This is the Depth Dossier: the North Dakota State Bison, Week 9.

North Dakota State answered pretty much every question people had after last week, except the one about the running game, which still doesn't have an answer. The Bison beat UTEP 31 to 7, and the nation's best scoring defense survived a 57-yard touchdown on the very first snap of the game, then didn't allow another point for the next 59 minutes.

Let's start with that defense, because the way this game opened made the final score almost unbelievable. UTEP ran one play, broke a long touchdown, and that was it for them. The Bison allowed just 181 yards the rest of the way, forced three turnovers, and sacked UTEP quarterback E.J. Colson Junior four times. Quarterback Nathan Hayes carried the offense through the air, completing 22 of 32 passes for 240 yards and a touchdown, and adding a rushing score himself. Wide receiver Jackson Williams had 10 catches for 111 yards, and wide receiver Reis Kessel added six catches for 85 yards and a touchdown. Late in the fourth quarter, a 46-yard fumble-return touchdown from linebacker Marion Moore turned a comfortable win into a blowout.

Dig a little deeper and that defensive performance looks even more dominant. After the opening-play touchdown, UTEP managed only 181 yards and got shut out completely. Entering the week, this defense was ranked second nationally in total yards allowed and tied for first in scoring defense, and this game looked exactly like that. UTEP scored on just 17 percent of its drives and averaged only 16.1 yards per possession. The Bison also won the underlying efficiency numbers by a wide margin, holding UTEP to a success rate of just 41 percent on a per-play basis.

Linebacker Donovan Woolen had a monster response to that opening breakdown, finishing with 11 tackles, two and a half tackles for loss, and a sack. And Moore's fumble return in the final minutes was really the only separation in an otherwise tightly played, dominant defensive showing. UTEP's only good play of the entire afternoon was that first snap.

What's really interesting is how North Dakota State won this one on offense. The run game stayed modest again, 141 yards on 37 carries, less than four yards a carry. Instead of trying to force the ground game, Hayes and the passing attack simply took over, averaging seven and a half yards per attempt and not allowing a single sack. The situational numbers were close to perfect too, three for three on fourth down, four for four in the red zone, and over 36 minutes of possession time.

Now let's get into the depth chart, because this is more about roles solidifying than anything changing. No injuries were reported from this game.

Jackson Williams keeps building the case that he's the most important player on this offense outside the quarterback. A career-high 10 catches and 111 yards, plus 32 more yards on returns. Reis Kessel also set a career best with six catches, 85 yards and a touchdown, and that pairing gives Hayes two reliable targets instead of just one.

The run game is still the thing to watch. 141 yards on 37 carries is better than the near shutdown against New Mexico, but it's not yet the complement a defense this talented deserves. Hayes is increasingly being asked to be the engine of this offense rather than just a stabilizer.

Nothing has changed at the top of the defensive depth chart. Woolen's big day just reinforces how much disruptive talent this front seven has, and Moore's touchdown was a bonus play, not a role change.

So the question heading into next week is pretty simple: can the Bison find more than token push on the ground before they run into a defense that isn't as generous as UTEP's.

This was the depth dossier. For everything college football, be it depth charts, data or dossiers, head over to C F B Depth dot com. We will be back next week. This was an AI-generated podcast from content developed by real human beings passionate about college football.