MOORHEAD, Minn. - On a rain-soaked night in the Red River valley, Concordia-St. Paul (1-3 NSIC) was unable to complete a road comeback, falling 21-20 at MSU Moorhead (2-2 NSIC) at Nemzek Stadium. Concordia returns home for NSIC South Division play next Saturday for Homecoming 2017: Be Golden at Sea Foam Stadium with a noon kickoff against #8 Minnesota State.

The Golden Bears trailed 21-10 at the break and held the Dragons scoreless in the second half with defensive coordinator Craig Stern and the defense producing a solid gameplan against All-America wide receiver Damon Gibson. Primarily covered by junior cornerback Dion Wallisch, Gibson was held to three catches for 24 yards - all coming in the first half. Senior linebacker Frantz Polimice added help underneath and safety coverage provided assistance over the top on one of the league's top individual offensive threats.

In the second half, Concordia held MSU Moorhead to 124 yards and seven first downs. Polimice finished with 12 tackles and the forced fumble. Senior Billy Brown led the team with 13 tackles while defensive lineman Jackson Dobbs had nine tackles including a sack.

For the Golden Bears, it was sophomore Darnell Rolle and the running game that shouldered the load throughout the night although the passing game was able to make key plays at critical moments as well. Rolle rushed for a career-high 163 yards on 21 carries. He also had a pair of catches for 15 yards.

In the final tally, Concordia rolled up 27 first downs, 211 yards on the ground (5.1 per carry), 242 passing yards and 453 yards of total offense. The Golden Bears also held MSUM's passing game to just 149 yards on 24 attempts although the Dragons were able to compile 241 yards on the ground.

The big difference in the final outcome came down to one of host MSU Moorhead's greatest weaknesses entering play. The Dragons were tied for the second worst in turnover ratio (-9) entering the game, but were able to play turnover free football and force two Concordia fumbles on the rainy night. The second CSP fumble came at the two yard line as CSP was looking to claim the lead with under a minute to play in the third quarter, trailing 21-20.

Earlier in the third quarter with MSUM leading 21-17, the Dragons' lone fumble was forced by Polimice, with the slippery ball squirting out of CSP's hands on the recovery and back to the ball carrier.

A strong game plan complete with solid halftime adjustments by head coach Shannon Currier and his staff combined with execution by the players would be nullified in the end by the unpredictable bounce of the football on a rainy night.

Concordia came out and executed its plan from the opening play, despite a false start providing a minor setback, CSP got things going with a 12 yard run to freshman Lajuan Preston. Rolle carried four times on the drive for 22 yards including a nine yard touchdown run to cap off the 12 play, 78 yard drive that kept the Dragon offense off its home turf for 5:08.

The Dragons countered by moving the ball near the CSP red zone before a fourth down sack by Dobbs turned the ball over on downs to give the offense strong field position at the 39.

And while the offense was held in check on its second possession, it was a pair of penalties on the punt that turned things in MSUM's favor. A strong 44 yard punt into the wind was fair caught at the 14 yard line by the Dragons, but an illegal motion penalty negated the expert punt by senior All-NSIC punter Sam Maedke. On his second try, a still strong 36 yard punt into the wind was returned 24 yards with a horse collar tackle adding 15 yards to the end of the play. The end result pushed the Dragons from their own 14 yard line into CSP territory at the 35 - a net of 51 yards.

Two plays later, the game was tied.

Concordia drove deep into MSUM territory with sophomore Maxon Hutton completed a 21-yard third down pass to Elias Arlington to move into MSUM territory. The drive stalled at the Dragon 32, with sophomore Jonas Schenderlein's 50 yard field goal try having plenty of distance but getting pushed to the right. Arlington finished with eight catches for 80 yards on the night.

The Dragon offense continued its early game momentum with a strong seven play scoring drive covering 68 yards in less than two minutes of time to take the 14-7 lead.

Once again, Concordia's offense found success against the Dragons with Hutton hitting sophomore Marcus Gustaveson for 18 yards on a 3rd and 4 to put the offense on the MSUM 22 yard line. Runs of seven and eight yards by Rolle moved the ball inside the 10 before a penalty backed them up and stalled the drive to a 4th and goal at the 17. This time, Schenderlein split the uprights from 32 yards out.

The defenses traded stops and Concordia appeared to have another stop when MSUM quarterback Demetrius Carr connected with Hunter Braaten for 32 yards on 3rd and 7 from their own 28, into CSP territory to the 40. Three plays later, the Dragons found the end zone for a 21-10 lead with 3:50 to play in the half.

In the first half, Hutton completed 13-23 for 129 yards and added 41 rushing yards on nine carries. He found six different targets in the first half with five passes to Arlington for 44 yards and three to Jake Tanner for 23. Gustaveson added two catches for 34 yards. The first half ground game was led by Rolle with 12 carries for 62 yards and the touchdown.

In the second half, the Bears went to 2016 starting quarterback senior Ron Johnson and he responded to the moment by completing 4-6 for 44 yards on CSP's opening drive of the second half. This followed a defensive stand that had the Golden Bears thwart a 42 yard drive to the CSP 33 yard line that ended on a 4th and 2.

Johnson's first big test was on the first series, finding senior tight end Matt Bjork for six yards to convert a 3rd and 4 from the CSP 39. The drive was capped by Johnson hitting Gustaveson for an eight yard touchdown, making it 21-17 with 8:04 to play in the third quarter. Johnson engineered an 11 play, 67 yard drive that kept the Dragons off the field for 4:21 of play.

On his second drive, Johnson led Concordia on a six play, 69 yard march into the Dragon red zone that was spurred by a 48-yard burst by Rolle on the first play of the drive, taking CSP from its own 20 to the Dragon 32. On 2nd and 9 from the MSUM 10, Johnson surveyed the field and with plenty of time to throw, found a wide open right side of the field to run, dashing inside the five before being hit at the two with the ball popping loose, bouncing on the field in and out of Dragon hands before MSUM officially kept possession with under a minute to play in the third quarter.

Johnson was 5-7 for 50 yards and a touchdown while Rolle rushed five times for 65 yards in the third quarter as CSP out-gained the Dragons 114 to 78.

In the fourth on CSP's first possession of the quarter and third of the half, Rolle exploded for a 33-yard gain on the second play of the drive to the MSUM 40. On 3rd and 15 from the Dragon 45, Johnson was flushed out of the pocket near the right sideline, but had time to look downfield, plant and deliver a strike to Tanner for a 40-yard gain to the five yard line. Tanner had four catches for 63 yards in the game.

Although the Bears weren't able to punch the ball into the end zone, Schenderlein connected on the 23 yard field goal to make it a one point game, 21-20 with 9:37 to play.

For Schenderlein, it was his 11th straight made field goal from inside of 50 yards dating back to his freshman year in week seven against Minnesota State when he misfired from 37 yards in 2015.

The Golden Bears were efficient on each of their first three drives of the half which brought the game over five minutes into the fourth quarter.

The defense continued to hold, forcing MSUM to a 3-and-out as the offense took control just over a minute later (8:28) from its own 22. But the Golden Bears would only muster one more first down the rest of the way and didn't move the ball past the MSUM 39 down the stretch as the Dragon defense was able to hold on in the fourth quarter.

Johnson finished the game completing 8-16 for 113 yards and a touchdown as the Hutton/Johnson tandem produced a 21-39 passing line for 242 yards without an interception although each player lost a fumble.