North Dakota State Falls To St. Cloud State In Overtime, 33-30

Saturday, November 8

St. Cloud, Minn.

1 p.m.

North Dakota State Athletics

7-3 , 5-2

St. Cloud State

7-4 , 4-3

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	OT	Final F
North Dakota State	7	3	13	7	0	30
St. Cloud State	7	20	0	3	3	33

North Dakota State Falls To St. Cloud State In Overtime, 33-30

11/9/2003 6:00:00 AM | Football

Box Score

ST. CLOUD, Minn.--North Dakota State's dreams of a NCAA playoff spot and a possible North Central Conference title share evaporated in the dim light of overtime as the Bison fell 33-30 to St. Cloud State in the final NCC game ever for the Thundering Herd here Saturday afternoon.

The Bison had battled back in the final 20 minutes from a 27-10 deficit to send the game into overtime at 30-all on a 14-yard pass from junior QB Tony Stauss to Mike Wieser with 6:11 remaining in regulation play.

St. Cloud State had the ball first in the OT and drove to the Bison 11-yard line before stalling and settling for a 28-yard field goal by Shawn Braunagel.

The Bison had an opportunity to answer but misfired on two passes, lost five yards on a second down running play, had a five-yard delay of game penalty, and finally had a desperation 4th down pass batted down at the 15-yard line by a SCSU defensive back.

North Dakota State's offense was nothing less than spectacular for stretches of the game. The Bison rolled up 509 yards of total offense including 210 yards rushing by senior halfback Rod Malone and a 310-yard passing performance by Stauss.

But, in the end, it was a combination of little things that killed NDSU's changes--a blocked punt that set up a SCSU TD, a missed extra point, an inability to contain St. Cloud State quarterback Keith Heckendorf, crucial penalties at key times, and a dropped pass in the overtime that would have given the Bison a goal-to-go situation.

The blocked punt came late in the second quarter after SCSU had taken a 20-10 lead. Punting from his own 42, John Bonicelli's punt was blocked and returned to the Bison one yard line. Heckendorf scored on a one-yard one on the next play to send the home them into the halftime break with a 27-10 lead.

NDSU climbed back into the game on the strength of two long scoring marches that resulted in three and six-yard touchdown runs by Malone.

After a Husky' field goal that upped the margin to 30-23, NDSU mounted its final scoring march, going 65 yards in just three plays and culminating in that scoring pass.

Both teams had chances to win it in regulation. St. Cloud State drove to midfield on one drive and punted and reached the NDSU 29 on its final drive but missed a 46-yard field goal at the gun.

NDSU did not get out of its own territory on its only drive before the end of the regulation time.

Malone had another big day. The bruising senior carried 31 times for 210 yards and two TDs to run his season total to 1,147 yards, the fifth highest single season performance in school history.

Stauss was equally sharp, completing 24 of 35 passes for 310 yards and two scores. He hit Wieser on nine passes for 121 yards and one TD.

The Bison defense sacked Heckendorf, a Harlon Hill finalist a year ago, five times in the contest but that slowed him only slightly. He completed 27 of 41 passes for 293 yards and two scores and scrambled for 73 yards and another TD on 23 carries including at least five key third down situations.

NDSU is 7-3 overall and 5-2 in the NCC and ended a 82-year relationship with the league of which it was a charter member in 1922. SCSU improved to 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the NCC.