GRAND FORKS, N.D. – After trailing by double figures late in the second quarter, North Dakota scored on six straight possessions and went on to a 48-31 victory over No. 7-ranked Missouri State here Saturday in a high-scoring Missouri Valley Football Conference contest.After a Von Young interception set up the visiting Bears with a short field with under three minutes left in the opening half, MoState took just four plays to capitalize on the takeaway and build a 21-10 lead after a blazing-fast start. Trae Thompson’s two-yard rush at the 2:36 mark gave MoState an 11-point advantage.But the home side then took flight, reeling off 24 unanswered points and flipping the script. With quarterback Tommy Schuster and running back Tyler Hoosman leading the way, the Fighting Hawks (3-2, 2-1 MVFC), retook the lead early in the third quarter, racked up 515 total yards for the game and never looked back.Joe Pizano’s 32-yard field goal with 14:15 remaining in the contest brought the Bears back within 34-24 and redeemed a pair of earlier misses from 30 and 38 yards. But just when it looked like MSU was back in the mix, UND retaliated with another pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives, eventually doubling up the Bears, 48-24, with 4:02 to play on its sixth-straight scoring drive.Bears quarterback Jason Shelley, who finished with 271 passing yards, was able to get MSU into the red zone in the game’s closing minutes, and finished the march with an eight-yard touchdown pass to Naveon Mitchell to make the final score, 48-31. It was Mitchell’s second touchdown pass of the game.The Bears (2-3, 0-2 MVFC) finished with 389 yards of total offense, 6.6 yards per play and no turnovers.A high-octane first half saw Missouri State take a 21-20 lead into the locker room at the game’s midway point, racking up 225 total yards in the first 30 minutes.The Bears wasted little time taking the early advantage as a 55-yard rush by Jacardia Wright on the first play of the game ultimately set up an 11-yard touchdown strike from Shelley to Mitchell three plays later. The 72-yard series took less than two minutes and set a blistering pace out of the gates.North Dakota returned fire on its first possession, converting a key third down from its own 35 to keep the drive intact. The Bears’ defense ultimately stopped the momentum at the 25, before Brady Stevens’ 42-yard field goal made it a 7-3 game.Midway through the second quarter, UND took the lead briefly on a three-yard rush by reserve quarterback Quincy Vaughn to make it 10-7. However, Missouri State responded with 14 unanswered points over the next four-and-a-half minutes to build a 21-10 advantage.The Bears regained the lead on a two-yard TD pass to Kevon Latulas that capped a nine-play, 79-yard scoring drive. Moments later, Bears linebacker Young snagged a tipped Schuster pass and returned it to the North Dakota 27. Four plays later, Thompson scored from two yards out to put the visitors on top by 11 with 2:36 left in the half.But the Fighting Hawks struck back before the break, collecting a 38-yard TD pass to Garett Maag and then capitalizing on a pair of MSU penalties in the final minute of the half to collect a 35-yard field goal by Stevens to make it a one-point game at the break.North Dakota racked up 282 yards in the second half with Schuster finishing the game 22-of-29 for 267 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Hoosman carried 16 times for 147 yards to lead UND’s ground attack.MSU’s efforts were paced by Shelley, who finished 24-of-39 for 271 yards and was sacked just twice. Wright carried 12 times for 97 yards, while Ty Scott led all MSU receivers with 6 receptions for 94 yards. Young led the defense with a career-high 12 total tackles.The Bears will be back at Plaster Stadium next Saturday when they entertain rival Southern Illinois at 2 p.m.
