NDSU Football Routs Robert Morris

The Bison improve to 3-0 on the season

FARGO, N.D. (NDSU Athletics) — No. 2-ranked North Dakota State scored off three straight turnovers in the first quarter and cruised to a 56-0 victory over Robert Morris in non-conference football Saturday, Sept. 23, before a crowd of 18,308 at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.

Lance Dunn had NDSU’s first four-touchdown game since the 2010 playoffs rushing three times for 111 yards and three touchdowns, and scoring on his only pass reception from 10 yards out.  Dunn scored on runs of 61, 5 and 45 yards.

“I’ve never done anything like that. I’m really proud of our offense,” Dunn said.  “The O-line created a lot of holes so I just took full advantage of the opportunities. I just told myself before the game, ‘Every time I get the ball I want to make something happen with it,’ so that’s what I did.”

RMU’s first three turnovers led to a 28-0 deficit nine minutes into the game.  Dunn scored from the 5 on the first play after defensive end Logan McCormick’s forced fumble, safety Tre Dempsey had a 23-yard interception return touchdown, and Bruce Anderson plunged in from the 1 three plays after another RMU fumble forced by linebacker Dan Marlette and recovered by Jabril Cox.

“We compete our hearts out. I think those turnovers came from us competing way harder than they were and just trying to dominate every snap and every play,” Dempsey said.  “We weren’t letting up at all, no matter what the score was or how we were feeling. The standard is to dominate.”

Dunn’s 10-yard TD catch made it 35-0 by the end of the first quarter, RJ Urzendowski had a 14-yard TD catch in the third quarter, and backup quarterback Cole Davis scored on a 17-yard run in the third quarter to close the scoring.

Easton Stick was 11 of 15 passing for 132 yards and two scores, Davis completed 3 of 6 passes, and Henry Van Dellen went 1 of 3 in a little more than a quarter of action.  James Hendricks, who picked up his second interception in three games at safety, got back under center to quarterback the Bison for the final drive to run out the clock.

Cox had a team-high eight tackles, including four on kick coverage, and linebacker Aaron Mercadel added six tackles for NDSU.  Ross Kennelly picked up NDSU’s only sack but the Bison combined for eight tackles for loss while holding RMU to just 57 yards of total offense.

Dunn’s four touchdowns were the most by any Bison player in a game since DJ McNorton’s four in the second round playoff win at Montana State in December 2010, one shy of the record held by four different players.  Dunn has nine TDs in three games for the Bison this season.

For Robert Morris (2-2), their second straight shutout loss in Fargo set a new school record for points allowed, surpassing the 52 points surrendered to NDSU in the 2012 season opener.

North Dakota State (3-0) is scheduled to host Missouri State at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, in the annual homecoming game.  The Bears are 1-3 overall and 0-1 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference after a 34-9 home loss to 12th-ranked Illinois State.