UTEP vs. N Dakota St Recap: Both Team Totals Cash in 31-7 Final

North Dakota State beat UTEP 31-7 in a game that started with a jolt for the Miners and then tilted hard toward the Bison. Raymond Moore III broke a 57-yard touchdown run on UTEP's first snap of its opening drive, and UTEP never scored again. NDSU answered with a 16-play, 83-yard field goal drive, took the lead before halftime and pulled away late, finishing with 381 total yards to UTEP's 238 and winning the turnover battle 3-1. Two DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game, one on each team total.

What cashed

ALT: UTEP over 6.5 team points (-215 at FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: UTEP had cleared 6.5 in 9 of its last 10 games and 6 of 7 this season. Even as a 24.5-point underdog on the road, one touchdown was all this needed. - What happened: It took one play. Moore's 57-yard run with 12:38 left in the first quarter, plus the extra point, put UTEP at 7 and cleared the line by 0.5. That was the Miners' only score of the day. - Worth watching: A low alt team total on an offense that reliably finds the end zone once is a clean way to play a big underdog without needing them to cover. It is a thin margin, so the price matters.

ALT: North Dakota State over 27.5 team points (-245 at DraftKings / -280 at FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: NDSU had scored 28 or more in 8 of its last 10 and in all 8 of its last home games, and UTEP had allowed 28 or more in 8 of its last 10. The spread and total pointed to a number around 34. - What happened: NDSU finished with 31, clearing by 3.5. The offense got there in steps: a 30-yard Drew Klein field goal, a DJ Scott 1-yard run, a 3-yard Nathan Hayes pass to Reis Kessel late in the third, and a Hayes 1-yard run with 1:45 left. That made it 24. Marion Moore then returned a fumble 46 yards for a touchdown with 1:06 to go for the final 31. - Worth watching: The defense supplied the last seven here, so the offense alone landed at 24. Hayes threw for 240 yards on 22-of-32 and Jackson Williams caught 10 balls for 111, which says the volume is there, but the finishing was slower than the pregame number implied.

How the game played out

After the opening run, UTEP's offense stalled. The Miners punted seven times, threw two interceptions on drives and lost a fumble that NDSU turned into points. NDSU held the ball for 36:44, and Hayes added a rushing score to his passing touchdown.

Trends to watch

• NDSU spread the ball around: Williams (10 catches, 111 yards) and Kessel (6 catches, 85 yards, a touchdown) were Hayes' top two targets.
• UTEP's rushing total of 147 was mostly one play. Outside of Moore's 67 yards on 3 carries, the run game had little room.
• Both offenses struggled on third down (UTEP 5-13, NDSU 5-14), so NDSU's edge came from turnovers and time of possession, 36:44 to 23:16.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. New to alt lines? Read our alt line guide and total explainer, or see more on the CFB hub.