Know Wyoming’s Foe: NDSU Bison

LARAMIE -- Pick your poison.

That's the real issue facing Wyoming's defensive staff this week: Who do you attempt to stop first?

Aaron Bohl, like any coordinator, said it all starts and stops with limiting North Dakota State's run game. Cliché -- and easier said than done. Led by DJ Scott and Myles Mitchell, the Bison are averaging almost 160 yards per game on the ground.

Jay Sawvel Monday raved about Scott's vision and ability to break tackles. He leads the team with 225 rushing yards on 50 carries. That's an average of 4.5 yards per touch. He has also crossed the goal line three times.

If you manage to slow down the 215-pound Florida product, Tim Polasek's offense doesn't skip a beat.

Enter Mitchell.

On just 46 rushing attempts, the Chicago native has already rolled up 214 yards. He also has three touchdowns on his early-season résumé.

Wyoming's third-year head coach said he has the "burst and acceleration" out of the Bison backfield.

"They pose a lot of problems because they're both very good," Sawvel added. "They're very similar players."

Believe it or not, a third NDSU running back has already eclipsed the century mark on the ground. Nyeoti Punni, all 6-foot-1, 225 pounds of him, is netting 5.3 yards per carry.

If you manage to limit this faction of the offense -- which you'll have to do in front of nearly 19,000 people inside the sold-out Fargodome -- then you get a quick introduction to Nathan Hayes.

The 6-foot-3, 228-pound quarterback is completing 67% of his throws. He already has 808 passing yards and seven touchdowns under his belt, too. Need a key third-down pickup on the ground? He's got you covered. Hayes has rushed for 43 yards and a score, that coming in a 38-32 win at Air Force in Week 3.

"Hayes is playing outstanding, all right, so that's an issue there," Sawvel said. "Then they've got two receivers that are averaging over 18 yards a catch. I think that's the one thing that maybe you draw circles around it."

He's referring to Jackson Williams and Mekhi Collins, who both have combined for 417 yards and three touchdowns. Williams, a junior who stands just 5-foot-11, leads the way with 283 of those. Collins is the prototypical wideout. The Minnesota native is 6-foot-4 and tips the scales at 215. He's responsible for two of those scores.

"Making contested plays in the pass game," Bohl said is one of his keys to success in Fargo. "The receivers are making contested catches, and that's the thing that -- credit to them -- I wasn't expecting them to be as efficient as they were in the pass game. Between the quarterback and the receivers, they do an unbelievable job."

But wait, there's more.

There's another downfield weapon who already has 100 receiving yards to his name. That's 6-foot-5, 245-pound tight end Reis Kessel. The local product also hauled in a 17-yard touchdown reception in a 33-7 victory over visiting Jacksonville State in the opener.

And, oh, by the way, the defense is pretty good, too:

* Defensive touchdowns - No. 1 in FBS - 3

* Interceptions - No. 1 - 7

* Passing yard allowed - No. 22 - 154.4 per game

* Red-zone defense - No. 4 - 5-of-9

* Rushing defense - No. 37 - 100.2 yards per game (allowed just 207 at AFA)

* Scoring defense - No. 18 - 12.3 points per game

* Total defense - No. 18 - 254.8 yards per game

* Turnover margin - No. 5 - plus-8

* Turnovers gained - No. 2 - 10

Has this unbeaten NDSU team arrived ahead of schedule or are these astonishing numbers just the product of a weak schedule? It could be both.

"It's a big, big opportunity for our program," Sawvel said of the first meeting between these two programs since 2008, a budding rivalry they are calling the "Battle of the Basins." "It's a big challenge, as well. Go to a place that's had tremendous success. You know, home record, very difficult place to play. We're going to have to deal with a lot of things from a noise perspective. It's their first conference home game, so, obviously, their people are going to be very amped up. They've had an open date. Everything from that perspective, too.

"So, look, this is what college football is. You get a chance to go do things that are difficult. This is difficult."

Meet the Bison:

* Head coach: Tim Polasek (3rd year) 30-3 overall, 1-0 in MW play

* Offensive coordinator: Dan Larson (2nd year); Defensive coordinator: Grant Olson (3rd year)

* Record in 2025: 12-1 overall, 8-0 in Missouri Valley

* Offense in 2026: Average 35 ppg, 370.5 ypg (158.8 rush, 211.8 pass)

* Defense in 2026: Allow 12.3 ppg, 254.6 ypg (100.2 rush, 154.4 pass)

* Key Returners/ Newcomers - Offense: Nathan Hayes (QB - 61-91, 808 yds, 7 TD, 2 INT; 17 rush, 43 yds, TD), DJ Scott (RB - 50 rush, 225 yds, 3 TD; 7 catch, 54 yds), Myles Mitchell (RB - 46 rush, 214 yds, 3 TD; 4 catch, 15 yds), Jackson Williams (WR - 18 catch, 283 yds, TD), Mekhi Collins (WR - 7 catch, 134 yds, 2 TD), Reis Kessel (TE - 11 catch, 106 yds, TD)

* Key Returners - Defense: Donovan Woolen (LB - 24 tackles, 2 PBU), Darius Givance (S - 20 tackles, FR, TD), Gavin Sell (LB - 18 tackles, sack, INT, FF), Taylen Eady (S - 15 tackles, PBU, INT), Matthew Stenbroten  (DE - 13 tackles, sack, FF), Alex Elliot (LB - 11 tackles), Peder Haugo (LB - 10 tackles, sack), Keenan Wilson (DT - 10 tackles), Marion Moore (CB - 5 tackles, 2 INT, TD)

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