North Dakota State wins FBS debut against Jacksonville State

North Dakota State University won its Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) debut with a 33-7 victory over Jacksonville State. Quarterback Nathan Hayes led the Bison offense, completing 14 of 22 passes for 160 yards and throwing two touchdown passes.

The Bison opened the scoring with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Reis Kessel. After Jacksonville State responded with an 8-yard touchdown run by Caden Creel, Hayes threw a 44-yard touchdown to Jordan McCants to establish a 17-7 halftime lead. North Dakota State extended their lead in the third quarter following a score by Blake Schiltz.

Jacksonville State was limited to 170 yards of offense and struggled with third-down conversions, completing only 2 of 10 attempts. This victory marks the beginning of North Dakota State's transition to the FBS after 22 seasons in the Football Championship Subdivision.