Jackson's 3 TDs send Northern Iowa past Murray State 31-14

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CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Bill Jackson ran for 143 yards on 18 carries and scored three touchdowns and Northern Iowa beat Murray State 31-14 on Saturday for its first win in the Missouri Valley Football Conference this season.

Northern Iowa (3-7, 1-5) never trailed against the winless Racers (0-10, 0-6).

Jackson's 2-yard touchdown run gave Northern Iowa a 7-0 lead near the end of the first quarter, and his 35-yard scoring run early in second made it a 14-7 Panthers lead.

Near the midway point of the third, Jaxon Dailey threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to JC Roque Jr. to make it 21-14. Jackson ran it in from the 14 with 6:50 left in the fourth for a 31-14 advantage.

Murray State tied it a 7 when Kaleb Bailey threw a 54-yard touchdown to Darius Cannon with 12:53 left in the second and knotted it at 14 when Jawaun Northington ran it in from the 12 with 3 1/2 minutes before halftime.

Bailey threw for 113 yards and ran for 96 yards.

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