GRAND FORKS, N.D. – After collecting its first road win of the season, North Dakota returns to the friendly confines of the Alerus Center for a showdown against No. 9/9 Montana State on Saturday afternoon in Grand Forks. Alex Heinert and Ryan Kasowski will have the call on MidcoSN and PlutoTV while reigning numbers game champion Jack Michaels, Mike Berg, and Paul Ralston can be heard on the Home of Economy Radio Network.
 
This will be the 36th meeting between North Dakota and Montana State, with the Bobcats holding a 19-15-1 advantage in the series. Since switching to Division I, MSU has claimed four of the six meetings, but UND has won two of the last three. In the Alerus Center, the Hawks are 1-2 against the Cats.
 
It has been an up-and-down month for the UND secondary, as the Fighting Hawks entered October as the nation's top passing defense. In seven total games this season, UND has surrendered 200 yards or fewer in five of those games, but over 300 in two contests. UND currently ranks 22nd in passing defense with 188.0 yards surrendered per game.
 
It's a two-half game, and North Dakota has been learning that with the wild games it has played so far this season. Through seven games, UND has only played three halves this season decided by one possession (14-14 1st half vs. Sam Houston, 13-9 (UND) 2nd half vs. Sam Houston, and 13-7 (UND) 2nd half at Eastern Washington). The other 11 halves of football have been separated by multiple scores, including a trio by 20-or-more.
 
FULL PDF GAME NOTES ARE ATTACHED