FARGO, N.D. - Second-ranked South Dakota State scored 16 unanswered points and held top-ranked North Dakota State to five first downs after halftime to claim a 23-21 Missouri Valley Football Conference victory Saturday, Oct. 15, before a crowd of 18,603 at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.

South Dakota State won its third straight Dakota Marker game and improved to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the MVFC. The Jackrabbits snapped a 13-game home winning streak for North Dakota State, which slipped to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the conference.

NDSU scored touchdowns on its first three possessions to take a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter. An interception in the end zone on the next series kept NDSU from extending the lead, and the Bison didn't score again.

North Dakota State ran 17 plays for 42 yards over the next four possessions ending with four straight punts while the Jackrabbits scored on all four of their second-half possessions including three Hunter Dustman field goals and a 16-yard touchdown run by Amar Johnson.

Dustman connected from 31 and 38 yards on his first two conversions, and his 18-yard field goal with 3:49 left gave the Jackrabbits their first lead of the day. NDSU moved to the SDSU 49 on its final possession before turning over the ball on downs.

The ending spoiled an otherwise solid performance for NDSU quarterback Cam Miller, who completed his first 13 passes and finished 17 of 22 passing for 227 yards and two touchdowns. DJ Hart had a career day with four catches and 59 yards including a 22-yard touchdown, fullback Hunter Luepke caught a 30-yard TD, and Zach Mathis finished with five receptions for 53 yards.

South Dakota State, which entered with the nation's third-ranked rushing defense allowing just 57.5 yards per game, held North Dakota State to a season-low 127 yards rushing, the fewest by a Bison team since April 2021 when SDSU held NDSU to 97 yards on the ground.

SDSU's Isaiah Davis rushed 14 times for 114 yards including a 24-yard touchdown in the first quarter, Johnson finished with 12 carries for 89 yards, and quarterback Mark Gronowski went 16-for-21 passing for 152 yards. Jadon Janke led the Jacks with seven catches for 83 yards.

North Dakota State has an open week in the conference schedule before returning to action Saturday, Oct. 29, at home against Illinois State.