NDSU dominates ground game, whips Illinois State on the road
Steve Hallstrom
Special to The Farmer
Run the ball and stop the run. It’s been NDSU’s roadmap to success for decades.
Judging from the score of Saturday’s game at Illinois State, it still works.
The Bison outgained the Redbirds 307 to 8 on the ground, spoiling Illinois State’s homecoming in front of 11,687 fans in Normal, Illinois.
Speaking of normal, the Bison offense continues its assault on opposing defenses. NDSU came into the game averaging 39.2 points per game, and bested that number on Saturday.
The game was a rarity in college football. A conference opener between two ranked teams, with NDSU entering the game #2 in the polls with the home team rated number 15.
NDSU opened the scoring late in the first quarter with a 7-yard touchdown pass from senior Quarterback Cam Miller to Junior wide receiver Bryce Lance and it was 7-0 after one quarter.
Miller tossed his second scoring strike of the day to sophomore wideout Mekhi Collins, with an 11-yard connection late in the second quarter to make it 14-0. The drive lasted more than 10 minutes and covered 80 yards over 16 plays. Illinois State countered with a quick drive that covered 74 yards on five plays and punched in a short touchdown just before halftime, but NDSU still had a 14-7 advantage at the break.
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