JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) — Cam Miller ran 11 yards for the go-ahead touchdown and North Dakota State scored twice in the final two minutes to rally past East Tennessee State for a 38-35 victory on Saturday night.
The Bison (2-1), ranked No. 2 in FCS, trailed 35-23 when they took possession at midfield with 2:49 remaining. Miller’s 38-yard completion to John Gores set up TK Marshall for a 3-yard touchdown run with 1:59 to go.
Now trailing 35-30, North Dakota State’s Darius Givance recovered an onside kick. Miller then drove the Bison to the 11-yard line, a holding call set them back to the 21, and he completed a pass to get back to the 11. He scored on the next play for a 36-35 lead, then completed a two-point conversion pass to go up 38-35.
The Buccaneers’ Jaylen King was intercepted on their final drive.
The stunning rally overshadowed a three-touchdown performance by ETSU’s Bryson Irby. His 61-yard run gave the Buccaneers a 21-17 lead midway through the second quarter and his 10-yard run made it 28-17 in the third.
Miller’s 1-yard run drew the Bison within 28-23, then a 33-yard run by Irby helped set up King’s 19-yard TD pass to Cameron Lewis for the 35-23 lead in the fourth.
NDSU’s offense was balanced from Miller’s 250 yards passing with 21 completions with 10 receivers to 231 yards rushing led by CharMar Brown with 65 yards.
Irby finished with 147 yards on 15 carries and King had 113 yards passing for the Bucs (1-2).
The only other time ETSU hosted a team ranked No. 2 or higher, the Bucs defeated top-ranked Georgia Southern 19-16 in 2001.
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