DICKINSON, ND (NewsDakota.com) The Viking defense rose to the challenge, facing the 21st-ranked team in the nation on the road Saturday.
The offense, however, continued to struggle, not finding the end zone until the 1:16 mark of the fourth quarter in a 19-6 loss to Dickinson State in Dickinson.
A Bluehawk passing attack that has been goring teams this season, averaging 295 yards a game, was limited due to 36 mile-per-hour winds and a rejuvenated Viking pass rush that affected Dickinson State starter Will Madler throughout the game. The Bluehawks were limited to just 108 yards through the air.
But the Vikings struggled in two key sequences that aided Dickinson State’s ability to score, and damaged the Vikings ability to score, in the loss.
The Bluehawks picked up half of their passing production on one 54-yard strike from Madler to Semaj Clark for the first points of the day at 14:26 of the second quarter.
Valley City State would follow with two turnovers. The first was a short toss from Avery Thorsgard that hit Ka’ua Nishigaya in the hands, then his pads, and was eventually deflected to Bluehawk defensive back Jaden Heartwell for an interception.
The Viking defense held, but on their next possession, tight end Trent Finney, reaching for additional yards on a third-down catch, had the ball knocked from his hands, with Dickinson State recovering the fumble.
Bluehawk runner Darian Brown would take the next play from the Viking two-yard line 20 yards, and Braden Zuroff smashed into the end zone two plays later for a 13-0 lead, a lead Dickinson State would carry into halftime.
The Vikings would get a golden opportunity on a Bluehawk muffed punt, with the win, that went only 11 yards to the Bluehawk 21. After a first-down to the Dickinson State 11, Viking runner Kolby Jones was hit with a crack-back block penalty on a Thorsgard run. A sack and a penalty produced a third-and-44 from the 45, wiping out a chance to score.
After a Dickinson State touchdown from Brown in the third, the Vikings trailled 19-0, and finally found the end zone on a Thorsgard one-yard plunge with 1:16 left in the game.
Thorsgard rushed for 75 yards on 31 carries, the offensive leader for the Vikings. Micah Olson led the defense with eight solo tackles, and Loke Iese recorded six tackles, three for loss.
The Vikings fall to 1-4, 0-3 in NSAA conference play, and face the University of Jamestown at home in their next contest.