GRAND FORKS, N.D. – As has happened far too often for the Illinois State football team in 2023, the Redbirds (6-5, 4-4 MVFC) dropped a heartbreaking 22-21 decision to No. 13 North Dakota (7-4, 5-3 MVFC) at the Alerus Center on Saturday afternoon on a Fighting Hawks touchdown with less than 30 seconds to play.
How It Happened:
•   The Redbirds got on the scoreboard first, as Mason Blakemore broke free for an 18-yard touchdown run to cap off a 9-play, 67-yard drive with 1:59 left in the first quarter to make it 6-0 after the extra point attempt was no good.
•   UND trimmed the ISU lead in half at 6-3, after kicker C.J. Elrichs connected from 33 yards out with 10:50 left before halftime.
•   The Fighting Hawks then took the lead at 10-6 on a 9-yard touchdown run by Gaven Ziebarth with just under five minutes remaining in the second quarter.
•   The Redbirds narrowed the UND lead to just one point at 10-9 on a 33-yard field goal by Ian Wagner with 27 seconds left before halftime.
•   With 4:20 left in the third quarter, UND quarterback Tommy Schuster connected on a 9-yard touchdown pass to Max Gunderson which capped off an 11-play, 77-yard drive that extended the Fighting Hawks lead to 16-9, after their two-point attempts was stopped by the Redbird defense.
•   The Redbirds cut the UND lead to one at 16-15 on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Tommy Rittenhouse to Rylan Crawford with 10:55 left in the game, however the PAT attempt was blocked and the Fighting Hawks maintained the narrow one-point lead.
•   A 13-yard rushing score by Blakemore with 4:53 left in the game then gave the Redbirds a 21-16 lead after the two-point try was no good.
•   However, the Fighting Hawks would eventually take the lead for good on a 1-yard run by Ziebarth with 25 seconds remaining in the game to come away with the 22-21 win over the Redbirds.
Game Notes: Â Â
•   Blakemore led the way for the Redbird offense with 101 yards and two scores, which gives him a team-leading 14 on the year the most for a Redbird back since James Robinson scored 18 in 2019.
•   Rittenhouse finished the game with a career-high 241 yards passing with a touchdown and no turnovers.
•   Crawford caught his second touchdown of the season and finished with a career-high 55 yards on four receptions.
•   Mark Cannon Jr. recorded his third interception in four games when he picked off the final hail mary attempt as the first half came to a close.
•   Keondre Jackson led the team with 10 tackles on the day and redshirt freshman Tye Niekamp had six tackles and a TFL for the Redbird defense.
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