Fighting Hawks drop fifth conference game by single digits, finish season at 5-6
BROOKINGS, S.D. (UND Athletics)– No. 12 South Dakota State held off a final drive by North Dakota in the closing minute to escape with a 24-21 victory on Saturday afternoon from Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, S.D.
UND (5-6, 3-5 MVFC) closes out the regular season with its fifth conference loss of the season, all coming by fewer than seven points against ranked opponents who will likely be playoff bound when the selections are announced tomorrow morning.
Tommy Schuster finished with 22 completions on 37 attempts for 218 yards and one touchdown. His one interception came on the final drive of the game, when his pass was picked off to seal the win for the Jackrabbits (8-3, 5-3 MVFC). He once again spread out the passing attack, finding six-different receivers and four pass catchers having at least four receptions. The sophomore hurler was strong with his legs, rushing a career-high 10 times for 31 yards.
Otis Weah paced that ground attack, carrying it 16 times for 63 yards and scoring his ninth rushing touchdown of the year. As a team, UND finished with 111 rushing yards on 36 carries and two scores.
Bo Belquist led the Hawks with 62 receiving yards on five catches, but it was Garett Maag who found pay dirt with four catches for 45 yards and the score. Brock Boltmann matched Belquist’s five receptions to tie for the team lead, while Jake Richter finished with 51 yards on a trio of catches.
On defense, it was the secondary leading the way with Jordan Canady (8) and Hayden Galvin (7) pacing the way in tackles. Playing without starting linebacker Noah Larson, fellow MLB Devon Krzanowski totaled six stops, including four solo tackles, and a 0.5 tackle for loss.
Jaxson Turner furthered his name in the record book, totaling his 22nd career sack in a UND uniform, the most by a North Dakota player in the Division I era, while also finishing with four solo stops.
The first quarter was heavily dominated by field possession, with both defenses coming up with early stops. South Dakota State was the first team to put a drive together late in the stanza, getting a big run from Isaiah Davis, playing his first game since the second week of the season, followed by a 25-yard scamper by Pierre Strong to put the Jackrabbits in scoring position as the opening frame came to an end.
SDSU cashed in two plays later on a 17-yard touchdown strike to take a 7-0 lead to open the second quarter, but North Dakota answered with a methodical scoring drive of its own. A 14-play, 79-yard march down the field that took nearly eight minutes off the clock was capped off by a Schuter to Magg connection from 16-yards out on a back-shoulder ball to knot the score at 7-7. Third downs were the story of the drive, with UND converting all five it attempted.
Both teams exchanged punts as the half was drawing to a close, but a late score by the Jacks gave the hosts a 14-7 lead heading into halftime.
Out of the halftime break, Weah and the running game got going, with the Hawks marching 63 yards for a game-tying touchdown on the opening possession of the second half. Weah carried it four times on the drive and Quincy Vaughn polished off the drive with a 1-yard plunge over the top of the pile to even the score at 14.
The North Dakota defense made its biggest stop on the ensuing Jackrabbit possession, with the hosts marching down to the goal line and facing a 4th and goal. SDSU decided to quickly snap and try the same play that Vaughn scored on just moments prior, but the UND defense, led by Krzanowski, met the quarterback at the line of scrimmage and did not allow him to break the plane to keep the game tied.
Following the stop, UND was forced to go 3-and-out and give the ball back to SDSU with good field position. The Jacks took advantage and got some luck, as Chris Oladokun’s pass deflected off a host of bodies and into the hands of a Jackrabbit receiver for a touchdown and a 21-14 lead heading to the final quarter.
Just as it had done every time, North Dakota responded again. Schuster found Richter for 18 yards to start the drive before a 10-yard dart to Maag and a rush by the quarterback for 10 more set up a first and goal situation. From the seven, Weah ran through the entire SDSU defense and into the end zone to once again tie the game, this time at 21, with just over nine minutes to go in the game.
UND’s defense limited the Jackrabbits to just three on the next drive, setting up the offense with a chance to win the game with a touchdown. The Hawks looked to be on the move, with Schuster converting a 4th and 3 with a 25-yard strike to Richter to move the ball into SDSU territory; however, a sack followed by an interception sealed the win for the Jackrabbits.
Game Recap: Football | 11/20/2021 5:45:00 PM | Alec Stocker Johnson, FightingHawks.com