North Dakota
No. 10/9 UND uses third quarter surge to defeat USD, 41-24
UND Athletics/Russell Hons
GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND Athletics) – No. 10/9 North Dakota (3-1) outgained San Diego (2-1) by a 197-34 margin in total yardage in the third quarter and won that period 24-3 to power ahead to a 41-24 victory inside the Alerus Center on Saturday afternoon.
The Fighting Hawks trailed 17-10 early in the third quarter before scoring 24 points over the rest of the quarter to head into the final stanza with a 34-17 lead. One play from scrimmage after USD’s score to go up 17-10, NoDak used a 69-yard strike from Simon Romfo to Bo Belquist to knot the game up at 17-17. On its next possession, the Hawks used a 38-yard pass that Nate DeMontagnac caught through pass interference to put the ball at the UND 5. Gaven Ziebarth capped that drive with a one-yard score to give UND the 24-17 lead.
Late in the third quarter, Devin Hembry came up with an interception in UND territory which was exchanged for seven points later in the drive on a 41-yard pass from Romfo to Belquist. A Josh Navratil fumble recovery in the waning moments of the third stanza led to a 31-yard field goal from C.J. Elrichs to bring the tally to 34-17.
Both teams scored one touchdown in the final period to put the score at 41-24. Isaiah Smith scored the final points for NoDak with a two-yard rush with 1:52 remaining in the contest.
In the impressive third quarter, UND picked up 148 yards through the air and 49 yards on the ground. Meanwhile, USD was limited to 36 passing yards and -2 yards rushing. After throwing an interception early in the quarter, Romfo finished the period with three completions on eight attempts, two of them going for touchdowns.
In the game, NoDak had 426 yards of offense with 267 yards passing and 159 yards rushing. Romfo went 5-for-13 for 159 yards and two touchdowns, while also throwing two interceptions. Belquist had three grabs for 116 yards and a pair of scores. Sawyer Seidl paced the Hawks on the ground with 13 carries for 123 yards and a 70-yard touchdown score.
North Dakota trailed 14-10 at intermission. The Fighting Hawks led 3-0 early in the contest after a Tyler Erkman interception led to a 24-yard field goal from C.J. Elrichs. After that, the Toreros scored on a 14-yard pass and later on a 28-yard pass to bring the tally to 14-3 with 11:54 to go until intermission. Less than a minute later, Seidl showed off his speed with a 70-yard rushing touchdown to bring the tally to 14-10 with 11:04 left in the half. Neither team scored until the second half after that touchdown.
In the opening half, UND was outgained in total offensive yardage, 161-148. The Hawks had 137 yards on the ground and just 11 yards through the air. Comparatively, the Toreros picked up 106 yards passing and 55 yards rushing.
North Dakota will host Murray State in MVFC action inside the Alerus Center at 1 p.m. on Saturday. The game will air on Midco Sports and will be carried on the Fighting Hawks Radio Network.
Postgame Notes
- North Dakota is now 1-0 in the series with San Diego.
- UND is now 18-8-1 against PFL teams in its history.
- The Fighting Hawks claimed a lead in the third quarter that they did not relinquish, winning that quarter 24-3. UND also had 197 yards of offense in the third quarter, while USD only picked up 34 yards of offense that quarter.
- Sawyer Seidl had 123 yards rushing, which was good for his first 100-yard game as a Fighting Hawk.
- Bo Belquist picked up 116 yards receiving, bringing him up to eight 100-yard receiving games in his career.
- Belquist’s 357 receiving yards through the first four games are the most by a UND receiver since Greg Hardin’s 416 yards receiving in 2013.
- North Dakota finished with three takeaways. Tyler Erkman had his first career interception, while Devin Hembry also picked off a pass and Josh Navratil recovered a fumble.
- The Hawks edged the Toreros in time of possession, 31:00-29:00.
How It Happened
First Quarter
11:02 – UND | C.J. Elrichs connects on a 24-yard field goal. 5 plays, 22 yards, 2:08.
7:23 – USD | Cole Monach scores on a 14-yard pass from Grant Sergent. (Aydan Lehman kick). 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:39.
Second Quarter
11:54 – USD | Ja’seem Reed scores on a 28-yard pass from Sergent. (Lehman kick). 12 plays, 88 yards, 7:50.
11:04 – UND | Sawyer Seidl scores on a 70-yard rush. (Elrichs kick). 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:50.
Third Quarter
11:58 – USD | Lehman connects on a 54-yard field goal. 4 plays, 6 yards, 1:31.
11:42 – UND | Bo Belquist scores on a 69-yard pass from Romfo. (Elrichs kick). 1 play, 69 yards, 0:10.
9:19 – UND | Gaven Ziebarth scores on a one-yard rush. (Elrichs kick). 3 plays, 43 yards, 0:55.
3:06 – UND | Belquist scores on a 41-yard pass from Romfo. (Elrichs kick). 7 plays, 68 yards, 3:38.
0:03 – UND | Elrichs connects on a 31-yard field goal. 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:55.
Fourth Quarter
11:39 – USD | Logan Gingg scores on a one-yard rush. (Lehman kick). 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:24.
1:52 – UND | Isaiah Smith scores on a two-yard rush. (Elrichs kick). 16 plays, 75 yards, 9:47.
Game Recap: Football | 9/21/2024 5:55:00 PM | Tyler Wells, FightingHawks.com
North Dakota
Morton County did not violate North Dakota’s open records law when the County Auditor, within a reasonable time, informed the requester that the requested records were not in the County’s possession.. – North Dakota Attorney General
27 Feb Morton County did not violate North Dakota’s open records law when the County Auditor, within a reasonable time, informed the requester that the requested records were not in the County’s possession..
in Opinions
February 27, 2026
Media Contact: Suzie Weigel, 701.328.2210
BISMARCK, ND – Karen Jordan requested an opinion from this office under N.D.C.C. § 44-04-21.1 asking whether Morton County violated N.D.C.C. § 44-04-18 by failing or refusing to provide records.
Conclusion: It is my opinion that Morton County’s response was in compliance with N.D.C.C. § 44-04-18.
Link to opinion 2026-O-06
###
North Dakota
ND Supreme Court Justice Daniel Crothers retiring, stepping onto new path
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – The North Dakota Court System threw a reception for a retiring member of the state Supreme Court.
Justice Daniel Cothers is leaving after serving for more than 20 years.
He plans to step down on Feb. 28.
Before Crothers became a judge, he served as a lawyer and as president of the State Bar Association of North Dakota.
Mark Friese is set to replace Crothers starting March 9.
“He knows what is important and what to keep focused on. Justice Friese will be an exceptional replacement to me on the bench,” said Crothers.
Crothers plans to keep up on teaching gigs and spend time at his family’s farm as he steps into retirement.
Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.
North Dakota
North Dakota ambulance providers losing money on every run, according to survey
By: Michael Achterling
FARGO (North Dakota Monitor) – North Dakota ambulance service providers lost nearly $500 on average for every patient transported to a medical facility last year, according to a survey.
The recent survey of three dozen providers in the state, conducted by PWW Advisory Group, was the result of a study created by House Bill 1322 passed during the 2025 legislative session. The group presented the results to the Legislature’s interim Emergency Response Services Committee on Wednesday.
The average revenue generated from an ambulance transport was about $1,100 during 2025, but the expenses were nearly $1,600, said Matt Zavadsky, an EMS and mobile health care consultant with PWW, based in Pennsylvania.
“They are losing money every time they respond to a call,” Zavadsky said during the meeting. “That financial loss has to be made up, typically, by local tax subsidies, fundraisers, bake sales, or all too often, service reductions to try and match expenses with the revenue they can generate.”
He said the problem cannot be fixed by billing reform alone because the revenue generated isn’t enough to fund the cost of readiness, such as personnel, equipment and supplies, among other items.
The survey highlighted 74% of ambulance provider expenses went to personnel costs, but equipment costs have also increased in recent years.
Zavadsky said survey respondents plan to invest about $12.9 million into vehicle and equipment purchases over the next five years, averaging to about $358,000 per provider. However, the cost of a new ambulance has risen to between $275,000 to $480,000 per vehicle. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a new ambulance could cost up to $250,000, he said.
There are more than 100 ambulance service providers in North Dakota. The 36 survey respondents represented a diverse group of providers from city and county services to district-owned, hospital-based and private providers, he said. The average patient transport distance is 34 miles, according to the survey.
Zavadsky said the survey respondents reported 53% of their total revenue was generated from fees for service with the remaining 47% coming from local tax subsidies, state grants and other fundraising.
“What you guys are experiencing in North Dakota and what is happening in the local communities … is not the fault of the local communities, not the fault of the state, this is just our new normal,” Zavadsky said.
Rep. Todd Porter, R-Mandan, owner of Metro-Area Ambulance Service which serves Morton and Burleigh counties, said Medicare patients reimburse ambulance providers at a much lower rate than private insurance and Medicaid patients. He added Medicare patients make up about 60% of the call volume in the Bismarck-Mandan area.
“If we’re being underpaid for 60% of our call volume, then we have to make it up some place,” Porter said.
He said some providers can make up that difference in reimbursement with tax dollars, but not all providers have that option.
“We do other contracted work for nursing homes, hospitals, funeral homes in order to make up that difference,” Porter said. “This is a federal government problem. This is a CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) problem that we’ve known about for years.”
Porter also said ambulance services are not reimbursed for responding to a call with a Medicare patient that doesn’t require a transport to a hospital. According to the survey, about 17% of all ambulance calls don’t require transport to a medical facility.
The survey also showed about 2,300 of the nearly 33,600 patient transports billed last year ended up in collections after being more than 90 days delinquent, totalling $2.7 million, Zavadsky said. The average total of a claim sent to collections was about $1,100.
Zavadsky estimated the total of unpaid claims for more than 100 providers across North Dakota was about $5.8 million in 2025. Some providers don’t have procedures to pursue delinquent billing in collections, he said.
Rep. Jim Grueneich, R-Ellendale, chair of the committee, said the committee will take a deeper look at the data presented on Wednesday and may have recommendations, and possible draft legislation, to address the issue in the 2027 legislative session.
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