VALLEY CITY, N.D. – Valley City State scored 28 unanswered points, then held off a late rally by Dickinson State to beat the Blue Hawks 28-25 in the 8
th Annual Ag Bowl Presented by First Community Credit Union.
The Blue Hawks scored the first ten points of the game to take the lead. On Dickinson State's first possession, the went 55 on 14 plays, the had to settle for a Nik Halvorson 19-yard field goal to make it 3-0 DSU with 3:12 to go in the first quarter.
The Vikings would have a nice drive that took them into Dickinson State territory, but the drive stalled at the Blue Hawk 36. Walker Brandos' punt went into the end zone for a touchback giving the Blue Hawks the ball at the 20.
Dickinson State would go on a nine play, 80-yard drive capped off by a 47-yard touchdown from Hudsen Grovom to a wide open Kohbe Smith. The drive took just over five minutes off the clock. Halvorson added the extra point to make it 10-0 Blue Hawks.
After the two teams exchanged punts, Valley City State would get on the board thanks to a twelve play, 78-yard drive that on took 85 seconds. Quarterback
Brayden Medeiros was 8 for 11 on the drive for 66 yards. He would find
Jake Deutsch for a five-yard touchdown with 13 seconds left in the half. Brondos' extra point made it 10-7 Blue Hawks at halftime.
After a three-and-out by Dickinson State to start the third quarter, the Vikings marched 64 yards on six plays. The big play was a 19-yard completion from Medeiros to
Tyson Ball to the Blue Hawk 34-yard line. A hand to the face penalty on DSU moved the ball to the 19. Two plays later,
Laggarius Marshell scored from 15 yards out to give the Vikings the lead. Brondos tacked on the extra point and the Vikings led 14-10 with 10:55 to go in the third quarter.
Another three-and-out by the Viking defense forced another punt by Dickinson State. The last two drives for the Blue Hawks total minus-5 yards of total offense. VCSU would go 67 yards on seven plays with Marshell scoring from a yard out. Brondos extra point made it 21-10 Vikings with 4:42 to go in the third quarter.
The defense would again stop Dickinson State and force the third straight three and out. This drive only amassed two yards.
The Vikings would go 76 yards on eight plays and take just over five minutes off the clock to go up by three scores. Medeiros found
Tyson Ball who made a great catch in the back of the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown. Another Brondos extra point made it 28-10 Vikings with 9:08 to go in the third quarter.
Dickinson State was able to move the ball on its next possession. They would get down to the Vikings 15-yard line. On third down
Gavin Gerhardt intercepted a Grovom pass at the five to stop that scoring threat. On fourth down from the four, Medeiros took a safety to make the score 28-12 Vikings with 6:32 to go in the fourth quarter.
On Dickinson State's ensuing drive, they would go 60 yards on ten plays with Grovom scoring on a one-yard sneak. Grovom was going to throw for he conversion, but
Caleb Torke knocked him backwards causing him to lose the ball. The missed conversion made it 28-18 VCSU with 3:47 to go in the fourth.
After a Viking penalty on the first on-side kick attempt, Dickinson State got a second chance. The Vikings would recover at their own 44-yard line. The Vikings would got three-and-out and punt the ball away. Brondos got a good kick off and a little of a roll took the ball down to the Dickinson State nine-yard line.
But the Blue Hawks put together a 13 play, 91-yard drive with Grovom hitting Jackson Whicker with a seven-yard touchdown. Halvorson's extra point made it 28-25 Vikings with 34 seconds left.
The Vikings would recover the on-side kick and after a Medeiros kneel down, Valley City State had its seventh win in eight Ag Bowls, including the last four.
The Vikings are off until homecoming week when they host Eastern Oregon on September 19
th for a 2:00pm kickoff.
