SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Senior quarterback Anthony Garnett threw three touchdown passes and freshman running back James Noble rushed for 161 yards and one score as No. 9 Cal Poly defeated 12 North Dakota State 37-6 in a Great West Football Conference game Saturday night before 6,923 in Mustang Stadium.

Garnett completed 11 of 16 passes for 166 yards and his three touchdown passes are a season high as Cal Poly improved to 5-1 overall with its fifth straight win and the Mustangs are 3-0 in conference games.

North Dakota State fell to 4-2 and 0-1.

Garnett, who threw four touchdown passes twice in the 2004 season, connected with Tredale Tolver on a 63-yard touchdown pass 22 seconds into the second quarter, then hit Ramses Barden with a 16-yard scoring toss with 8:54 to play in the first half.

Senior fullback Adam George caught a three-yard touchdown toss from Garnett with 40 seconds remaining in the second quarter as Cal Poly took a 27-0 lead into the lockerroom at halftime.

Noble scored Cal Poly's final touchdown on a 17-yard run with 4:19 to play in the game. Noble carried the ball 20 times, averaging 8.1 yards per carry, and notched his third 100-plus yard game of the season.

Junior Nick Coromelas added a career-high three field goals for Cal Poly spanning 39, 22 and 37 yards. That is the most field goals in a game for Cal Poly since Navid Niakan kicked four three-pointers against Weber State in the 2002 season finale.

North Dakota State scored its only touchdown of the game on a two-yard run by Kyle Steffes with 12 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Steffes finished with 93 yards on 23 carries for the Bison.

North Dakota State quarterback Steve Walker completed nine of 18 passes for 89 yards but was sacked four times. Kyle Shotwell, Chris Gocong, Tom Curiel and Aaron Williams each notched a sack for the Mustang defense.

Shotwell finished with 11 tackles while Gocong and Cordel Webb each added seven. Gocong had three tackles for lost yardage, including the sack.

Linebacker Kole Zimmerman had 10 tackles for the Bison.

Barden was Cal Poly's top receiver with five catches for 77 yards. Kole Heckendorf had four receptions for North Dakota State.

The Mustangs now lead the Bison 3-2 in the series between the two schools.

Cal Poly, which played its lone home game of October with Saturday's game against North Dakota State, has a bye next week and returns to action Oct. 22 at Montana. North Dakota State also has a bye next week and will host UC Davis on Oct. 22.