THIBODAUX, La. -- The North Dakota State University football team improved to 4-1 on the season after holding on against Nicholls State for the Bison's first road victory.

A pair of sophomores led the way for the Bison.

Second year running back Kyle Steffes was the workhorse again for the Thundering Herd. Contending with the Louisiana humidity, Steffes carried the ball 24 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns. His first score came with 5:15 left in the opening quarter to give the Bison an early 7-0 lead.

Before entering halftime, NDSU went up 14-0 with a 36-yard strike to wide receiver Allen Burrell from quarterback Tony Stauss.

The scoreboard went unchanged for most of the third quarter, with Nicholls State scoring the only points with an 8-yard scamper by senior running back David Plaisance, completing a 10-play, 64-yard drive.

NDSU answered back with a pair of scores in the fourth. A 33-yard field goal by Cory Vartanian at the 9:35 mark and another Steffes score, this time from two yards out, gave the Bison a 24-7 advantage with 6:18 left in the game.

Quarterback Yale Vannoy scored a late two-yard touchdown run for the Colonels to cut into the Bison lead, but the ensuing onside kick was recovered by the Bison enabling them to run out the clock.

Sophomore strong safety Craig Dahl was the standout for the Bison defense. Dahl was involved in 17 tackles, including 12 solo stops to keep the Colonel attack bottled up. He also recorded a fumble recovery in the contest.

The Bison return to the road next weekend as they take on familiar foe South Dakota State University for the "Dakota Marker" trophy in Brookings, S.D., Saturday, Oct. 9. The kickoff for the border battle is scheduled at 6:40 p.m.