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No. 5 NDSU football takes down No. 10 North Dakota, 16-10

The No. 5-ranked North Dakota State football team used a stout defensive performance to defeat No. 10-ranked North Dakota on Saturday afternoon inside the Alerus Center, 16-10. Saturday was the first meeting between the two schools in Grand Forks since 2003.

It was the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for both schools, with NDSU improving to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in the MVFC. UND dropped to 2-2 on the season.

The Bison scored their first nine points with a trio of field goals from senior Jake Reinholz – one each in the first, second and third quarters. Reinholz’s 45-yarder to open the scoring was a career long.

NDSU iced the victory with a three-yard touchdown run by quarterback Quincy Patterson with 1:13 remaining in the fourth quarter, pushing the margin to 16-7. The Fighting Hawks added a late field goal before a last-ditch onside kick attempt was covered by the Bison.

Statistically, the game shook out fairly even. Both teams gained 13 first downs, and UND recorded 289 yards of total offense compared to NDSU’s 280 yards. The Bison racked up 223 rushing yards in the contest, led by 92 yards from Patterson on the ground. Hunter Luepke added 51 yards on nine carries, averaging 5.7 per carry.

UND’s 10 points were the most the Bison have allowed this season. Michael Tutsie and Jackson Hankey both registered seven tackles to lead the NDSU defense. James Kaczor finished with six tackles and a sack, and Dawson Weber snared a pivotal interception late in the third quarter.

The Bison defense came up with stops on a pair of fourth-down attempts by the Fighting Hawks in the second half.

UND went for it on 4th-and-1 at its own 20-yard line with seven minutes left in the third quarter, and the Bison stopped a run for no gain. With 5:53 left in the fourth, UND attempted a reverse on 4th-and-2, and the NDSU defense stuffed the Fighting Hawks short.

The Bison return home to host Northern Iowa at 1 p.m. for Homecoming next Saturday. Meanwhile, the Fighting Hawks plan to be back in action on the road Oct. 1 against South Dakota. Kickoff for that game is slated for 2 p.m.

NDSU’s Reinholz named Valley Football Special Teams Player of the Week

In other Bison news, North Dakota State kicker Jake Reinholz was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week by the league office Sunday, Oct. 3. It is his second career player of the week honor.

Reinholz, a senior from Fargo, scored the first nine points for North Dakota State’s latest win over North Dakota.

Reinholz made all three of his field goals – one each in the first, second and third quarters – including a career-long 45-yarder to open the scoring. He connected from 34 yards and 30 yards to put the Bison ahead, and converted an extra point on NDSU’s only touchdown in the fourth quarter.

In 18 career games, Reinholz has converted 42 of 42 extra-point kicks and is 9 of 13 on field goals.

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