GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Senior quarterback Brent Goska (Wisconsin Rapids,
Wis.) threw a trio of fourth-quarter touchdowns in his final collegiate game to
rally No. 22 North Dakota past No. 24 South Dakota 38-37 and secure a share of
the Great West Conference regular season title Saturday at the Alerus Center.
Goska also got some help throughout from his senior classmates, who were lauded
before kickoff in a pre-game ceremony.
That group of 14
capped their Fighting Sioux careers with a four-game winning streak and an 8-3
record, reversing their fortunes from the 2010 campaign (3-8).
Trailing 37-17
entering the final stanza, Goska went 15-for-20 for 145 yards in those closing
15 minutes to bring UND its first Division I conference title since
transitioning to the Football Championship Subdivision in 2008.
His final scoring toss came from 15 yards out as classmate Chris Anderson
(Duluth, Minn.) stretched out far enough in the back of the end zone to get one
foot down for the game-winning touchdown with just over four minutes to play. Anderson finished with two catches
for 19 yards, while redshirt freshman Tyhre Ivery (Garland, Texas) had a
career-high eight catches for 48 yards and his first two career touchdowns.
Sophomore R.J. McGill
(Phoenix, Ariz.) also had a big game, catching a career-high seven passes for
89 yards. Goska finished 24-for-36 for 216 yards and a career-high four
touchdowns.
The Fighting Sioux have now won 12 straight over the Coyotes (6-5, 2-2 GWC) in
Grand Forks and 14 out of the last 16 overall as the teams played for the final
time as conference rivals.
“Our guys continue to
find ways to win and never quit believing,” UND head coach Chris Mussman said. “What
a way for us to send our 14 seniors out. That was incredible.”
In a game of furious
scoring runs by both teams, the Sioux looked to be buried after South Dakota
quarterback Dante Warren led his team to four second-quarter scores and a 34-17
lead at halftime. But, as has been the case during UND's season-closing winning
streak, the home team once again used a little fourth-quarter magic to finish
the campaign with a dramatic triumph.
UND has won its last
four games by a total of 12 points and rallied for a game-winning score in each
of those contests.
Warren did fumble
twice in the early going, which allowed UND to build a 17-7 advantage, but the
fleet-footed quarterback ran for two scores and passed for two others in a
27-point second quarter for USD. The only missing point from their four-touchdown
onslaught proved pivotal as after the Coyotes' third touchdown, senior Justin
Belotti (Kenosha, Wis.) batted
down the point-after attempt, which was the 10th
block of the season for the UND special teams.
The game started fast
for Warren and company as he marched the Coyotes down on the opening drive,
capping it with a 3-yard touchdown run to put the visitors ahead early 7-0. UND
answered with a 44-yard field goal by Zeb Miller (Ankeny, Iowa).
On the Coyotes' next
series, Warren was stripped by senior Dan Hendrickson (Minot, N.D.) and
classmate Kenny Watkins (Plano, Texas) was there to pick up the loose ball and
take it in from 22 yards out for UND's first lead of the game. Hendrickson
finished with a career-high 10 solo tackles in the contest.
Junior Ross Brenneman
(Omaha, Neb.) sacked Warren on a 3rd-and-2 on the next possession,
forcing another fumble that was pounced on by Belotti for his fourth fumble recovery
of the season. Eight plays later Goska found Ivery from 10 yards out for the
combo's first scoring connection of the game, giving UND a 10-point edge.
USD had a quick
answer, however, as a 10-yard scoring strike from Warren pulled the visitors to
within 17-14 five minutes into the second quarter. Then, after a pair of
stalled drives by the UND offense, the Coyotes used two big punt returns by
Jeremy Blount to set up two more touchdowns and give USD a 27-17 lead.
Blount and company
were not done scoring in the opening 30 minutes as this time the wide receiver
capped USD's 34-point first half outburst with a 15-yard touchdown reception
with just over a minute to play.
The Sioux could net
nothing on their initial possession of the second half and the Coyotes used
just over seven minutes off the clock on theirs, settling for a 44-yard field
goal by Kevin Robb to make it a 37-17 contest. But, that would be the only points
of the half for USD, setting the stage for one of the most dramatic comebacks
in Fighting Sioux history.
Tight end Seth Nichols
(McVille, N.D.) hauled in his first touchdown catch of his career on the
opening series of the fourth quarter as Goska found the 6-foot-5 target wide
open after a play-action pass on a 4th-and-1 from the USD 25-yard
line.
Goska went 6-for-9 on
that drive for 55 yards. Then, after the Sioux defense forced just the second
Cole Zwiefelhofer punt of the contest, the Sioux signal caller orchestrated
another near perfect scoring drive.
He went 8-for-9 on
that drive for 75 yards, finding Ivery for his second touchdown from three
yards out to make it a 37-31 tally.
On the ensuing kickoff,
Blount made his only mistake of the game as redshirt freshman Baylee Carr
(Hazen, N.D.) stripped the return man and senior Johnnie Daniels (Miami, Fla.)
recovered the third fumble of the game for UND on the Coyotes' 19-yard line.
USD had only lost two fumbles all season coming into the contest, which were
the fewest in the FCS.
Three plays later
Goska found Anderson in the back of the end zone with four minutes, seven
seconds to play and cap what would turn out to be an improbable comeback. UND
forced the Coyotes into a three-and-out and USD head coach Ed Meierkort opted
to punt with two minutes, 27 seconds left on the clock, but the Sioux were able
to run out the clock as junior Mitch Sutton (Plover, Wis.) rushed five times
for 15 yards.
This was the final
game of UND's transition to Division I and the Great West Football Conference as
the Sioux will be playoff eligible next season as first-year members of the Big
Sky Conference.
Game Notes
Game captains were
seniors Dan Hendrickson (Minot, N.D.), Catlin Solum (Fargo, N.D.), Dominique
Hawkins (Plymouth, Minn.) and Kenny Watkins (Plano, Texas) … The Sioux wore
black pants for the first time this season … Junior Ross Brenneman brought his
season sack total to 8.5 in the contest – moving into a tie for third place on
the single-season charts … Senior Dan Hendrickson finished with 10 solo tackles,
giving him 137 for a his career – a total that ranks sixth on UND charts … He
finished with 60 this season, which is the second most by a Sioux player in a
single campaign … The last time UND won a game by a single point was the 2009
season finale at Central Arkansas (17-16) … Zeb Miller made his 15th
field goal of the season in the second quarter, which ties him for the sixth
most in a single season … The win over No. 24 South Dakota was the second
triumph over a Top 25 foe for UND this season (at No. 19 Southern Utah, 26-20) …
The 14-member senior class was honored before the game and a number of those
players made pivotal plays in the contest … The class accounted for one forced
fumble, three fumble recoveries (one touchdown), one sack four touchdown
passes, one touchdown reception and 30 tackles.
– Go
Sioux –
