FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State scored three second-half touchdowns to beat Southern Illinois 38-10 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference on Saturday, Oct. 11, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.
 
A homecoming crowd of 19,034, the fourth largest crowd in Fargodome history, watched the No. 1-ranked Bison (6-0, 2-0 MVFC) roll to their 30th straight victory overall and their 17th in a row at home.
 
NDSU totaled 293 yards of offense in the second half and got a pair of explosive plays in the fourth quarter to put away the Salukis (5-2, 2-1 MVFC).
 
Quarterback Carson Wentz connected with wide receiver Trevor Gebhart scored on a 75-yard passing play to make it 31-10 with 11:50 to go, and Chase Morlock bounced off a tackler to rumble 48 yards for the final score of the game.
 
Southern Illinois, which had given up only one second-half touchdown in its first six games, pulled within 17-10 on Thomas Kinney's 44-yard field goal with 10:25 to play in the third quarter.
 
The Bison responded with an eight-play, 81-yard drive capped by tight end Luke Albers' 9-yard catch in the back corner of the end zone.  It was his first career TD catch.
 
Wentz finished 7 of 13 passing for 174 yards with running back John Crockett making a team- and career-high three catches for 52 yards.  Zach Vraa had a 26-game reception streak snapped.
 
Crockett ran for 99 yards on 22 carries, moving past Jeff Bentrim for eighth place on NDSU's career rushing list with 2,978 yards.  Morlock had five carries for 71 yards and King Frazier seven for 57 yards.
 
Colten Heagle led the NDSU defense with nine tackles, Travis Beck made eight stops and Jordan Champion was in on seven tackles plus two pass breakups.
 
NDSU defensive end Mike Hardie had a sack in his first game since the season-opener, and Kyle Emanuel and Greg Menard each had sacks.
 
Quarterback Mark Iannotti was 18 of 33 passing for 146 yards including a 26-yard TD to tight end MyCole Pruitt, who made seven catches for 55 yards.  Malcolm Agnew had 117 yards on 21 carries for the Salukis.
 
North Dakota State has not lost since Oct. 13, 2012, when Indiana State won 17-14 at the Fargodome.  The Sycamores return to Fargo next week 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the MVFC after losing 20-18 to Illinois State on a last-second field goal.