The Mercer Bears had a long, cold trip up to Fargo that spanned over 1200 miles, but the trip back will feel much longer after losing to the North Dakota State Bison by 24 on Saturday.
In a 31-7 win, NDSU did not start slow like it did against Abilene Christian, when the Bison went down by 14 points in the second quarter. Instead, the herd jumped out to a 14-0 lead, with wide receiver Bryce Lance responsible for two touchdown catches from starting quarterback Cam Miller. The air attack served as a counter to Mercer’s rushing defense, which was rated first in the FCS coming into the game. The Bears allowed only 65 rushing yards a game through the second round of the playoffs.
Mercer’s quick first quarter response was all it would get. A 38-yard touchdown from quarterback Whitt Newbauer to wide receiver Kelin Parsons was enough for the Bison defense to adapt. The Bears did not score for the rest of the game, leading to 281 yards in punts from John McConnell.
In front of a crowd of 10,353, Miller finished with 259 passing yards, two passing touchdowns and one interception. On the other end, Mercer’s Newbauer threw for 90 yards and one touchdown. Nebraska native CharMar Brown led the Bison with 58 rushing yards, though Miller and former West Fargo Sheyenne tailback Barika Kpeenu each earned a touchdown on the ground. Mercer’s running room featured six different ball-carriers, helping the Bears get 108 yards on the ground. NDSU gained 392 total yards to Mercer’s 195.
The Bison will rematch the South Dakota State Jackrabbits in next week’s FCS National Semifinal game at the Fargo Dome. NDSU beat SDSU in Fargo on Oct. 19, 13-9. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. on Saturday.
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