NDSU Upsets No. 13 Iowa Hawkeyes on Last Second Field Goal
Cam Pedersen's 37 yard field goal as time expired lifted North Dakota State to a stunning victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes at Kinnick Stadium.
The game was a great battle between a Hawkeyes team that played in the Rose Bowl right at the start of 2016 and a Bison team that came off two overtime victories and has won five consecutive FCS championships.
NDSU got on the board first following an MJ Stumpf 21 yard interception return for a touchdown. Hawkeyes quarterback C.J. Beathard was hit from behind as he threw, the ball popped straight up into the air and Stumpf caught it and took it for the score.
NDSU led after one quarter 7-0. In the second quarter, the Hawkeyes managed to keep the Bison out of the endzone and score twice themselves to take a 14-7 lead into the half.
In the third quarter, the Bison offense found the endzone for the first time all game following a 9 play, 65 yard drive capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by King Frazier to tie the game at 14.
A touchdown pass late in the third by the Hawkeyes gave Iowa a 21-14 lead heading into the final quarter.
Down 21-14, late in the game, the Bison found the endzone after a 15 play drive that ate up over eight minutes of the clock. NDSU, in one of the gutsiest play calls you will ever see decided to try and go for two for the lead. Unfortunately a broken play led to a tipped pass and an interception and the two point try failed. Iowa led 21-20 with 3:41 left in the game.
On the ensuing possession, the Bison defense came up big allowing the five time defending FCS champions one last opportunity to drive down the field and win the game.
Cam Pedersen nailed a 37 yard field goal as the clocks hit all zeroes and the Bison upset No. 13 Iowa 23-21. The Bison have now beat their last six FBS opponents in a row.
The Bison are off next week but return to the Fargo Dome on Oct. 1 for their homecoming game against Illinois State.
You can watch the video of Cam Pedersen's game winning field goal above. Below, we captured reaction from Buffalo Wild Wings on 3rd Street in Bismarck as the winning kick sailed through the uprights.
[ESPN]