Bulldog offense struggled today; defense and special teams were the pieces of the team that got the win today. This was on full display in McPherson's first drive on their very first play of the game when they handed the football off for it to be coughed up. Saint Mary took advantage of this as Angel Trujillo completed a scoop and score, giving the Spires a 7-0 lead. The Bulldog's offense didn't seem to be clicking today, as they had multiple punts and turnovers on downs. Luckily, the defense came to play, shutting down Saint Mary drive after drive. One of these drives they shut down was a three-and-out that only allowed one yard on the ground. Saint Mary was forced to punt when #2 Aaron Cyrus blocked Vincent McTigue's punt. #42 Quinton Powell recovered the ball and returned it 9 yards for a touchdown. The score was 7-7, which finished out the first quarter.