GRAND FORKS, N.D. — The North Dakota Fighting Hawks put together a complete performance on both sides of the ball Saturday afternoon, defeating the Youngstown State Penguins 35–17 behind a balanced attack led by quarterback Jerry Kaminski and running back Gaven Ziebarth.
North Dakota (UND) came out firing early. Kaminski led a pair of crisp first-quarter drives, finding B.J. Fleming on a 9-yard touchdown strike and later hitting Haydn Stay from 21 yards out to give the Hawks a quick 14–0 lead.
Youngstown State (YSU) cut the deficit early in the second quarter when Beau Brungard connected with Mike Solomon for a 20-yard touchdown, trimming the margin to 14–7. But UND answered immediately — and emphatically. On the next drive, Ziebarth broke free for a 51-yard touchdown run, reestablishing a two-score lead. Kaminski then found Fleming again, this time from 14 yards, pushing the halftime margin to 28–7.
The Penguins showed life in the third quarter. After an Andrew Lastovka 34-yard field goal, Brungard hit Kylon Wilson on a 37-yard touchdown strike, narrowing the gap to 28–17. But the Fighting Hawks’ ground game took over from there.
In the fourth quarter, UND mounted a methodical 16-play, 72-yard drive that chewed nearly eight minutes off the clock. Ziebarth capped it with an one-yard plunge for his second touchdown of the day, sealing the 35–17 victory.
Kaminski finished with three touchdown passes, while Ziebarth led the rushing attack with two scores and over 100 total yards. UND’s defense stiffened when it mattered most, holding Youngstown State scoreless over the final quarter and forcing multiple short drives.
UND moves to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in Missouri Valley Football Conference play. The Fighting Hawks will travel to Southern Illinois Saturday, October 18th with a 2pm kick-off.
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