Box Score
FARGO, N.D.--Nick Mertens threw for 186 yards and three touchdowns and No. 1/2-ranked North Dakota State University raced out to a 40-0 lead Saturday, Sept. 6, and coasted to a 50-14 win over Central Connecticut State University before a sellout crowd of 18,868 in the Fargodome. It was NDSU's sixth sellout over the past eight games. It was the 14th straight home win for the Bison.
Mertens, a junior from East Grand Forks, Minn., completed 15 of 23 passes for the Bison (2-0), much of that in the first half as NDSU went up 43-7. Mertens opened the scoring with a 5 yard TD pass to junior wide receiver Jordan Schultenover in the first quarter, and tossed two touchdown passes to senior tight end Jerimiah Wurzbacher in the second half.
Wurzbacher, a senior from Fargo, N.D., caught three passes for 32 yards and matched a career-high with the pair of TD receptions. He was one of nine different receivers who caught a pass during the game. Senior fullback Tyler Jangula made four receptions for 43 yards, while senior Kole Heckendorf extended his consecutive games with a reception streak to 26 games. Heckendorf has caught at least one pass in 34 of 35 games during his career.
NDSU, which is ranked No. 1 in the latest FCS coaches poll, has outscored its two opponents 91-20. It jumped on the Blue Devils for 27 points in the first quarter, including a blocked punt by redshirt freshman wide receiver Warren Holloway that was recovered in the end zone by redshirt freshman free safety Daniel Eaves. Senior return specialist Shamen Washington had a 76-yard kickoff return during the game.
Pat Paschall, a junior from St. Louis,Mo., rushed for a career-high 117 yards and a TD on 14 carries, while senior running back Tyler Roehl added 100 yards on four carries before leaving with an injury and redshirt freshman Matt Voigtlander had 82 for the Bison, who ran for 330 of their 524 total yards. D.J. McNorton chipped in 40 yards on 12 carries and scored twice in the first half.
Linebacker Ramon Humber, a senior from Brooklyn Park, Minn., led NDSU with 10 tackles including five solo stops. Humber, who reached double-figure tackles for the fifth time in his career, added a pair of quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and one sack. Humber moved to No. 5 all-time at NDSU with 98 solo tackles. Cornerback Richard Bowman had a career-high eight tackles.
James Mallory carried 17 times for 116 yards for the Blue Devils (1-1).
Central Connecticut got on the board with 2:13 left in the second quarter on an 18-yard TD pass from Hunter Wanket to Josue Paul. The Blue Devils didn't score again until Josh Vargas' 3-yard run with 10:54 remaining.
