FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Nathan Hayes threw two touchdown passes to help North Dakota State roll past Jacksonville State 33-7 in the Football Bowl Subdivision debut for the Bison and season opener for both teams on Saturday.
Hayes completed 14 of 22 passes for 160 yards with one interception. 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.
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. The Gamecocks were held to 170 yards of offense and were 2 of 10 on third-down conversions.
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.
The Bison have won 28 straight home openers.
Up next
Jacksonville State: at Eastern Kentucky on Saturday.
North Dakota State: hosts Fordham on Saturday.
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