# New Mexico leads North Dakota State 14-9 in third quarter

Developing: The latest confirmed CBS tracker checkpoint showed 6:12 remaining in the third quarter at University Stadium. The game remained in progress, and a final score had not been verified.

By The Signal Edition | Sports / College Football
Published: 2026-10-25T05:15:00Z
Updated: 2026-10-25T05:15:00Z
Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/ndsu-new-mexico-developing-11yohzk
Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/a36db02300bdd9881bb0a44a23cb7942.jpg (University Stadium in Albuquerque at sunset before a New Mexico Lobos football game.; credit: Kenneth C. Zirkel / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0))

## Summary
- New Mexico led North Dakota State 14-9 with 6:12 left in the third quarter, according to CBS Sports.
- The tracker still marked the game in progress; a final result was unavailable from the sources checked.
- The Mountain West matchup was the first meeting between the programs.

## Latest confirmed checkpoint

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — New Mexico held a 14-9 lead over North Dakota State with 6:12 remaining in the third quarter at University Stadium, according to the latest available CBS Sports game-tracker update. Bison quarterback Nathan Hayes connected with Reis Kessel for a 15-yard touchdown to make it 14-9, but Drew Klein’s extra-point attempt was blocked. [1](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/live/NCAAF_20261024_NDST%40NMEX/)

The tracker continued to label the game in progress, and a final score could not be verified from the independent and official sources checked. The score, individual totals and records in this article therefore reflect only that confirmed third-quarter checkpoint and should not be read as a final result. [1](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/live/NCAAF_20261024_NDST%40NMEX/) [3](https://gobison.com/sports/football/schedule/) [4](https://golobos.com/sports/football/schedule)

## A conference race test

The teams entered with New Mexico at 5-1 overall and 2-0 in Mountain West play, while North Dakota State was 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the conference. It was the first meeting between the programs and North Dakota State’s first season as a full-time FBS team. New Mexico’s pregame notes described the matchup as a meeting of the nation’s top two scoring defenses and said a Lobo win would make the team bowl-eligible. [2](https://golobos.com/news/2026/10/20/lobos-host-north-dakota-state-in-matchup-of-nations-top-two-defenses)

## Result still pending

The available official schedules had not yet posted a result at the permitted editorial check: North Dakota State’s schedule still listed the Albuquerque game, and New Mexico’s schedule continued to show its 8 p.m. MDT kickoff listing. With the live tracker’s last confirmed score at 14-9, the final outcome and any resulting change to the teams’ records remained unconfirmed. [3](https://gobison.com/sports/football/schedule/) [4](https://golobos.com/sports/football/schedule)

This article will require a follow-up after either school or another reliable independent source posts a final score and complete statistics. Until then, the central confirmed event is that the first meeting between the programs was underway in Albuquerque with New Mexico holding a five-point third-quarter advantage. [1](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/live/NCAAF_20261024_NDST%40NMEX/) [2](https://golobos.com/news/2026/10/20/lobos-host-north-dakota-state-in-matchup-of-nations-top-two-defenses) [3](https://gobison.com/sports/football/schedule/) [4](https://golobos.com/sports/football/schedule)

## Reporting sources
1. [CBS Sports: North Dakota State at New Mexico live game tracker](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/gametracker/live/NCAAF_20261024_NDST%40NMEX/) (2026-10-24)
2. [New Mexico Athletics: Lobos host North Dakota State in matchup of nation’s top two defenses](https://golobos.com/news/2026/10/20/lobos-host-north-dakota-state-in-matchup-of-nations-top-two-defenses) (2026-10-20)
3. [North Dakota State Athletics: 2026 Football Schedule](https://gobison.com/sports/football/schedule/) (2026-10-24)
4. [New Mexico Athletics: 2026-27 Football Schedule](https://golobos.com/sports/football/schedule) (2026-10-24)