Bison put clamps on Wyoming in MWC home debut
FARGO — There was one cowboy tough team at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome on Saturday afternoon and it wasn’t the one from the Laramie Plains of Wyoming. North Dakota State put on its leather boots with metal spurs, said thanks to its swarming defense and won its first-ever Mountain West Conference home game.
The Bison held the University of Wyoming offense in check all day to take a 28-0 victory before 18,586 engaged homecoming fans. NDSU moved to 5-0 overall in its first FBS season and 2-0 in the league, already just one win away from being bowl eligible.
In doing so, the Bison kept the Cowboys on the road struggle bus, dropping them to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the league, taking some luster off of last week’s win over Hawaii. If the Fargodome seemed cramped to them, it was made worse against the Bison defense.
NDSU held the Cowboys to 162 total yards in the first game of the Battle for the Basins trophy. Quarterback Tyler Hughes was 5 of 14 passing for 52 yards, including an interception on the game’s first play.
"Man did Code Green show up," said Bison head coach Tim Polasek, in reference to his team's defense. "I'm excited where we're at. We're in the middle of this process and moving on with FBS and bowl eligible and those things."
The Bison defensive effort included a fourth-and-goal stop late in the third quarter when the Cowboys recovered a fumble deep in Bison territory. Wyoming had third-and-goal at the 1, but a false start penalty that could have been crowd-induced turned into a fourth down incompletion.
"The kids can feel that," Polasek said of the noise.
The Bison still had their shutout.
They’re also turning into one of the country’s top scoring defenses with only a second-half lapse at Air Force on the resume.
"We were all on the same page and communicating well and we do that we can go out and play fast," said Bison linebacker Donovan Woolen said.
The start was not what Wyoming was looking for. Hughes was picked off by Woolen on the first play of the game, Woolen returning it to the Cowboys 19-yard line.
"Anytime we're able to get an interception, we'll take it," Woolen said. "It was awesome to be able to set the tone like that."
A pass to receiver Jackson Williams gained eight yards. On third-and-goal from the 8, Hayes found nobody open, but took it himself untouched into the end zone and it was quickly 7-0.
"I woke up today and got a workout in, I wasn't nervous, but anxious, big deal first Mountain West (home) game," Polasek said. "I couldn't find many seats that were empty. A play like that, almost playing with a free series. I wasn't going to pass up on that gift to score seven points. That was huge, Donovan, that was a big play."
The interception brought Hughes’ road statistics to six interceptions and no TD passes in three games away from Laramie, all losses.
The Cowboys, however, prevented an explosive Bison start like they had in their last game at Sacramento State two weeks ago when NDSU led 21-0 after the first 15 minutes. Wyoming stopping Bison running back DJ Scott on a fourth-and-2 run at the UW 32-yard line was one reason. The Cowboys also put together three first downs to keep the Bison offense on the sideline.
Moreover, a Wyoming punt pinned the Bison on their 3-yard line early in the second quarter. Hayes ditched the hole with a 9-yard QB sneak on the first play. NDSU found some room after that, getting an 18-yard run from Williams and a 35-yard pass to Williams, the latter reaching the Wyoming 19.
"The way we prepared throughout the week, the sky's the limit for us," Williams said.
Hayes culminated the 97-yard drive with a 15-yard TD scamper and it was 14-0.
"A good variety with the offense," Polasek said. "The play-action game today I thought, we finally cultivated some first downs, I was very pleased with that drive."
Two video reviews in NDSU’s favor to close the half, which ended on a 31-yard field goal by kicker Drew Klein with 20 seconds left. Bison safety Darius Givance was called for a targeting penalty, but the flag was picked up after video review.
Wyoming did reach the end zone a few minutes later when Williams fumbled on a punt return and UW’s Drew Jackson scooped it up and scored. The review ruled Williams was down.
Meanwhile, the Bison defense was doing its thing. Wyoming had 73 total yards in the first half with just 28 through the air on Hughes’ 3-of-6 passing.
NDSU took the second half kickoff, ran off 15 plays before stalling, but went up 20-0 on a 37-yard Klein field goal. Counting NDSU’s last possession of the second half, the Bison ran 28 plays to Wyoming’s one in that span.
"We're in a good place right now, the guys are committed to each other," Polasek said. "I'm not surprised, I'm pleased how we've handle all of it. That wasn't an easy game out there. To pitch a shutout in today's college football, they had some focus."