After a wild, comeback win at Southern Utah last week, Weber State is back on the road for a first-place showdown at nationally-ranked North Dakota on Saturday afternoon in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Both teams are undefeated in Big Sky play.
The Wildcats trailed 36-14 midway through the fourth quarter at Southern Utah before they rattled off 23 unanswered points to secure the win. The ‘Cats scored a touchdown with 7:15 to play, then forced an SUU safety and then had two touchdowns in the final 2:21 of the game to secure the incredible 37-36 win. In the first six games of the season, Weber State had scored 23 total points in the fourth quarter. On Saturday, the Wildcats scored 23 points to secure the win.
Weber State has won five-straight games, the first five-game winning streak for the Wildcats since 2008. The Wildcats are also 4-0 to start Big Sky Conference play for the first time also since 2008 when they began the season 7-0. This is the fifth time in school history the Wildcats have started the season 4-0 in Big Sky play.
The star of Saturday’s game was senior quarterback Jadrian Clark who threw for a career-high 416 yards, becoming the first Wildcat to throw for more than 400 yards since 2009. He also rushed for 50 yards, giving him 466 yards of total offense, the seventh-highest total in Weber State history. Saturday, Clark was 31-of-52 passing and threw for 303 yards in the second half alone. In the last two games, he has thrown for 682 yards and eight touchdowns. On the season, the Lakeland, Florida, native is third in the Big Sky in total offense and third in passing yards. He has thrown for 1,743 yards and 14 touchdowns in seven games.
This week’s opponent is also undefeated in Big Sky play and is riding a six-game winning streak. North Dakota lost its first two games of the season but has won six straight and sits at 6-2 overall and 5-0 in conference play. The Fighting Hawks are ranked 12th in the nation in this week’s FCS coaches poll and 17th in the STATS FCS poll.
UND has the best scoring defense in the nation and is second in rushing defense. The Fighting Hawks also lead the conference in turnover margin at +9 and rank second in rushing offense.
This will be just the third meeting ever between the two teams, with Weber State winning both of the previous meetings. The Wildcats beat UND in 2014 in Grand Forks, which was the first win as a head coach for Jay Hill at Weber State. Weber State beat North Dakota, 25-24, last season in Ogden, rallying from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Saturday’s game begins at 1 p.m. CST, from the Alerus Center in Grand Forks. The game will be streamed live online for free and on the Big Sky app. It can also be heard on 1430 KLO radio. After Saturday’s game, Weber State will be back home for two-straight games, starting Nov. 5, against Northern Arizona.
Weber State football: Wildcats head to nationally ranked North Dakota
Highlights of Weber State football's comeback win at Southern Utah on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016.
Paul Grua is the Director of Athletic Communications at Weber State University.