Spider-Man, Meet Jackson Williams: Williams Tricks Treat NDSU to 31-7 Halloween Win Over UTEP

Halloween is a special time of year for young trick-or-treaters as candy and costumes rule the day. For North Dakota State, they had just about had it with the tricks recently, as the Bison offense had suffered through more twists and turns than an episode of "Stranger Things". Five interceptions and an inability to run the ball had Bison fans become Michael Myers, haunting offensive coordinator Dan Larson and quarterback Nathan Hayes.

The good news for NDSU is they returned to the friendly Washington neighborhood and the Fargodome. The Bison hosted their first Halloween home game since 1981 and welcomed in fellow conference newcomer, UTEP. The Miners came dressed to strike gold and to come away with their first MW conference win.

While most of the Bison players may have dressed up as football players for Halloween. Certain players dressed up as their favorite superheroes, as behind the play of Spider-Man, The Hulk, and The Flash, AKA Jackson Williams, Reis Kessel, and Marion Moore. North Dakota State scored 31 unanswered points and left the Fargodome with their buckets full of candy and their seventh victory of the season.

The Bison might've known the neighborhood well, but UTEP rang the doorbell first and got the first few treats while NDSU had to deal with more tricks. The Bison had a solid opening drive, but Chris Kiel allowed a slant pass to go right through his arms, which allowed Kaleb Miles to intercept the pass and give the Miners an early boost.

The boys from El Paso would strike gold on the next play: backup quarterback Raymond Moore III would take an option play 56 yards to the end zone, and the one-win Miners had the early advantage. NDSU would get their first piece of candy on a 30-yard field goal from Drew Klein. The field goal would cap a 16-play, 83-yard drive that started to turn the tide offensively.

Late in the second quarter, Jackson Williams revealed his alter ego to the UTEP defense as he made a catch that only Spider-Man would've made, as he hauled in a 40-yard bomb from Nathan Hayes using only his hands and his helmet to make the catch. NDSU would punch it in four plays later on a DJ Scott plunge from a yardout, and the Bison grabbed a 10-7 halftime lead.

The scariest monster, though, on Halloween in Fargo was the "Code Green" defense as they held UTEP to 39 yards in the second quarter and just 15 passing yards in the first half.

The NDSU offense would finally get in gear in the late stages of the third as Hayes would hook up with perhaps the best tight end in the Mountain West, Reis Kessel, for a 29-yard completion to the UTEP 10-yard line. If you get the big man that close to the end zone, you have to let him finish the drive, right?

Two plays later, "The Hulk" got his wish, as Hayes lofted a pass to the back of the end zone where Kessel pulled it down for a three-yard touchdown, and the Bison lead was 17-7.

The fourth quarter was dominated by a guy who was so fast we hardly saw him, as Marion Moore would intercept UTEP quarterback EJ Colson and return it 22 yards to the NDSU 38. Nathan Hayes would score seven plays later on a QB sneak, and the game was over, but UTEP signed up for 60, so they continued to throw the rock around, looking to make the score look respectable.

Raymond Moore III would hit Jaden Smith over the middle, but Alex Elliott would strip him, and Moore AKA "The Flash," was off to the races as he would house it from 46 yards out, and the Bison treated the Fargodome crowd to a 31-7 win.

Moore is just the sixth player in the DI era to record multiple defensive touchdowns in the same year.

"Code Green" held UTEP to 238 yards of total offense and just 91 yards passing. Donovan Woolen led the team in tackles with 11, had 2.5 TFLs, and a sack. Woolen was joined by Thomas Roberts, Logan Larson, and Kelton McCaslin, each with a sack.

Nathan Hayes battled through both an ankle sprain and toe injuries to pass for 240 yards on 22-32 passing and the touchdown pass to Kessel. The tight end and Jackson Williams combined for 196 yards receiving on 18 targets.

Head football coach Tim Polasek thinks that his quarterback should see the big tight end as a go-to guy: "I'd like Nathan to see him (Kessel) as always open, because of the big body and throwing him open. We're just scratching the surface of his confidence level as he continues to grow."

Hayes said about his tight end, "Anytime there is a one-on-one matchup with him. You have a good chance of him coming down with the ball; it's not a 50-50 with him."

Jackson Williams was the other part of the dynamic duo at receiver on Saturday with his 111 yards. Although he went to the man upstairs for his helmet catch, he said, "You see it coming and you stick your hand out and pray."

Williams currently sits third in the Mountain West in receiving yards with 614, just 28 yards back of leader Carson Clark from San Jose State.

The Bison now have a chance to get healthy as they go into their second bye week of the season before they move into "Phase 3" of the season. Their final three regular-season games include a trip to the islands to face the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors, a home game vs. fellow conference newcomer Northern Illinois, and a black Friday matchup at San Jose State.

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