North Dakota 44, Southern Illinois 21

Recap

GRAND FORKS, N.D. — North Dakota forced five turnovers and rushed for 229 yards to blow past No. 24 Southern Illinois, 44-21, on Saturday afternoon from the Alerus Center in Grand Forks.

UND (1-0, 1-0 MVFC) opened its Missouri Valley Football Conference history in strong fashion, outscoring the Salukis (1-1, 0-1 MVFC) 28-7 in the second half to turn a 16-14 halftime lead into the 44-21 victory.

It was a good balance on the offensive side for the Fighting Hawks, amassing 347 yards of total offense. Tommy Schuster was solid in his first-career start at quarterback, throwing for 118 yards and three scores while completing 15 of his 25 passes. On the ground, Otis Weah spearheaded a mutli-faced attack with 91 yards and a score on 13 carries. Luke Skokna also added some punch with 70 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries.

Full Recap (North Dakota) | Full Recap (Southern Illinois) | Box Score

Stadium: Alerus Center

Location: Grand Forks, N.D.

Attendance: 3176

Duration: 3:12

SIU: Baker, Nic (153 PASS); Elliott, Romeir (39 RUSH); Cox, Avante (107 REC);

UND Tommy Schuster (118 PASS); Otis Weah (91 RUSH); Garett Maag (40 REC);