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Fargo, North Dakota: North Dakota State Beats UTEP 31-7 as Nathan Hayes Accounts for Two Touchdowns

North Dakota State beat UTEP 31-7 at the Fargodome in Fargo on Saturday, scoring the final 31 points after UTEP scored on its first play. Nathan Hayes threw for 240 yards, accounted for two touchdowns, and the Bison defense closed the game with two touchdowns in the final two minutes.

By Orbit Post2 min read
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Fargo, North Dakota: North Dakota State Beats UTEP 31-7 as Nathan Hayes Accounts for Two Touchdowns

Key points

  • North Dakota State gave its home crowd a slow start and a fast finish on Saturday afternoon at the Fargodome.
  • The Bison beat UTEP 31-7 at Gate City Bank Field in Fargo, scoring the final 31 points after falling behind on the first play of the game.
  • UTEP, a four touchdown underdog, opened the game with an interception of Hayes on North Dakota State's first series.

North Dakota State gave its home crowd a slow start and a fast finish on Saturday afternoon at the Fargodome.

The Bison beat UTEP 31-7 at Gate City Bank Field in Fargo, scoring the final 31 points after falling behind on the first play of the game. Quarterback Nathan Hayes threw for 240 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score, and the North Dakota State defense allowed 181 yards after that first play.

UTEP strikes first, then stalls

UTEP, a four touchdown underdog, opened the game with an interception of Hayes on North Dakota State's first series. Quarterback Raymond Moore III then took the Miners' first snap 57 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

The Miners barely moved the ball after that. UTEP added 52 yards over the next two and a half quarters and finished with 238 total yards, running 51 plays to North Dakota State's 69 and giving up four sacks. EJ Colson Jr. finished 11 of 16 passing for 59 yards with two interceptions, and Moore led UTEP with 67 rushing yards.

Bison take control

Drew Klein kicked a 30 yard field goal early in the second quarter, and DJ Scott scored on a 1 yard run before halftime to put the Bison ahead 10-7. The score held deep into the third quarter before Hayes found tight end Reis Kessel on a 3 yard touchdown pass for a 17-7 lead.

Kessel finished with six catches for 85 yards. Jackson Williams caught 10 passes for 111 yards. Scott led the Bison runners with 50 yards on 13 carries.

The game stayed at 17-7 into the final two minutes. Hayes then ran 1 yard for a touchdown with 1:45 left, and cornerback Marion Moore returned a fumble 46 yards for a touchdown with 1:06 to play. Moore also had an interception in the game. Donovan Woolen led the defense with eight solo tackles.

Head coach Tim Polasek said Hayes played through an ankle injury and a toe injury. "I just appreciated the guys' resiliency to keep fighting and Nathan Hayes' toughness," Polasek told reporters. "He's got an ankle and a toe, and he still gives us the best chance to win at this time."

North Dakota State improved to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the Mountain West. The Bison entered the game with the second ranked defense in the nation, allowing 250.1 yards per game. UTEP fell to 1-7 overall and 0-4 in league play. North Dakota State plays at Hawaii on November 14. UTEP hosts Hawaii next Saturday, November 7, at the Sun Bowl.

Timeline

  1. Oct 31, 2026First quarter: Raymond Moore III runs 57 yards for a touchdown on UTEP's first play, and the Miners lead 7-0 in Fargo.
  2. Oct 31, 2026Second quarter: Drew Klein kicks a 30 yard field goal and DJ Scott scores on a 1 yard run, and North Dakota State leads 10-7 at halftime.
  3. Oct 31, 2026Third quarter: Nathan Hayes throws a 3 yard touchdown pass to Reis Kessel, stretching the Bison lead to 17-7.
  4. Oct 31, 2026Fourth quarter: Hayes runs 1 yard for a touchdown with 1:45 left and Marion Moore returns a fumble 46 yards for a touchdown with 1:06 left, closing a 31-7 win.

Sources