Bison Tough Out 21-18 Road Win Over Southern Illinois

Saturday, November 12

Carbondale, Ill.

1 p.m.

North Dakota State Athletics

8-2 , 6-1

Southern Illinois

5-5 , 4-3

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
North Dakota St.	7	0	0	14	21
Southern Ill.	0	3	7	8	18

James Kaczor and Logan Kopp celebrate an onside kick recovery

Photo by: Tim Sanger

Bison Tough Out 21-18 Road Win Over Southern Illinois

11/12/2022 5:00:00 PM | Football

Box Score Game Statistics Photo Gallery

CARBONDALE, Ill. - Linebacker James Kaczor tied a career high with 14 tackles and recovered an onside kick with 37 seconds left in the game to help fourth-ranked North Dakota State secure a 21-18 victory over Southern Illinois on Saturday, Nov. 12, at Saluki Stadium.

Cam Miller and TaMerik Williams rushed for touchdowns in the fourth quarter for the Bison, who improved to 8-2 overall and 6-1 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Southern Illinois dropped to 5-5 overall and 4-3 in the conference.

SIU dominated the time of possession in the first half controlling the football for more than 20 of the game's first 30 minutes, but NDSU still held a 7-3 halftime lead.

Miller found wide open running back Kobe Johnson on a 27-yard passing play to put the Bison ahead 7-0 after their first offensive possession. The Bison defense held SIU to a field goal on the final play of the second quarter and Kaczor had nine tackles before the break.

SIU went ahead 10-7 midway through the third quarter when Jacob Garrett's 1-yard touchdown run capped a 13-play, 60-yard scoring drive.

After the touchdown, an SIU targeting penalty and unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the ensuing kickoff moved the Bison to the 46. NDSU converted a pair of third downs with passes to Joe Stoffel and Zach Mathis and the Bison entered the red zone for the first time on a 16-yard run by Williams that was his longest of the day.

The NDSU defense got its only three-and-out of the game on the next series with Michael Tutsie making a tackle for loss and Spencer Waege and Javier Derritt combining on a sack to force the Salukis into a third-and-19 they couldn't convert.

North Dakota State went 75 yards in 13 plays, including 12 rushing plays. Williams had six carries for 27 yards on the drive and the only pass was a 13-yard completion from Miller to Jake Lippe on third-and-12 at from the Bison 34.

Southern Illinois answered with a 14-play, 81-yard scoring drive and converted on fourth-and-22 when quarterback Nic Baker found Bryce Miller for 22 yards to the NDSU 39. Baker connected with D'Ante' Cox four plays later for a 6-yard passing touchdown and a two-point PAT pass that made it 21-18.

Baker was 14 of 23 passing for 174 yards, Miller caught four passes for 70 yards and Cox had four catches for 61 yards to lead SIU. Javon Williams Jr. rushed 21 times for 66 yards to lead the Salukis on the ground.

Williams finished with 12 carries for 56 yards, Johnson had eight carries for 37 yards for NDSU, and Miller went 6 of 10 passing for 80 yards. Waege finished with a career-high nine tackles and Derritt and Luke Weerts each made a career-seven tackles for the Bison.

North Dakota State is scheduled to close out the regular season hosting North Dakota in the annual Harvest Bowl game at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.