Bison Notebook: NDSU win allows Stick to hold part of QB win record – InForum

FARGO — It wasn’t the biggest storyline of the game, but the current North Dakota State team helped a Bison graduate hold part of an all-time Football Championship Subdivision record.

NDSU’s 28-21 victory over South Dakota State at the Fargodome on Saturday ended the Jackrabbits’ quarterback streak Mark Gronowskis Career. He finished with 49 wins as the starting QB, tying the mark Easton stick Set with NDSU from 2015 to 2018.

An SDSU win alone would have given Gronowski the record.

“How about Easton Stick keep his record? This is a big deal,” Bison head coach said Tim Polasek said.

It might have gotten more attention in the Bison locker room than outside. The NDSU players who were available to the media after the game said Polasek talked about stopping Gronowski from breaking the mark.

“Coach P had mentioned it before the game. He usually talks about special teams, offense and defense, and when he talked about defense he said, ‘That kid isn’t beating Easton Stick’s record and that’s personal,'” the NDSU quarterback said Cam Miller said. “And I think the defensive guys probably had that in the back of their minds as well. I’m glad the Easton weren’t beaten.”

Gronowski, who has one year of eligibility left but has announced his intention to play in the East-West Shrine Game and pursue an NFL career, finished his career at SDSU with 10,309 yards and 93 touchdowns through the air, along with 1,767 yards and 36 touchdowns on the ground.

He finished the game with a 5-2 record against the Bison, with NDSU winning the last two games.

Miller also sits atop the list of all-time QB wins leaders. As NDSU’s starter since the spring 2021 season, he is 44-11, which puts him fourth behind Stick, Gronowski and former Bison QB Brock Jensen (48 career wins).

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As it turns out, the final play of the first half was probably more telling than originally thought. SDSU got the ball at its own 26-yard line after NDSU made it 14-14 on Miller’s two-yard TD run.

The Jackrabbits, who got the ball with 1:50 left before halftime, got two first downs, the last being a 12-yard pass from Gronowski Griffin Wilde that reached the Bison 42-yard line with 38 seconds left.

A couple of runs went nowhere and SDSU faced fourth-and-10 after a timeout with two seconds left. Instead of making a Hail Mary pass, the Jacks took a knee and went to the locker room.

“It doesn’t matter now, but Mark has a lot to contend with,” SDSU head coach said Jimmy Rogers. “As far as his arms go, he didn’t play 100% this game. You wouldn’t notice it from the outside.”

Rogers said Gronowski couldn’t “tear it up” like he normally could and he didn’t want to show NDSU any sign that he was hurt.

“If he had to make a 60-yard throw, it would have been feast or famine if he knew he couldn’t push it that far down,” he said. “Those are wishful throws and you hope for a big play, but at the same time we blew it.”

David Samson/The Forum

The only turnover came to NDSU, and it was a big turnover that stemmed the Jackrabbit tide in the first half. SDSU scored two straight touchdowns to take a 14-7 lead with 6:01 left in the second quarter.

But on the second play of the drive, NDSU found itself on the defensive Kody Huisman cut through the line of scrimmage and displaced the ball at running back Amar Johnson. Defensive end Loshiaka Roques recovered at the Jackrabbit 23-yard line.

“I thought it was a huge game,” Rogers said. “But at the same time it’s 14-14 again. It’s back to 21-21. I’m going back to 0-0. In your mind, regardless of the dynamics, you control your own destiny and you control your vision, your focus on what you want to become, and you can’t let bad plays affect you so much that it paralyzes you. If you have the chance to fix it, you have to overcome it.

Seven plays later, Miller scored from the 2-yard line, and what was once a good bit of SDSU momentum was broken and the game was tied 14-14.

It was Roques’ second crucial fumble recovery in a semifinal game. He recovered deep in Bison territory to thwart an Incarnate Word push in the 2022 semifinals at the Dome.

After failing to forfeit five straight games against NDSU, this was the second straight game the Jacks forfeited.

David Samson/The Forum

SDSU lost two All-American defensive players to injuries in the second half.

Linebackers Caleb Francl left the game late in the third quarter with an apparent head or neck injury.

Cornerback Daly’s Beanum injured himself during a punt late in the third quarter and had to be taken off the field. Apparently it was an injury to his left leg.

Both were named to the STATS Perform All-American first team.

“We’re talking about two All-Americans and one who might have a chance to play in the NFL. I think that changes things quite a bit,” Rogers said. “We preach to the next man up and when that opportunity comes you have to fight hard and have the confidence to step on the field and execute.”

“Every time a few guys are eliminated, it hurts. But it’s just like them. They suffer injuries. I can’t blame it on injury fever. I felt like we were healthy enough to win that game and we didn’t do that. “Nobody is healthy.

NDSU lost its starting cornerback Jailen Duffie to an injury in the fourth quarter on Gronowski’s 14-yard touchdown pass Graham Goering.

Polasek wasn’t sure about Duffie’s details. Linebackers Enock Sibomana also went out, but Polasek said he was fine.

David Samson/The Forum

Bryce Lances Three touchdown catches give him 16 for the season, surpassing NDSU’s single-season TD reception mark of 15 Zach Vraa in 2013. Lance had 125 receiving yards in the game, tying NDSU’s record for receiving yards in an FCS playoff game. Darrius Shepherd had 125 in the 2018 national championship game against Eastern Washington. … Visiting the Fargodome wasn’t a sellout. It was announced at 17,849. … sixth graders Hunter Poncius started at left guard a week after starting at right guard to take the injured man’s spot Jake Rock. … Braylon Henderson played in his 72nd career game, breaking the NDSU record of 71 games played as a cornerback Jayden Price over five seasons from 2019 to 2023. … This was the sixth postseason meeting between the FCS teams. NDSU won the first four playoff games, all at the Fargodome, before SDSU won the final game for the 2022 national championship. … NDSU went 8-1 in FCS playoff rematches against regular-season opponents. … SDSU was a three-point favorite, according to Bet ESPN. … The Bison had a 49-5 record in FCS playoff games prior to Saturday, including a 37-1 record in the Dome.