In a year that is anything but normal, the state of North Dakota winning a fall soccer game should bring a good sense of comfort to many as the Bison were able to walk out of the Fargodome with a 39-28 win over central Arkansas on Saturday, how they got there was tied with the rest of 2020: abnormal
This was by no means a traditional start for the state of North Dakota The Bison failed to gain any yards in their first offensive practice On their second possession, Trey Lance was stripped of the ball , giving Central Arkansas a great opportunity to score It was Lance’s first roll in a Bison uniform
However, NDSU’s Code Green defense pulled it off They forced the Bears to just one basket after the turnover Arkansas center led 3-0 seven minutes into the game With the dropping out of the ‘Bison attack, the Arkansas center would retain the 3-0 lead after a quarter The two teams combined for 58 yards in 15 minutes
At the start of the second quarter, NDSU’s offense continued to look a bit rusty With a favorable position on the pitch after a blocked Bison practice, the Arkansas center connected on a basket of 41 yards With just under 12 minutes left in the half, the Bears had a 6-0 lead
“It wasn’t like we were gone It’s just a thumbs up,” head coach Matt Entz said of the slow start for the Bison attack “It shows the determination of our football team «
The ensuing campaign saw North Dakota State gain momentum on the offensive side It was thanks to the return of Seth Wilson, who managed to get through the UCA defense for a pair of seven yard runs A 14-yard run from the back Hunter Luepke, coupled with a UCA targeting penalty, helped bring the Bison into the red zone Trey Lance found Josh Babicz in the end zone for 13 yards a game later With nine minutes left in the first period, North Dakota State took control of the scoreboard, 7- 6
The Bison’s defense remained dominant, forcing another mid-Arkansas punt in their next practice.The North Dakota state offense continued to gain momentum as mid -time was drawing to a close This included 37 rushing yards from Trey Lance and the Bison connecting on a 27-yard basket The Bison went to the locker room with a 10-6 lead at halftime
NDSU retained the advantage in total yards, gaining 129 yards under 100 yards from the UCA The Bison also had to rack up nine first downs in the first 30 minutes
As the second half began, the Bison looked like former Trey Lance’s offense ran 54 yards for a score on the second play of the half Lance had only made up 76 total yards in the first two frames On this record he racked up 75 yards alone NDSU followed that up with a two-point conversion by linebacker James Kaczor Just like that it was 18-6 Bison at the start of the third quarter
The bears would respond, however They walked 75 yards across the field in five games and made it 18-13
Lance threw his first career interception on NDSU’s next record That put the Arkansas center in a prime position to take command of the game That’s exactly what the Bears did, scoring in four games and taking a 20-18 lead with just under ten minutes left in the third quarter Momentum had shifted in favor of central Arkansas
Teams would trade punts over the next ten minutes with both defenses standing The score was 20-18 after three quarters NDSU needed a conversion on third and third to keep a solid alive offensive to start the fourth Although NDSU didn’t pick up the first they chose to do so in the fourth and short Lance managed to pick up enough for a first and took the Bison to the red zone
Lance’s legs would give Bison a lead on the scoreboard A 14-yard touchdown gave NDSU a 25-20 lead It was Lance’s second rushed touchdown of the contest The second-year quarterback has racked up 143 rushing yards at the end of the game
« His legs can extend the game, » Entz said. « He made them pay a few times with his ability to play »
As they did for most of the afternoon, the Arkansas center responded On a seven play, 79 yards, the Bears regained the lead With a two-point conversion, the Arkansas center led 28-25 with just over ten minutes left
The Bison managed to string together some offensive consistency at the right time NDSU put on a seven-game practice that resulted in a 23-yard touchdown pass to the back Hunter Luepke Once again, the Bison were in back in the top 32-28 halfway through the final
« I just worry about blocking races and what to do when my number is called, » Luepke said of his performance
Code Green managed to score a timely save on UCA’s next possession As the defense forced a punt, it was now on the Bison offense to put the game on ice
/ p>
The Bison were able to do it Putting together a practice that lasted nearly four minutes and ended with a 13-yard touchdown from Luepke, his second of the game With just under two minutes remaining, North Dakota State held an impressive 39-28 lead
« As the game progressed we saw the effectiveness of having that big back, » Entz said of fullback Luepke
This score would hold true until the end after an interception by Jayden Price Le Bison finished the game with 414 yards of total attack
The State of North Dakota will no longer play a football game in the fall Next date is February 21 with Youngstown State at the Fargodome
Hunter Luepke (back): 31 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, 29 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown
Trey Lance (quarterback): 149 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, 143 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns
NDSU Football
World News – United States – Bison Football Shakes Rust, Comes to Central Arkansas – Bison Illustrated