DICKINSON, N.D. — Dickinson State used a dominant second-half performance and 261 rushing yards to earn its first Frontier Conference East Division win of the season, defeating Montana State-Northern 37–20 on Saturday afternoon at the Biesiot Activities Center.
The Blue Hawks (3-6, 1-4 Frontier East) outscored the Lights 28–6 in the second half after trailing 14–9 at the break. Quarterback Jace Friesz led an efficient passing attack, going 13-for-19 for 223 yards and three touchdowns, while the defense limited MSU-Northern (1-8, 0-4) to just 79 rushing yards and 2-of-11 on third down.
The scoring opened with a defensive highlight for Dickinson State. On MSU-Northern's second possession, the Lights were pinned at their own 1-yard line, and quarterback Ethan Maroni was tackled in the end zone for a safety with 6:52 left in the first quarter.
On the ensuing possession, Friesz needed just two plays to capitalize. After a 36-yard completion to Adrien Calderon, he found Jackson Simonson for a 28-yard touchdown to put DSU up 9–0.
MSU-Northern responded with 14 unanswered points in the second quarter. Maroni connected with Mason Ahrins for a 30-yard touchdown with 10:40 remaining in the half to cut the deficit to 9–7. Later, Crawford Terry returned a blocked punt for a touchdown to give the Lights a 14–9 lead going into halftime.
Dickinson State regained momentum early in the third. On the opening drive of the half, Friesz led a 7-play, 69-yard march capped by a 28-yard touchdown strike to Jackson Whicker. After forcing a punt, the Blue Hawks struck again, this time with Friesz connecting with Ty Dassinger on a 21-yard touchdown to reclaim the lead, 23–14.
The Blue Hawks extended the lead early in the fourth when Grovom finished a 7-play, 42-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run. Dawson Zuroff later broke free for a 44-yard scoring run with 4:19 remaining to seal the win. Zuroff finished with 55 rushing yards on four carries.
Maroni added a 3-yard touchdown run late for the Lights, but the two-point conversion attempt failed.
Dickinson State controlled the clock for over 36 minutes and outgained MSUN 484–227 in total offense. The Blue Hawks averaged 7.0 yards per play and had 24 first downs, including 13 on the ground.
Simonson led the ground game with 62 yards on 13 carries, while Grovom rushed for 42 yards and a touchdown. Dassinger contributed 44 rushing yards and added 44 receiving yards with a touchdown. Calderon and Whicker each added over 50 receiving yards, with Whicker catching a touchdown for the second straight week.
The defense was led by Chase Selle, who finished with five tackles and a sack. DSU's defense recorded seven tackles for loss, one sack, and held MSUN to just 4.2 yards per play. Glasscock, Dahlgren, and Stentoft also contributed multiple stops.
Dickinson State closes the season next Saturday at home against No. 4 Montana Tech. It will be Senior Day at the Biesiot Activities Center.
