UND turnovers lead to early hole in season-opening loss
UND’s offense struggles with turnovers
The University of North Dakota football team committed five turnovers in the first half of its season-opening game against Colorado State on Saturday, August 27, 2023. The turnovers led to an early 21-0 deficit for the Fighting Hawks, who eventually lost the game 82-56.
The turnovers included two interceptions, two lost fumbles, and a turnover on downs. The interceptions were thrown by UND quarterback Tommy Schuster, who was making his first career start. The lost fumbles were by running backs Otis Weah and Tyler Hoosman.
The turnovers gave Colorado State good field position and allowed the Rams to build a big lead early in the game. The Rams scored touchdowns on their first three possessions of the game and led 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.
UND’s defense struggles to stop Colorado State’s offense
The UND defense struggled to stop the Colorado State offense, which scored 82 points on 640 yards of total offense. The Rams averaged 7.5 yards per play and had 28 first downs.
Colorado State quarterback Clay Millen threw for 353 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown.
The Rams’ running game was also effective, as they rushed for 287 yards and three touchdowns. Running back David Bailey led the way with 122 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.
UND’s offense fails to keep up
The UND offense struggled to keep up with Colorado State’s offense. The Fighting Hawks scored only 56 points on 363 yards of total offense. They averaged 4.6 yards per play and had 18 first downs.
Schuster threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw two interceptions. Weah led the UND rushing attack with 65 yards on 12 carries.
The Fighting Hawks’ passing game was ineffective, as they completed only 14 of 32 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns. They also had two interceptions.
UND’s special teams also struggle
The UND special teams also struggled in the game. The Fighting Hawks allowed a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the second quarter and also had a punt blocked.
The kickoff return touchdown gave Colorado State a 28-0 lead and the blocked punt led to a Rams’ field goal. The Fighting Hawks also had a field goal blocked in the game.
Conclusion
The UND football team had a rough season-opening game against Colorado State. The Fighting Hawks committed five turnovers and their defense struggled to stop the Rams’ offense. The UND offense also struggled to keep up with Colorado State’s offense and the special teams also had some issues.
The Fighting Hawks will look to bounce back next week when they host North Dakota State in the Alerus Center. The game is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.
