GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) — Mark Gronowski threw three touchdown passes and he ran for two scores, and South Dakota State dominated the second half in beating North Dakota 49-35 for its seventh straight victory.
South Dakota State trailed 21-7 late in the second quarter and 21-14 at halftime.
Gronowski led three third-quarter touchdown drives, connecting with Jaxon Janke from 10-yards out and Zach Heins from the 2. He also had a 1-yard scramble.
Gronowski’s 10-yard scoring run in the fourth made it 35 unanswered points for a 42-21 lead.
He finished 15 of 20 for 197 yards and he carried it six times for 20 yards. South Dakota State intercepted Tommy Schuster two times.
Schuster was 27 of 39 for 291 yards and a touchdown for North Dakota.
Elsewhere,
VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) — Shomari Lawrence and Travis Theis both ran for 100 yards and South Dakota defeated Southern Illinois 27-24 after trailing by two touchdowns in the second quarter.
Eddie Ogamba’s 44-yard field goal with 2:31 remaining in the fourth quarter gave the Coyotes their first lead of the game and the Salukis went a quick four-and-out on their only remaining possession.
South Dakota had two second half touchdowns, one a Wesley Eliodor 15-yard pass from Aidan Bouman, the other a 29-yard run by Lawrence to tie the score.
Southern Illinois built a 21-7 second-quarter lead on a short touchdown run by Javon Williams and two touchdown passes from Nic Baker.
