No. 13/17 North Dakota vs. Illinois State
Grand Forks, N.D. (Alerus Center)
UND holds a 2-0 series lead
Kickoff: 1 p.m. (CT)
TV: Midco Sports/ESPN+
Radio: Home of Economy Radio Network (Pregame Show @ Noon)

Grand Forks, N.D. - For just the third time in program history, North Dakota and Illinois State will meet on the gridiron this Saturday. Both teams will be fighting for their seventh win of the season. Kickoff between the Fighting Hawks and Redbirds is scheduled for 1 p.m. inside the Alerus Center. The game will be televised on Midco Sports. It will also be carried on the Home of Economy Radio Network with a pregame show starting at Noon.

UND enters Saturday with a 6-4 record and 4-3 standing in MVFC play after falling 14-10 at then-ranked No. 6 South Dakota last weekend. It was a tale of two halves, with UND pitching a 10-0 shutout at the halfway point and USD scoring 14 unanswered points in the second half. The game was a defensive battle with the Hawks registering 211 yards of total offense and the Coyotes limiting them to just 63 yards of offense in the final 30 minutes.

ISU comes to the Alerus Center with an overall record of 6-4 and a 4-3 conference mark after defeating Murray State, 44-7, last Saturday. The Redbirds piled up 510 yards of offense in the win, highlighted by 345 yards on the ground.  The Redbird defense also picked off the Racers three times in the win. Backup sophomore QB Tommy Rittenhouse went 14-for-23 passing for 165 yards and a score in the win. Mason Blakemore paced ISU on the ground, toting the rock 19 times and finishing with 169 yards and three scores.

The game on Saturday will have huge playoff implications, with both teams searching for their seventh win of the season. The two teams have met only twice previously, with North Dakota winning both contests in Grand Forks. The series started in 1979 with a 20-0 UND victory and resumed two seasons ago, with the Fighting Hawks picking up a 14-7 victory in 2021.

FULL GAME NOTES ARE HERE.