FARGO, N.D. (AP)--North Dakota State quarterback Nick Mertens gets to keep his starting job. But his coaches are expecting to see better results than last season.

Bison coach Craig Bohl announced Monday that Mertens beat out junior college transfer Dante Perez for Thursday's season opener at Iowa State. Bohl said in fall camp that the job was open.

"He certainly performed well in practice," Bohl said of Mertens. "He's improved from last fall, but we're going to need to really have a solid performance from that position. We've said that all along. We've had great competition."

Mertens, a senior from East Grand Forks, Minn., said he expected to be the starter.

"I feel that it is my team," he said. "I'm one of the few returning starters we have on offense. Every quarterback wants to be a starter their senior year and I expected it from the get-go."

Mertens struggled at times last year, completing 152 of 260 passes for 2,004 yards. He threw 16 touchdowns, but also had 15 interceptions. The team's backup QB fared no better in a brief stint and eventually was kicked off the team.

"Some of the best quarterbacks in college have struggled as sophomores or juniors in their first year as a starter," Mertens said. "You build on every game experience and every practice experience you learn something new. If you can go in there and say, 'Hey, I've been in this experience before. I know what worked and what didn't work,' and make improvements from there."

Perez passed for more than 4,300 yards and 48 touchdowns in two seasons at Foothill Junior College in California. But the 5-foot-8{, 192-pound junior was slowed in August with a sprained ankle.

"Dante's done really well though. There are things Dante brings to the table that we're really excited about," Bohl said.

Bohl said he won't hesitate to use Perez against Iowa State if the Bison offense needs a boost.

"I think we're in a much different place than we were in the past," the coach said. "We feel like we've got a No. 2 quarterback who can go out and do some things."

Last year, when NDSU finished 6-5 overall and 4-4 in its first year in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, teams typically stacked up their defenses to stop the Bison running game. With Mertens still unproven and a lack of experience at wide receiver, Bohl is expecting the same from Iowa State.

"It's not like it's going to shock us. We're certainly prepared for that," he said.