No. 20/22 NoDak makes use of first-half surge to defeat Portland State, 50-20

Leighton Chamblee

20

Portland St.
PSU

0-3 , 0-0

50

Winner

North Dakota
UND

1-1 , 0-0

Portland St.
PSU

0-3 , 0-0

20

50

North Dakota
UND

1-1 , 0-0

Winner

Score By Quarters

Team	1st	2nd	third	4th	F
PSU Portland St.	6	0	7	7	20
UND North Dakota	22	14	7	7	50

Game Recap: Football | 9/6/2025 10:12:00 PM | Tyler Wells, FightingHawks.com

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – No. 20/22 North Dakota (1-1) had 15 factors on the scoreboard earlier than the protection noticed the sector and by no means regarded again, beating Portland State, 50-20, contained in the Alerus Center within the 59th annual Potato Bowl USA Game on Saturday evening.

In the win, the Fighting Hawks completed +2.0 in turnover margin and rolled up 446 yards of whole offense. UND’s protection held PSU to 228 offensive yards and restricted the Vikings to only 82 yards dashing. 

Jerry Kaminski went 14-for-21 passing for 164 yards and 4 landing passes, whereas including a game-high 70 yards on the bottom and a dashing landing. Javance Tupou’ata-Johnson additionally noticed time at quarterback and rushed 10 instances for 68 yards and a rating. Gaven Ziebarth additionally punched in a dashing landing late within the first half.

Ten totally different Hawks caught passes within the win, led by Nathan Hromadka with three grabs for 41 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Xavier Leigh was the next-best receiver and had three catches for 37 yards. Deng Deng and Tray Kuntz each recorded their first profession receiving touchdowns.

Hromadka obtained the scoring began, capping the primary drive with a five-yard landing reception on a go from Kaminski. On the next kickoff, Jett Sutton raced down the sector and compelled a fumble, which was recovered by Grant Noland. Four performs later, Kaminski ran untouched into the end-zone for the seven-yard rating. The Fighting Hawks then caught the Vikings off-guard on the conversion try and Simon Romfo transformed the two-point conversion together with his legs to carry the rating to 15-0 lower than seven minutes into the sport.

With 5 minutes to go within the opening half, Deng scored his first landing as a Fighting Hawk on a four-yard go from Kaminski to carry the tally to 22-0. Portland State trimmed the result in 22-6 by the tip of the primary quarter after scoring on a 34-yard go and Lance Rucker blocked the additional level.

In the second stanza, Jy Martin picked off a Viking go and Hromadka scored his second landing of the evening on a 20-yard reception 5 performs later. Ziebarth scored the ultimate factors of the half on a five-yard rush following an Avery Scott interception and the UND lead ballooned to 36-6 by intermission.

At the break, UND had 276 yards of offense, highlighted by 144 yards by the air. The Fighting Hawk protection held the Vikings to 106 yards and restricted them to only 32 yards dashing. The Fighting Hawks have been +3.0 in turnovers within the first half-hour.

In the second half, Kuntz scored on a four-yard go from Kaminski to increase the result in 43-6. Tupou’ata-Johnson was the ultimate Hawk to attain and ran in a two-yard landing within the fourth quarter earlier than the ultimate whistle sounded at 50-20.

North Dakota will go to No. 6/10 Montana on Saturday and the sport will kick off at 2 p.m. (CT). The contest will air on Midco Sports and can be carried on the Fighting Hawks Radio Network.

Postgame Notes

• North Dakota is now 7-2 within the all-time sequence with Portland State and an ideal 5-0 in video games performed between the 2 squads in Grand Forks.
• The win extends UND’s nation-leading dwelling opening win streak to 39 wins.
• UND is 47-12 in Potato Bowl USA Games. The Fighting Hawks are on a six-game profitable streak within the sport.
• NoDak has now gained 31 of its final 36 video games contained in the Alerus Center.
• North Dakota is 13-5 in its Division I historical past when kicking off after 5 p.m. in Grand Forks.
• The 50 factors have been essentially the most UND has scored in its Division I historical past in a house opener over a scholarship workforce.
• Nathan Hromadka (2), Deng Deng and Tray Kuntz caught their first profession landing passes, whereas Javance Tupou’ata-Johnson recorded his first profession dashing rating.
• Grant Noland recovered a fumble for the primary time as a Fighting Hawk after a Jett Sutton pressured fumble on PSU’s first kick return.
• Avery Scott and Jy Martin every picked off a go.
• Colton Brunell recorded his first profession carries.

How It Happened
First Quarter
10:37 – UND | Nathan Hromadka scores on a 5-yard go from Jerry Kaminski. (C.J. Elrichs kick). 9 performs, 61 yards, 4:17.
8:43 – UND | Kaminski scores on a 7-yard rush. (Simon Romfo conversion). 4 performs, 17 yards, 1:49.
4:36 – UND | Deng Deng scores on a 4-yard go from Kaminski. (Elrichs kick). 6 performs, 61 yards, 3:05.
0:48 – PSU | Jaylen Lynch scores on a 34-yard go from John-Keawe Sagapolutele. (Mathias Uribe kick blocked by Lance Rucker). 7 performs, 77 yards, 3:41.
Second Quarter
11:29 – UND | Hromadka scores on a 20-yard go from Kaminski. (Elrichs kick). 5 performs, 60 yards, 2:03.
4:27 – UND | Gaven Ziebarth scores on a 5-yard rush. (Elrichs kick). 3 performs, 25 yards, 1:12.
Third Quarter
9:07 – UND | Tray Kuntz scores on a 4-yard go from Kaminski. (Elrichs kick). 6 performs, 44 yards, 2:48.
2:25 – PSU | Delon Thompson scores on a 3-yard rush. (Uribe kick). 13 performs, 80 yards, 6:35.
Fourth Quarter
10:55 – UND | Javance Tupou’ata-Johnson scores on a 2-yard rush. (Elrichs kicks). 12 performs, 90 yards, 6:26.
4:30 – PSU | Jaxton Helmstetler scores on a 70-yard fumble restoration. (Uribe kick). 0 performs, 70 yards, 0:00.

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