Bison football fans have been waiting since the 31-29 double overtime FCS playoff semifinals loss to Montana on December 16 to watch their beloved team play a game on the gridiron. On Thursday, August 29 that opportunity came as North Dakota State visited the University of Colorado in the 2024 season opener.
The game was played in front of a crowd that totaled 49,438 fans in the stands… By the way, full capacity at Folsom Field in Boulder, CO is 50,183. And yes that many people were in attendance for an FCS vs FBS matchup. Many in the stands hoped for a quality game, and both teams delivered with a back-and-forth slugfest for 60 minutes.
The game started fast after Colorado kicked off to NDSU. Quarterback Cam Miller started things off hot immediately connecting with running back TK Marshall on a pass good for 48 yards. The drive would stall and kicker Griffin Crosa would knock down a 36-yard field goal, giving the Bison a 3-0 lead with 12:12 still to go in the first quarter.
Colorado would respond in quick fashion. The Buffs would score a touchdown on a 41-yard touchdown pass from Shedeur Sanders to Travis Hunter, giving Colorado a 7-3 lead with 9:31 left in the first quarter.
NDSU’s ensuing drive would end with the Bison leapfrogging the Buffaloes for the lead. Miller connected with tight end Joe Stoffel for a 7-year touchdown pass, giving the Herd a 10-7 lead with 3:59 on the clock in the first quarter. The drive was 10 plays, 75 yards, and had 5:32 in time of possession.
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The Buffs responded in the blink of an eye, when Sanders threw his second touchdown pass of the evening. This time he connected with senior wide receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. on a play that went 69-yards to the house. 14-10 home team.
The score would remain the same heading into the second quarter.
The Bison took back the lead on a 10 play drive over 77 yards that spanned 6:02 of game clock. This time Miller danced into the end zone himself on a read option touchdown from 7-yards out. NDSU is now up 17-14 with 12:07 left in the first half.
Colorado’s next drive would end in controversy when they would go for it on fourth and one. A run up the gut was stopped a couple blades of grass short of the first down marker. NDSU would take over at the Colorado 35-yard line where they would embark on a penalty-filled 11 play drive that only totaled 21 yards, ending in a Crosa 30-yard field goal. The Bison extended their lead to 20-14 with 4:33 left in the opening half.
The rest of the half would see both teams exchange punts before Colorado would begin a drive from near its own goal line with 56 seconds left in the half. The Buffs would run an incredibly efficient offense spanning 89 yards in eight plays, allowing them to set up for a field goal as the half expired. Junior place kicker Alejandro Mata connected on a 27-yard field goal, cutting into the NDSU lead. The score was now 20-17 at the half.
Sanders and the Buffs would receive the second half kickoff and march all the way down the field. Well inside the redzone at least. Then one of the wildest plays you’ll see happened. Sanders threw a pass to the goal line where the ball would deflect off the cleat of a falling Bison defensive back in Anthony Chideme-Alfaro… Right into the hands of linebacker Nick Kubitz, touchback and Bison ball.
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The drive went three-and-out. Colorado would then score on Sanders’ 100th career touchdown, a 13-yard pass to Hunter. Colorado is back in the lead 24-20 with 7:45 remaining in the third quarter.
The rest of the quarter would see a mix of ups and downs, including NDSU being tagged with a delay of game on a third-and-three.
Heading into the fourth quarter the Buffs had the ball and they took a page out of NDSU’s book. Colorado capped off a 17 play, 80 yard drive with Hunter’s third touchdown reception of the game from Sanders. This touchdown was a three-yard reception. The Buffaloes extend their lead 31-20.
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NDSU wouldn’t quit until the clock hit zeros as they marched 75 yards on 11 plays over a span of 5:38. The drive was capped off with a Miller 21-yard touchdown run. The Bison would go for two unsuccessfully. The road team still trailed 31-26 with 2:19 on the fourth quarter clock.
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The Bison would opt to kick the ball thru the back of the end zone giving Colorado the ball back. NDSU would force Colorado to give the ball back with 31 seconds remaining. The Herd took over at their own eight. The drive would come down to one final hail mary from the NDSU 47-yard line as time expired… The pass was completed to Bison wide receiver Tyler Terhark, but he was falling as he caught the pass, landing on the grass at the four yard line.
Colorado survives the upset bid 31-26 in their 2024 season opener.
NDSU will now return home to the Fargodome on Saturday, September 7 to take on Tennessee State.
Leaders
NDSU
Passing
Cam Miller; 18-22 for 277 yards and one touchdown
Rushing
Miller; 16 carries for 81 yards and two touchdowns
CharMar Brown; nine carries for 33 yards
Barika Kpeenu; nine carries for 32 yards
Receiving
Braylon Henderson; five receptions for 72 yards
RaJa Nelson; four receptions for 45 yards
Bryce Lance; three receptions for 32 yards
Joe Stoffel; three receptions for 31 yards and one touchdown
Defense
Sam Jung; eight tackles
Eli Mostaert; five tackles
Oscar Benson; five tackles
Logan Kopp; four tackles
Colorado
Passing
Shedeur Sanders; 26-34 for 445 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception
Rushing
Dallan Hayden; nine carries for 20 yards
Shedeur Sanders; six carries for 17 yards
Charlie Offerdahl; five carries for 15 yards
Drelon Miller; two carries for seven yards
Receiving
Jimmy Horn Jr.; seven receptions for 198 yards and one touchdown
Travis Hunter; seven receptions for 132 yards and three touchdowns
LaJohntay Wester; five receptions for 58 yards
Will Sheppard; two receptions for 23 yards
Defense
Trevor Woods; 10 tackles
Shilo Sanders; nine tackles
Savion Riley; seven tackles
D.J. McKinney; six tackles
