North Dakota State bounced back from a 13-7 loss to UNLV and a slow start against Nevada on Saturday to beat the Wolfpack 31-17 on Saturday night for a historic night in Fargo.
The Bison locked up bowl eligibility for the first time ever with the victory at 6-1 overall in the program’s first FBS season. NDSU could go to any number of bowl games depending on how the season shakes, and the College Football Playoff also isn’t out of the question.
Possible bowl games include the Arizona Bowl, Hawaii Bowl, Famous Idaho Potato Bowl and Isleta New Mexico Bowl. The Bison aren’t likely to settle for that with a shot at the Mountain West title on the horizon.
Where NDSU Stands in Mountain West Race
NDSU sits in a three-way tie for third place in the league with a 3-1 conference record, but the Bison can control their own destiny with a win at New Mexico (4-1, 1-0) next Saturday. If the Bison win out, they play in the Mountain West title game either against UNLV (4-3, 2-1), unless the Running Rebels fall again or a rematch with New Mexico as the most likely scenarios at the moment.
Air Force (5-1, 3-1) and Wyoming (4-3, 3-1) are the other two teams holding their own in the Mountain West standings, and the Bison have beaten both already. The Bison also could have an inside track to hosting the Mountain West title game at the Fargodome by running the table and if UNLV loses again in league play.
That’s entirely possible since UNLV travels to New Mexico on Nov. 14. NDSU will need to take care of business, of course, in the coming weeks, and Saturday night against the Wolfpack showed that none of the remaining Mountain West games will come easy for the Bison.
NDSU Turned Things Around on Saturday Night
After stumbling to an 11-0 deficit, NDSU turned things around to grab the lead late, 19-11, in the first half with a touchdown and a kick six. NDSU still saw an even third quarter where Nevada scored a touchdown, and the Bison only had a field goal and an extra point block and return for two points.
The Bison held off Nevada in the fourth quarter as quarterback Nathan Hayes delivered his second touchdown pass of the night, and the NDSU defense kept Nevada off the board.
NDSU Gets Historic Postseason Update Amid Win Over Nevada