BOZEMAN, Mont--D.J. McNorton rushed 26 times for 207 yards and a career-high four touchdowns as North Dakota State overpowered No. 4-seeded Montana State in the fourth quarter en route to a 42-17 victory Saturday, Dec. 4, before a sellout crowd of 14,277 at Bobcat Stadium in the second round of the NCAA Division I  Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs.

North Dakota State is scheduled to play at Eastern Washington next weekend in the NCAA FCS quarterfinals.

McNorton ran for 163 yards and all of his TDs in the second half, and the Bison (9-4) scored four times after falling behind 17-14 on the first play the fourth quarter.

McNorton's 207 yards was a NDSU playoff record, topping the old mark of 176 set by Tony Satter against Pittsburg State in 1990. His four TDs were also a school playoff record of three TDs set five times by three different players including Lamar Gordon at Nebraska-Omaha in 2000.

Denarius McGhee was 19 for 32 for 223 yards and a touchdown for the Big Sky Conference co-champion Bobcats (9-3).

McNorton gave North Dakota State a 21-17 lead with a 19-yard touchdown run with 13:22 remaining and tacked on touchdown runs of 38 and 52 yards in the final 5:28.

McNorton scored from 3 yards out with 6:57 to play in the third quarter to give North Dakota State a 14-7 lead.

McNorton reached 100-yards rushing in a game for the eighth time over the last 10 games. It was the second time he rushed for over 200 yards this season. The Bison rushed 46 times for a season-high 376 yards and had 432 in total offense overall. Mike Sigers rushed seven times for 67 yards and a TD, while Jose Mohler ripped off a key 41-yard run in the fourth quarter.

Linebacker Chad Willson led NDSU with 7 tackles including a sack. Five different players had sacks for the Bison, while Marcus Williams and John Pike each had interceptions. Preston Evans and Daniel Eaves both had a fumble recovery. NDSU added six tackles for loss, five pass breakups and a pair of QB hurries.

It was NDSU's first playoff road win since Nov. 25, 2000, when the Bison won 43-21 at Nebraska-Omaha in the NCAA Division II quarterfinals.

The teams played in the 1976 Grantland Rice Bowl on Dec. 4, 1976, with the Bobcats recording a 10-3 win in Fargo.