Western Illinois suffered its seventh defeat this season Saturday at the Fargodome. (Photo by GoLeathernecks.com)
By Dan Verdun
No. 14 North Dakota State scored touchdowns on its first five possessions Saturday and steamrolled to a 52-7 victory over winless Western Illinois.
NDSU (5-2, 2-2) racked up 625 yards of total offense, including 425 on the ground. WIU (0-7, 0-4) managed 184 yards of total offense.
The Bison scored on their first nine possessions in the Missouri Valley Football Conference game.
Senior T.K. Marshall scored three of NDSU’s six rushing touchdowns, including a 38-yard run in the third quarter.
Sophomore running back Barika Kpeenu had 94 yards and two TDs on nine carries, while receiver RaJa Nelson had three carries for 103 yards, including a 76-yard TD run in the second quarter.
NDSU played four quarterbacks during the game. Starter Cam Miller was 8-of-12 passing for 103 yards.
The Bison built a 38-0 halftime and coasted to the victory.
Game changers
9:08, 2nd quarter: WIU punter Jared Campbell ran for a 15-yard gain on a fourth-and-9 from his own 23.
7:10, 4th quarter: True freshman Kaleb Randolph forced and recovered a fumble to thwart an NDSU drive.
6:26, 4th quarter: Western broke the Bison shutout bid when quarterback Matt Morrissey hit A.J. Coons with a 43-yard touchdown pass.
What it means
The Leathernecks lost their 20th consecutive game, adding to the longest streak in school history.
Nifty ‘Necks
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the top three Leatherneck players in the game:
Bradyn Smith, DB: The senior from Springfield registered 13 tackles, six solo, for the Leathernecks.
Seth Glatz, RB: The freshman from Morton rushed for a season-high 64 yards on 11 carries.
Campbell, P: The junior college transfer punted seven times for an average of 38.6 yards. Campbell had a long of 51 yards and two were downed inside the 20. He also ran for 15 yards on a fake punt that picked up a first down.
What’s next?
The Leathernecks return to Hanson Field in Macomb to host in-state rival Southern Illinois. The nationally ranked Salukis lost, 17-10, to No. 1 South Dakota State Saturday in Carbondale.
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
Find us on social media!
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PSPigskin
Facebook: Prairie State Pigskin
Prairie State Pigskin 
Leave a comment