BOULDER, Colo. — The game was still tied in the third quarter with Colorado leading North Dakota State 24-20 and the Bison facing second down and 2 from the Buffaloes’ 46-yard line. The Bison were on the move and things were looking good.

A few minutes later the game seemed to turn and NDSU could no longer catch up.

Colorado won 31-26 at Folsom Field on Thursday night, dashing the Bisons’ hopes of a fourth-quarter upset.

The Bison had a chance, but the second-and-2 play was a short pass from quarterback Cole Payton to receiver Tyler Terhark, losing a yard.

The Bison then appeared confused on third down and failed to get the snap on time, earning a 5-yard delay of game penalty.

It looked like a place for a timeout from the sidelines.

“I’m here to tell you guys I’m all in,” NDSU head coach Tim Polasek said. “Coach Bohl would never let me get away with that kind of stuff. It’s not acceptable. But in a first game, we were pretty clean as far as personnel adjustments, we got on and off the field in a really, really cool environment.”

On third-and-8, Bison quarterback Cam Miller went down to pass, but was pressured and attempted a scramble. He got back to the line of scrimmage alone, and the Bison were forced to punt.

“That was a big turn of events,” Polasek said. “It really was, and honestly, we were talking about four downs. They weren’t quite on their heels, but I felt like we were in a good spot. Cam was playing really well, so that delay of the game call definitely had an impact.”

Colorado took the ball and went 80 yards in 17 plays, chewing up 8 minutes, 10 seconds, to score a touchdown and take a 31-20 lead. Shedeur Sanders hit Travis Hunter on a 3-yard TD pass to cap off the drive.

The Bisons responded with a touchdown with 2:19 left to make it 31-26. However, NDSU’s defense could not stop the ball and Colorado ran out the clock.

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Redshirt freshman Marty Brown got the surprise start at running back for NDSU. He is a redshirt freshman who did not play last season.

Brown took full advantage, finishing with nine carries (for just 33 yards) and catching one pass for 12 yards.

One of the storylines of fall camp was whether junior running back Barika Kpeenu would play. He suffered a knee injury early in camp and has been limited in practice. The running back order heading to Colorado appeared to be senior TK Marshall atop the depth chart, followed by Brown and true freshman Peder Haugo.

But Kpeenu suited up and played for the Bisons, entering the game on their second possession.

Brown finished the first half with seven carries for 18 yards, while Kpeenu had five carries for 18 yards. Marshall had no carries, but caught one pass for 1 yard.

Decent production, although Polasek said there’s more in the pipeline.

“I haven’t seen the film yet, but to break a tackle here and there, we had a chance on a couple of runs,” he said. “Our inability early on a three-yard run should have been four or four and a half. They just held us off the scheme enough, but Cam was good enough that we converted some third downs early.”

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NDSU had one advantage in throwing long, scoring passes to the Buffaloes: the Bisons had a huge possession advantage in the first half.
When the Bison recorded their second straight defensive stop in the second quarter, NDSU had the ball for 20:03 and CU had just 7:16. That was partly due to Jimmy Horn Jr. scoring on a 70-yard pass play late in the first quarter, a drive that took just two plays.
The Buffaloes’ first touchdown lasted just six plays and ended with a seemingly simple 41-yard touchdown reception by Travis Hunter.
NDSU’s possession late in the second quarter also brought with it a new college rule this season: the two-minute timeout. NDSU had a second-and-6 at its own 16-yard line.

Both starting quarterbacks had a first half to remember.

Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders completed 12 of 15 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns, including a scoring strike of 41 yards to Hunter and 69 yards to Horn Jr.

“Shedeur’s ability to extend plays is a nightmare,” Polasek said, “because you’re running with guys for eight, nine, 10 seconds now. I thought our guys up front let him adjust enough from his spot, but he was just better.”

NDSU’s Miller, meanwhile, was 10 of 13 for 144 yards and a 7-yard TD pass to tight end Joe Stoffel. Miller also ran for 39 yards and a TD, finishing the half as the Bisons’ leading rusher.

Both teams needed their quarterbacks to be hot, as neither could mount much of a running game. Colorado had just 18 yards on the ground in the first half. The Bison were better with 82.

Sanders’ third-quarter TD pass to Hunter was the 100th of his college career, which began at FCS Jackson State. … Bison senior safety Cole Wisniewski, a preseason All-American who recently underwent a second foot surgery, made the trip and was on crutches on the sideline. … Colorado started five wide receivers in a season-opening game for the first time in program history. … Buffs left tackle Jordan Seaton became the first true freshman to start at tackle in Colorado’s first game of the season in program history. …

Mike McFeely is a columnist for The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. He began working for The Forum in the 1980s while studying journalism at Minnesota State University Moorhead. He has been with The Forum full-time since 1990, except for a six-year hiatus when he hosted a local radio talk show.