North Dakota State dominated Fordham on Saturday, but a lingering problem couldn’t be ignored amid the Bison’s Mountain West Conference opener next weekend.
In NDSU’s 38-0 shutout win over the Rams, the Bison committed four penalties for 45 yards lost, and the Herd started relatively slow with just a 10-0 lead for most of the first half. NDSU committed 13 penalties for 94 yards lost in the season opener the week before against Jacksonville State, a 33-7 victory despite the fact.
“Sorry but I’m gonna be tough on NDSU when it comes to self-inflicted penalties,” one fan wrote via X on Saturday. “Those are gonna be the difference in conference play. Can’t have those.”
NDSU faces Air Force next Saturday to open Mountain West play, and the Falcons looked tough with a 34-0 blowout win over Duquesne. Bison head coach Tim Polasek addressed the penalty issues from the JSU game during the week, and the Herd cut down the penalty total by five.
That isn’t the only concern as the Bison turn to conference play. Another fan pointed out via X that “NDSU has major o-line issues to go along with their discipline problems.”
NDSU gave up two sacks and four tackles for loss against the Gamecocks in Week Zero, and the Bison allowed three sacks and nine tackles for loss against the Rams on Saturday. Those area numbers the Bison can’t afford to ignore heading into a big conference game in Colorado Springs.
Nathan Hayes Looks Sharp Again
Bison quarterback Nathan Hayes passed with precision again on Saturday as he went 18-22 for 210 yards and two touchdowns. That included his execution of the two-minute drill again with his 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Chris Kiel with 55 seconds left in the first half.
Hayes came in fresh off winning Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against JSU, a 14-22 effort for 160 yards and a touchdown versus a pick. He will get his biggest test yet next week against the Falcons.
Air Force shut down Duquesne’s offense and limited the Dukes to 53 yards passing and two interceptions. The Falcons also shut down the Dukes’ ground game with 54 yards allowed.
While Duquesne is an FCS program out of the Northeast Conference, the Bison comparably beat an FCS Fordham squad from the Patriot League that only won a game in 2025. Fordham managed 135 yards of total offense against the Bison and threatened to spoil the shutout in the fourth quarter.
Bison safety Walker Braaten prevented it with an interception at his team’s 20-yard line with 1:27 left. A Westhope, North Dakota, native, Braaten collected his first career pick in the process.
D.J. Scott Steps Up
Bison running back D.J. Scott took off on Saturday with a pair of touchdown runs, as the team’s lead back looked the part. Scott rushed for 60 yards on 11 carries, and he scored on a 3-yard run in the second quarter and a 7-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
He rushed for 51 yards on 13 carries the week before against a stronger defense out of Conference USA, and his early-season performances could bode well for the Air Force game. NDSU had a balanced running attack again in addition to Scott, as Myles Mitchell rushed for 45 yards on 10 carries, and Nyeoti Punni ran for 29 yards on seven carries.
Both Mitchell and Punni accounted for 134 yards combined the week before, and those performances, coupled with Scott’s will be needed in Colorado Springs next week.
NDSU Called Out Amid Blowout vs. Fordham