COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (NDSU Athletics)- North Dakota State earned its first Mountain West Conference football victory with a 38-32 win over Air Force on Saturday, Sept. 12, before a crowd of 25,970 at Falcon Stadium.
NDSU went ahead 35-13 early in the third quarter on wide receiver Logan Conklin’s first career touchdown catch, and the Bison (3-0, 1-0 MW) hung on the rest of the way as Air Force controlled the second half clock and scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Bison quarterback Nathan Hayes completed passes to eight different receivers and finished 15 of 23 passing for 228 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Myles Mitchell rushed 15 times for 61 yards and two scores.
NDSU controlled the ball for nearly 13 minutes in the first quarter and scored on its first two possessions. Mitchell’s 31-yard touchdown run capped a nine-play, 75-yard opening drive, and Hayes scored on a 17-yard run to cap a 16-play, 80-yard march to take a 14-0 lead.
Air Force (1-1, 0-1 MW) got on the board with a touchdown pass from receiver Mason Hayes to receiver Adam Hrynciw, but the Bison stretched the lead back to 21-7 on a 44-yard touchdown pass from Nathan Hayes to Mekhi Collins.
The Falcons got an 85-yard interception return touchdown by Blake Fletcher, but Bison defensive lineman Matthew Stenbroten blocked the extra point attempt. Air Force later failed on two 2-point conversion attempts.
NDSU executed the 2-minute drill for a third straight game before halftime. Jackson Williams caught a 51-yard pass from Nathan Hayes to set up a 1-yard TD run by Mitchell and the Bison took a 28-13 lead into the locker room.
The Bison got a three-and-out on defense to start the third quarter, then got a 40-yard punt return by Williams and scored in two plays with Conklin hauling in a 41-yard pass in coverage down the sideline.
Air Force scored on 14-play and 13-play drives to pull within 35-25 before NDSU’s Drew Klein converted a school-record 56-yard field goal with 1:58 left in the game.
The Falcons went 75 yards in 1:08 to score on a 20-yard pass from Evan Medders to Matt Long with 50 seconds left, but Air Force couldn’t recover an onside kick and the Bison kneeled out the clock.
Linebacker Donovan Woolen made a team-high 11 tackles for NDSU and had a quarterback hurry and one pass deflection that led to an interception for linebacker Gavin Sell. Cornerback Marion Moore had two pass breakups and linebacker Peder Haugo had a sack for the Bison.
North Dakota State is on the road again next Saturday, Sept. 19, to face Sacramento State. Game time is 9:30 p.m. CT (7:30 p.m. PT) at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, Calif.
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