Pat Grace shook off an injury and threw three touchdown passes, leading No. 3/4-ranked Northern Iowa past North Dakota State 42-27 in a Missouri Valley Football Conference game played before a crowd of 16,418 in the Fargodome on Saturday, Oct. 10.

Grace left the game briefly late in the third quarter after losing a fumble while being sacked. He returned to throw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, a 39-yard strike to Maurice Turner and a 16-yarder to Schuyler Oordt.

Grace finished 14 of 21 for 229 yards for the Panthers (5-1, 3-0 Missouri Valley).

D.J. Hord had six catches for 105 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers. Derrick Law ran for 121 yards on eight carries.

Pat Paschall rushed for 115 yards for NDSU (1-5, 0-3). It was his sixth straight 100-yard game and the 10th of his career.

North Dakota State rolled up 514 total yards against a UNI defense that entered the game ranked second in the nation in yards allowed. Nick Mertens completed 29 of 44 passes for 308 yards -- all career-highs. Warren Holloway made a career best eight receptions for 134 yards.

The teams combined for 27 penalties totaling 272 yards.

Both teams blocked a punt for TDs in the second quarter three minutes apart. Holloway blocked a UNI punt that Daniel Eaves returned 20 yards for a touchdown with 13:29 left. UNI's Jordan Smith blocked a NDSU punt that Canady Tre'Darrius scooped up and scored from 10 yards out.

North Dakota State plays at No. 19/20-ranked South Dakota State (4-1, 3-0 Valley Football) at 6:07 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, in Brookings. NDSU and SDSU play for the Dakota Marker. The Jackrabbits have won the last two meetings.