North Dakota State Bison

North Dakota State has opened its first FBS season at 6-1, with the only loss a 13-7 decision at UNLV in Week 6. The Bison have otherwise been dominant, outscoring opponents 33-7, 38-0, 38-32, 31-10, 28-0, and 31-17. The UNLV game stands out as the one time the offense stalled, managing a single touchdown. The team has shown it can win in different ways: blowouts at home, a close road win at Air Force, and a comeback against Nevada after trailing 11-0 early.

The preseason concern was that losing both starting cornerbacks to the transfer portal and replacing them with Division II transfers would be a vulnerability. Instead, the secondary has been a key part of a defense that has allowed 7, 0, 32, 10, 0, 13, and 17 points. Opponents have been held to 170, 135, 103, and 162 passing yards in several games, and the Bison have intercepted multiple passes, including a pick-six by Marion Moore against Fordham and a fumble return for a touchdown by Darius Givance against Sacramento State. The one blemish was an 85-yard pick-six thrown by Nathan Hayes at Air Force, which was a mistake by the quarterback rather than a coverage bust.

Quarterback Nathan Hayes has been a steady game manager, completing 14 of 22 for 160 yards against Jacksonville State, 18 of 22 for 210 against Fordham, 15 of 23 for 228 at Air Force, 14 of 24 for 210 at Sacramento State, and 19 of 25 for 153 against Nevada. He has thrown two touchdown passes in several games and also contributes on the ground, scoring on a 17-yard run at Air Force and two rushing touchdowns against Wyoming. The running back room has been by committee: DJ Scott scored twice against Fordham and had a 42-yard touchdown run at Sacramento State, while Myles Mitchell had a 31-yard touchdown run on the opening drive at Air Force and a 9-yard score at Sacramento State. The offensive line, anchored by three returning starters and Kansas transfer Kene Anene at right tackle, has kept Hayes clean and opened holes for the run game.

Kicker Drew Klein has been reliable, making all four of his field goal attempts this season, including a program-record 56-yarder at Air Force. The Bison have also scored non-offensive touchdowns in multiple games: a recovered errant snap in the end zone against Jacksonville State, a pick-six by Marion Moore against Fordham, a fumble return by Darius Givance at Sacramento State, and a 100-yard return of a missed field goal by Jackson Williams against Nevada. These hidden yards have turned good performances into comfortable wins and given the Bison a margin for error that most teams do not have.

North Dakota State faces a stiff test in Week 8 at New Mexico, which is 5-1 and has a power rating of 5.61. The Bison are underdogs on the road for the first time this season, with the line at New Mexico -4.5 and a prediction market giving NDSU only a 36 percent chance to win. The game is outdoors, which could affect the passing game, though the Bison have already won outdoors at Air Force and Sacramento State. After New Mexico, the schedule remains challenging, and the Bison will need to continue to rely on their defense, efficient offense, and special teams to contend in the Mountain West. The biggest question is whether the offense can consistently score against stronger defenses, as it did before the UNLV game.