FARGO, N.D. ?Indiana State out-gained No. 24 ranked North Dakota State by 34 yards in the first half, but the Bison (5-4, 3-3 MVFC) found their ground attack in the second half en route to a 34-7 victory over the Sycamores (0-9, 0-5 MVFC) on Saturday night in the 35th annual Harvest Bowl in front of 16,211 fans at the Fargodome.
The Bison scored the first points of the game when they took over on the Sycamore 24-yard line after a personal foul call. Three plays later, Tyler Roehl went untouched from five yards out to make it 7-0 in favor of NDSU with 11:34 remaining in the first quarter.
After the Sycamore defense forced three straight incomplete passes, NDSU punted and the Sycamores went on an impressive scoring drive, thanks mostly to running back Antoine Brown and freshman quarterback Ryan Roberts. Roberts had a run of 16 yards after a personal foul call on the Bison and then Brown took over, with a run of 17 yards, breaking a couple of tackles. The Sycamores then went right back to Brown, who rumbled 19 yards up the middle for the touchdown to cap off a six-play, 60-yard drive. Following a Braulio Martinez extra point, the score was tied at 7-7 with 4:28 left in the first quarter.
The score remained that way going into the 2nd quarter. After another personal foul call against ISU and a 33 yard return by D.J. McNorton, the Bisons got runs of 13, four and three yards by Roehl to set up a 37-yard field goal by Shawn Bibeau to make it 10-7 in favor NDSU with 13:28 left in the half.
Neither team could muster anything until the end of the first half when Roberts, who'd been pressured much of the half, was picked off by Cyrus Lemon and returned it 41 yards to the ISU 30. Four plays later, quarterback Nick Mertens found Alex Belquist in the corner of the end zone for a 15-yard score to make it 17-7 with 1:06 left in the half.
The Sycamores were trying to run out the clock, but after gaining a first down Brown fumbled the football setting up a Bibeau 39-yard field goal to make it 20-7 at the break.
NDSU's first drive of the second half set the tone, as the Bison went 73 yards in 14 plays to take a 27-7 lead. Jordan Schultenover capped off the drive on a reverse from five yards out with 7:05 remaining in the third quarter. On ISU's next possession, the Sycamores gave the ball back on downs and the Bison needed just six plays to score on a four-yard TD pass from Mertens to Taylor Jangula to bring the score to 34-7 with 14:56 remaining in the game. That is where the score would stay for the rest of the game as the Bison picked up their fifth win of the season and third in conference play.
As a team, ISU finished with 143 yards in total offense while the Bisons had just 247 total yards, which is 191 yards below what the Sycamores had been allowing this season. In addition, ISU won the time of possession battle, 33:08 to 25:47.
Brown finished with a career-high 70 yards on the ground on 11 carries to lead the way for the Sycamores. Roberts, making his second collegiate start, finished with 42 yards on 17 carries and was 9-for-15 for 40 yards in the air with one interception. The Bison rushed for 149 yards in the game, 79 coming in the second half. Roehl carried the ball 20 times for 102 yards and a touchdown, while Mertens went 9-for-20 for 82 yards and two touchdowns through the air.
ISU returns to action next weekend, when the team travels to Youngstown, Ohio, to face off against the Youngstown State Penguins.
