GRAND FORKS, N.D. – North Dakota quarterback Keaton Studsrud scored on a one-yard keeper in double overtime to give the Fighting Hawks an incredible 47-44 Potato Bowl victory over South Dakota Saturday at Alerus Center.
UND (1-2) forced extra time after scoring the final 20 points of regulation, including 17 in the fourth quarter. That furious rally came immediately after the Coyotes (1-2), who were coming off a 21-point rally and double-overtime win of their own last week against Weber State, had blown the game open with 28 unanswered points.
"Our guys stuck with it and came away with a positive result," UND head coach Bubba Schweigert said. "I was proud of the resolve we showed.
"We had a stretch there in the second quarter that was not how we want to play football and they came out and really put us in a hole with that opening drive after halftime, but we found a way to make some plays down the stretch and do just enough to get it into overtime."
UND is no stranger to rallying against the Coyotes, having mustered a 21-point, fourth-quarter rally the last time these two squads met in 2011. The script was eerily similar to that 38-37 win five seasons ago for the Fighting Hawks, who have now won 30 straight home openers, including all 15 at the Alerus Center.
Trailing 34-14 late in the third quarter, UND kicker Reid Taubenheim broke USD's scoring run with a 32-yard field goal that made it a 34-17 game. Sophomore John Santiago then reeled in a 7-yard back shoulder throw from Studsrud three-and-a-half minutes into the final quarter to pull UND to within 10 points.
It was the first career receiving touchdown for Santiago, who had his 11th 100-yard rushing game in 14 collegiate tries and second-straight on the campaign. He finished with 22 carries for 140 yards.
Taubenheim connected again from 28 yards out six minutes later, making it a one-score game. Then, UND cornerback Deion Harris stepped in front of a Chris Streveler pass and took it back 33 yards for his second pick-six in as many games, tying the game at 34 and forcing overtime.
On the first play of the first overtime series, Santiago took it the distance from 25 yards out, but the Coyotes answered on their first play of overtime. Streveler found Shamar Jackson over the middle just inside the goal line. The USD signal caller finished with four touchdown strikes and 215 passing yards.
USD kicker Miles Bergner opened double overtime with a 37-yard field goal to give the Coyotes a 44-41 lead. With UND in need of a touchdown to win, Santiago appeared to have done just that from five yards out. But the touchdown ruling on the field was overturned on video review. Two tries later from inside the 1-yard line, Studsrud followed the left side of his line into the end zone, capping off a wild and much-needed celebration for a UND team that had lost its first two games by a combined five points.
UND safety Cole Reyes opened the scoring for the home team with a pick-six in the first quarter and Studsrud found Travis Toivonen from 11 yards out for the rookie's first receiving touchdown to make it a 14-6 contest.
Those would be the only points for UND until Taubenheim broke the four-touchdown run by the Coyotes with his first of two field goals.
UND will open Big Sky play next Saturday at Montana State. Kickoff from Bozeman is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. CT.
Game Notes: Game captains were Luke Mathewson, Connor O'Brien, Cole Reyes and Keaton Studsrud … The attendance figure of 11,477 was the second-highest in a home opener in the 15-year history of the Alerus Center (largest since 2009; 12,431 vs. South Dakota) ... This was UND's first OT game since 2008 finale at USD and first OT game at the Alerus since Oct. 18, 2003 against North Dakota State … UND is now 7-3 all-time in OT games and has won six in a row … UND improved to 39-12 all-time in Potato Bowl USA games and now owns a 61-29-5 all-time advantage in the series with t he Coyotes ... This was the first non-conference matchup between the two programs since 1921 and UND has won 22 of the last 26 contests in the series ... The last time these two teams met in 2011, USD held a 37-17 lead entering the fourth quarter before UND rallied with 21 unanswered to win 38-37 … UND has now won 30 consecutive home openers and 13 straight over South Dakota at home … UND had a pair of interception returns for touchdowns in the same game for the first time in its Division I era (since 2008) … Safety Cole Reyes had the first of his career in the opening quarter from 33 yards out to give UND a 7-3 lead … Junior Deion Harris' added a key one in the fourth quarter, also from 33 yards out, to make it a 34-33 contest before the PAT tied the game with 3:28 remaining … It was the second-straight game Harris had a pick-six (63-yarder at BGSU; Sept. 10) … Harris is the first Fighting Hawk to have a pair in the same season since Dominique Hawkins (2009) … Sophomore John Santiago registered the 11th 100-yard rushing game of his career (22 for 140) and scored a pair of touchdowns, including the first receiving one (7-yarder) … Junior Keaton Studrud's second-quarter interception was his first in 127 consecutive passes dating back to the 2015 Idaho State game (Oct. 5) … True freshman Travis Toivonen put UND up 14-6 with his first career touchdown reception in the second quarter … True freshman tight end Alex Cloyd saw the first game action of his career and one catch for six yards … O'Brien finished the game with a career-high 12 tackles (10 were assisted).
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