CODY CANNON CELEBRATES A FIRST QUARTER TD RECEPTION
Game Recap: Football | 9/29/2018 5:44:00 PM
Bison Take Back Dakota Marker With Close Win Over Jackrabbits
34 2-1, 0-1
37 4-0, 1-0
FARGO, N.D. - Cade Cannon connected with Cody Cannon for an 18 yard score late in the fourth quarter as No. 1-ranked North Dakota State reclaimed the Dakota Marker with a 37-34 victory over third-ranked South Dakota State in the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for both teams Saturday, Sept. 29.
Cody Cannon caught a 15-yard TD pass early in the first quarter to give NDSU a 7-0 lead after their first possession. His second TD came with 23 seconds left in the game and put the Bison up 37-34. The Bison defense did the rest, forcing three straight incompletions by Taryn Christion after a short gain by Isaac Wallace on the Jacks first play.
The Bison improve to 4-0 on the season with the win while SDSU falls to 2-1.
Cade Cannon threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns along with an interception as the Bison improved to 9-6 in the Dakota Marker series since 2004. Jabril Cox and Robbie Grimsley each made eight tackles to lead the NDSU defense.
The Jackrabbits tied things up at 7-7 on a 61-yard TD run from Isaac Wallace on their first offensive possession of the game.
Bruce Anderson, who ran for 111 yards in the game, put the Bison back on top with a five yard touchdown run at the start of the second quarter.
South Dakota State answered right back with a Christion TD pass to Cade Johnson from three yards out.
The back and forth continued as NDSU made it 21-14 via a two yard touchdown run by Cade Cannon late in the second quarter. Cannon went up and over the SDSU defense for the score and landed hard in the endzone but popped right up to celebrate with his teammates.
SDSU's Chase Vinatieri and NDSU's Cam Pedersen exchanged field goals before halftime, making it 24-17 NDSU at the break.
The Jacks knotted it up at 24 each when Wallace scored on a four yard run to cap an eight play 73 yard drive on their first possession after halftime.
Pederson added a pair of field goals in the third quarter for the Bison and Vinatieri tacked one on for the Jacks to make it 30-27 Bison after three.
North Dakota State threatened early in the fourth quarter but Cannon had a pass picked off near mid field.
Christion led the Jacks into scoring position then capped off the drive with a TD strike to Adam Anderson with just under nine minutes to play, giving them a 34-30 lead over the Bison.
After exchanging punts Cade Cannon and the NDSU offense got the ball back at their own 25 yard line with 2:33 left on the clock. After a five yard run by Lance Dunn Cannon connected with Darius Shepherd for a gain of 13 yards and a first down at the 43. Anderson carried for gains of 12 and 7 yards, down to the 38 where the Bison called a time out with 1:27 left to play. Back to back ten yard runs by Anderson set up a first down at the South Dakota State 18 yard line with 31 seconds left on the clock.
Following a timeout Cannon led the team back out.
Cannon set up in the shotgun with an empty backfield. He took the snap from Tanner Volson and dropped back. The pass protection was good and SDSU only rushed four. After looking to his right Cannon saw his brother Cody break inside on a post route on the left side. Cade delivered a strike that Cody hauled in just outside the hash marks at the eight yard line. He turned upfield at the hashes and beat a pair of Jacks defenders to the endzone for the go ahead score. Pederson nailed the point after to make it 37-34 Bison.
Pederson's ensuing kickoff sailed through the endzone and SDSU took over. Christion handed off to Wallace on first down, trying to catch NDSU's dime defense sleeping on the run but linebacker Dan Marlette dragged him down after a gain of two. SDSU used their first time out. After that Christion had a deep pass down the left sideline intended for Anderson knocked away by Jaylaan Wimbush. Christion missed C.J. Wilson on an out route and Jabril Cox broke up a pass intended for Kallan Hart on fourth down.
Holden Hotchkiss stepped in for Cannon to take a knee and the celebration began as the Bison reclaimed the Dakota Marker.
NDSU had a 455-357 edge in total yards and the Bison converted 8 of 12 third-down opportunities compared to 4 of 10 for the Jacks.
Christion finished 19 of 29 passing for 202 yards, Wallace finished with a game-high 110 yards on the ground, and linebacker Christian Rozeboom made a game-high 12 tackles for SDSU.
North Dakota State goes on the road for its next two games against Northern Iowa and Western Illinois. NDSU and UNI are scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff Saturday, Oct. 6, at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa.