FARGO, N.D. — Bryce Lance caught three touchdown passes from Cam Miller, including a one-handed game-winner, to give North Dakota State a 28-21 win over two-time defending national champion South Dakota State on Saturday and a berth in the FCS title game.
The second-seeded Bison (13-2) will take on the winner of top-seeded Montana State and No. 4 seed South Dakota, played later Saturday, for the championship on Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas. NDSU, winner of nine FCS titles with its last coming in 2021, won its 20th straight home playoff game and beat the Jackrabbits for the second time this season. Those two teams and South Dakota tied for the Missouri Valley Football Conference title.
After the third-seeded Jackrabbits (12-3) tied the game at 21-all, the Bison drove 75 yards and scored with 4:18 remaining when Lance snagged a pass with his right hand and managed to get control and a foot down in the right corner of the end zone. The play was initially ruled as incomplete but overturned on review.
On South Dakota State’s final possession, Mark Gronowski was sacked on fourth-and-17 at the Jackrabbits’ 31.
The teams traded touchdowns in each of the first two quarters before both punting three times in the third quarter.
Miller found Lance deep for a 47-yard score early in the fourth and the Jackrabbits tied it midway through the period on Gronowski’s 14-yard pass to Grahm Goering.
Lance, brother of NFL quarterback Trey Lance, made six catches for 125 yards, his other TD coming on a 21-yarder. Miller was 13 of 19 for 179 yards and also rushed for 93 yards and a TD.
Gronowski was 14-of-25 passing for 204 yards and he also ran for a score. Amar Johnson rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown.