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Ogden • Weber State linebacker Emmett Tela will remember Saturday night's 25-24 victory over North Dakota "for a long, long time."

Why not?

Tela forced a fumble, recovered the fumble and intercepted a pass in the final six minutes to help rally the Wildcats to an improbable Big Sky Conference win at Stewart Stadium.

Weber State improved to 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the Big Sky. The Wildcats have not won more than four games in a season since 2011.

"It feels amazing," said Tela. "… The culture here is a little down. But we're changing that. We're changing that fast."

Said quarterback Jadrian Clark, who threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, "Winning close games is what it's going to take to change this program.

"I've been here four years now and when we used to get down like that — I'm not going to say we folded, but we didn't respond like we did in the second half tonight."

North Dakota scored on the opening possession of the game, led 17-3 at halftime and 24-10 early in the fourth quarter.

"We were in trouble," Weber State coach Jay Hill said.

The Wildcats fought back, however, and closed the gap to 24-19 with 7:46 remaining when Clark hit backup tight end Tui Satuala with a 38-yard touchdown pass.

That set the stage for Tula, a sophomore from Timpview High in Provo.

Needing a stop, the Wildcats got much more.

On first-and-10 from the North Dakota 40, quarterback Ryan Bartels dropped back after a play fake. Tela came charging up the middle and crashed into Bartels. The ball popped loose and Tela recovered at the 10-yard line.

"I went to the sideline and our coaches changed the play," Tela said. "They called one of our blitzes, so I just went around and hit the gap. I saw the QB raise the ball up and I said, 'I'm going to go for the big hit. I'm going for the ball.' So I just hit the ball, scrambled around trying to get the ball and — at the end — just dove on the ball."

One play after the turnover, Clark gave Weber State its first lead when he passed to Cody Eyolfson for a touchdown. The two-point conversion failed, but the Wildcats owned a 25-24 lead.

Still, North Dakota had time.

UND took over at its 25-yard line with 5:28 remaining. After one first down, though, Tela stepped in front of Bartels' pass and intercepted.

"Again, just trying to mess with the QB's mind," Tela said. "Then, in the end, trying to make a play."

Said Hill: "I've said this before Emmett Tela is a heck of a football player. And we've got a lot of good players around him."

luhm@sltrib.com Twitter: @sluhm —

Storylines

• Weber State rallies from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter and defeats North Dakota, 25-24.

• Wildcat quarterback Jadrian Clark completes 21 of 35 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns.

• 'Cat linebacker Emmett Tula forces a fumble, recovers the fumble and intercepts a pass in the final six minutes.