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Bison full-back Hunter Luepke rushed for three touchdowns to fuel a 34-13 victory over No.2-ranked University of North Dakota in the Missouri Valley Football Conference .
The Bison (5-1, 4-1 MVFC) extended their home winning streak to 32 games, giving UND (4-1, 4-1) their first loss this season. NDSU is 3-0 against the Fighting Hawks during the NCAA Division I FCS era. The teams played as conference opponents for the first time since 2003, when both programs were in Division II.
“We’re not where we need to be, but we’re moving,” Bison head coach Matt Entz said.
The Bison ran for over 316 yards on 54 attempts against the MVFC’s highest scoring defense. UND was allowing 85.2 yards per game as of Saturday. Luepke rushed for 190 yards and three touchdowns on 28 attempts, playing his first game this spring. The 6-1 / 1, 245-pound Luepke had missed the previous four games with a shoulder injury.
“The whole blocking was perfect today,” Luepke said.
Entz said the Bison offensive line as well as the tight ends did a good job moving the line of scrimmage throughout the game after some inconsistency in running play in the first four games of the spring.
“It wasn’t just magic overnight,” Entz said. “Consistency, staying true to who we are, making sure we always value our identity and this is the most physical team in the country.”
Bison’s senior quarterback Zeb Noland kicked off in a decision that wasn’t known until moments after kick-off when the NDSU attack took over. Earlier in the week, Entz failed to name a definitive starting QB. True rookie Cam Miller also played against the Fighting Hawks. Noland completed 5 of 13 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions.
Noland is not afraid to share his time with Miller.
“I like it,” Noland said. “I love to see him have playing time and I love to see him succeed. There was never any tension in our room about it and I love this part.
Luepke pushed the Bison’s lead back to two touchdowns late in the third quarter after UND tried to come back early in the second period. He steamed into the end zone on a 5-yard TD run that gave NDSU a 28-13 lead with 4 minutes and 38 seconds left in the third. He had eight carries on the 14-game, 75-yard course which he completed with his third score of the game.
“I think he’s one of the best athletes on the team,” Noland said.
NDSU kicker Griffin Crosa added a 41-yard field goal that gave the Bison a 31-13 lead with 14:05 left in the fourth quarter. He then added a 35-yard basket for a 34-13 lead with 7:57 to go.
“I still don’t think we’ve reached our limit,” said Michael Tutsi, Bison security. “We still have room to grow and improve and we will continue to do so. … We came in and built up a lot of energy at the start and it stuck all the time.
UND started the second period energetically, starting at his own 45-yard line after a 41-yard kickoff return by Luke Skokna. The Fighting Hawks used six plays to cover the 55 yards and took advantage of an NDSU offside penalty on a fourth and a play. First-year wide receiver Bo Belquist topped the run with a 21-yard catch. quarterback Tommy Schuster to reduce Bison’s lead to 21-13 with 12:01 left in the third quarter.
The Fighting Hawks, however, couldn’t capitalize on that momentum as the Bison fired back with 13 unanswered points.
“We really never had momentum and they kind of had that momentum,” said UND head coach Bubba Schweigert.
Luepke gave an early jerk to the Bison offense, scoring on a 55-yard touchdown on his first attempt at a spring run. This gave NDSU a 7-0 lead with 14:10 remaining in the first quarter. That scoring flurry capped a 4-game, 75-yard touchdown to open the game.
Otis Weah responded later in the opening quarter with a 74-yard touchdown that reduced the Bison’s lead to 7-6 with 4:47 left in the first. UND kicker Adam Stage missed the extra point. Weah’s long TD streak came from play after a Hayden Galvin interception.
Luepke was the workhorse on NDSU’s second scoring record. He capped the walk with an 8-yard TD run that gave the Bison a 14-6 with 11:11 left in the second quarter. This completed a 16-play, 82-yard practice. Luepke carried the ball seven times on that record and finished the half with 100 rushing yards and two scores in 11 carries.
The Bison capped their strong offensive half with a long passing game. Noland joined receiver Christian Watson for a 63-yard touchdown that gave NDSU a 21-6 lead with 1:06 left until halftime. The Bison had 293 yards in 38 games in the first two quarters. The had 12 first tries at halftime.
“The big game just before half-time was disappointing that we didn’t go into the locker room with a score,” said Schweigert. “It was a great swing in the game.”
NDSU finished with 456 yards in 73 games, while owning the ball for more than 36 of the game’s 60 minutes.
“He’s been there, but today we executed and we finished the shot and that’s what was so critical,” Entz said. “I couldn’t say more about the football team. … All three phases took place at a high level.
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