ST. LOUIS – North Dakota State earned four Missouri Valley Football Conference player of the week honors announced by the league office Monday, Sept. 29, after the top-ranked Bison rolled to a 51-13 homecoming victory over 17th-ranked South Dakota.
Senior quarterback Cole Payton was named Offensive Player of the Week, junior linebacker Nathaniel Staehling was named Defensive Player of the Week, sophomore return specialist Jackson Williams was named Special Teams Player of the Week, and sophomore right guard Griffin Empey was named Offensive Lineman of the Week.
Payton accounted for 375 yards of total offense and three touchdowns going 14 of 18 passing for 273 yards and two TDs while rushing 11 times for 102 yards and one TD. He picked up six first downs in the run game including one fourth-and-short conversion of 11 yards and three third-down conversions running for 15 yards with seven to go, 7 with six to go, and a 21-yard scramble on third-and-17 to keep a two-minute drive alive late in the second quarter as NDSU went ahead 34-0.
Staehling scored his first career touchdown on a 43-yard interception return to end South Dakota’s opening drive of the second half. The first-year starting middle linebacker finished with a team-high five tackles and assisted on two tackles for loss as the Bison held USD to three-and-outs on four of its first seven drives in building a 44-3 lead.
Williams accounted for 107 all-purpose yards including two 21-yard punt returns and one 21-yard kickoff return. He also had a 35-yard pass reception on second-and-5 from the NDSU 15 to get the Bison to midfield on a 12-play, 90-yard scoring drive that put NDSU ahead 13-0 in the first quarter.
Empey played 66 snaps with no penalties or sacks allowed and had a 94 percent overall grade with three key blocks to help the Bison rush for 274 yards and 5.5 yards per carry with four touchdowns. An FCS Freshman All-American last year, Empey has started all 18 games he has played for NDSU, which currently ranks sixth in the FCS with a conference-best 233.8 rushing yards and 0.75 sacks allowed per game.
North Dakota State (4-0, 1-0 MVFC) is on the road this week to face No. 6-ranked Illinois State (3-1, 0-0 MVFC) in the Valley Football Game of the Week at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, with exclusive television coverage available on ESPN+ for subscribers on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
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