MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL CONFERENCE | Saturday’s other games

North Dakota State 48, Missouri State 7

SPRINGFIELD, MO.

Easton Stick tossed five touchdown passes — all in the first half — and Adam Cofield ran for two scores to power FCS unbeaten and top-ranked North Dakota State to a shellacking of Missouri State. Stick completed 15 of 24 passes for 238 yards as the Bison (10-0, 7-0 Missouri Valley Football Conference) scored touchdowns on their first three possessions. Stick opened the scoring with a 29-yard strike to Dallas Freeman. He followed that up with a 29-yard TD toss to Ben Ellefson and after Cam Pedersen missed the extra point the Bison led 13-0. James Hendricks picked off Peyton Huslig’s first-down pass at the Bison 49-yard line and three plays later Stick connected with Nate Jenson for a 43-yard TD and a 20-0 lead.

South Dakota State 57, Southern Illinois 38

CARBONDALE, ILL.

Taryn Christion passed for 341 yards and two touchdowns, Pierre Strong Jr. had 188 yards rushing and three touchdowns, and South Dakota State beat Southern Illinois. South Dakota State, ranked sixth in the FCS coaches’ poll, scored on two 50-plus yard plays at the end of the first half for a 30-17 lead. Strong capped a two-play drive with a 72-yard touchdown run and Christion completed a pass to Cade Johnson for a one-play, 56-yard scoring drive.

South Dakota 17, Western Illinois 12

VERMILLION, S.D.

Austin Simmons threw for 220 yards and a score and rushed for 66 yards and South Dakota beat Western Illinois. Simmons led a 13-play, 75-yard drive that ended with his 2-yard scoring pass to Caleb Vander Esch for a 7-3 lead with 5:29 left in the first quarter and South Dakota (4-6, 3-4 Missouri Valley Football Conference) never trailed again. Kai Henry’s 4-yard touchdown run with 9:14 to play made it a 17-6 score.

Indiana State 28, Illinois State 23

TERRE HAUTE, IND.

Ryan Boyle and Titus McCoy accounted for Indiana State’s scoring as the Sycamores won their fourth straight game, beating Illinois State. Indiana State (6-4, 4-3 Missouri Valley Conference), which upset South Dakota State 51-48 in triple overtime last week, took control in the second quarter, scoring 21 unanswered points to take a 21-10 lead into the break. The Redbirds closed to 21-17 after Brady Davis passed to Spencer Schnell from the 2 midway in the third. Boyle answered by throwing a 25-yard scoring strike to Dakota Caton early in the fourth. Davis hit Schnell from 15 yards out with 27 seconds remaining to close to 28-23, but the Sycamores recovered the ensuing onside kick to secure the win.

Associated Press