By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

Mercer’s plan was simple.

Executing it was not.

Mercer’s offense struggled for the second straight week, and the defense couldn’t bail it out this time as North Dakota State took a 31-7 win Saturday over the Bears in an FCS quarterfinal game at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota.

Box score

The Bison improved to 36-6 against FCS top-10 teams while winning their 37th game in 38 tries at the Fargodome in postseason play. The 12-2 Bison welcome South Dakota State – who eliminated Mercer at this point a year ago – in the semifinals.

Mercer ended at 11-3.

North Dakota had been held to less than 30 points only four times this year: 26 against Colorado, 24 against Southern Illinois, 13 against South Dakota State, and 28 against South Dakota, going 2-2.

But the Bears couldn’t counter with any offense. They went 73 yards on five plays on a first-quarter drive that pulled them within 14-7, but could only muster 122 yards the rest of the game.

It was the second-most competitive quarterfinal of the weekend, behind South Dakota’s 35-21 win over UC-Davis.

The defense shut out North Dakota State in the second half until the Bison impressively ate up clock from the 7:54 mark to 1:57, converting a pair of third-and-10s along the way.

Barika Kpeenu went in from a yard out on the Mercer defense’s 68th play of the day, ending an 11-play, 51-yard drive, the second 11-play drive of the day.

The Bears did fare better than their trip to the Dakotas a year ago when top-ranked South Dakota State rolled to a 41-0 win en route to a perfect season and national championship.

This time, Mercer was within striking distance into the fourth quarter, thanks to the defense. It forced seven punts, a season high by two (five against South Dakota State and South Dakota), and allowed the third fewest first downs, 21.

But the Bears’ eight first downs were the fewest allowed this season by North Dakota State, by four (12 by Tennessee State and Illinois State). Mercer’s lowest first-down total was 10 against Alabama, 15 against Wofford and Rhode Island.

North Dakota State did rack up 392 yards of total offense, barely more than doubling Mercer’s 195, with 259 coming through the air.

Mercer quarterback Whitt Newbauer completed only 8 of 18 passes for 90 yards, with one score and one interception. DJ Smith was 2 of 2 for minus-4 yards, rushing three times for six yards. The Bison racked up six sacks, one more than the Bears. Dwayne McGee managed 59 yards on 14 carries.

It took awhile for Mercer’s defense to get into the game as expected, until late in the first quarter. But the Bears gave up a first on third and four near midfield early in the second, and then after a close incompletion, were then completely flat-footed as Miller kept off the left side and was hardly touched until crossing the goal line 34 yards later.

That put Mercer into a 21-7 hole with 12:01 left in the first half.

At that point, the Bears had given up six more first downs and were outgained 277-124 on only five fewer snaps.

The offense remained in a slump, though. It did nothing with another Redding interception midway through the third quarter. Newbauer getting dumped for 14-yard loss on fourth and 5 at the NDSU 36. The Bears wasted two straight defensive three-and-outs, which caught up a bit to Mercer when the Bison went 70 yards on six plays before settling for a 38-yard field goal with 11 seconds left in the half.

Mercer trailed 24-7 at halftime. The Bears converted on only one of seven third-down tries to four of eight for the Bison, who had only a 308-238 total offense lead.

But Mercer punted five times and had nine fewer first downs by that point..

C.J. Miller had 58 yards on four carries for Mercer, but the Bears were in the middle of a second straight bad day passing. Newbauer was four of 11 for 44 yards, while North Dakota State’s Cam Miller was 12 of 15 for 203 yards. The Bison had only a one-yard advantage in rushing.

Last year, the halftime score was similar, South Dakota State leading 24-0 at halftime.

After the Bears held, Newbauer was dumped for a 10-yard loss on first down that put Mercer back to its 19.

But the defense again responded, Redding waiting for a scrambling Miller to throw an ill-advised pass to undercut a route for his second interception.

That put Mercer at the Bison 41, and Newbauer hit Kendall Harris for 17 yards, getting some momentum in orange and black. Until a false start, short gain by quarterback DJ Smith and another false start preceded an easy interception at the 6.

North Dakota State got away from the end zone in two plays, but stalled after that, Mercer forcing another punt, to start the fourth quarter.

The Bison led 14-0, needing only six plays to cover 124 yards on the first two possessions of the game. Mercer countered on its third drive, before Kelin Parsons hauled in Newbauer’s 38-yarder for a score with 7:01 left in the first quarter.