MINOT, N.D. - South Dakota Mines had all the momentum.

The Hardrockers scored on the opening possession of the second half to take a 16-15 lead over Minot State University and had forced the Beavers into a punting formation on the ensuing possession.

But the momentum shifted from an unlikely source.

Beavers sophomore linebacker Zach Robinson took a direct snap out of a punt formation and scampered around the right side for 14 yards on fourth-and-2 to the Mines' 37.

MSU scored eight plays later to take back a lead it did not relinquish in a 25-16 Dakota Athletic Conference football win over Mines on Saturday at Herb Parker Stadium.

"We put that in this week," Robinson said. "I have to give our blockers a lot of credit, there was a lot of green in front of me until their returner got me."

Robinson's run was a part of a 14-play, 70-yard drive that answered the best drive of the day for the Hardrockers. According to MSU head coach Paul Rudolph, the Beavers had been waiting for the right time to run the play.

"We tried to put it in last year, but we kept screwing it up," he said. "It was where we saw on tape that they did something 100 percent of the time. We were waiting for the time to use it. Our kids have confidence in it and executed it perfectly. It's always good to give those guys some sugar, right."

The play not only answered the Mines' drive, but also allowed the Beavers to continue to grind the game out on the ground. MSU rushed the ball 47 times for 203 yards, the bulk by senior Nick Banks. Banks finished with 181 yards on 37 carries and scored three times.

"That's the way the season has been going. We got some things going (in the running game) and that's a credit to the offensive line," Banks said. "It was nice to get things going and the defense picked thing up as well."

Neither team looked overly in sync as the Beavers had four interceptions, missed two PATs and a field goal. Mines finished with an interception, a lost fumble, a missed field goal, a missed PAT and four face mask penalties.

"A couple of our key guys are freshmen and sometimes they play like freshmen," Mines head coach Dan Kratzer said. "But overall I was proud of our team. We are so close to putting it all together. Our focus is not 100 percent where it should be, but that is the difference between a good football team and a great football team. I can say we are a good team, not a great team."

Rudolph was also not completely happy, even with the win.

"I told the guys that we have to quit this love-hate relationship," he said. "I told them there are times I love the heck out of you guys and times I wonder what we are doing and I just hate the hell out of you."

After the Mines drive to start the second half, which covered 58 yards on 12 plays, capped by a 7-yard pass from Nick Russell to Jason Beilstein, MSU's defense allowed only 62 yards of offense. The Hardrockers were limited to just 59 yards rushing for the game and just 16 after the drive.

"We adjusted some of the things we do with our double tight formation (on the drive)," Kratzer said. "We went back to it in the fourth, but (MSU) did some adjustments. The key in a close ball game and really, in any game, is in the trenches and we didn't win that battle."

Robinson said the coaching staff did a solid job of changing the defensive scheme to counter the switches at halftime for the Hardrockers.

"The coaches did a good job of preparing us for the adjustments," he said. "Our plan was to come out and dominate and I think we did that. Everybody had a good game, top to bottom."

Banks, and the Beavers, moved the ball extremely well on its first drive, going 72 yards on nine plays to start the game. Banks had a big run, breaking tackles on a 32-yard run to the Hardrockers' 4 and scored one play later off left tackle.

"That was the best drive of the season to start the game and probably the best all year," Banks said.

MSU stopped Hardrocker drives in the second when Tommy Weidler knocked a ball out of Russell's hands and then recovered the fumble and Ryan Riemedio picked off a pass.

Still the game was in doubt until Nik Levnaich hit a 32-yard field goal with 38 seconds to play. MSU used a healthy dose of Banks and a key pass from backup Layvester James to Dominique Howard to extend the drive.

Lance Hollinger has a solid game catching passes as he finished with five for 52 yards to pace MSU (4-3 overall, 3-1 DAC). MSU's quarterback's Jon Meier, coming off an injury, and Layvester James combined for just 14-of-31 passing for 129 yards.