Talk about a momentum shift.

One moment Haskell Indian Nations University was driving for a potential winning touchdown. A few moments later, University of St. Mary had scored instead.

“It was a blown play from the start,” HINU quarterback Marlon Dick said of his fumble that enabled the Spires to post a 21-7 victory Saturday night at Haskell Stadium.

The Indians were trailing, 14-7, with 1:14 remaining, but they were on the Spires’ 26-yard line and they had been moving the ball with authority.

In a second-and-10 situation, the call was a dive option, but one of HINU’s running backs went the wrong way, so Dick took off to his left.

“He tried to ad-lib,” HINU coach Eric Brock said. “It’s not his fault, but he should have eaten it and played the next down.”

Four yards behind the line of scrimmage, a St. Mary defender knocked the ball loose and Frank Yee, a 5-foot-11, 210-pound defensive lineman, scooped it up and headed the other way.

Yee appeared to have clear sailing to the end zone, but he stumbled at the Haskell six-yard line. Not that it mattered, though, because quarterback Terry Wilcox carried it over on first down against the stunned Indians.

Haskell Indian Nations University linebacker Stacy Nofire (24) and an unidentified teammate work to bring down St. Mary ball carrier Jay Osborne. The Fightin' Indians fell to 0-3 with Saturday night's 21-7 loss to the Spires at Haskell Stadium.

With 74 ticks to go, Haskell had appeared on the verge of forging a tie. But just 25 seconds later, St. Mary (2-0) had produced the back-breaker.

Haskell’s fourth lost fumble of the night – two by Dick – was too much to overcome as were a glaring 115 yards in penalties. The Indians were flagged 10 times and eight were for double-digit yardage, including four personal fouls.

“Too many fumbles, too many penalties,” said running back Bubba Wills, who provided one of the Indians’ few exciting offensive moments.

Haskell was lagging 14-0 midway through the fourth quarter and backed up on its own five-yard line when Wills, a red-shirt freshman from Skiatook, Okla., burst through a big hole and raced downfield.

“Man, the line picked up everybody. The hole was there,” Wills said. “I could see the end zone, but I had a feeling someone was close.”

St. Mary defensive back Ray Garcia, who had earlier shocked the home crowd with a 79-yard punt return for a TD, caught Wills at the St. Mary six and saved a touchdown.

But the Indians didn’t waste Wills’ electrifying 89-yard jaunt. They scored three plays later on a two-yard plunge by fullback Kevin Crisp. The clock showed 9:27 remaining.

Haskell’s defense forced St. Mary to punt on its next possession and the Tribe took over once again 80 yards from the end zone with 5:14 on the clock.

Dick’s 20-yard pass to Hunter Smith was the big play as the Indians advanced to the 26 in 10 plays – a roughing-the-passer flag against the Spires helped, too – only to have the last-ditch march end in disaster.

Saturday’s loss came on the heels of a disappointing 21-19 defeat at South Dakota Mines last weekend.

“Both games were real close,” Wills said. “They were games we should have won. But I think we’ll bounce back.”

Haskell (0-3) will face another tough KCAC team next Saturday when the Indians travel to Wichita to tangle with Friends.