Nathan Hayes

I don't know on EJ Colson.

Nathan Hayes, I think, is going to miss for North Dakota State.

But I'm not sure on that.

I mean, they have a bye, too.

Both these quarterbacks just did not do well.

We highlighted earlier this season, North Dakota State starting quarterback Nathan Hayes.

He made a couple of great throws early on in the season.

We were going to be watching him.

Yeah, I think that's a fair question after Saturday.

I think Nathan Hayes is a competitor, and he's a warrior, and the way he gridded it out, I think...

The coaches are going to play the guy who puts us in the best position to win, especially because we're still very much in it for a Mountain West title.

But you have to be worried about those injuries.

They're giving up 37 points a game.

They're only scoring 15 points.

I would love to see Nathan Hayes be able to take a couple series, maybe play two or three.

The Bison jump out to a 17-0, 21-0 type of lead.

It was at that moment, though...

That Lobo safety Austin Brawley changed the game, intercepting Nathan Hayes, staying in bounds, before racing down the sideline to the pylon for an incredibly memorable pick-six.

North Dakota State engineers scoring drive in response, but they weren't able to muster another one before time expired.

In the matchup of two of the best defenses in the country, the Lobos prevailed mainly thanks to an amazing performance from their front seven, which held the Bison to just 53 yards rushing.

That's lower than 12 years of FCS competition.

That's just ridiculous.

Even with another phenomenal outing overall from North Dakota State's defense, their lack of big plays in the run game forced them to heavily lean on quarterback Nathan Hayes, who just didn't have his best night.

He opened the game with an interception, and although you've got to give him a ton of credit for playing through a scary ankle injury, he once again cost the Bison dearly when he was caught trying to make too big of a play with that pivotal pick six from Austin Brawley being thrown into double coverage.

Early on, I think both teams were a little tight and excited and hungry to get out there, and North Dakota State, I think they were... a little too aggressive on that first series because one of the biggest plays in the game is third and 12, and Sean Buchanan goes for 30 yards on a run, which is on that opening scoring drive for the Lobos.

Then you saw back-to-back interceptions from Nathan Hayes, and then Toa threw one, and then it just settled into the game I thought it was going to be, which was just about can you manage third down and punting the football field position.

I thought the Sibley run early, I mean, just set the tone, got the plays going.

And I'll give it to North Dakota State.

Yeah.

Because it was the sideline judge and their sideline looking way down at that play.

The ref was the one where it was Brett Carhu and Nathan Hayes.

The quarterback.

I think New Mexico is the best team in this conference.

And I also think one other thing about North Dakota State that we, you may have slightly missed is that Nathan Hayes is this fifth year career backup senior.

It's the second year in a row they've done that.

And earlier in the year, we were talking about, wow, how cool, what a great developmental program.

And on the flip side, I think both teams are going to be very cautious offensively.

North Dakota State lost their game at UNLV earlier this season thanks to three quarterback interceptions by Nathan Hayes.

I don't think he's going to make those mistakes in his second big game of the year on the road.

Think he'll keep things clean for North Dakota State.

Just right now, I think that they are overall in a better spot.

I think their quarterback, Nathan Hayes, my bad, Nathan Hayes, is going to help get it done.

He's got 10 touchdowns, five interceptions, over 1,200 yards passing so far this year.

I think that they're going to get it done.