Matt Donovan is fighting for his life in a Fargo intensive care unit after suffering a brain bleed during a college football game in eastern North Dakota, an injury so severe that surgeons removed part of his skull to relieve swelling and pressure. The Mayville State University quarterback, a Minnesota high school graduate who previously played at Bemidji State, appeared woozy while returning to the huddle during a running play against Simpson University, and emergency personnel rushed onto the field.
Donovan was injured on a running play, with helmet-to-helmet contact reported, according to Bring Me The News. He appeared woozy while returning to the huddle, and emergency personnel rushed onto the field. The game was stopped after the medical emergency developed, and Donovan was taken away in an ambulance as his condition remained unknown to those watching. He was emergency airlifted via Life Flight to a hospital in Fargo, where he underwent brain surgery lasting more than two hours to perform a craniotomy and remove portions of his skull, after university officials reported that the pressure on his brain was, in their words, “many times more” than average, according to Yardbarker.
A Father's Update From the ICU
As of Sunday morning, Matt had controlled brain pressure and normal, reactive pupils, an encouraging sign. He remained in a medically induced coma.
The procedure Matt underwent, known as a decompressive craniectomy, is an emergency surgery performed when severe traumatic brain injury causes life-threatening swelling. Neurosurgeons temporarily remove a section of skull so brain tissue can expand, before a later procedure called a cranioplasty restores the bone flap once the swelling subsides, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Comeback Dedicated to a Fallen Teammate
The game, part of Mayville State's Homecoming weekend against Simpson University, a program based in Redding, California, eventually resumed after the delay. Mayville State sent its backup quarterback into the game after Donovan was taken away, and what followed was one of the most emotional turnarounds of the season. Mayville State trailed 41-26 with 6:35 remaining in the fourth quarter before backup quarterback Aiden Marcussen led a 16-point rally to secure a stunning 42-41 victory at Jerome Berg Field, according to KFGO.
Donovan, who wore jersey number 3 as Mayville State's starting quarterback, was the emotional center of that comeback. Marcussen publicly dedicated the dramatic win to him as a key offensive leader, per KVRR News. Mayville State head coach and athletics director Rocky Larson described seeing Donovan injured as one of his darkest coaching moments in seven years, per the same KVRR report.
A Minnesota Football Family's Path to Mayville State
Donovan's road to Mayville State ran through several upper-Midwest programs. He graduated from Kasson-Mantorville High School in Minnesota in 2022, where his father Terry Donovan served as offensive coordinator for 14 years before becoming La Crescent-Hokah's head coach that same year. During his senior season, Donovan led the KoMets to the Class 4A state championship game and passed for more than 800 yards, according to Bemidji State University Athletics.
Donovan was also a hockey standout at Kasson-Mantorville before graduating, according to the same Bemidji State biography.
Minnesota Communities Rally With Fundraisers
News of Donovan's injury spread quickly through the tight-knit Minnesota high school football world where his father remains a fixture. A GoFundMe campaign to help cover family lodging, dining, and ongoing care in Fargo had raised more than $18,300 as of Sunday morning, according to FOX 9.
