The result, the player statistics, and the AP poll response.
Saturday, September 12 at 9:00 PM CDT · Falcon Stadium
AP at Kickoff: NR
AP at Kickoff: NR
North Dakota State's 6-point win on September 12 was followed by the September 13 AP poll.
How voters ranked these teams before the game, and what changed in the next poll.
September 8 AP Poll · 69 Complete Ballots
No voter ranked both teams, so there is no head-to-head ordering to compare. Rankings are not game predictions.
Explore the Pregame Poll →September 13 AP Poll
0 of 69 → 1 of 68 voters ranked North Dakota State.
Voter counts can change between polls. This describes what changed, not why each voter changed their ballot.
Explore the Following Poll →Choose a team and category to explore every available player.
| Player | C/ATT | YDS | TD | INT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan Hayes | 15/23 | 228 | 9.9 | 2 | 1 |
North Dakota State · Passing. A dash means unavailable. Dotted terms have explanations on hover, focus or tap.
2026 Season
Results from completed games before kickoff. Points are per game and include all opponents.
2 Completed Games
1 Completed Game
Final team statistics.
| Statistic | ||
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 374 | 386 |
| Passing Yards | 228 | 179 |
| Rushing Yards | 146 | 207 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Third Downs | 4-12 | 6-14 |
| Possession | 29:05 | 30:55 |
| Statistic | North Dakota State | Air Force |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing Touchdowns | 3 | 2 |
| Punt Return Yards | 40 | — |
| Punt Return Touchdowns | 0 | — |
| Punt Returns | 1 | — |
| Passing Touchdowns | 2 | 2 |
| Kicking Points | 8 | 2 |
| Interception Return Yards | 25 | 85 |
| Interception Return Touchdowns | 0 | 1 |
| Passes Intercepted | 1 | 1 |
| Tackles for Loss | 1 | 3 |
| Defensive Touchdowns | 0 | 1 |
| Tackles | 38 | 30 |
| Sacks | 1 | 0 |
| Quarterback Hurries | 3 | 2 |
| Passes Deflected | 3 | 3 |
| Possession | 29:05 | 30:55 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 1 | 1 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 0 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Penalties / Yards | 5-45 | 6-55 |
| Yards per Carry | 3.9 | 4.1 |
| Rushing Attempts | 37 | 51 |
| Rushing Yards | 146 | 207 |
| Yards per Pass Attempt | 9.9 | 11.9 |
| Completions / Attempts | 15-23 | 9-15 |
| Passing Yards | 228 | 179 |
| Total Yards | 374 | 386 |
| Fourth Downs | 3-3 | 2-2 |
| Third Downs | 4-12 | 6-14 |
| First Downs | 18 | 21 |
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota State | 7 | 21 | 7 | 3 | 38 |
| Air Force | 0 | 13 | 0 | 19 | 32 |
Compare this game with a measured season average and the typical range.
2026 FBS vs. FBS games started before September 12 at 10:00 PM EDT. 95 of 95 eligible games have both offenses available. Each team-game counts equally; both offenses need at least 20 included plays.
These comparisons include garbage-time plays and are not opponent-adjusted. A typical range describes the middle half of this sample, not a universal good/bad cutoff.
· Higher means more expected scoring value gained.
Middle 50% Average
190 offensive team-game performances. Higher means more offensive value per play in this comparison.
· How often plays gained enough for their situation.
Middle 50% Average
190 offensive team-game performances. Higher means more offensive consistency in this comparison.
· How much value the successful plays created.
Middle 50% Average
190 offensive team-game performances. Higher means more offensive value on successful plays in this comparison.
| Team | Passing | Rushing | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.266 | 0.036 | 0.319 | 0.102 | 0.460 | -0.426 | |
| 0.651 | 0.113 | -0.274 | 0.021 | 0.233 | 0.368 |
All values are PPA per included play. Season benchmarks above describe whole-game offense, so they are not applied to these smaller splits.
Statistics are checked again after the final for late updates and corrections.
