Behind The Numbers: North Dakota State Dominates South Dakota State In 38-7 Blowout Win

North Dakota State dominated the No. 1 vs No. 2 matchup in Brookings, winning 38-7 in a game that was over by halftime.

The Jacks were without starting quarterback Chase Mason; however, South Dakota State was unable to do the things necessary to pull off the upset. Before the game, we wrote that SDSU would need to establish the run, stay out of third-and-long, hold NDSU to field goals, and get some big stops on third-and-fourth down.

South Dakota State did none of those things, and ultimately, who played quarterback for the Jacks did not make much of a difference in the outcome of the game. Let's break down some of the numbers.

North Dakota State played with deadly efficiency in the first half, specifically when the plays mattered most. The Bison scored on five of their six first-half drives (5.2 points per drive). The NDSU offense posted a 51.2% success rate in the first half, doing a great job staying on schedule with the run game. NDSU's running backs only averaged 4.3 yards per carry before halftime, but were still able to generate runs of six or more yards six times over the first three drives to jumpstart the offense.

The real problem in the first half was that the Bison dominated on third and fourth down. NDSU went 7-of-10 on those opportunities before halftime, including converting five times on 3rd-and-5 or longer.

Quarterback Cole Payton was unbelievable in these moments. He started the game 11-of-11 for 171 yards (15.5 yards per attempt) and did not have an incompletion until the field goal drive right before halftime. He also added a 57-yard touchdown on a scramble. Wide receiver Bryce Lance caught five of those passes for 103 yards and could not be contained 1-on-1.

North Dakota State Bison quarterback Cole Payton (9) | Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Finally, we also stated before the game that SDSU would need to find a way to force field goals in the red zone. This did not happen as NDSU scored three touchdowns on three red-zone possessions, which also happened to be the first three drives of the game.

South Dakota State had an abysmal 27.3% success rate before halftime. The run game didn't help the offense at all, only generating 17 rushing yards on seven designed runs in the first half. 12 of those yards came from a run by wide receiver Lofton O'Groske, who was essentially the entire offense all night. The running backs only finished with 58 yards on 15 carries, averaging 3.9 yards per carry. South Dakota State also finished 3-of-13 on third and fourth down, further highlighting its offensive struggles.

This game was a display of total domination by North Dakota State, clearly separating the Bison from their biggest rival and possibly any other team in the subdivision.

Follow FCS Football Central on social media for ongoing coverage of FCS football, including on X, Facebook, and YouTube.