UMC Golden Eagle News Archive:
June 6, 2006 - July 1, 2009

Brandon Holiday

(Crookston, Minn.)- The University of Minnesota, Crookston football team hosted MSU Moorhead for the 2008 UMC Homecoming game this afternoon at Ed Widseth Field. The Golden Eagles could only muster five first downs in the game but came up big defensively, intercepting five Dragon passes. The spark all afternoon was Brandon Holiday (DB, 5’11, 190, FR, Atlanta, Ga.) who had two interceptions for 102 yards on the day. Holiday grabbed the first MSUM pass at 14:12 of the third quarter and returned it 57-yards for a Golden Eagle score to put UMC up 13-9. The Dragons struck back to take a 16-13 lead, but with 5:24 remaining in the game, Holiday shocked the Dragons with a 45 yard interception return to the MSU Moorhead two-yard line, setting up a two-yard pass from Jake Poehler (QB, 6’1, 175, FR, Coon Rapids, Minn.) to Aaron Wall (WR, 6’5, 210, SO, New Orleans, La.) to put the Golden Eagles up 20-16 and solidify the homecoming victory in front of a packed-house at Ed Widseth Field.

Poehler took the majority of the snaps at quarterback this afternoon for the Golden Eagles. He finished the game completing six passes for 50-yards and two touchdowns. Poehler crushed the hopes of a Dragon comeback in the fourth quarterback when he took a designed  roll-out rush 14-yards for a Golden Eagle first down to set up three kneel-downs in the final 1:24 of the game. Poehlers first of two touchdowns passes came in the second quarter when he hit Jordan Lecher (WR, 6’3, 195, FR, Litchfield, Minn.) for a 34-yard UMC score to go up 6-2. Poehler also led the Golden Eagle ground game, rushing for 53-yards on eight carries with a long of 26-yards. Defensively, the Golden Eagles were led by Mitch Dolfuss (LB, 6’0, 205, SR, Burbank, Calif.) who had 10 total tackles (four solo, six assisted) and one tackle for a loss of five yards. However, the defensive player of the day when to Holiday with four tackles (one solo, three assisted) and two interceptions for 102-yards and a touchdown to help the Golden Eagles to their first conference win. The often overlooked special team game took center stage as well. Punter Travis Coulson (P, 6’3, 255, SR, Crescent City, Calif.) blasted 10 punts for 413 yards (41.3 avg.). He delivered a 54-yard punt to drive the Dragons but and stuck them inside their own 20-yard line twice in the game to help the Golden Eagle defense work with a long field.

The Dragons were led by quarterback Craig Kutz who went 17-36 on the day for 202 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Kutz’s main target on the day was Jabari Taylor who had a sensational day, catching 13 passes for 157-yards and one touchdown. Enol Gilles rushed the ball 15 times for 86 yards and averaged 5.7 yards per carry. Steve Lippert led the Dragon’s defensively with 10 total tackles (four solo, six assisted) and one tackle for a loss of five-yards.

The Golden Eagles advance to 2-3 overall and 1-3 in the NSIC, while the Dragons drop to 1-4 overall and 1-3 in the NSIC. UMC travels to Aberdeen, S.D. on Saturday, October 4 to play the Wolves of Northern State University. Kick-off for the contest is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Fans can listen to the game on KROX-1260 AM at http://www.umcrookston.edu/people/services/MediaServ/stream.htm and watch all Golden Eagle games live on Northern Sun TV at http://www.northernsun.tv/.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at: www.goldeneaglesports.com.