North Dakota State Bison Travel to Hawaii to Face Rainbow Warriors on Saturday Night

The North Dakota State Bison are headed to the islands for their first-ever trip to Hawaii this week to face the Rainbow Warriors on Saturday night, according to gobison.com.

The matchup is scheduled for Nov. 14 at the Clarence T.C. Ching Complex in Honolulu. Kickoff is set for 6:10 p.m. HST, which translates to 10:10 p.m. CST for viewers back home. The game will be broadcast nationally on The CW, featuring a commentary team of Chris Fisher, Isaiah Stanback, and Bryan Walters.

This contest marks the Bison's transition to the Mountain West Conference.

North Dakota State enters the game with a 7-2 record. Their defense currently ranks second in the FBS in several critical categories, including scoring defense at 11.9 points per game and total defense at 248.8 yards per game.

The Bison defense has become a scoring threat in its own right, ranking third nationally with four defensive touchdowns. These touchdowns consist of a 24-yard fumble recovery by safety Darius Givance, a 46-yard fumble return by cornerback Marion Moore, a 37-yard interception return, and a fumble recovery in the end zone by Blake Schiltz.

North Dakota State Bison Travel to Hawaii to Face Rainbow Warriors on Saturday Night

Moore has emerged as a primary disruptor in the secondary. He currently ties for second nationally with five interceptions, a figure that matches the most by a Bison cornerback since Marcus Williams recorded seven picks in both 2011 and 2012. His recent production includes a 46-yard fumble recovery touchdown against UTEP.

On the other side of the ball, Hawaii brings momentum of their own. The Rainbow Warriors have secured back-to-back road wins for the first time since 2007. Their offense is led by quarterback Micah Alejado, the Mountain West preseason offensive player of the year, who leads all conference passers with 2,489 yards.

Metric	North Dakota State (FBS Rank)	Hawaii (MW Context)
Scoring Defense	11.9 ppg (2nd)	N/A
Total Defense	248.8 ypg (2nd)	N/A
Passing Defense	124.4 ypg (2nd)	N/A
Passing Yards (Season)	N/A	2,489 (Alejado)

The Bison offensive attack relies heavily on tight end Reis Kessel and wide receiver Mekhi Collins, who both rank fourth in the Mountain West with four touchdown receptions each. Kessel has already surpassed last year’s marks, recording 345 yards through 27 catches. His recent performance against UTEP included a career-high six receptions for 85 yards.

Kessel’s production is historically significant for the program. His current yardage marks the most receiving yards by a Bison tight end since Jerimiah Wurzbacher recorded 388 yards in 2008.

Individual accolades have surfaced for several members of the NDSU roster this season. Tim Polasek, the head coach, was included on the midseason watch list for the Bear Bryant National Coach of the Year Award.

The defensive unit continues to see historic individual performances. During a recent matchup in New Mexico, linebacker Gavin Sell recorded five solo tackles for loss, the most by a Bison player in a single game since 1984. Defensive tackle Logan Larson also made history by recording three pass breakups, joining only three other defensive linemen in school history to achieve that mark in a single game.

For fans unable to travel to Honolulu, the game is available for streaming via the ESPN app with ESPN Unlimited. Statewide radio coverage for the Bison will begin one hour before kickoff on the Pioneer Seeds Bison Sports Network, including local stations such as Bison 1660 and 107.9 The Fox in Fargo.

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