FARGO, N.D. – One week after its offense executed a game-winning drive, No. 2 seed North Dakota State's defense held on the final drive to clinch a 39-32 win over No. 7 seed Coastal Carolina in the NCAA Division I quarterfinals Saturday, Dec. 13.
 
Defensive ends Kyle Emanuel and Mike Hardie combined on a second down sack and Colten Heagle's interception on fourth-and-12 advanced North Dakota State (13-1) to the national semifinals for the fourth straight season.
 
The Bison, who got the go-ahead score with 54 seconds left in last week's second round win over South Dakota State, got a 45-yard touchdown run from running back John Crockett and quarterback Carson Wentz ran in the two-point conversion to erase a 32-31 deficit with 9:28 to play.
 
NDSU looked to make it a two-possession game with 1:37 to go, but a nine-play, 48-yard drive stalled when Adam Keller's 49-yard field goal missed wide left.
 
Crockett rushed 26 times for a career-high and NDSU playoff-record 227 yards, including a 70-yard TD run to open the scoring in the first quarter.  His season total of 1,754 broke the NDSU's single-season rushing record set by Lamar Gordon in 2000.
 
Wentz was 11 of 17 passing for 173 yards with two touchdowns to tight ends Kevin Vaadeland and Luke Albers.  Sophomore receiver Carey Woods had career highs of four receptions and 48 yards in absence of senior Zach Vraa, who did not dress for the game due to a leg injury.
 
The Bison led most of the game, but a 98-yard kickoff return touchdown by Devin Brown tied it 17-17 with 7:53 to go in the second quarter.  Albers' TD on the next possession put NDSU ahead until early in the fourth quarter.
 
The Chanticleers (12-2) went 95 yards in four plays highlighted by a 48-yard pass from Alex Ross to John Israel and a 32-yard De'Angelo Henderson run that got Coastal to the NDSU 15 in two plays.  Henderson finished it two plays later with a two-yard run to go ahead 32-31.
 
Ross was 11 of 24 for 197 yards and finished his season with 3,389 passing yards, new school and Big South Conference records.  Receiver Bruce Mapp caught four passes for 81 yards, and Henderson had 24 carries for 143 yards to lead the Chanticleers.
 
Heagle finished with a team-high 12 tackles for NDSU, Nick DeLuca made nine stops, Christian Dudzik had two pass breakups, and defensive ends Brad Ambrosius and Greg Menard combined on a sack.
 
Linebacker Brett Johnson made 13 tackles and safety Pernell Williams had 11 tackles for Coastal Carolina.
 
A crowd of 18,049 was on hand at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.  NDSU won its 22nd straight home game.