FRISCO, Texas — Make that four straight for North Dakota State.
Quarterback Carson Wentz ran 5 yards for the winning touchdown about a minute after Tre Roberson’s 58-yard run put Illinois State ahead, and the Bison became the first team to win four consecutive FCS championships with a thrilling 29-27 victory on Saturday.
North Dakota State (15-1) lost a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter, but answered quickly after falling behind. R.J. Urzendowski had catches of 32 and 33 yards to get the Bison in scoring range, and Wentz broke a tackle around the 5-yard line and eased into the end zone for the lead with 37 seconds left.
Roberson threw three touchdown passes, but also an interception to Esley Thorton in the final seconds trying to get the Redbirds (13-2) in field goal range.
Earlier, Roberson faked a handoff to 2,000-yard rusher Marshaun Coprich, who went to his left and cut upfield on the midfield logo. He ran untouched to the end zone, but a failed 2-point conversion left the Redbirds with a 27-23 lead with 1:38 remaining.
Wentz hit Urzendowski on a crossing route for 32 yards on the first play of the next drive, and later unloaded the ball deep with pressure coming when Urzendowski found the ball while safety DraShane Glass never looked back for the throw inside the 10-yard line. Wentz scored on the next play, to the delight of yet another mostly green- and yellow-clad crowd.
The Bison won a de facto Missouri Valley Conference title game between league co-champions that didn’t play in the regular season — the first time two conference teams have played for the FCS crown.
Wentz led a rally that added a title a year after predecessor Brock Jensen set an FCS record for quarterbacks with 48 victories.
North Dakota safety Christian Dudzik had five tackles in his 61st start, believed to be a first for a Division I player, to highlight a senior class that finished 58-3 and had more national titles than losses. Appalachian State is the only other FCS team to win three consecutive titles.
Wentz, already the school record-holder for yards passing in a season, threw for 237 yards and a touchdown and had 87 yards rushing.
Roberson, an Indiana transfer, had 161 yards rushing and 157 passing, while Coprich added 106 yards on the ground.
Adam Keller had three field goals for North Dakota State, breaking the FCS single-season record for kickers with 145 points before his final point-after attempt was blocked to give the Redbirds a chance to win with a field goal.
Roberson reached the 44 in the final seconds, but Thorton won a tussle for the ball. The interception was held up on review.
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