FARGO, N.D. - Fullback Hunter Luepke accounted for 106 total yards and two touchdowns as No. 1-ranked North Dakota State picked up a 27-14 win over Youngstown State on Saturday, Oct. 1, before a homecoming crowd of 18,055 at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.

Kobe Johnson added a touchdown run and Griffin Crosa converted two field goals for the Bison, who won their 13th consecutive home game to improve to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Luepke scored on runs of two and 12 yards in the first quarter with the first score coming two plays after a leaping 27-yard catch over a YSU defender at the 2-yard line. He rushed 13 times for 72 yards and made two catches for 34 yards.

Youngstown State running back Jaleel McLaughlin had 17 carries for 150 yards, including a 44-yard run that gave YSU a first-and-goal at the 5 before the Bison defense stiffened. Michael Tutsie's tackle at the goal line set up fourth-and-goal from the 1, but YSU settled for a 22-yard field goal after a false start to cut the Bison lead to 14-3.

NDSU answered with a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped by Kobe Johnson's 17-yard TD run, which came one play after Cam Miller connected with Zach Mathis for 17 yards on third-and-15. It was 21-3 at halftime.

Crosa's 39-yard field goal with 7:45 left in the game put the Bison ahead 24-6, but McLaughlin hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass from Mitch Davidson and the two-point conversion cut NDSU's lead to 24-14 with 4:30 to play.

YSU nearly recovered its own onside kick, but it went out of bounds at midfield. The Bison ran nine plays with Crosa's 38-yard field goal extending the lead to 27-14.

Linebacker Nick Kubitz had a team-high seven tackles, Tutsie made his 11th career interception, and Spencer Waege had 2.5 tackles for loss including 1.5 sacks to lead the Bison defense.

North Dakota State is scheduled to play at Indiana State next Saturday, Oct. 8. The Sycamores were 1-2 heading into their Valley Football opener at Northern Iowa.