CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) — Nico Gualdoni kicked a career-long 46-yard, game-winning field goal with 5:21 remaining and Southern Illinois fended off North Dakota 31-28 in a Missouri Valley Football Conference showdown. The Salukis are off to their best start since the 2009 season but had to fight out of two ties late in the game. North Dakota tied at 28-28 midway through the final period on Isaiah Smith’s run from the 3-yard line. Smith carried 17 times for 111 yards. Donnavan Spencer broke loose for a 48-yard run to set up Gualdoni’s winning kick two minutes later.
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Ryan Hilinski threw for 267 yards and two touchdown passes to boost Northwestern to a 21-7 victory over Rutgers. Hilinski, making his third start since transferring from South Carolina, opened the scoring for the Wildcats by capping off a 98-yard drive in the first quarter by hitting Malik Washington for a 64-yard touchdown pass. The completion — Hilinski’s longest as a Wildcat — helped his team secure its first conference win of the season. With five of its first six drives ending in punts, Rutgers couldn’t muster enough offense to avoid opening conference play with four straight losses
CHARLESTON, Ill. (AP) — Zak Wallace had 21 carries for 125 yards and two touchdowns to help UT Martin beat Eastern Illinois 28-17. Keon Howard was 12-of-21 passing for 166 yards and a TD for UT Martin (5-1, 2-0 Ohio Valley Conference). David DuBose blocked a punt that D’Carrious Stephens scooped up and returned 34 yards for a touchdown to give the Skyhawks a 7-0 lead with 5 minutes left in the first quarter. Otto Kuhns scored on a 1-yard run and then threw a 6-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter to give Eastern Illinois (1-6, 1-2 Ohio Valley Conference) a 10-point lead but Wallace’s first TD run — from 3 yards out — made it 17-14 just before halftime.
NORMAL, Ill. (AP) — Quincy Patterson threw a touchdown pass and the North Dakota State defense allowed just 99 total yards as the Bison beat Illinois State 20-0. Patterson was 13-of-22 passing for 124 yards with two interceptions and added 100 yards rushing on 18 carries. Linebacker Jasir Cox had two interceptions and Eli Mostaert had three sacks for North Dakota State (6-0, 3-0 Missouri Valley Conference). Patterson hit Christian Watson for a 4-yard touchdown to open the scoring with 4:55 left in the first quarter and the Bison, ranked No. 3 in the FCS coaches poll, never trailed. Illinois State (2-4, 0-3) crossed midfield just three times and got no more than the NDSU 29.
