FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State rolled up more than 500 yards of total offense for the second straight week and the Bison moved into a first place tie in the Missouri Valley Football Conference on Saturday, Nov. 7, with a 59-7 home win over Western Illinois.

Freshman quarterback Easton Stick went 12 of 20 passing for 197 yards and touchdowns to four different receivers in his first start at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.  Freshman running back Bruce Anderson ran for a season-high 95 yards on 14 carries for the Bison (7-2, 5-1 MVFC).

NDSU jumped out to a 38-0 lead at halftime and the 59 points were the most the Bison have scored in a Missouri Valley Football Conference game and the most since a 66-7 win over Prairie View A&M in 2012.  NDSU outgained Western Illinois 528-205 and dominated the clock with a 43:47 to 16:13 advantage in time of possession.

The Bison scored on their first possession when Zach Vraa went over the top of WIU linebacker Riggs Baxter to haul in a 41-yard touchdown pass.  Vraa tied the NDSU career record of 26 touchdown receptions set by Tim Strehlow from 1996-1999.

Linebacker Pierre Gee-Tucker's 36-yard interception return for a touchdown gave the Bison momentum and a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter.  Cam Pedersen added a 32-yard field goal and Stick threw touchdowns to RJ Urzendowski, Andrew Bonnet and Darrius Shepherd before halftime.

NDSU's defense, meanwhile, limited Western Illinois (4-5, 3-3 MVFC) to just 1 yard rushing in the first half and 33 yards on the ground altogether.  Nikko Watson, the second-leading rusher in the Valley, had just one yard on four carries.  WIU's no-huddle offense ran only 47 plays in its limited time with the ball - 28 fewer than its average.

Linebacker Nick DeLuca led the Bison with eight tackles, cornerback CJ Smith forced a fumble that led to a Bison field goal, defensive end Caleb Butler had a strip sack, and defensive end Brad Ambrosius had three of NDSU's seven quarterback hurries.

Coupled with league-leading Illinois State's 25-20 loss at South Dakota State, the Bison and Redbirds are now tied atop the conference standings at 5-1 with two weeks left to play.  The teams tied for the Valley championship last year before NDSU's win over Illinois State in the national championship game.

North Dakota State plays at Youngstown State next Saturday, Nov. 14, before returning home to host Missouri State on Nov. 21.  Illinois State closes its season with a road trip to Southern Illinois and a home game with South Dakota.