DUBUQUE, Iowa - The University of Dubuque football team jumped out to an early 14-3 lead on Friday night in the season opener against the #15-ranked Aurora University. The Spartans would be held scoreless despite moving the ball down the field in the second and third quarters. UD would out score the visiting Spartans 7-6 in the final period of action, but fell short 21-33 in front of the Hall of Fame crowd.

UD scored quickly in the first quarter when quarterback Ben Gultig found Za'Cameron Brice from 17 yards out for the first score of the night . The two would connect once again just six minutes later for a 56 yard touchdown. The two teams would be knotted at halftime. Early in the fourth quarter the scoring tandem hooked up for the third touchdown on Chalmers Field for a nine yard score. Joseph Xiya kicked off four times for 205 yards and was unblemished in extra points, a perfect 3-3. Brice led all receivers with 21 catches for 173 yards. Gultig finished by completing 31-53 pass attempts for 294 yards. Fabian Jackson rushed five times for 67 yards in the loss. Seven Spartans would end the night with at least one catch for the offense.

Christian Morgan punted four times and Gultig punted twice for 94 yards including the longest kick of 50 yards  in the game. Defensively KeiJhuan James led the Spartans tackles with 11 and had a pass breakup. Dalton Wood grabbed 10 tackles, an interception return of 18 yards, and broke up three passes. UD had five tackles for losses of 22 yards.

As a team UD earned 19 first downs finished the night with 131 yards rushing and 294 yards through the air for a combined 425 yards. The visiting Aurora University found their way to 32 first downs, including a ground pounding 212 yards rushing and 313 yards through the air for a total of 525 yards. Possession time edge was also in favor of Aurora 34:50 to UD's 25:10. The Spartans converted on 7-17 third downs and Aurora was 11-21.

The schedule doesn't get any easier next week when the Spartans travel across the bridge to Wisconsin in the Battle of the Bridge against the UW-Platteville Pioneers at 7:00 p.m. on Sept. 14.