Nov. 18, 2006

Fargo, N.D. - Travis White sealed the game and a Great West Football Conference title with an 84-yard punt return as North Dakota State defeated South Dakota State 41-28 Saturday.

A record crowd of 19,053 at the Fargodome was treated to a night of offensive fireworks, with the teams combining for more than 700 yards of total offense. There were four lead changes.

The Bison (10-1, 4-0 GWFC) rallied twice in the second half. They were clinging to a 31-28 lead when White broke several tackles en route to the clinching touchdown with 6:13 left.

Neither the No. 4 Bison nor No. 18 Jackrabbits are eligible for the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.

Wide receiver John Majeski was the key to the Bison surge in the third quarter - as a rusher. He reeled off two long gains on end-around plays, one for 65 yards that led to a Tyler Roehl touchdown run and another for 45 yards and a score.

The latter run put the Bison ahead 24-21 late in the third quarter, the fourth lead change of the game. NDSU stretched that advantage to 31-21 with 15 seconds left in the quarter on a 41-yard touchdown pass from Steve Walker to Kole Heckendorf.

The Jackrabbits (7-4, 3-1 GWFC) responded quickly to start the fourth quarter, when quarterback Andy Kardoes hooked up with a wide-open Micah Johnson on a 60-yard touchdown pass. That pulled SDSU within 31-28 with 14:16 left.

The Bison defense held SDSU scoreless the rest of the way.

Shawn Bibeau kicked a pair of field goals for NDSU.

The Bison lead 10-0 in the first quarter on a 41-yard field goal by Bibeau and a 12-yard touchdown run by Kyle Steffes.

SDSU connected on two big pass plays to go ahead in the second quarter. A 51-yard pass from Kardoes to Chris Wagner set up a 1-yard scoring run by Anthony Watson, and 43-yard touchdown pass from Kardoes to Johnson made it 14-10 at half.