BOISE, Idaho – (UND Athletics) Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) foe Boise State (1-2) used a big fourth quarter to hold off No. 14/13 North Dakota (2-1), 42-18, at Albertsons Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Boise State led 14-6 midway through the second quarter after a two-yard rush from Ashton Jeanty. The Broncos then got the ball back moments later following a UND fumble and Jeanty pushed the BSU lead to 21-6 before intermission with a one-yard score.
North Dakota made it interesting in the third quarter, with a Wyatt Pedigo fumble recovery and Dylan Boecker interception that both led to points. By the end of the third stanza, UND had narrowed the gap to 28-18 following touchdowns from Wesley Eliodor and Luke Skokna.
The Fighting Hawks looked to have momentum early in the fourth quarter, but the visitors were flagged for a personal foul on a 55-yard BSU field goal attempt that allowed the Broncos to extend their drive and eventually strike for seven points before putting game away to close out the 42-18 victory.
Jeanty was the story on offense for the hosts, rushing for a trio of scores and 43 yards on 16 carries while quarterback Taylen Green finished 18-of-29 for 188 yards and a score through the air.
UND, who entered the contest as the top offense in the FCS, was held to just 183 total yards and was sacked six times. Tommy Schuster nearly notched another 20-completion contest, going 17-for-29 with 142 yards and a touchdown.
In the first half, the Broncos scored on their second possession with an eight-yard Green rush to lead 7-0 with 5:47 left in the first quarter. On the first play of the second quarter, Quincy Vaughn punched it in on fourth-and-short to bring the score to 7-6. UND’s touchdown drive was highlighted by a 31-yard Bo Belquist diving catch that put the Hawks at the BSU 14.
Jeanty scored his first touchdown of the afternoon on a two-yard rush midway through the second quarter to bring the tally to 14-6 in favor of the Broncos. Boise State got the ball back moments later following a UND fumble and Jeanty extended the BSU lead to 21-6 with 28 seconds before halftime.
Following a tightly contested third quarter that saw the Fighting Hawks close within 28-18, Boise State outscored the green and white by a 14-0 margin to close out the victory.
North Dakota will visit top-ranked South Dakota State on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 2 p.m. The game will be televised on Midco Sports and carried on the Home of Economy Radio Network.
Postgame Notes
- Boise State now leads the series, 1-0.
- North Dakota moves to 3-6-1 all-time against teams currently in the Mountain West.
- The three Boise State turnovers are the most UND has forced against an FBS opponent since Sept. 10, 2016, when North Dakota forced three Bowling Green interceptions.
- The Broncos finished with 394 yards of offense with 262 through the air and 132 on the ground. Comparatively, the Fighting Hawks piled up 183 yards with 142 yards passing and 42 yards rushing.
- UND was held to 118 yards of total offense in the first half, with 102 of those yards coming through the air.
- Wesley Eliodor now has touchdown receptions in back-to-back games.
- Tommy Schuster has now accounted for at least one touchdown in 24 of his last 26 games.
- Bo Belquist finished with eight catches for 63 yards to pace all UND players.
- Kason Kelley piled up nine tackles (five solo) and 1.5 TFL’s to lead the Fighting Hawk defense. Wyatt Pedigo also had nine tackles, with five of them being solo to go with his fumble recovery.
- For the third game in a row, North Dakota finished +1.0 in turnover margin.
How It Happened
First Quarter
5:47 – BSU | Taylen Green scores on an eight-yard rush. (Jonah Dalmas kick). 12 plays, 71 yards, 5:45.
Second Quarter
14:57 – UND | Quincy Vaughn scores on a one-yard rush. (Brady Stevens missed.) 11 plays, 77 yards, 5:45.
6:15 – BSU | Ashton Jeanty scores on a two-yard rush. (Dalmas kick). 11 plays, 85 yards, 5:42.
0:28 – BSU | Jeanty scores on a one-yard rush. (Dalmas kick). 7 plays, 48 yards, 1:04.
Third Quarter
11:30 – BSU | Eric McAlister scores on a 28-yard grab from Green. (Dalmas kick). 3 plays, 37 yards, 1:21.
7:36 – UND | Wesley Eliodor scores off an six-yard pass from Schuster. (Conversion failed). 5 plays, 36 yards, 2:07.
4:26 – UND | Luke Skokna scores on a three-yard rush. (Conversion failed). 6 plays, 31 yards, 3:02.
Fourth Quarter
10:48 – BSU | Jeanty scores on a one-yard rush. (Dalmas kick). 10 plays, 58 yards, 4:29.
3:43 – BSU | McAlister hauls in his second TD of the day on a 27-yard pass (Dalmas kick). 5 plays, 46 yards, 1:32.
Game Recap: Football | 9/16/2023 2:59:00 PM | Tyler Wells, FightingHawks.com