North Dakota State starting QB 2024: Who will start for Tim Polasek in Week 1?

The North Dakota State Bison will open its 2024 college football season on the road, on Thursday, August 29, against the Colorado Buffaloes. Ahead of the season opener, North Dakota State coach Tim Polasek has confirmed Cam Miller as the starting quarterback.

Miller is entering his fourth year of college football and all four have been with the Bison. Last season, Miller went 199-for-269 for 2,530 yards, 18 touchdowns and 4 interceptions.

The dual-threat quarterback has 25 starts under his belt after committing to North Dakota State out of high school.

Ahead of their Week 1 game against Colorado, Buffaloes defensive coordinator Robert Livingston heaped praise on Miller ahead of the Week 1 matchup.

"I can't say enough about the quarterbacks. Obviously, they had a two-quarterback system last year and Wyoming was very similar if you go back and look at it. I think No. 7 (Cam Miller) runs better than you'd anticipate and No. 9 (Cole Payton) is a phenomenal athlete," Livingston said, via Coloradon.

"We have our hands full. We have to tackle, get off blocks and play fast. Again, can't talk enough about the culture they've built there. You watch those guys get off the ball, whether it's the 1's (starters) or the 3's (backups) in some of the blowouts, and it's a consistent effort. It's a really phenomenal challenge that we're excited for."

North Dakota State enters its Week 1 matchup as a 9.5-point underdog.

North Dakota State's quarterback depth chart

Cam Miller is the unquestioned starting quarterback for North Dakota State with Cole Payton being his backup quarterback.

Payton is entering his fourth year as a Bison and last season, he went 18-for-27 for 289 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 573 yards on 77 carries and 12 touchdowns.

North Dakota State also has Trey Drake and Nathan Hayes in the quarterback room.

Drake committed to the Bison as a member of the class of 2022, as he only had two college offers. Hayes, meanwhile, was a two-star recruit in the class of 2022 and committed to ND State over his other offers from Indiana State and Eastern Illinois.