FARGO, N.D. (Interstat) — Nathan Hayes threw two touchdown passes, Drew Klein kicked four field goals and North Dakota State defeated Jacksonville State 33-7 on Saturday at Fargodome.

Hayes, from West Chicago, Illinois, completed 14 of 22 passes for 160 yards and added 14 yards on seven carries. He connected with Reis Kessel for a 6-yard touchdown on the Bison’s opening possession and later found Jordan McCants for a 44-yard score just before halftime. Jackson Williams caught five passes for 58 yards, Kessel finished with four catches for 30 yards and McCants had one reception for 44 yards and a touchdown.

North Dakota State improved to 1-0. Jacksonville State dropped to 0-1.

The Bison never trailed after taking the opening kickoff and marching methodically downfield. Hayes capped the drive with a short touchdown pass to Kessel, and Drew Klein’s extra point gave NDSU a 7-0 lead.

Jacksonville State answered late in the first quarter. Quarterback Caden Creel, from Fairhope, Alabama, scored on an 8-yard run, and Garrison Rippa’s extra point tied the game at 7. Creel finished 12 of 23 for 85 yards and ran 15 times for 44 yards and a touchdown.

The game turned in the second quarter. After Creel’s scoring run, the Jacksonville State defense held its ground for a time, but North Dakota State began to assert control. The Bison drove into Jacksonville State territory and Klein hit a 34-yard field goal, putting NDSU ahead 10-7.

Later in the quarter, with the Bison backed up near their own 40-yard line after a sack, Hayes stepped up in the pocket and delivered a deep pass down the left sideline to McCants, who caught it in stride and went untouched into the end zone. The 44-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left in the half extended North Dakota State’s lead to 17-7.

Jacksonville State received the second-half kickoff but could not sustain a drive. North Dakota State took over and marched to the Jacksonville State 26-yard line, where Klein connected on a 44-yard field goal to stretch the lead to 20-7.

The Bison then delivered the decisive blow. On a Jacksonville State running play from its own 14-yard line, the Gamecocks lost a fumble, and North Dakota State’s Blake Schiltz recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown. Klein’s extra point made it 27-7.

North Dakota State’s defense took over from there. Donovan Woolen led all defenders with 10 tackles. Darius Givance added five tackles. Kelton McCaslin finished with four tackles and 1.5 sacks, and Schiltz had a sack to go with his fumble-recovery touchdown. Logan Larson also contributed to the pressure with a half-sack.

Jacksonville State tried to answer in the fourth quarter, but the North Dakota State front continued to disrupt Creel. The Gamecocks moved into field-goal range late in the game, but Rippa’s 52-yard attempt was no good. North Dakota State responded with a long drive of its own, and Klein hit a 42-yard field goal to push the lead to 30-7.

The Bison added another Klein field goal from 48 yards with just over two minutes remaining to cap the scoring. North Dakota State’s defense limited Jacksonville State’s passing attack and forced multiple turnovers. Jacksonville State’s Jonavan Carr and JQ Brooks each intercepted Hayes, while North Dakota State’s Marion Moore intercepted Creel.

The Bison spread the ball around in the running game. DJ Scott rushed 13 times for 51 yards and added two catches for 12 yards. Nyeoti Punni carried eight times for 60 yards. Jackson Williams also returned one kickoff for 35 yards.

Jacksonville State showed some life in the first half. Creel moved the Gamecocks with both his arm and his legs, and receivers Deondre Johnson and Ronnel Johnson each had two catches. Luke Gilbert added one catch for 10 yards. But the Gamecocks managed only one scoring drive, and the North Dakota State defense clamped down after the opening period.

After the first-quarter tie, North Dakota State outscored Jacksonville State 26-0. The Bison held Jacksonville State to a single touchdown despite Creel’s 44 rushing yards and 85 passing yards. The Gamecocks were unable to convert deep drives into points after the first quarter, and missed opportunities cost them when the Bison began to pull away.

North Dakota State’s special teams also played a key role. Klein was perfect on four field-goal attempts and all four extra-point attempts. Aaron Bickerton punted twice for 71 yards, helping the Bison win the field-position battle.

North Dakota State will return to action Sept. 5 when it hosts Fordham. Jacksonville State will open its home schedule the same day against Eastern Kentucky.

Interstat’s game simulator projected North Dakota State to win 28-23, and Interstat’s ELO system gave the Bison a 95 percent probability to win. North Dakota State was a 6.5-point favorite, and the over/under line was 46.5; the teams combined for 40 points.