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Raymond Moore III TD run at NDSU
7
UTEP TEP 1-7 , 0-4
31
Winner North Dakota St. NDS 7-2 , 4-2
UTEP TEP
1-7 , 0-4
7
Final
31
North Dakota St. NDS
7-2 , 4-2
Winner
Score By Quarters
Team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th F
TEP UTEP 7 0 0 0 7
NDS North Dakota St. 0 10 7 14 31

Game Recap: Football |

Miners Hang With North Dakota State on Halloween Afternoon in Fargo


GAME BOOK | POSTGAME NOTES

FARGO, N.D. — A heavy underdog coming in, the UTEP Miners gave 18-time national champion North Dakota State all that it could handle on Saturday in the Fargodome.
 
UTEP (1-7, 0-4 Mountain West) had some tricks in store for the Bison (7-2, 4-2) on Halloween afternoon. But North Dakota State came away with the ultimate treat, a 31-7 victory in a game that was 17-7 late in the fourth quarter. NDSU scored two touchdowns in the final 1:45, making the final score misleading.
 
The game started on a high note for the visitors as Kaleb Miles intercepted Nathan Hayes' pass on the Bison's initial offensive series — giving UTEP possession near midfield. Both EJ Colson and Raymond Moore III were in the game for the Miners' first play from scrimmage, with Colson moving over from behind center, paving the way for Moore III to take the snap and dash 57 yards for a touchdown to give the Miners an early 7-0 advantage.  
 
"The score is what the score is, and there are no moral victories, but I'm really proud of this group," third-year UTEP head coach Scotty Walden said. "I'm proud of the team and the way they competed on every side of the ball. We didn't execute enough on offense, and allowed some explosive plays on defense in critical moments. I'll tell you, from the opportunity week to this week's practice, the focus and intentionality we had were elements that we've strived to get better at, and they showed up in positive ways today. The message to the team is not to get emotional about the loss. Don't lose sight of how far we came today. Overall, at the end of the day, my guys fought their tails off and proud of the fight from this team."
 
With his team trailing 7-3 late in the second quarter, Hayes unleashed a 40-yard bomb to Jackson Williams, setting up first and goal for NDSU at the five-yard line. Four plays later, DJ Scott punched it into the end zone, putting the Bison in front to stay.
 
The 10-7 score held until deep into the third quarter when NDSU mounted a 10-play, 80-yard drive, culminating in a three-yard touchdown pass from Hayes to Reis Kessel. 
 
North Dakota State finally put it away on Hayes' one-yard touchdown plunge with 1:45 to play. Marion Moore added some insurance with a 46-yard fumble return.   
 
UTEP was within striking distance until the final few minutes but struggled to generate offense against the Bison, which entered the game tied for second nationally in total defense and third in scoring defense. Outside of Moore's long run, the Miners ran 50 plays totaling 181 yards. UTEP finished with 238 yards overall, 147 coming on the ground.
 
On the flip side, the UTEP defense turned in a spirited effort, holding the Bison to 381 yards with 225 coming on three scoring drives. NDSU punted five times on the day. 
 
Colson completed 11-of-16 passes for 59 yards for the Miners. His counterpart, Hayes, finished 22-of-32 passing for 240 yards for the Bison. Williams was his primary target with 10 receptions for 111 yards.
 
Moore rushed for 67 yards on three carries to pace UTEP.
 
Defensive standouts for the Miners were Esteban Guillory (12 tackles), Kode Lowe (10 tackles) and Justin Content (nine tackles). Content added two tackles for losses and a pass breakup.  
 
UP NEXT
UTEP opens a two-game home stand against Hawai'i next Saturday (Nov. 7) at 7:30 pm. The game sponsor is El Paso Children's Hospital. The theme is "Miner Luau" with an Orange Out. Fans will receive a free orange UTEP lei as they enter the venue. Paydirt Pete's Pregame Party Zone, Presented by Bud Light, offers a premier tailgating experience on Glory Field beginning at 4:30 p.m. UTEP hosts Hawai'i for the first time since 2004. 
 
Visit www.utepminers.com/tickets, call 915.747.UTEP, email tickets@utep.edu or visit the Eisenberg Family Ticket Office (500 W. University Ave., 79968) for single-game tickets.  Next week's game will be nationally televised on FS1 and can also be heard on 600 AM ESPN.  
 
 
For complete coverage of UTEP Football, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @UTEPFB (Twitter/Instagram/Facebook) or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com. 
 
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