FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA--Junior quarterback Graig Gorder set a school record for pass completions and freshman Chuck Wiest hauled in a school record 13 receptions but the Bison had a 41-yard field goal attempt blocked on the final play of the game and dropped their second straight game, 26-25, at Minnesota State-Mankato.

North Dakota State falls to 4-2 on the season and 2-2 in the North Central Conference.

The Bison led 25-14 with nine minutes left in the game after a 38-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left. MSUM then mounted a rally that produced two TDs in the next seven minutes.

NDSU mounted a final drive from its own 23-yard line that moved 52 yards in 10 plays in the final 2:09 and left the Bison with a fourth down on the MSUM 25-yard line. Aaron Pederson set up for a 41-yard field goal, and after two time outs, had the kick blocked by the Mavericks's Danny Filemu.

NDSU trailed 14-3 in the opening quarter but came back to regain the lead with 19 points in the second quarter and a third quarter field goal. Freshman Tim Erickson hauled in a short pass from Gorder and outraced the defense for a 53-yard TD run and pass on his first collegiate reception to cut the gap to 14-9.

The Bison marched 83 yards in 14 plays on the next series with sophomore runningback Brian Turner going six yards on the final play to give the Herd a 15-14 edge. Attempts for two-point conversions on both scores failed and ultimately proved to be the difference in the game.

The Bison drove 50 yards in eight plays just before the end of the half and Gorder floated a pass to tight end Jared Peck who made an over-the-shoulder catch for a 17-yard TD with 1:09 left to give the Bison a 22-14 lead at the intermission. NDSU stretched that lead to 25-14 with a 48-yard field goal by Pederson late in the third quarter.

NDSU, playing without All-American runningback Lamar Gordon, his backup DeShawn Perkins, and All-American wide receiver Richard Lewis, produced 421 yards of total offense including 245 yards in the air. Gorder completed 25 of 45 passes to set a single game completion record, surpassing the old mark of 23 set by Frank Esposito in 1951 against North Dakota (23-46).

Wiest, his favorite target, tied the school record with 13 catches for 102 yards, equalling the mark set by Chuck Wald in 1969 against Northern Illinois. The Bison also collected 110 yards rushing by sophomore Brian Turner in 26 carries. Turner got his first collegiate start after playing defense for most of the year before being moved back to runningback following the illness to third-string runningback Darrin O'Leary (mono) last week.

NDSU will attempt to snap that two-game losing streak next Saturday when they return home to face South Dakota State in homecoming at the Fargodome at 1:30 p.m.

MSUM improved to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the NCC.