GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Luke Skokna returned the game's opening kickoff 100 yards to spark 15th-ranked North Dakota to a 49-24 victory over No. 6 North Dakota State in the Missouri Valley Football Conference on Saturday, Oct. 14.

A sellout crowd of 13,091 was inside the Alerus Center for UND's first win over NDSU since 2003. UND snapped a five-game losing streak to the Bison (4-2, 2-1 MVFC) and scored the most points allowed by NDSU at the Division I level.

Skokna added a 13-yard receiving touchdown and a 4-yard rushing touchdown, and Gaven Ziebarth rushed 18 times for 156 yards and three touchdowns for UND (4-2, 2-1 MVFC).

Leading 28-17 at halftime, the Fighting Hawks got a pivotal interception on the opening drive of the third quarter when CJ Siegel picked off Cam Miller and returned the ball 57 yards to the NDSU 23. Ziebarth got the ball the next four plays and scored on a 7-yard run as UND went ahead 35-17.

NDSU went three-and-out after a false start to open the next series, and UND marched 63 yards in 15 plays over the next 9:39 to take a 42-17 fourth quarter lead on Tommy Schuster's 9-yard pass to Bo Belquist.

Ziebarth scored on a 59-yard run with 7:18 left in the game to give UND its biggest lead of the day, 49-17.

Miller finished 11 of 16 passing for 175 yards with one touchdown, a 1-yard pass to tight end Joe Stoffel. Miller also.scored on a 26-yard run to cap NDSU's nine-play, 75-yard opening drive to tie the game 7-7.

NDSU's Eli Green made four receptions for a career-high 96 yards, and Jake Lippe caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from backup quarterback Cole Payton.

Defensive end Jake Kava made seven tackles including one sack and two tackles for loss to lead the Bison defense, which lost starting safety Cole Wisniewski and linebacker Julian Wlodarczyk to injuries in the first half.

North Dakota State returns home for its next two home games facing Western Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 21, and Murray State on Saturday, Oct. 28. Both games start at 2:30 p.m. at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.