Running back, North Dakota (from Illinois State), 2024–26
Matt Lawson
- Number
- No. 4
- Height
- 5′10″
- Weight
- 198 lb
- Class (2026)
- Junior
- Hometown
- Hoffman Estates, IL
Matt Lawson plays running back for North Dakota, after Illinois State (2024–25). Last time out, against South Dakota State: 24 carries, 99 yards; 3 catches, 24 yards.
2026 so far
396 rushing yards, 3 TD
Last game: 24 carries, 99 yards; 3 catches, 24 yards vs. South Dakota State, W 21–10
Next game: at South Dakota, Oct 24
Filled bars: wins; outlined: losses.
Career highs
99rushing yards, career highvs. South Dakota State, 20262rushing touchdowns, career highvs. Long Island University, 2026Rushing
* The season in progress, so far.
| Season | Team | Car | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Illinois State | 103 | 443 | 4.3 | 3 | 35 |
| 2026 | North Dakota | 82 | 396 | 4.8 | 3 | 33 |
| Career | 185 | 839 | 4.5 | 6 | 35 | |
Receiving
| Season | Team | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Illinois State | 11 | 61 | 5.5 | 0 | 11 |
| 2026 | North Dakota | 13 | 100 | 7.7 | 0 | 17 |
| Career | 24 | 161 | 6.7 | 0 | 17 | |
Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.
On the roster
| Season | Team | No. | Pos | Class | Ht | Wt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Illinois State | 4 | RB | Fr. | ||
| 2025 | Illinois State | 4 | RB | So. | ||
| 2026 | North Dakota | 4 | RB | Jr. | 5′10″ | 198 |
As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.
Per play
| Season | Team | Plays | EPA/play | Pctile | Median | Total | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | North Dakota (FCS) | 98 | 0.07 | 42nd (n=478) | 0.10 | 7.1 | 17% |
Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.
Game by game
2026 North Dakota 8 games, 396 rushing yards, 3 TD
| Date | Opponent | Result | Car | Rush yds | Rush TD | Rec | Rec yds | Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 27 | vs. Long Island University | W 42–21 | 10 | 46 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Sep 5 | vs. St. Thomas (MN) | W 62–26 | 6 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 0 |
| Sep 12 | at Portland State | W 47–23 | 13 | 75 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Sep 19 | at Nebraska | L 7–34 | 7 | 34 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Sep 26 | at Indiana State | W 42–35 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 0 |
| Oct 3 | vs. Murray State | W 55–28 | 10 | 44 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Oct 10 | at Northern Iowa | L 17–24 | 6 | 57 | 0 | 3 | 34 | 0 |
| Oct 17 | vs. South Dakota State | W 21–10 | 24 | 99 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 0 |
2025 Illinois State 1 game, 1 return, 12 yards
| Date | Opponent | Result | Car | Rush yds | Rush TD | Rec | Rec yds | Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30 | at Oklahoma | L 3–35 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
2024 Illinois State 12 games, 443 rushing yards, 3 TD
| Date | Opponent | Result | Car | Rush yds | Rush TD | Rec | Rec yds | Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 14 | vs. Western Illinois | W 51–34 | 7 | 28 | 1 | – | – | – |
| Sep 21 | vs. Eastern Illinois | W 31–7 | 9 | 40 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Sep 28 | vs. North Dakota State | L 10–42 | 3 | 6 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Oct 5 | at Southern Illinois | W 45–10 | 5 | 43 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Oct 12 | vs. Missouri State | L 7–41 | 3 | 10 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Oct 19 | atMurray State | W 40–32 | 7 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 0 |
| Nov 2 | vs. Youngstown State | W 23–16 | 13 | 68 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Nov 9 | atNorthern Iowa | W 31–9 | 16 | 84 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Nov 16 | atIndiana State | W 31–19 | 11 | 56 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Nov 23 | vs. North Dakota | W 35–13 | 13 | 42 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 0 |
| Nov 30 | at Southeast Missouri State | W 35–27 | 9 | 8 | 0 | – | – | – |
| Dec 7 | at UC Davis | L 10–42 | 7 | 28 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 0 |
Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.
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