Opening weekend games between Power Five schools and FCS opponents are often viewed as tune-ups. For most of Saturday night, North Dakota nearly turned that assumption upside down. In Manhattan, Kansas State had to dig deep to escape with a 38–35 victory, scoring the winning touchdown in the final minute to avoid one of the biggest upsets of the season. The Fighting Hawks came ready to play. They matched Kansas State’s physicality and showed poise on the road. The Wildcats built a 24–14 lead in the first half, but North Dakota never blinked. Quarterback Tommy Schuster kept the Hawks steady, completing high-percentage throws that sustained drives, while running back Isaiah Smith added tough yards between the tackles. Momentum flipped late in the fourth quarter. With Kansas State ahead 31–28, North Dakota engineered a nine-play, 70-yard touchdown drive. It ended with Smith pounding into the end zone from four yards out, putting the Hawks ahead 35–31 with just 4:41 to play. The home crowd fell silent, realizing history was on the edge of unfolding. Kansas State’s response faltered immediately. A turnover on downs gave North Dakota the ball with a chance to seal the win. But the Hawks went three-and-out, leaving the door cracked. That proved to be the difference. With just over a minute left, Kansas State’s offense finally clicked. Quarterback Avery Johnson hit consecutive throws to move the ball across midfield, then connected on a 28-yard strike to set up first and goal. Two plays later, running back DJ Giddens finished the job, plunging across the goal line with 48 seconds remaining.The stadium exhaled. Kansas State had dodged disaster. Statistically, the game was as even as the score suggested. Kansas State finished with 435 yards of offense, while North Dakota piled up 410. The Wildcats ran for 220, the Hawks for 180. Schuster threw for more than 230 yards, while Johnson countered with 245 and two touchdowns. Each team turned the ball over once, and both played with urgency rather than caution. Afterward, Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman admitted his team was fortunate. “North Dakota is a really good football team. They came in and executed, and we didn’t match their intensity for long stretches. We were fortunate to find a way late,” he told reporters. For the Wildcats, the takeaway is relief. Surviving a scare counts the same in the standings as a blowout, but it does not erase the warning. Kansas State has Big 12 ambitions, and this performance exposed flaws. The defense struggled to get off the field on third downs, and the offensive line was inconsistent. For North Dakota, the game was bittersweet. They did not pull the upset, but they earned respect. Taking a ranked Big 12 program to the wire in its home stadium is no small feat. Their players proved they could compete at a high level, and their coaches earned admiration for an aggressive game plan. In the end, Kansas State walked away with the win, but North Dakota walked away with pride. Week 1 is about setting tones, and the Wildcats now know they have work to do. For one night, the Fighting Hawks nearly stole the spotlight, and the memory of that near-upset will hang over Kansas State as the season moves forward.