(STATS) – It’s hard to overshadow an Eastern Washington-Montana matchup in the Big Sky Conference, but North Dakota left no doubt Saturday.
The No. 17 Fighting Hawks held on to first place by handing Weber State its first conference loss, 27-19 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks.
UND (7-2, 6-0) has been playing the season with a “Leave No Doubt” mantra after they were one of the last two teams not to get an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs last November. They’ve followed up two close losses to open the season with seven straight wins.
John Santiago left no doubt when he opened the game with a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, but the Fighting Hawks had to come from behind after trailing 13-7 at halftime. Brady Oliveira scored on a 17-yard run and Noah Wanzek threw a 2-yard touchdown to Brad Heidlebaugh in the third quarter before Reid Taubenheim kicked two field goals in the fourth.
Weber State’s Jadrian Clark threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns, but committed four turnovers as the Wildcats (5-3, 4-1) saw their five-game winning streak end. UND’s Cole Reyes had two interceptions.
STATS FCS TOP 25 SCHEDULE
Saturday, Oct. 24
All Times ET
No. 5 The Citadel 45, East Tennessee State 10
The Citadel (8-0, 6-0 Southern) rushed for 427 yards and five touchdowns, led by Cam Jackson’s 124 yards and two scores on seven carries.
With a win over Samford next Saturday, the Bulldogs would clinch at least a share of a second straight conference title and an automatic bid to the playoffs.
No. 9 Charleston Southern 49, Bucknell 28
The Buccaneers improved to 5-2 as quarterbacks Shane Bucenell and London Johnson accounted for three touchdowns each. Bucenell (238 yards of offense) threw for three scores, while Johnson rushed for two and passed for one.
No. 12 North Carolina A&T 42, Florida A&M 17
With its fifth straight win, A&T (7-1, 5-0) moved atop the MEAC standings with idle North Carolina Central. Tarik Cohen carried the ball 17 times for 145 yards and three touchdowns, including an 83-yarder that was his 11th score over 70 yards in his four-year career.
No. 18 Coastal Carolina 48, Presbyterian 17
Jah-Maine Martin and Kenneth Daniels rushed for 120 and 100 yards, respectively, and two touchdowns each to power Coastal (6-2), which will finish its final season on the FCS level with four home games next month.
New Hampshire 43, No. 22 Stony Brook 14
UNH (6-3, 5-1) handed Stony Brook (5-3, 4-1) its first loss in CAA Football by forcing five turnovers, including Prince Smith Jr.’s 43-yard interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter.
Wildcats quarterback Trevor Knight threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another.
Stony Brook hadn’t allowed a touchdown in 10 quarters entering the game.
No. 24 Harvard 23, Dartmouth 21
Quarterback Joe Viviano had a touchdown run and pass in the first quarter, and Ivy League co-leader Harvard (6-1, 4-0 Ivy) ran out the final 2 1/2 minutes after Dartmouth pulled with 23-21. It was the Crimson’s 13th straight win in the series.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-6, 1-4 SWAC) at No. 21 Grambling State (5-1, 4-0), 3 p.m.
No. 7 South Dakota State (5-2, 4-0 Missouri Valley) at Illinois State (3-5, 1-4), 3 p.m.
No. 13 Western Illinois (5-2, 2-2 Missouri Valley) at South Dakota (4-3, 3-1), 3 p.m.
No. 23 Eastern Illinois (5-3, 3-2 OVC) at No. 2 Jacksonville State (6-1, 3-0), 3:30 p.m.
Rhode Island (1-7, 0-5 CAA) at No. 8 James Madison (6-1, 4-0), 3:30 p.m.
No. 20 Samford (6-1) at Mississippi State (2-5), 3:30 p.m.
No. 19 Central Arkansas (6-1, 5-0 Southland) at Southeastern Louisiana (4-3, 4-1), 3:30 p.m.
No. 10 Chattanooga (7-1, 5-1 Southern) at Western Carolina (1-6, 0-5), 3:30 p.m.
No. 16 Montana (5-2, 2-2 Big Sky) at No. 3 Eastern Washington (6-1, 4-0), 3:40 p.m.
No. 25 Tennessee State (5-2, 2-1 OVC) at Murray State (2-5, 2-2), 4 p.m.
Indiana State (4-4, 2-3 Missouri Valley) at No. 15 Youngstown State (5-2, 3-1), 4 p.m.
Texas Southern (3-4) at No. 1 Sam Houston State (7-0), 7 p.m.
No. 4 North Dakota State (6-1, 3-1 Missouri Valley) at Northern Iowa (3-4, 2-2), 7 p.m.
No. 14 Cal Poly (5-2, 3-1 Big Sky) at Sacramento State (1-7, 1-4), 9 p.m.
IDLE
No. 6 Richmond (7-1, 4-1 CAA) and No. 11 Villanova (6-2, 4-1 CAA)
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