North Dakota State stunned by Southern Illinois 38-14 for first loss since 2017

The No. 1 North Dakota State Bison were stunned in their first road Missouri Valley Conference game of 2021, falling 38-14 to the unranked Southern Illinois Salukis on Saturday in Carbondale, Illinois. NDSU was a 16.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook.

The Salukis dominated from the opening kickoff, gaining 443 yards to just 278 for the visitors. They did it via the ground game, picking up 170 yards on 44 carries, and winning the turnover battle 2-0.

SIU quarterback Nic Baker was 17-23 for 254 yards and a touchdown, with Avanta Cox picking up seven of those receptions for 138 yards. NDSU quarterback and Iowa State transfer Zeb Noland was 13-29 for 159 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Noland replaced Trey Lance, who led NDSU to their national championship in 2019 before placing his name in the upcoming NFL Draft.

The Bison’s last loss was a 33-21 loss to South Dakota State on November 4th, 2017. Since then NDSU had won 39 in a row and three NCAA FBS national championships.