FARGO, N.D. — Brock Jensen scored on a 5-yard quarterback draw with 3:00 left to rally North Dakota State to a 23-20 victory over Georgia Southern on Friday night in the Football Championship Subdivision semifinals.
The defending champion Bison (13-1) advanced to the championship game Jan. 5 in Frisco, Texas, against the winner of today’s semifinal between Sam Houston State and Eastern Washington.
Jensen’s run came on a fourth-and-3 play and capped a 59-yard drive that was aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty on the Eagles.
The Bison blocked a 50-yard field-goal attempt by Drew Ruggles with 34 seconds left. Ruggles was recently recruited off the Georgia Southern soccer team.
Quarterback Jerick McKinnon rushed for 168 yards and a touchdown for Georgia Southern (10-4), which beat Central Arkansas and Old Dominion to advance to the semifinals. He scored on a 25-yard run late in the third quarter to put the Eagles ahead 20-16 after the Bison roughed the punter in the Eagles end zone.
Georgia Southern outgained North Dakota State 430 yards to 277.
Sports, Pages 26 on 12/15/2012