Special teams ace Shamen Washington gained 150 yards on returns and scored a touchdown on offense to help undefeated and top-ranked North Dakota State to a 52-17 victory over winless Southern Utah on Saturday, Oct. 27, in a Great West Football Conference game played before a crowd of 15,796 in the Fargodome.

NDSU has won 12 straight games, the longest current winning streak in NCAA Division I football. The Bison extended their winnings streak to 11 games at the Fargodome. It was the Harvest Bowl and North Dakota State improved to 30-1-2 in the annual event.

The 5-foot-6, 148-pound Washington, a junior from St. Petersburg, Fla., returned the opening kickoff 54 yards to set up Pete Blincoe's 8-yard touchdown run. NDSU never trailed.

The Bison led 24-14 at half. A 6-yard touchdown run by Washington on the team's first possession of the second half made it 31-14. That score came after Washington returned a punt 35 yards to the Southern Utah 16.

Blincoe and running back Pat Paschall scored two touchdowns apiece for NDSU (8-0, 2-0 Great West Football Conference). Paschall, in his first year with NDSU, went over 100 yards rushing for the first time this season. Paschall rushed 19 times for 105 yards for his top effort in a Bison uniform. Blincoe had 84 yards on 11 carries as the Bison finished with 227 rushing yards overall.

Quarterback Cody Stone came off the bench to throw a pair of touchdown passes for the Thunderbirds (0-8, 0-2 GWFC), who kept the things interesting in the first half. Stone connected twice with Jeremy Edwards for TDs, the first on a 79-yard scoring strike and the other on a 6-yard pass in the right corner of the end zone near the end of the second quarter. Stone finished 11 of 20 passing for 182 yards and four interceptions. 

Ryan Parsons scored on a 25-yard pass from Steve Walker to make it 45-17 with 2:05 left in the third quarter, ending the day for Walker and most of the Bison starters. NDSU led 52-17 after three quarters.

Walker completed 13 of 21 passes for 164 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His favorite target was Kole Heckendorf, who caught six passes for 87 yards. Heckendorf moved into a tie for third all-time in receptions (121 with Tim Strehlow) and fifth in pass reception yardage (1,681 yards, past Stacy Robinson). Walker and Nick Mertens combined to complete 15 passes to seven different receivers.

Free safety Nick Schommer led the Bison defense with two interceptions. Schommer has a team-high four interceptions this season and 10 in his career. Linebacker Tyler Henry recorded a career-high 12 tackles including eight solo stops. Defensive end Joe Lardinois recorded four tackles, all resulting in a loss, and a pair of sacks.

North Dakota State intercepted four Southern Utah passes overall. Linebacker Ramon Humber made a key interception early in the second quarter, his second career pick, while backup free safety Sam Boraas recorded his first career interception.

NDSU's defense held Southern Utah to 74 yards of total offense in the second half. The Thunderbirds were 1 of 12 in third down conversions. The Bison held a 406-295 advantage in total offense overall. SUU was limited to 57 yards rushing.

Bison running back Tyler Roehl, who rushed for a school record 263 yards last week at Minnesota, and the team's leading tackler, linebacker Joe Mays, were held out with minor injuries.

North Dakota State is scheduled to host Illinois State (4-5, 2-3 Gateway) at 4:07 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, in the Fargodome. The Redbirds lost to 24th-ranked Western Illinois 27-14 at home on Saturday.