DES MOINES, Iowa – South Dakota Mines Football opened the 2026 season with a historic 38-35 upset victory over Drake on Thursday night.
Drake held the Hardrockers in check early, kicking a field goal on its opening drive and forcing a South Dakota Mines punt before taking a 10-0 lead with 6:41 remaining in the first quarter.
As the Hardrockers drove late in the quarter, Drake recovered a fumble to regain possession. The Bulldogs drove to the South Dakota Mines 31-yard line, but an incomplete deep pass on fourth down gave the Rockers the ball back.
With 10:01 remaining in the first half, the Hardrockers cashed in on a three-play touchdown drive. Gage Baker found Dawson Dunbar for a 58-yard touchdown to cut the deficit to 10-7.
Following a three-and-out by the Bulldogs, the Hardrocker offense went back to work with 7:57 remaining in the half. After Ty Harris accounted for 21 yards on four plays, Dunbar broke free for a 49-yard rushing touchdown to give the Rockers a 14-10 lead. Both teams traded field goals to close the half, with South Dakota Mines taking a 17-13 lead into halftime.
The Hardrockers wasted no time coming out of the break, scoring a touchdown on their third play of the third quarter. Following a 27-yard reception by Dunbar, Baker connected with Joshua Morales for a 44-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 24-13.
On Drake's first drive of the second half, the Bulldogs advanced to the South Dakota Mines 5-yard line before Charlie Johnson forced a fumble that Mason Breen recovered.
With 11:36 remaining in the third quarter, the Hardrockers added another touchdown on a nine-play drive. Baker found Blake Borchers for a 36-yard touchdown pass, and Sam Eccles' extra point made it 31-13. Both teams remained scoreless for the remainder of the quarter.
Drake responded with three consecutive touchdowns to take a 35-31 lead with 7:45 remaining in the game. The Hardrockers then embarked on a 16-play drive that drained the clock. With 1:56 remaining, Dunbar scored his second rushing touchdown of the night to put the Rockers back in front, 38-35.
The drive left Drake with less than two minutes and no timeouts. As the Bulldogs drove down the field in the final minutes, Johnson sealed the victory with a game-winning interception, giving the Hardrockers the 38-35 win.
Dunbar averaged 7.1 yards per carry while rushing for a career-high 120 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught three passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Harris added 108 rushing yards as the Hardrockers totaled 221 yards on the ground.
Through the air, Morales recorded four receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown, while Kooper Koehn added three catches for 41 yards. Baker completed 19 of 31 passes for 306 yards and three touchdowns, marking the third 300-plus-yard passing game of his career. The Hardrocker offense totaled 527 total yards, with 306 passing yards and 221 rushing yards.
Defensively, Johnson led the Hardrockers with 12 tackles, including five solo stops. He also recorded the game-sealing interception, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. Jarin Allen finished with eight tackles, while Lang Gappelberg recorded six. Ethan William forced a fumble, recorded one sack and added two quarterback hurries. Michael Thompson had two pass breakups, and Zachary Young recorded a sack.
With the victory, the Hardrockers earned their first win over an NCAA Division I opponent in program history. It also marked their first season-opening win since 2023, when they defeated Valley City State, and their first road season-opening victory since a 42-27 win at William Jewell in 2017.
What's Next
The Hardrockers return home for three of their next four games. South Dakota Mines will host Southwest Baptist on Sept. 5 at 1 p.m. at O'Harra Stadium before opening RMAC play against Colorado Mesa on Sept. 12 at 1 p.m.
