Shedeur Sanders threw for 445 yards and four touchdowns — three to Travis Hunter — and Colorado began Year 2 under Deion Sanders by holding off FCS power North Dakota State 31-26 on Thursday night at Boulder, Colo.

A 10 1/2-point favorite, the Buffaloes couldn’t shake a pesky Bison team that scored with 2:19 remaining to make things interesting.

Shedeur Sanders looked as if he sealed the season-opening victory when he scrambled around and heaved a ball downfield on third-and-8 that drew a pass interference call. It gave the Buffaloes a first down with 1:41 remaining and North Dakota State had just one timeout left. But Colorado chose to pass on first down, which ultimately left time on the clock after Colorado punted.

North Dakota State got the ball back with 31 seconds remaining. Cam Miller launched a pass from his own 47 as time expired that was caught by Tyler Terhark 4 yards short of the end zone.

The methodical play of the Bison in the first half helped keep Heisman Trophy hopeful Sanders and the Colorado offense on the sideline. But once Sanders got out there, he went to work.

Jimmy Horn Jr. had seven catches for 198 yards and a score while Hunter hauled in seven passes for 132 yards. Sanders finished 26 of 34 with an interception and a passer rating of 219.4.

utah 49, southern utah 0 >> Cam Rising made his return with a career-high five touchdown passes — three to Brant Kuithe — to power No. 12 Utah to an easy win at home.

Rising, a seventh-year senior quarterback, shined in his first game action since tearing multiple knee ligaments in the Utes’ Rose Bowl loss to Penn State on Jan. 2, 2023, going 10 of 15 for 254 yards and 25 rushing yards as the 84th consecutive sellout crowd at Rice-Eccles Stadium held its collective breath on each rush. He left the game in the second quarter with Utah up 35-0.

n.c. state 38, western carolina 21 >> KC Concepcion slithered free from contact and broke loose to the right for a 35-yard catch-and-run touchdown — his third score of the night — to help No. 24 N.C. State finally push ahead for good and win at home.

Concepcion had a diving 17-yard scoring catch over the middle in the first quarter along with a 5-yard catch-and-run to the left pylon in the second. He finished with nine catches and 121 yards as a highlight in what was at times a slog for N.C. State — and other times an unexpectedly tense test against a Championship Subdivision opponent.

missouri 51, murray state 0 >> Brady Cook threw for 218 yards with touchdowns running and throwing, Toriano Pride Jr. returned an interception 25 yards for a score, and No. 11 Missouri was overpowering at home.

Murray State, which was picked to finish last in the Missouri Valley, managed 85 yards of total offense. Jayden Johannsen was 7 of 13 for 27 yards with an interception while getting sacked twice and beaten up most of the night.

kansas 48, lindenwood 3 >> Devin Neal ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns on eight first-half carries and No. 22 Kansas cruised. Kansas outscored Lindenwood 27-0 in the second quarter at Children’s Mercy Park. Lindenwood, in its third year as an FCS program, played its first game against an FBS opponent.