October 11, 2025
DICKINSON, N.D. – The Dakota State University football team earned a thrilling Frontier Conference East Division win on Saturday afternoon, fending off a furious fourth-quarter rally to defeat Dickinson State (N.D.) 27–25 at the Biesiot Activities Center. The Trojans improved to 4–2 overall and 1–1 in conference play, while the Blue Hawks fell to 2–4 and 0–2 in league action.
The victory also gave Dakota State their first ever road win in Dickinson in all-time series history since they became members of the Dakota Athletic Conference in 2000. The Trojans also snapped their 14-game losing streak with the Blue Hawks, with the last win coming on Oct. 17, 2015, at the former Trojan Field (Trojans won 54-21).
First Half Highlights
After Dickinson State opened the scoring with a 51-yard touchdown pass from Marcus Sanders to Semaj Clark, Dakota State responded immediately. Hettick led a quick, four-play 65-yard drive capped by a 23-yard touchdown to Ford to even the score at 7–7 with five minutes, thirty seconds on the clock in the first quarter.
The Trojans took control in the second quarter, driving 85 yards in eight plays—highlighted by a pair of completions to
Tim Halbur and
Ford—before
Kacey Cauley registered a two-yard touchdown run to make it 14–7 with 12:35 on the clock.
Villanueva's 22-yard field goal with 2:36 left in the half extended the margin to 17–7, though a late Blue Hawk touchdown narrowed the gap to 17–13 at intermission.
Fourth Quarter Highlights
After a scoreless third period, Ford's second touchdown grab pushed the lead to 24–13 just seconds into the final quarter (14:54 remaining). Dickinson State responded with two quick scores—a touchdown pass to
Kyle Meinecke and another touchdown pass to
Jackson Whicker in the closing minutes—but missed both conversion attempts.
Villanueva's 31-yard field goal with 3:44 remaining proved decisive, giving Dakota State the cushion it needed to survive the final Blue Hawk rally.
Trojan Offensive Highlights
Dakota State's offense rolled up 400 total yards and controlled possession for over 33 minutes.
Tray Hettick was efficient and poised, completing
23 of 37 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns, while spreading the ball to seven different receivers.
Melek Ford delivered a monster outing, catching
13 passes for 174 yards and two scores (all career highs), including a 23-yard first-quarter strike and a 9-yard touchdown early in the fourth that extended DSU's lead to 24–13.
The Trojans found balance in the backfield as well, with
Preston Iverson rushing 14 times for 73 yards—including a 30-yard opening burst that set the tone—and
Samuel Livingston and
Darius Jay combining for another 53 yards.
Adrian Villanueva converted field goals from 22 and 31 yards and nailed all three PATs to provide critical separation late in the game.
Trojan Defensive Highlights
The Trojan defense racked up
seven sacks for 50 yards and held Dickinson State to just
seven rushing yards on 21 attempts. The defensive line—anchored by
Caleb Dwyer, Jordan Cooper, Brooks Jansen, and Taron Serr—consistently pressured Sanders, forcing hurried throws and key third-down stops.
Deveon Moses led DSU with nine tackles, while
Josiah Perez added eight and a tackle for loss.
Cole Paulson came up with a crucial interception in the second quarter that stopped a Blue Hawk drive deep in Trojan territory, while
Gabriel Chambliss forced and recovered a fumble early in the contest to swing momentum.
By the Numbers
| Category |
Dakota State |
Dickinson State |
| Total Yards |
400 |
358 |
| Passing |
299 |
351 |
| Rushing |
101 |
7 |
| First Downs |
23 |
26 |
| Sacks |
7 (-50) |
3 (-26) |
| Time of Possession |
33:21 |
25:25 |
| Turnovers |
1 |
2 |
Up Next
Dakota State comes home next Saturday (Oct. 18) as they host Valley City State (N.D.) in the Frontier Conference East Division game. The annual Rushin' for a Cure football game, where fans encouraged to wear pink to the game to help raise cancer awareness, is set for 4 p.m. at Brian Kern Family Stadium on Blankley Field.
