LINCOLN, Neb. – Anthony Grant rushed for 189 yards and two scores on 23 carries to help Nebraska survive a push from North Dakota, 38-17, on Saturday afternoon from a sold-out Memorial Stadium.
UND (0-1) rallied from a 10-point deficit to knot the game at 17 late in the third quarter, but the Cornhuskers (1-1) struck for 21 unanswered to come away with the victory.
Isaiah Smith enjoyed his third 100-yard rushing game of his career, pacing the Fighting Hawks with 104 yards on just 10 carries. Tyler Hoosman scampered for 41 yards and a score on 10 carries of his own in his first game in the green and white.
Tommy Schuster was efficient once again with 24 completions for 131 yards and a touchdown. Bo Belquist was his favorite target, hauling in six catches for 40 yards.
On defense, Ted Mullin led the Hawks with seven tackles and a half sack. Ben McNaboe had his first multi-sack game and forced a fumble in the first quarter.
Following a Nebraska touchdown midway through the first quarter, both teams went scoreless until North Dakota knotted up the score at 7-7 with 13 seconds before the half. The UND touchdown was a one-yard pass from Schuster to Adam Zavalney to even the score following a Brady Stevens extra point. In the first half, North Dakota dominated in time of possession with a 20:38 to 9:22 advantage. The Fighting Hawks also held a 174-147 edge in total offensive yardage.
After intermission, Nebraska opened the second half with a 75-yard drive and then extended the lead to 10 at 17-7 with a field goal midway through the third quarter. The Fighting Hawks pulled within a touchdown with 5:52 left in the third quarter with a Stevens field goal. One minute and 30 seconds later, Hoosman found the end zone to knot the game up at 17-17. The Hoosman score came after a 63-yard rush from Smith. The final score of the third quarter came from Nebraska with a 46-yard touchdown rush to hold a 24-17 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Huskers increased their lead to two scores midway through the final stanza with Ajay Allen scampered in from nine yards out before the hosts capped off the victory with a final touchdown with just two minutes remaining to close out the 38-17 score.
Postgame Notes
· North Dakota drops to 0-2 all-time in the series.
· UND has now either had the lead or a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter in each of its last 12 games.
· Nebraska finished with a 437-306 advantage in yardage.
· UND held the ball for over 36 minutes, including a 16-play, 80-yard drive in the second quarter.
· North Dakota won the turnover battle, 2-1, with Wyatt Pedigo recording the first INT of his career.
· Nebraska rushed for 244 yards on 41 carries while UND posted 33 rushes for 175 yards.
· UND finished 6-of-15 on third down and 1-of-2 on fourth down.
· Peyton Lotysz, Sam Hagen and Danny Caroll all recorded their first career starts on the UND offensive line.
· Clayton Bishop, Marcus Vaughn-Jones, Caden White, Sammy Fort and Ted Mullin all had their first starts for UND defensively.
· A fumble forced by Ben McNaboe led to a fumble recovery by Devon Krzanowski at the UND 45 with 4:24 left in the first quarter.
· The attendance for the game was 86,590.
· Zavalney has eight career touchdowns, ties him for sixth on the on the UND top-10 Division I list.
· Tommy Schuster's one touchdown pass moves him up to No. 3 in the UND Division I history with 25 TD passes.
· At the end of the first half, North Dakota held a 173-147 yard edge in total offense, while also holding a 20:38-9:22 advantage in time of possession.
· Isaiah Smith put down a 63-yard rush to lead to a Brady Stevens field goal of 23-yards to cut the deficit to 17-10. Smith's rush was the longest of his career. Smith finished with 104 yards, good for his third career 100-yard game.
How It Happened
First Quarter
06:46 – NEB | Anthony Grant has a 19-yard touchdown run, capping an 8 play, 87-yard drive.
Second Quarter
00:13 – UND | Tommy Schuster found Adam Zavalney for a 1-yard touchdown pass to cap a 16-play, 80-yard drive.
Third Quarter
13:12 – NEB | Nate Boerkircher scored with a 19-yard touchdown grab from Casey Thompson to conclude a 6-play, 75-yard drive to open the second half.
8:36 – NEB | Timmy Bleekrode connects on a 46-yard field goal. Scoring Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 00:56.
5:52 – UND | Brady Stevens makes a 23-yard field goal to finish a 6-play, 69-yard drive of 2:44.
4:22 – UND |
Tyler Hoosman rushes into the end zone from five yards out, ending a 2 play, 8-yard drive of 0:44.
2:30 – NEB | Anthony Grant has a 46-yard touchdown rush, capping a 5-play, 75-yard drive.
Fourth Quarter
6:35 – NEB | Ajay Allen has a 14-yard touchdown rush, completing an 11-play, 89-yard drive.
2:37 – NEB | Chancellor Brewington hauls in a 5-yard pass from Thompson to extend the lead to 38-17 for Nebraska.
For more information on North Dakota football, visiting FightingHawks.com or follow on social media at @UNDfootball.
