Watson’s High Power Speed Helps Lift NDSU To Win Over Northern Iowa

Christian Watson returned a kick 100 yards for a touchdown in the Bison's 23-20 win over the Panthers

FARGO, ND (KVRR) – In the second to last game of the regular season, NDSU squeaked by Northern Iowa 23-20 for their fifth win of the spring in what was their first game in three weeks.

Christian Watson has a knack for speed, as we’ve seen before, but today it was on full display right here. The  100-yard kick return touchdown was his first as a Bison and his second on a spring, after catching one in the Herd’s last game against North Dakota. The 2019 All Missouri Valley Football 2nd Team honoree finished the day with a pair of receptions for 86 yards. After the game, he mentioned how he felt he wasn’t running his fastest right out of the gate on that play.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “Everyone else was telling me I’m getting out pretty well. To me, I kind of felt like I was running a little bit slow cause I had two cutbacks that I had to do. I was kind of scaring myself. I was like, ‘I can’t get caught.’ I’m always playing with everyone. I can’t get caught from behind. I pride myself on speed. I think I got out pretty well from what everyone else was telling me I got out. But I mean a play is a play. If I score a touchdown, I definitely felt like I was getting out of there.”

The Bison finish the regular season next weekend at home against South Dakota State in the annual Dakota Marker game.