in the annual Battle for the Big Lake, per UMary's schedule. The Beavers are 2-6 overall and 2-5 in the NSIC, according to the conference standings.
Sources
- UMary Athletics game recap: the school's account of the game
- Official box score: full stats and play-by-play
- UMary 2026 football schedule: results and remaining games
- UMD Athletics game recap: the Bulldogs' account
- NSIC football standings: conference and division records
