Nov. 11, 2006

Fargo, N.D. - Junior quarterback Steve Walker completed 13 of 16 passes for 142 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 5 North Dakota State to a 51-14 victory over No. 9 Cal Poly in a Great West Football Conference game Saturday afternoon before 14,706 in the Fargodome.

North Dakota State, which compiled a 466-169 advantage in total offense, improved to 9-1 and 3-0, setting up a showdown for the Great West title next Saturday in Fargo against South Dakota State (7-3, 3-0).

The visiting Mustangs jumped to a 14-0 lead in the first 10 minutes of the game, but collected just two first downs and 62 total yards the rest of the way, falling to 6-4 for the season and 2-2 in Great West games.

Walker connected with Kole Heckendorf on a 14-yarder and with Jerimiah Wurzbacher on a two-yard touchdown pass as the Bison scored 28 second-quarter points for a 28-14 halftime lead and pulled away in the second half.

The 51 points and 466 total yards are the most given up by Cal Poly this season. The 28-point second quarter matches the largest quarter against a Rich Ellerson-coached Mustang team. Akron scored 28 points in the second quarter in 2003.

Walker also hit Wurzbacher with a 21-yard scoring pass in the third quarter.

Senior running back Kyle Steffes rushed for 127 yards on 25 carries -- his eighth 100-yard game of the season and 20th of his Bison career -- and scored on a 10-yard run in the second quarter.

Freshman Pete Blincoe scored on runs of 10 and 65 yards, finishing with 109 yards on 11 carries, while Mike Brower added a one-yard fourth-quarter run for the Bison. Shawn Bibeau added a 32-yard field goal late in the third quarter, his 13th of the season, a new Bison record.

Cal Poly jumped to its 14-0 lead on a seven-yard pass from Matt Brennan to Justin Belcher on the opening drive of the game and a two-yard run by James Noble after Adam Torosian recovered a North Dakota State fumble.

Noble finished with 52 yards on 13 carries while Brennan completed three of eight passes for 15 yards. Sophomore wide receiver Ramses Barden caught three passes for 50 yards, including a 42-yarder from H-back Jon Hall during the first scoring drive.

Senior linebacker Kyle Shotwell recorded 17 tackles for the second time in his career, three short of his career high, but the Mustangs, averaging 3.5 sacks a game, notched just one. Freshman Ryan Shotwell sacked Walker in the third quarter.

Cal Poly returns home for its final game of the 2006 regular season next Saturday, hosting Savannah State for a 1 p.m. non-conference game in Alex G. Spanos Stadium.