Skip to content
UPDATED:
Colorado receiver Travis Hunter celebrates after scoring a touchdown during a football scrimmage on Aug. 10, 2024, at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo. (CU Athletics)
Colorado receiver Travis Hunter celebrates after scoring a touchdown during a football scrimmage on Aug. 10, 2024, at Folsom Field in Boulder, Colo. (CU Athletics)

A scouting report of the Colorado Buffaloes and North Dakota State Bison ahead of Thursday’s game at Folsom Field in Boulder.

Colorado Buffaloes

Head coach: Deion Sanders, 2nd season (4-8, 31-14 career)

2023 season: 4-8, 1-8 Pac-12

Rankings: N/R

5 Buffs to Watch

Edge BJ Green: Arizona State transfer will make his CU debut after having an all-conference season with the Sun Devils last year.

CB/WR Travis Hunter: Arguably the best player in the country, he’ll start on offense and defense and will be a focal point all night on both sides of the ball. Hunter caught 57 passes for 721 yards last season, while also picking off three passes on defense.

QB Shedeur Sanders: The Buffs’ leader kicks off his senior year looking to get off on the right foot. Set school records for passing yards (3,230) and completion percentage (69.3) last year.

S Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig: Last year he turned into one of CU’s more valuable players on defense (44 tackles, three interceptions) and now he’s one of the best leaders.

LB Trevor Woods: Former safety has spent all offseason converting to linebacker and he’s expected to be one of the leaders on defense. Finished last year with 56 tackles and two interceptions.

North Dakota State Bison

Head coach: Tim Polasek, 1st season

2023 season: 11-4, 5-3 Missouri Valley Conference; lost to Montana in FCS semifinals

Rankings: No. 2 in FCS Top 25 & Coaches polls

North Dakota quarterback Cam Miller (7) passes during the first half of the FCS Championship NCAA college football game against South Dakota State Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
North Dakota quarterback Cam Miller (7) passes during the first half of the FCS Championship NCAA college football game against South Dakota State Sunday, Jan. 8, 2023, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

5 Bison to Watch

DE Dylan Hendricks: Had a breakout season in 2023, earning first-team all-conference honors. He finished second on the team in tackles for loss (10.5) and sacks (6.5). He’s the top returner in both of those categories. He also had 40 tackles and three pass breakups.

LB Logan Kopp: Earned first-team all-conference honors last season. He was second on the team in tackles with 85. He also had 7.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, three interceptions, four pass breakups, three QB hurries and two forced fumbles.

QB Cam Miller: Back for a fifth season, Miller has started 38 consecutive games for the Bison. He’s coming off the best year of his career, posting personal bests in completions (208), attempts (289), completion percentage (.720), passing yards (2,688), touchdown passes (19) and rushing yards (629). He also ran for 13 touchdowns and threw only four interceptions.

DT Eli Mostaert: Preseason All-American posted 37 tackles and four tackles for loss last season. He has 120 tackles, 12.5 TFLs and 13.5 sacks in his career.

QB Cole Payton: Although he is NDSU’s backup quarterback, he’s also one of the top rushers on the team. Last year, he threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns, while also ranking third on the team with 615 rushing yards and tying Miller for the team lead with 13 rushing touchdowns.

When Colorado has the ball …

It all starts with Shedeur Sanders, who is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Sanders is an exceptional passer and he’s loaded with weapons at receiver, including a foursome of Jimmy Horn Jr., Travis Hunter, Will Sheppard and LaJohntay Wester that has combined for 604 catches in their college careers. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur wouldn’t call it an “embarrassment of riches” at the skill positions, but did say, “We love to death the players that we have, and we’re going to try to utilize them to the best of their ability.” All eyes will be on the rebuilt offensive line, though, led by several transfers and five-star freshman Jordan Seaton. “Very confident (in the offensive line),” Shurmur said. “I think those guys have worked extremely hard together. … I’ve got a lot of confidence in all these young men (on offense). I feel like they’re going to go out and we’re gonna put them in a good spot, let them do the things they do.” NDSU meanwhile, will counter with a defense that includes three preseason All-Americans (Dylan Hendricks, Logan Kopp and Eli Mostaert), all of which play in the front seven and could help the Bison hold their own in the trenches. A fourth All-American, safety Cole Wisniewski, is out with injury, which could leave the Bison secondary vulnerable.

When North Dakota State has the ball …

Like CU, the Bison are led by a veteran, experienced quarterback, Cam Miller. The senior was exceptional as a passer last year (2,688 yards, 19 TDs, 4 INT, 72.0 completion %) and dangerous as a runner (629 yards, 13 TD). Miller is backed by a strong run game, even though it is limited by some injuries. “Running the ball will be critical to our success,” NDSU head coach Tim Polasek said. Backup quarterback Cole Payton is a big part of the run game, along with a stable of backs. When NDSU goes to the air, it will look to receivers RaJa Nelson (31 catches for 388 yards in 2023) and Braylon Henderson (16 for 280), along with tight end Joe Stoffel (25 for 293). They’ll also hope Bryce Lance and Tyler Terhark – with five career catches between them in 64 games played – can step up at the other receiver spots. Defensively, CU has built up confidence in the depth at defensive line and in the secondary. With NDSU’s strength being in the run game, Polasek expects the Buffs to load up the box to stop the run, which could leave the Buffs’ cornerbacks in one-on-one coverage with receivers. CU believes in its talent at corner to do just that.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders during preseason football camp on Aug. 1, 2024, in Boulder, Colo. (CU Athletics)
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders during preseason football camp on Aug. 1, 2024, in Boulder, Colo. (CU Athletics)

Special teams

If the game comes down to the kicking units, it should be a fairly even battle between the Buffs and Bison. CU has one of the best punters in the Big 12 in Mark Vassett, who averaged 44.5 yards per punt last year and is masterful at pinning opponents deep and flipping the field. NDSU’s Kaedin Steindorf averaged 43.7 yards per punt last year. At kicker, the Buffs will rely on Alejandro Mata, who went 10-for-12 on field goals last year, with a long of 47 yards. He said recently he has extended his range, feeling “comfortable from like 53-54 and under.” NDSU’s Griffin Crosa is one of the best kickers in the FCS, going 42-for-50 on field goals in his career and 203-of-205 on extra points. He was 19-for-22 on field goals last year. Like Mata, Crosa’s career long field goal is 47 yards.

Notables

• CU comes in riding a six-game losing streak and is looking for its first win since Oct. 7, 2023, at Arizona State. It has been nearly a full year since the Buffs’ last win at Folsom Field, on Sept. 16, 2023, vs. Colorado State.

• Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders needs three touchdown passes to reach 100 for his collegiate career. He threw 27 for CU last year and 70 in his two seasons at Jackson State.

• Travis Hunter needs 91 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for his career. He has caught 75 passes for 909 yards in his career.

• CU is 8-2 all-time against FCS opponents, including a current seven-game winning streak. This is the Buffs’ first game against an FCS team since beating Northern Colorado, 35-7, in the 2021 season opener.

• The Buffs are 31-20-2 all-time in Thursday games, but this will be the first Thursday game for the program since knocking off UCLA 20-10 on Nov. 3, 2016. Most of CU’s Thursday games (45 of 53) were played from 1891-1947, and most of those on Thanksgiving Day.

• Since 2016, CU is 7-1 in season openers, including a 45-42 win at TCU last year. This is just the fourth time since 2009 that the Buffs have played at Folsom Field in the opener.

• NDSU is 9-4 all-time against FBS teams, including a six-game winning streak from 2010-16. The Bison have played just one FBS opponent since 2016, however, losing at Arizona, 31-28, on Sept. 17, 2022.

• Bison head coach Tim Polasek was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Wyoming the past three seasons. Prior to that, he was the offensive line coach at Iowa for four years (2017-2020). From 2006-16, he was on the NDSU staff for 10 of 11 seasons (all but 2013). He’s coached running backs, tight ends and fullbacks and was the NDSU offensive coordinator from 2014-16.

• Polasek is looking to become the fifth consecutive NDSU head coach to win in his debut. In the last 60 years, NDSU head coaches are 8-3 in debut games.

• Since the start of the 2011 season, NDSU is 81-5 against non-conference opponents.

• NDSU receiver Bryce Lance, a junior projected to start on Thursday, is the younger brother of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Trey Lance, who led NDSU to a national title in 2019.

Originally Published: