ABERDEEN, S.D. – Northern State hit big plays early and often, scoring two 89-yard touchdowns and topping 275 rushing yards in a 42-17 victory over Chadron State on Thursday night at Dacotah Bank Stadium in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
The Eagles (0-1) had no answer for NSIC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Hank Kraft, who rushed for 234 yards and four touchdowns on 15 carries, including scores of 41, 68 and 89 yards. Northern State (1-0), which is now 16-6 at home in the last five seasons, led 42-3 after three quarters of play.
Starting quarterback Aidan Thompson finished 12-for-20 for 134 yards while being sacked three times and rushing for 36 net yards. The Eagle defense did not record a turnover or a sack, while the CSC offense stayed mistake-free as well, as a special teams fumble by the Eagles was the only turnover of the contest.
People are also reading…
CSC's success came in the fourth quarter, scoring once with Thompson on the field and once with redshirt sophomore Wyatt Sprague at quarterback while both teams had predominantly reserves in the game.
Sprague finished as Chadron State's leading rusher with 50 yards on three carries, including a 43-yarder that was CSC's longest play of the night. Sprague also completed 5 of 7 passes for 53 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown pass to Devon Sundgren.
Northern State outgained Chadron State 486-356 for the game. The Eagles dominated the fourth quarter statistically, outgaining the Wolves 159-12, while the hosts had a 474-197 advantage through three quarters.
The 275 rushing yards are the most allowed by Chadron State since a 2020 game against Nebraska-Kearney. The Wolves built a lead immediately, scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions while putting together drives of 10 and 16 plays. Both were punctuated by Kraft, who scored from 2 and 41 yards out to give NSU a 14-0 lead.
A series of three plays in the late second and early third quarter proved pivotal. After CSC's defense forced Northern State to punt for the first time, the Eagles muffed the punt to hand NSU a short field with the ball at the CSC 23-yard line. The Wolves scored a touchdown on the next play to take a 21-0 lead.
On the first play of the second half, the Eagles initially thought they had a momentum-changing defensive touchdown when William Stemler knocked the ball out of the hands of NSU quarterback and Griffin Clubb fell on the ball in the end zone. After a Northern State challenge, replay review changed the call to an incomplete pass with the quarterback's arm in a forward throwing motion, taking points off the board.
On Northern State's next drive, the Eagle defense had the Wolves backed up to 3rd-and-10 from their own 11-yard line. Quarterback Ty Englehart threw out of a near-sack and off the fingertips of a CSC defender to receiver Cooper Eisenbeisz, who had an open route down the middle of the field to the end zone for an 89-yard touchdown. According to available CSC records, the 89-yard strike is the longest passing play allowed by Chadron State since the 1978 season.
From there, Kraft continued to get loose, streaking through the line for massive touchdown runs of 68 and 89 yards in the third quarter as the home team built its largest lead of 39 points.
Redshirt sophomore Shay Prichard drilled a 44-yard field goal with 44 seconds left in the first half to put Chadron State on the board. It was Prichard's first career college field goal attempt after he went 2-for-2 on PATs in reserve action last season.
On Chadron State's first scoring drive, Thompson found Richard Okuno for 19 yards and completed passes to Garet Schlabs for seven and six yards. A pass interference penalty on NSU in the end zone gave Chadron State a new set of downs from the 7-yard line, and the Eagles handed the ball to Fresno State transfer Devon Rivers three times, scoring on the third from 1 yard out.
Rivers and returner Daytuawn Pearson split carries at the running back position. Rivers finished with 14 carries for 47 yards and his touchdown while Pearson finished with 10 carries for 36 yards.
Early in the fourth, Sprague announced himself in the game by rushing for 43 yards on a read-option keeper on his second play. Sprague completed a 14-yard pass to Darias James and later found Devon Sundgren from two yards out on a throw to the far corner to close the gap to 42-17.
Defensively, Aiden Kuester led the way with eight tackles while Griffin Clubb, Jaydin Jackson and Cooper Walton tallied four apiece. AJ Scurlock tallied two pass breakups.
The Eagles play at home for the first time next week, hosting Nebraska-Kearney in the Good Life Trophy game on Thursday, September 3 at 6 p.m. The Lopers lost to Wayne State Thursday, falling on a last-second field goal by a score of 21-20.
