Fargo, ND (SportsNetwork.com) – Whenever North Dakota State’s record winning
streak ends – if it ends, some may wonder – it’s going to take a rare
occurence:
The Bison being off their game.
That just doesn’t seem to happen to the top-ranked team in the FCS.
NDSU won a matchup of elite FCS programs on Saturday, never trailing against
fourth-ranked Montana while posting a methodical, 22-10 victory at the
Fargodome – the three-time reigning national champion’s FCS-record 28th
straight dating to the 2012 season.
NDSU improved to 4-0 under first-year coach Chris Klieman, controlling the
game clock with its ground game. John Crockett rushed for 144 yards, just over
half of the Bison’s 280 yards on the ground, and the Bison won as usual with
defense and special teams, including Adam Keller’s five field goals.
The Bison built a 12-10 halftime lead and then extended it to 19-10 on Carson
Wentz’s 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kevin Vaadeland with 8:22 left in
the third quarter. Then on Montana’s ensuing possession, the Grizzlies’ first
turnover of the season was ill-timed as Bison safety Christian Dudzik
intercepted a Jordan Johnson pass in the back of NDSU’s end zone.
Keller kicked a 30-yard field goal with 1:43 remaining in the fourth quarter to
finalize the scoring at 22-10. In the first half, he connected on field goals
of 41, 22, 32 and 47 yards.
Montana (2-2) was held to nine first downs and 256 yards (NDSU had 24 and 447).
A Jamal Jones 72-yard reception set up Montana’s only touchdown, a 4-yard run
by Jordan Canada in the second quarter. Dan Sullivan also kicked a 20-yard
field goal in the final minute of the first half, pulling the Grizzlies within
12-10.
While NDSU has become the pre-eminent power in the FCS, Montana has made the
second-most national title game appearances with seven (two titles and five
runner-up finishes).
The Sports Network FCS Top 25
Saturday, Sept. 20
All Times ET
No. 2 Eastern Washington (3-1) 58, No. 14 Montana State (2-2) 51
Eastern Washington’s win over Montana State was ridiculously good. After Mario
Brown scored on a 1-yard run with 27 seconds left to pull the Eagles within
51-50, quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. scored on a two-point conversion for the
decisive points.
Adams went 25-for-43 for 358 yards and two touchdowns to Cooper Kupp, with two
interceptions. Quincy Forte rushed for 190 yards and four touchdowns on 17
carries.
Montana State’s Dakota Prukop threw for four touchdowns and rushed for one,
while Shawn Johnson had 374 all-purpose yards and scored three touchdowns.
EWU had 647 offensive yards and Montana State 547. The game did not count
toward the Big Sky Conference standings.
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No. 3 Southeastern Louisiana (2-1) at Southeast Missouri State (1-2), 7 p.m.
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No. 5 Coastal Carolina (3-0) at Florida A&M (0-2), 5 p.m.
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No. 7 New Hampshire (1-1, 0-0 CAA) at No. 17 Richmond (2-1, 0-0), 4 p.m.
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No. 8 Villanova (2-1) 49, James Madison (2-2) 31
In the CAA opener for both teams, Villanova overcame a 21-14 deficit with 35
second-half points, although the visiting Dukes outgained the Wildcats in the
offensive slugfest, 568 yards to 563.
‘Nova quarterback John Robertson completed 22-of-27 pass attempts for 337
yards and four touchdowns, including a pair to tight end Earnest Pettaway.
Kevin Monangai rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries.
Vad Lee threw for a James Madison-record 406 yards as well as three touchdowns
with two interceptions.
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West Alabama (2-0) at No. 9 Jacksonville State (1-1), 4 p.m.
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Wisconsin-Oshkosh (0-2) at No. 10 South Dakota State (2-1), 7 p.m.
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Northern Colorado (1-1) at No. 11 Northern Iowa (0-2), 5 p.m.
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No. 12 Bethune-Cookman (2-0) at UCF (0-2), 6 p.m.
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Lafayette (1-1) at No. 13 William & Mary (2-1), 7 p.m.
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Purdue (2-2), 35, No. 16 Southern Illinois (3-1) 13
The Salukis’ first-ever game against Purdue was rather forgettable after the
Boilermakers scored the game’s first 25 points.
A week after throwing for six touchdowns, SIU quarterback Mark Iannotti didn’t
threw for any, although he rushed for the Salukis’ only touchdown. Tight end
MyCole Pruitt caught 10 passes for 136 yards.
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No. 18 Fordham (3-1) 49, Columbia (0-1) 7
Fordham retained the Liberty Cup, which is played in remembrance of the 9/11
terrorist attacks in New York, by defeating Columbia for the fifth straight
season.
Michael Nebrich threw for 435 yards and four touchdown passes, including a pair
to Tebucky Jones Jr., and freshman running back Chase Edmonds had 240 all-
purpose yards, including 174 on the ground, with two touchdowns.
The Rams gained 36 first downs and 653 yards.
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Saint Francis (1-2) at No. 19 Youngstown State (2-1), 7 p.m.
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No. 20 Tennessee State (3-1, 1-0 OVC) 10, Tennessee Tech (1-2, 0-1) 7
Defense is Tennessee State’s forte and it showed in it OVC opener as the Tigers
won a game without an offensive touchdown. Ronnie Vinson’s 50-yard interception
return for a touchdown and a 10-7 first-quarter lead trumped an earlier
interception return for a touchdown by Tennessee Tech’s Austin Tallant.
TSU controlled the game clock and limited Tech to 150 yards, including on 34 on
25 carries. Lane Clark kicked a 26-yard field goal in the win.
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No. 21 Furman (2-1) at South Carolina State (1-2), 6 p.m.
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South Dakota (2-2) 28, No. 22 Northern Arizona (2-2) 21
Playing a ranked FCS opponent for the sixth straight time, South Dakota broke
through with a win by picking off NAU quarterback Kyren Poe three times and
gaining three touchdowns from its own signal caller, Ryan Saeger (two rushing,
one passing).
For NAU, Casey Jahn rushed for two touchdowns and Ify Umodu caught six passes
for 152 yards.
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No. 23 Eastern Kentucky (4-0, 1-0 OVC) 49, UT Martin (1-3, 0-1) 24
Eastern Kentucky scored three touchdowns in the third quarter of its Ohio
Valley Conference opener, including Dy’Shawn Mobley on a 75-yard run, to pull
away from a 28-24 halftime lead.
Mobley finished with 183 yards on 11 carries with three touchdowns. Bennie
Coney threw for a pair of touchdowns and the Colonels forced four turnovers in
the win.
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Bryant (3-0) at No. 24 Liberty (2-1), 7 p.m.
