North Dakota State Makes FBS History in Win Over Jax State
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North Dakota State made the most of its long-awaited FBS debut on Saturday with a 33-7 victory over Jacksonville State.
The Bison did it in historic style, as the Herd put up the fourth-most points in a debuting FBS team against an FBS opponent, according to the Mountain West Conference. Liberty owns the record from a 52-10 victory over Old Dominion in 2018, James Madison has the second-highest total with a 44-7 win over Middle Tennessee State in 2022. Coastal Carolina had the next-best total with a 38-28 win over UMass in 2017.
NDSU once played JMU and Coastal Carolina during the Bison’s FCS dynasty of 10 national titles in 15 years. After many of the top FCS teams moved to the FBS, the Bison finally joined the party as a member of the Mountain West Conference.
JSU became the first casualty in a rematch of the 2015 FCS championship game. The Gamecocks moved up to the FBS in 2023 and won nine games every season as an FBS program thus far.
While the Gamecocks are expected to be one of the better teams in Conference USA, NDSU dismantled JSU on Saturday after a 7-7 first quarter. The Bison capitalized on two turnovers by the Gamecocks, and NDSU owned time of possession with 36 minutes of possession.
NDSU also dominated the game despite 13 penalties for 94 yards.
Bison TE Reis Kessel Got Things Rolling
Bison tight end Reis Kessel scored the first touchdown in the program’s FBS history on Saturday, which capped an eight-play, 75-yard opening scoring drive.
Kessel became quarterback Nathan Hayes’ go-to guy early, and Kessel made catches in traffic to move the chains and keep drives alive. The sophomore and Fargo native finished with four receptions for 30 yards and a touchdown.
Kessel made the touchdown catch in the back of the end zone on a 6-yard pass, which established the momentum for the Bison in a drive that nearly stalled. His 17-yard reception on third down during that drive kept things going, and an acrobatic catch he made later was one of the top offensive plays of the game.
“He did some things really well. He ran a really good route and Nate Hayes threw a good ball,” Bison head coach Tim Polasek told reporters afterward, via InForum, regarding Kessel.
A former Fargo South standout, Kessel described how surreal it was to catch that first FBS touchdown. Kessel had 15 receptions for 335 yards and a touchdown last year in NDSU’s final FCS season.
“It meant everything. I definitely kind of blacked out a little bit. Definitely a ‘this is real’ moment. Nathan made a great check, the line blocked up front and ultimately it was just a lob.” Kessel told reporters afterward via the Fargo Forum.
Bison Kicker Worked Overtime
NDSU senior kicker Drew Klein accounted for nearly half of the team’s points on Saturday with a 4-4 mark on field goals and 3-3 on extra points.
Klein kept the Bison ahead, 10-7, in the second quarter with a 35-yard field goal, and he hit from 48, 44 and 42 yards in the second half as the lead ballooned. The Bison only scored three touchdowns, and one came from the defense when the Gamecocks fumbled a snap in the third quarter.
While NDSU had plenty to celebrate on Saturday with a big FBS debut, the Bison know well that it will take more than two offensive touchdowns to win in the Mountain West versus relying on Klein’s leg.
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