NORMAL, Ill. -- North Dakota State returned to the land of a familiar opponent on Saturday afternoon. In the process, the Bison looked like they're old selves.
Quarterback Cam Miller was virtually unstoppable. The Bison running game was punishing. And the NDSU defense, after a couple of questionable games in stopping the run, found its brick wall against Illinois State. The Redbirds finished with eight yards rushing.
The 42-10 victory at Hancock Stadium, NDSU's 13th straight win over Illinois State, was the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for both teams and improved the No. 2-ranked Bison to 4-1 overall. Miller finished 20 of 23 passing for 216 yards and three touchdowns to lead the way in only three quarters of action.
Running back Marty Brown had 100 yards rushing to lead an impressive time of possession advantage for NDSU. The Bison had the ball for over 38 minutes of a 60-minute game.
Just as important, the Redbirds had no ground game. They had 13 yards through three quarters and by then it was already over with NDSU leading 35-7.
Miller started the second half with a 40-yard touchdown pass to running back Barika Kpeenu, a perfect read against an all-out Illinois State blitz. That made it 21-7.
A quarterback sack on third-and-10 by Bison defensive end Loshiaka Roques forced a Redbird punt. NDSU needed only six plays getting a 14-yard touchdown run from Brown.
Kpeenu added his second touchdown on a nine-yard run to cap a 21-point NDSU third quarter.
NDSU's defense came to play from the outset, holding the Redbirds to three-and-outs on their first two possessions and overcame two penalties to halt ISU on its third drive. The Redbirds had just 10 yards rushing in the quarter.
The Bison, meanwhile, took a 7-0 lead taking 11 plays to go 64 yards, with Bryce Lance taking a short flip from Miller for a five-yard touchdown play. NDSU went long distance again to make it 14-0.
Starting from their 20-yard line after a Redbirds punt, the Bison took over 10 minutes getting key third- and fourth-down conversions. Miller hit TK Marshall for nine yards on third-and-6, hit Braylon Henderson for nine yards on another third-and-6 that reached the ISU 39.
Brown converted a fourth-and-1 with three yards and the Bison were on the doorstep. Mekhi Collins got the TD on an 11-yard pass from Miller, who had more than enough time to throw.
The 10:09 off the clock was NDSU's longest drive this season in terms of time.
It didn't take the Redbirds long to respond. A 43-yard pass from quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse to Eddie Kasper on busted NDSU coverage led to a two-yard TD run by running back Wenkers Wright.
That one play represented almost half of ISU's 100 total yards in the first half, which ended with NDSU leading 14-7.
Illinois State never did mount a substantial drive until the fourth quarter behind backup quarterback Jake Rubley. Yet, the Bison defense, with backups in the game, stiffened and forced a field goal.