SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The reputation of Sacramento State in a September of college football was that the Hornets were pretty good in the first quarter, playing two FBS opponents to an even game in the first 15 minutes. On Saturday, North Dakota State ripped that credibility sheet to itsy, bitsy little pieces.
A three-touchdown first quarter set the stage for a decisive victory between the two newest members of the Football Bowl Subdivision. The Bison showed no sign of fatigue from a second straight road trip west that carried a late-night kickoff, beating Sac State 31-10 at Hornet Stadium.
NDSU 31, SAC STATE 10
Bison record: 4-0 (1-0 MW)Up next: Wyoming at NDSU, 2:30 p.m. Oct. 3.
NDSU moved to 4-0 with the nonconference win and now has a bye week before hosting Wyoming in a Mountain West Conference homecoming game on Oct. 3. Sac State, members of the Mid-American Conference, fell to 1-3.
The Bison threw the following stats at the Hornets in the first quarter: Quarterback Nathan Hayes had 151 yards passing, the Bison outgained Sac State 194-27 and the Hornets had minus-16 yards rushing.
“We got some things accomplished today that we wanted to emphasize: a fast start, handling the trip, start fast and come out on the attack,” said head coach Tim Polasek. “Very positive as far as our schedule today and the only thing I have to go off is we were ready to play.”
Hayes finished 14 of 24 passing for 210 yards and a touchdown. Receiver Jackson Williams had a career day with seven receptions for 134 yards.
NDSU wasted no time in declaring there would be no being tired from last weekend’s late-night game at Air Force, a 38-32 Mountain West win. NDSU won the coin toss and took the ball, making good on the choice.
Perhaps taking cue from Fresno State throwing for 349 yards against Sac State last week, the Bison immediately went to the air. A 38-yard pass from Hayes to Mekhi Collins was followed three plays later by Hayes’ 32-yard touchdown strike to Williams. It came on a third-and-5 play on a drive where NDSU threw it on four of the five plays.
“Fresno dialed some things up in the second quarter, and we just liked our matchups on the outside,” Hayes said. “That’s something we were going to live and die by today and Jackson had a heck of a game, there were a lot of opportunities out there. That was our game plan coming in and that’s what we wanted to do.”
The North Dakota State defense celebrates a fourth-down stop against Sacramento State on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, Calif.
David Samson / The Forum
Not to be left out, the Bison defense also struck quickly. Linebacker Gavin Sell forced a fumble on Hornets running back Jamar Curtis. From there it was an exercise in hustle. Defensive end Kelton McCaslin and linebacker Ray James Jr. both dove to keep the bouncing ball in bounds, with James Jr. getting a hand on it just before he hit the ground on the Sac State sideline.
“Gavin had that strip fumble, we always have our mind on the ball because that can change a game,” said Bison safety Taylen Eady. “Really selfless and a really smart play by Ray.”
Safety Darius Givance picked up the ball and scored easily from 24 yards and it was 14-0 with 11:49 left in the first quarter.
It didn’t end without more offense. A 22-yard pass to Williams got NDSU to the Sac 27. Running back Myles Mitchell finished the last 10 yards with a run off the right side and it was 21-0.
NDSU’s defense wasn’t done making a difference, either. Eady’s interception stopped the Hornets early in the second quarter. Running back DJ Scott bounced through the middle of the Sacramento defensive line, shed one tackle and made it hold up for a 42-yard TD run.
“The o-line made a hole and I beat my one-on-one,” said Scott, referring to getting by a defensive back. “We’ve been working on ourselves making sure we go 1-0 into the bye week, so we’re feeling good.”
Down 28-0, the Hornets were not.
The half ended 28-3, although the Bison left points on the board. A fake punt didn’t work. Collins dropped a perfectly thrown deep ball in the end zone.
Each team traded non-productive possessions in the third quarter. NDSU had the biggest play stopping a fourth-and-1 Hornets running play up the middle at the Bison 36-yard line. That led to a 29-yard Drew Klein field goal early in the fourth quarter for a 31-3 advantage.
Sac State finally found the end zone halfway through the fourth quarter on a 21-yard pass to Onterrio Smith Jr.
North Dakota State’s Taylen Eady (14) celebrates his interception against Sacramento State with teammate Logan Larson on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, Calif.
David Samson / The Forum
Jeff Kolpack, the son of a reporter and an English teacher, and the brother of a reporter, worked at the Jamestown Sun, Bismarck Tribune and since 1990 The Forum, where he’s covered North Dakota State athletics since 1995. He has covered all 10 of NDSU’s Division I FCS national football titles and has written four books: “Horns Up,” “North Dakota Tough,” “Covid Kids” and “They Caught Them Sleeping: How Dot Reinvented the Pretzel.” He is also the radio host of “The Golf Show with Jeff Kolpack” April through August.