Big Sky Conference

Spiders’ late rally spoils UND’s first Division I playoff appearance

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North Dakota Press release & Skyline Sports

GRAND FORKS, N.D.— Richmond spoiled seventh-seeded North Dakota’s first Division I playoff game thanks to an 18-yard field goal by Griffin Trau as the clock expired, which gave the Spiders a 27-24 victory Saturday at the Alerus Center.

Trau’s second field goal of the game capped a 20-0 run for Richmond in over the final 15 minutes of the game as the Spiders (10-3) advanced to face second-seeded Eastern Washington in next weekend’s quarterfinal-round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

EWU, the co-Big Sky Conference champions along with UND after posting an 8-0 BSC record, defeated Central Arkansas 31-14 in Cheney, Washington on Saturday. Kickoff between Eastern and Richmond is at 1 p.m. PST on December 10 at Roos Field.

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 junior quarterback Keaton Studsrud to junior wide receiver Demun Mercer, a Texas State transfer, 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 quarterback ran for a 9-yard touchdown to make it a 24-14 entering the fourth quarter. The former three-star recruit from Atlanta’s 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 a 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 sophomore Brady Oliveira scores his 10th touchdown of the season/ Conor Knuteson, UNDsports.com

UND sophomore Brady Oliveira scores his 10th touchdown of the season/ Conor Knuteson, UNDsports.com

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 the 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 pass 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.

Richmond starting quarterback Kyle Lauletta tore his ACL in the final game of the regular season. Johnson had been redshirting all fall. He approached the Richmond coaching staff and asked to lead the Spiders into the playoffs. Two weeks later, he has Richmond in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs.

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.

UND entered the game averaging 207 rushing yards per game but managed just 113 yards on 37 rushes Saturday (3.1 yards per carry). The Fighting Hawks limited the visitors to 89 yards rushing on 35 carries (2.5 yards per carry). 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.

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 … It was also UND’s first playoff loss in the Alerus Center after the team had won all 10 of its Division II 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 Reyes, the Big Sky’s Defensive Player of the Year, added a career-high 12 tackles, including sharing a sack with Brian Labat … Oliveira’s touchdown was his team-leading 10th rushing touchdown of the season…the Fighting Hawks totaled four sacks, including sacks by linebackers Jawon Johnson, Jake Disterhaupt, and O’Brien.

 

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