MACOMB, Ill. – Redshirt freshman quarterback Tommy Schuster threw for a career high in yards (328) and touchdowns (3) while the rushing attack combined for 216 yards to pace No. 3 North Dakota past Western Illinois, 38-21, on Saturday afternoon from Hanson Field in Macomb.
 
UND (4-0, 4-0 MVFC), who entered Saturday's contest as the league's top team in time of possession, held the ball for over 41 minutes, ran 80 plays and accounted for 544 yards of total offense to move to 4-0 for the first time since 2008.
 
A week after going 11-for-16 on third down, the Fighting Hawks were efficient once again with an 8-for-12 afternoon against the Leathernecks (0-3, 0-3 MVFC), while also going 1-for-1 on fourth down and punting only once in the contest.
 
"It was new for a lot of our guys-- we have 17 guys that had never been on a trip here at UND," head coach Bubba Schweigert said of his team's first road trip of the season in its new league. "I thought our players handled the travel well and I challenged them to focus on the performance."
 
Adam Zavalney caught a pair of touchdowns in the opening half as the visiting Fighting Hawks jumped out to a 21-7 lead at the break. It may have been more if not for a couple of fumbles that gave Western Illinois some extra opportunities. The UND defense was sure to squash those breaks, however, as WIU mustered just 25 yards of total offense in the first quarter and the Leathernecks could only gather 26 yards rushing for the game.
 
Devon Krzanowski once again made his living in the backfield for the UND defense, collecting a pair of sacks to go alongside his six tackles. The junior also pounced on a fumble in the third quarter that resulted in a touchdown drive for the visitors. Hayden Reynolds paced the Hawks with seven total tackles while Kadon Kauppinen had a team-high five solo tackles and six total.
 
North Dakota, receiving for the first time to begin a game this season, nearly jumped out to a 7-0 lead just six plays in. Schuster hit Garett Maag in stride on third and 10 for 49 yards, but the junior was stripped from behind while being tackled to give the ball to the Leathernecks and halt the promising drive.
 
UND stood tall on defense, not allowing WIU to gain a positive yard on the ensuing drive, but a 71-yard punt pushed the Hawks back to their own 18. There, the visitors embarked on a 16-play, 82-yard drive that took over eight minutes on the clock and was capped off with an 8-yard scamper by Illinois native Luke Skokna to give the Hawks a 7-0 lead.
 
Not to be outdone, however, UND marched 92 yards on its next drive in just 10 plays to quickly extend the lead to 14-0 as the second quarter began. Schuster was spreading the ball around on that drive, completing passes to six-different receivers, before finding Zavalney on a diving catch for the 4-yard score.
 
WIU cut into the lead with a touchdown drive of its own, but once again North Dakota responded with an 11-play, 78-yard march down the field to restore the 14-point lead late in the first half. Dalton Gee and Skokna provided the spark, with Gee picking up a big first down early in the drive on a screen pass. Schuster and Zavalney connected once again to find paydirt, this time from 10-yards out for the score and a 21-7 advantage heading into halftime.
 
UND did what it has always done in the third quarter, score on its opening possession of the frame. This time it was a 46-yard field goal from Adam Stage, but the three points pushed the lead to a three-score cushion at 24-7 near the midway portion of the stanza.
 
The turnover came into play for the visitors on the next drive, with Josh Navratil forcing a fumble and Krzanowski hopping on the loose ball to put UND right back in business at its own 46. Following a 33-yard strike from Schuster to Maag, Otis Weah took over with back-to-back runs to polish off the drive with seven more points and a 31-7 lead.
 
UND capped off the victory with another strike from Schuster, this time finding Jake Richter in the back of the end zone for his first score as a Fighting Hawk to salt away the victory.
 
North Dakota now turns its attention to a big matchup with rival North Dakota State, the first conference meeting between the schools since both were in NCAA Division II in the North Central Conference in 2003. UND won that game, 28-21, in overtime in what would be the final game in the Nickel Trophy rivalry.
 
"It's obviously a big game for us, we haven't been in the same league for many years," Schweigert said. "We're looking forward to that. We're trying to get our fifth win and it would be over a very good football team and a program that we have a lot of respect for."
 
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NOTES: UND is now 4-0 for the first time since 2008 and 4-0 in league play for the first time since 2016 … Tommy Schuster accounted for career highs in yards and touchdowns … He moves to 5-0 in his career and 4-0 as a starter … Saturday's win was the first over an unranked opponent this season … Adam Zavalney now has three TDs in his last two games … Adam Stage booted home a 46-yard field goal, his longest in a UND uniform and longest since a 47-yarder when he was with St. Cloud State (Sep. 8, 2018 at Minn. Crookston) … UND surrendered its first sack of the season on offense … The Hawks have increased their total offensive yards in each game this season … UND has won all four of its games by double digits … The 216 rushing yards are the third time UND has crossed the 200-yard plateau this season.