JAMESTOWN – Finally!
Finally, there was a good break. Finally, there was a complete, well-played game. And finally, University of Jamestown Football’s losing streak is over.
On Saturday, the Jimmies recorded their first win in just over a year, holding off Dakota State 21-13 at Rollie Greeno Field at Charlotte & Gordon Hansen Stadium.
Dakota State punted on their first possession, then Jamestown (1-6, 1-4 NSAA) held the ball for nearly five minutes, only to not convert on fourth down.
Dakota State (4-3, 2-3) could only again punt, and the Jimmies’ next possession started with a 54-yard run by Carlos Julian. Six plays later, quarterback John Grann scored on a two-yard keeper and Jamestown led 7-0 with 2:15 left in the first quarter.
Next came the play that helped turn the result in Jamestown’s favor. Dakota State started from their 35 yard line, but a bad snap by Trojan center Joshua Shaffer sailed wide of quarterback AJ Donovan. UJ linebacker Ezra Belingheri scooped up the loose ball and ran it in 15 yards for his first career touchdown and a 14-0 Jamestown lead, matching the largest Jimmie lead of 2024.
Tanner Chafee intercepted a Donovan pass on DSU’s next drive, but Blake Duran answered with a pick on Jamestown’s next possession.
After a punt exchange, Dakota State made their way back into the game with a 36-yard touchdown pass from Donovan to Austin Lake with 3:15 left in the first half and the Trojans were within 14-7.
A Jamestown punt was followed by DSU kicker Carson Sauceda booting through a 42-yard field goal with 1:13 left in the first half. The Jimmie halftime lead was 14-10.
Jamestown regained a full one-score lead with the first drive of the second half. Grann threw a 32-yard pass to Dawson Schmidt to reach the Dakota State 18. Zach Hammett rushed for his third touchdown of the season three plays later and the Jimmies led 21-10 with four minutes gone in the third quarter.
Dakota State then held the ball for 7:26 and drove 67 yards on 15 plays, but was held to a 20-yard field goal by Sauceda and Jamestown led 21-13 with 3:22 left in the third quarter.
With just over nine minutes remaining, Jamestown missed a chance to improve on its lead when Grann was intercepted by Dakota State’s Deveon Moses at the Trojans’ two yard line.
After both teams punted, Dakota State had its last chance, starting with 2:27 to go. Donovan completed five straight passes to move the Trojans from their seven to their 40. A third-down incompletion was followed by a fourth-down completion from Donovan to Lake, but Belingheri stopped Lake for no gain and the Jimmies ran out the last 91 seconds.
Hammett rushed for 74 yards and Julian carried for 73. Grann was 13-of-24 passing for 149 yards. Isaiah Roebuck and Colton Schumacher had three catches each. Belingheri had eight tackles.
Donovan was 21-of-34 for 162 yards for Dakota State. Tyce Ortman ran for 73 yards. Taron Serr had nine tackles.
Jamestown will play Saturday at Mayville State. Coverage will begin Saturday at 1:30 PM on The Voice of the Jimmies, Jamestown 107.1.
photo credit: University of Jamestown Athletics