| Box Score (.pdf) | Photo Gallery

Jared Jacobson threw a career-high five touchdown passes and Jared Hannigan caught a career-best three scores to help lead the Wolves to a 42-14 Gypsy Days victory over Minot State Saturday afternoon at Swisher Field.

Jacobson went 20-for-30 passing and threw for 260 yards in the victory while Hannigan caught five passes for a career-best 141 yards on the day. Conner Doherty caught Jacobson's other two TD strikes. Northern (3-2) racked-up 444 yards of total offense on the day while holding Minot State to 293 total. The Wolves also forced two fumbles, an interception and a turnover on downs in the win.

Northern, who won its first game at home in 2014, opened the scoring with a seven-play, 70-yard touchdown drive on its first possession of the game, which was capped by a Cameron Pudwill one-yard touchdown plunge. On Minot's (0-5) next drive, Channing Barber picked-off Zac Cunha and returned the interception 43 yards down to the Minot State 26 yard line. Four plays later, Jacobson hit Doherty from three yards out and NSU held a 14-0 lead early.

The Beavers would cut into Northern's lead midway through the second quarter on its best drive of the day, marching 80 yards on nine plays as Porter Sturm caught the first of his two touchdowns on the day from 10 yards out to make it 14-7.

After that, the Jared combo went to work as Hannigan caught his first TD of the day on a beautiful 25-yard strike from Jacobson with 4:59 to play in the first half and Northern carried a 21-7 lead into the break. On the Wolves' first play of the second half they ran a flea-flicker and Hannigan was wide open for a 65-yard score, the longest play from scrimmage this season for Northern and it put the Wolves up 28-7.

NSU's next drive went 69 yards on 11 plays and was capped by Doherty's second touchdown grab of the afternoon, this time from four yards out to push the NSU lead to 35-7. The Wolves' final score came with 9:54 to play in the game from whom else but Hannigan as he caught a 32-yard pass from Jacobson to stamp the Wolves to a 42-7 advantage.

Northern rushed for 170 yards on the day while holding Minot to just 57 yards on the ground. Nicholas Truen led the Wolves with 87 yards on 16 carries including a 38-yard burst. Jacobson rushed for 84 yards on 13 carries in the win.

Doherty finished the day with four catches for 33 yards while Cody Kraft caught three passes for 43 yards. Truen added three grabs of his own for 26 yards receiving in the win.
Defensively, Northern was led by Trever Heining's seven tackles while Michael Alberts added five tackles and a career-best 1.5 sacks on the day. Chad Stoterau also added five stops while Joe Parsley and Dalton Wangerin each recovered a fumble. Paul Woodward forced a fumble on Minot's opening drive of the contest to spark the Wolves in the win.

Next up, NSU travels to face MSU Moorhead in a 2 p.m. contest next Saturday. The Dragons defeated the Wolves 47-46 in 2013's Gypsy Days game.