North Dakota State opens its FBS era with a 33-7 win over Jacksonville State.
North Dakota State · Jacksonville StateThis game marked the Bison’s debut in the Football Bowl Subdivision. NDSU's wide receiver RaJa Nelson (3) runs with the ball on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023 at Dana J Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota.
Hayes completed 14 of 22 passes for 160 yards with one interception. Hayes' 6-yard touchdown pass to Reis Kessel capped an eight-play, opening drive for the Bison.
Jacksonville State answered later in the first quarter on Caden Creel 's 8-yard touchdown run. Hayes tossed a 44-yard TD pass to Jordan McCants to give the Bison a 17-7 lead heading into halftime.
Schlitz's score made it 27-7 midway through the third quarter. Creel was 12-of-23 passing for 85 yards and threw one interception for Jacksonville State.
KEY POINTS
- North Dakota State opens its FBS era with a 33-7 win over Jacksonville State.
- Nathan Hayes threw two touchdown passes to help North Dakota State defeat Jacksonville State 33-7.
- Blake Schiltz recovered the ball in the end zone from an errant snap for a score for North Dakota State, and Drew Klein made field goals from 34, 44 and 42 yards.
- North Dakota State competed in the Football Championship Subdivision for 22 seasons, spending the past 18 years in the Missouri Valley Football Conference after four years in the Great West Football Conference while reclassifying from Division II.