DICKINSON, N.D. — Dickinson State earned its first win of the season Saturday, combining 457 yards of offense with five interceptions on defense in a 44-13 non-conference victory over MSU-Northern at the Biesiot Activities Center.
The Blue Hawks (1-2) scored the first 24 points and took a 27-6 lead into halftime before extending the advantage to 44-6. Dickinson State scored all five of its touchdowns on the ground, while Nik Halvorson made three field goals and all five extra-point attempts.
"It was a great team effort by our guys. We made some plays on both sides of the ball and competed hard. Proud of our effort and game," Dickinson State head coach Pete Stanton said.
Dickinson State opened the scoring with 8:06 remaining in the first quarter. Hudsen Grovom converted a third-and-10 with a 13-yard run before Jackson Simonson scored from 3 yards out. Halvorson added a 27-yard field goal with 9 seconds remaining in the quarter to give the Blue Hawks a 10-0 lead.
Simonson struck again in the second quarter, finishing an 80-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown run at the 8:54 mark. The Blue Hawk defense immediately gave the offense another opportunity when Chase Selle intercepted Malakhi Statler on MSU-Northern's next play.
Dickinson State turned the takeaway into points four plays later as Grovom scored on an 8-yard run, pushing the advantage to 24-0.
The Lights (0-3) answered with a 6-yard touchdown pass with 4:56 left in the half, but Dickinson State added three more points before the break. Halvorson connected from 33 yards as the half expired to send the Blue Hawks into the locker room with a 27-6 advantage.
Dickinson State's defense continued creating turnovers in the third quarter. Kyler Hallock intercepted Statler and returned the ball 17 yards before the Blue Hawks put together a nine-play, 70-yard scoring drive. Markiel Cockrell finished the possession with a 4-yard touchdown run to make it 34-6.
Another interception gave Dickinson State a short field on Northern's next possession. The Blue Hawks took advantage as Caleb Rist scored from 1 yard out, extending the lead to 41-6.
Halvorson's 19-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter completed Dickinson State's scoring. MSU-Northern added a 13-yard touchdown pass with 39 seconds remaining for the final margin.
The Blue Hawks finished with 457 yards on 80 offensive plays, including 280 through the air and 177 on the ground. Dickinson State recorded 29 first downs and controlled possession for 43:10.
Grovom completed 18 of 30 passes for 245 yards and added 60 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, giving him 305 yards of total offense. Simonson rushed nine times for 50 yards and two touchdowns while adding three receptions for 20 yards.
Adrien Calderon led Dickinson State's receivers with 79 yards on three catches. Jackson Whicker caught four passes for 57 yards, while Scott Eckel finished with four receptions for 38 yards and returned three punts for 40 yards.
Defensively, Dickinson State intercepted Statler five times, with Ryan Racht, Selle, Hallock, Jaymn Medlock and Johnnie McClusky Jr. each recording a takeaway. The Blue Hawks also registered three sacks and eight pass breakups while holding MSU-Northern to 18 rushing yards on 16 attempts.
Northern finished with 248 yards of offense. Statler completed 19 of 49 passes for 230 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions. Juliun Benson led the Lights with seven receptions for 121 yards.
Halvorson accounted for 14 points, making field goals from 27, 33 and 19 yards while going 5-for-5 on extra points. Ty Nelson punted three times for 115 yards, averaging 38.3 yards with two punts inside the 20.
Dickinson State returns to action Saturday, Sept. 19, when the Blue Hawks travel to Helena, Montana, to face Carroll College.
