Dawson Dunbar, South Dakota Mines Football News: Draft Scout Player News

Draft Scout College Football Player News

08/27/26 - RB Dawson Dunbar, rSr/2027, South Dakota Mines, (DS#999 RB)

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.

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. - South Dakota Mines football

(DS#999 RB) rSr/2027