GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Sophomore Zeb Miller (Ankeny, Iowa) drilled a 29-yard field goal as time expired to lift No. 25 North Dakota past Sioux Falls 15-13 on Saturday at the Alerus Center. 

And, the ball Miller used for the game-winner is not done flying yet, as it was signed by the Fighting Sioux football team after its dramatic two-point victory and sent to southern California to be presented to the Murphy Family in honor of former UND quarterback and coach Gene Murphy (1939-2011), who passed away last weekend. 

“We are sending the ball to the Murphy family,” UND head coach Chris Mussman said. “It's going from one Sioux to another and that is special to think about. I'm glad we found a way to win this game.”

Miller's 14th field goal of the season gave UND its first lead of the contest and was set up when a safety by defensive end Jay Nelson (Wheaton, Minn.) with just under six minutes on the clock trimmed UND's deficit to a single point. 

Junior Brett Cameron (Winnipeg, Manitoba) had pinned the Cougars deep at their own one-yard line after a 43-yard punt and Nelson gave UND those much-needed two points on USF's second down of the series. He tripped up USF tailback Jordan Taylor in the end zone for UND's third safety of the season.

After the free kick, the UND offense churned off the remaining time with a methodical 14-play drive that featured 11 runs and a pivotal 3rd-and-24 conversion on a 26-yard pass play from senior Brent Goska (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.) to Tyhre Ivery (Garland, Texas). The redshirt freshman caught the first three passes of his career for 44 yards in the contest.

Junior Mitch Sutton (Plover, Wis.) did not carry the ball until the fourth quarter, but the Sioux running back rushed 11 times for 41 yards in the final stanza, including 25 on the game-winning field goal drive. Sutton's efforts helped secure a winning season for UND (6-3), who evened its all-time record with Sioux Falls (5-4) at a win a piece.

“That is two weeks in a row where, maybe, it was not real pretty, but we are winning ball games,” Mussman added. “Last year, we were 3-8 and this year we are 6-3. I know which side of the field I'd rather be on.”

The Sioux trailed 13-7 at the half thanks to a pair of touchdown passes by USF quarterback Taylor Perkins. The deficit could have been much greater if not for a trio of first-half blocked kicks by the UND special teams. 

Redshirt freshman Shea Walker (St. Paul, Minn.) batted down Braden Wieking's first attempt from 45 yards out, then sophomore Cordero Finley (Kenosha, Wis.) deflected his second attempt from 37 yards out.

Finley's deflection came after USF blocked a Brett Cameron punt to set them up in prime field position at the UND 20-yard line. The Sioux defense only yielded three yards on a three-and-out, setting up Finley's third block of the season.

A 62-yard punt return by USF's Mike Hicks following UND's initial possession set up the first score of the game. On the Cougars' first play of that drive, Perkins found Carrington Hanna on a 20-yard scoring strike to put the visitors in front 7-0. Braden Wieking would add the extra point, but it would be the only kick the junior would get past the Sioux special teamers.

Goska and the Sioux offense responded with a seven-play, 75-yard drive that was capped by a 45-yard touchdown pass from Goska to sophomore Greg Hardin (Bellevue, Neb.). The duo also connected for 22 yards on the previous play to convert a 3rd-and-16. 

The Cougars would move ahead late in the half on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Perkins to Jeremiah Oates. USD would get just six points as junior Devin Benjamin (Minneapolis, Minn.) blocked his third kick of the season on the extra point.

Goska passed for a season-high 229 yards and found eight different receivers in the contest. Sutton was the leading rusher for the Sioux, who saw three players get double-digit carries. Goska added 29 yards on the ground as the Sioux offense outgained the visitors 338-247.

“The only points they generated were off a (long) punt return and a turnover,” Mussman said. “(Our defense) played really well. They even scored. 

“As for the other side of the ball, I give Sioux Falls credit. They got after us and were better than us up front. But, I thought Mitch gave us a spark. He's a bigger back, has a bigger body. We had been leaning on them all game and finally got some things to break.” 

UND concludes its season with a pair of Great West Conference games beginning next Saturday at UC Davis. Kickoff against the Aggies is set for 4 p.m. CT. The Sioux will play host to South Dakota in their season finale on Nov. 19 at home.  

Game captains were seniors Dan Hendrickson (Minot, N.D.), Catlin Solum (Fargo, N.D.) and Dominique Hawkins (Plymouth, Minn.) … The Sioux blocked three kicks during the contest (two FGs, one PAT) to bring their season total to nine … It was the third game this season that UND has blocked multiple kicks (Idaho and Black Hills State) … The two-point victory marked the third time in UND's last four wins that the final margin of victory was less than a touchdown … Junior Jay Nelson's fourth-quarter safety was the team's second of the season … Junior tight end Seth Nichols (McVille, N.D.) caught a career-high four passes for 41 yards … The six wins doubled UND's win total from 2010 (three) and equaled head coach Chris Mussman's career high in victories (2008, 6-4; 2009, 6-5) … The Sioux players wore 'Murph' decals on their helmets and the coaching staff wore lapel pins in Gene Murphy's honor as well.

 

– Go Sioux –