N. Dakota St. grinds S. Illinois for 38-7 FCS playoff win

Published Dec. 4, 2021 6:41 p.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Quarterback Cam Miller ran for two scores, TaMerik Williams tallied 112 yards rushing and two scoring runs and second-seeded North Dakota State was never threatened in a 38-7 win on Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs.

The Bison advance to play No. 7-seed East Tennessee State which needed a late rally to beat Kennesaw State 32-31 on Saturday.

North Dakota (11-1) didn't need late heroics in its commanding performance establishing a 10-0 lead after the first quarter when Miller ran it in from the 9-yard line to complete a nine-play, 83-yard drive. Jake Reinholz then kicked a 20-yard field goal with 1:58 left in the first.

Nic Baker threw a 22-yard touchdown pass,to Landon Lenoir six seconds into the second and the Salukis (8-5) were within three. But the Bison established two sustained scoring drives that broke Southern Illinois' will.

The Bison used 13 plays to go 65 yards and Williams' 1-yard plunge with 7:45 before halftime made it 17-7. Following the Salukis' three-and-out that generated no yardage, North Dakota then stomped out 11 plays in 63 yards and made it 24-7 when Miller ran it in from the 5 at the two-minute warning.

Baker threw for 220 yards.

__

More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25

share

in this topic

College Football

Missouri Valley

North Dakota State Bison