North Dakota State University (2-1, 0-1 GWFC) is scheduled to host Carson-Newman (Tenn.) College (2-0, 0-0 SAC) at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, at the Fargodome ... It is the second of three straight non-conference games before jumping back into Great West Football Conference action on Oct. 9 at South Dakota State ... North Dakota State overpowered Montana Tech 56-3 on Sept. 11 as six different Bison players scored ... Carson-Newman was off last weekend after opening the season with a 48-32 win over Winston-Salem State on Aug. 28 and 38-24 victory at West Georgia on Sept. 4 ... Members of the South Atlantic Conference, the Eagles were ranked No. 3 in the AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) Division II Top 25 poll released Sept. 7.

THE SERIES: This will be the first meeting between the two schools ... North Dakota State opened the 2003 season with a 28-7 win over South Atlantic Conference member Tusculum (Tenn.) ... Carson-Newman is 1-2 against two other members of the Great West Conference ? Northern Colorado (0-2) and UC Davis (1-0) ? when both schools were members of NCAA Division II ... The Eagles also played Minnesota State Moorhead and posted a 42-6 win in the 1988 NAIA quarterfinals.

RADIO BROADCASTS: WDAY-AM 970, Fargo ... Scott Miller will handle the play-by-play. Former NDSU All-American and 11-year NFL great Phil Hansen will handle the color duties, while WDAY-TV sports anchor Steve Hallstrom and radio personality Jack Michaels will handle the sideline and locker room interviews ... Air time is set for 5:15 p.m. (CST) ... Bismarck (KXMR, 710 AM) and Williston (KEYZ, 660 AM) are on the Bison Radio Network.

Carson-Newman games are broadcast on the Coca-Cola Eagle Network (WRJZ AM 620 and WMXK FM 94.1). Pre-game starts at 5:30 p.m. (CST) Saturday, Zeke Beam and Marlin Curnutt broadcast the game.

POLL WATCHING: North Dakota State was ranked 35th in the Football Gazette's I-AA Top 40 released Sept. 12 ... North Dakota State was not listed in The Sports Network's second regular season I-AA Top 25 released Sept. 13 ... The Bison received two points toward first regular season ESPN/USA Today I-AA Top 25 poll released Sept. 13.

Carson-Newman was ranked No. 3 in the AFCA (American Football Coaches Association) Division II Top 25 poll released Sept. 7.

The Sports Network NCAA I-AA Top 25
Issued Sept. 13, 2004 (2nd regular season)
First-place votes in parenthesis
Team (next game) Record Pts. Prv.
1. Montana (61) 2-0 2,492 2
at Sam Houston State
2. Southern Illinois (26) 1-1 2,340 1
vs. William Penn
3.Wofford (6) 1-0 2,295 3
at No. 8 Georgia Southern
4. Furman (3) 2-0 2,225 5
at Gardner-Webb
5. Villanova 2-0 2,016 8
vs. James Madison
6. Delaware 1-1 1,837 7
vs. West Chester
7. Northern Iowa (1) 1-1 1,789 9
vs. No. 13 Stephen F. Austin
8. Georgia Southern 1-1 1,740 10
vs. No. 3 Wofford
9. Massachusetts (1) 2-0 1,685 14
vs. Richmond
10. New Hampshire (5) 2-0 1,498 19
vs. William & Mary
11. Western Kentucky 1-1 1,487 11
at Eastern Kentucky
12. Colgate 0-1 1,367 4
vs. Dartmouth
13. Stephen F. Austin 2-0 1,360 15
at No. 7 Northern Iowa
14. Montana State 1-0 1,237 12
vs. No. 22 Cal Poly
15. Maine 1-1 1,177 17
at Mississippi State
16. Western Illinois 1-1 1,141 16
at Hampton
17. McNeese State 1-1 967 6
vs. Youngstown State
18. Northeastern 1-1 670 18
OPEN
19. Northern Arizona 0-2 666 13
OPEN
20. Appalachian State 1-1 650 24
vs. The Citadel
21. Northwestern State 1-1 616 21
vs. Texas Southern
22. Cal Poly 2-0 300 NR
at No. 14 Montana State
23. Penn 0-0 269 25
at San Diego
24. Lehigh 1-1 231 22
at Liberty
25. Southeastern Louisiana 2-0 229 NR
at Texas State
Dropped Out: No. 20 Eastern Kentucky, No. 23 Northern Colorado
Others receiving votes (in order of points, minimum of five required): Alcorn State 199, Eastern Kentucky 156, Hampton 141, Bethune-Cookman 115, Jacksonville State 105, Western Carolina 69, South Carolina State 42, Southern 42, Northern Colorado 40, Illinois State 37, UC Davis 23, Tennessee State 21, Alabama State 20, Rhode Island 17, Bucknell 16, Texas State 13, James Madison 12, Harvard 11, Yale 11, Gardner-Webb 10, North Carolina A & T 9, Sam Houston State 9, Grambling State 8, Youngstown State 7, Southwest Missouri State 6, William & Mary 6, Tennessee Tech 5.
NDSU Opponents in BOLD

ESPN/USA Today NCAA I-AA Top 25
Issued September 13, 2004
First-place votes in parenthesis
Team Record Pts. Prv.
1. Montana (19) 2-0 1,025 3
This week: at Sam Houston St. (1-1)
2. Southern Illinois (14) 1-1 921 2
This week: vs. William Penn (0-0)
T3. Wofford (4) 1-0 914 4
This week: at Georgia Southern (1-1)
T3. Furman (1) 2-0 914 8
This week: at Gardner Webb (1-1)
5. Delaware 1-1 809 1
This week: vs. West Chester
6. Villanova 2-0 803 10
This week: vs. James Madison (1-0)
7. Northern Iowa (1) 1-1 736 6
This week: vs. Stephen F. Austin (2-0)
8. Georgia Southern 1-1 723 9
This week: vs. Wofford (1-0)
9. New Hampshire (3) 2-0 628 NR
This week: vs. William & Mary (0-1)
10. Western Kentucky 1-1 615 14
This week: at Eastern Kentucky (0-1)
11. Massachusetts 2-0 591 19
This week: vs. Richmond (1-1)
12. Stephen F. Austin 2-0 590 17
This week: at Northern Iowa (1-1)
13. Colgate 0-1 507 5
This week: vs. Dartmouth (0-0)
14. Montana State 1-0 501 15
This week: vs. Cal Poly (2-0)
15. Western Illinois 1-1 470 12
This week: at Hampton (2-0)
16. Maine 1-1 468 11
This week: at Mississippi St. (1-1)
17. McNeese State 1-1 367 7
This week: vs. Youngstown State (1-1)
18. Northern Arizona 0-2 347 13
Next week: vs. Weber State (Sep. 25)
19. Northeastern 1-1 306 21
Next week: at Towson (Sep. 25)
20. Northwestern St. 1-1 270 18
This week: vs. Texas Southern (0-2)
21. Appalachian St. 1-1 269 20
This week: vs. The Citadel (0-0)
22. Cal Poly 2-0 136 NR
This week: at No. 14 Montana State (1-0)
23. SE Louisiana 2-0 108 NR
This week: at Texas State (1-1)
24. Pennsylvania 0-0 101 NR This week: at San Diego (1-1)
25. Lehigh 1-1 77 22
This week: at Liberty (1-1)
Dropped Out: No. 16 Grambling, No. 23 Eastern Kentucky, No. 24 North Carolina A&T, No. 25 Southern.
Others Receiving Votes: Alcorn State 75, Eastern Kentucky 56, Hampton 54, Western Carolina 26, Illinois State 25, Jacksonville St. 25, Northern Colorado 23, James Madison 20, Bethune-Cookman 16, Bucknell 16, Texas State 15, South Carolina St 15, North Carolina A&T 10, Portland State 9, Southwest Missouri State 9, UC Davis 8, Eastern Wash. 8, Sam Houston St. 6, Indiana State 6, William & Mary 6, Tennessee Tech 5, Grambling 5, Harvard 4, Southern 3, Southern Utah 3, NORTH DAKOTA STATE 2, Idaho State 1, Alabama A&M 1, Gardner Webb 1, Towson 1.
NDSU Opponents in BOLD

Football Gazette NCAA I-AA Top 40 Poll
Issued September 12, 2004
Team Record
1. Montana 2-0
2. Furman 2-0
3. Maine 1-1
4. Georgia Southern 1-1
5. Southern Illinois 1-1
6. Wofford 1-0
7. Northern Iowa 1-1
8. Massachusetts 2-0
9. Colgate 0-1
10. New Hampshire 2-0
11. Western Kentucky 1-1
12. Villanova 2-0
13. Stephen F. Austin 2-0
14. Delaware 1-1
15. Northern Arizona 0-2
16. Northeastern 1-1
17. Southeastern La. 2-0
18. Western Carolina 2-0
19. Appalachian State 1-1
20. Montana State 1-0
21. Western Illinois 1-1
22. McNeese State 1-1
23. Pennsylvania 0-0
24. Lehigh 1-1
25. Cal Poly 2-0
26. Rhode Island 2-0
27. Alcorn State 2-0
28. North Carolina A&T 1-1
29. South Carolina State 1-1
30. Towson 1-1
31. Northern Colorado 1-1
32. UC Davis 1-0
33. Bucknell 0-1
34. Bethune-Cookman 1-0
35. NORTH DAKOTA STATE 2-1
36. William & Mary 0-1
37. Northwestern State, La. 1-1
38. Hampton 2-0
39. Alabama State 2-0
40. Illinois State 1-1
NDSU opponents in Bold

SDSU GAME TIME CHANGE: The game time for the Oct. 9th North Dakota State-South Dakota State contest in Brookings has been changed from 4 p.m. to 6:40 p.m. The game will be broadcast by WDAY-TV (Channel 6, ABC) on the North Dakota ABC network. Pre-game will begin at 6:30 p.m. WDAY-TV sports anchor Steve Hallstrom will handle the play-by-play.

THE COACHES: North Dakota State head coach Craig Bohl (Nebraska, 1979) is in second season at the helm of the Bison with a 10-4 mark to date ... Bohl came to NDSU in 2003 from the University of Nebraska where he was an assistant coach for eight seasons including defensive coordinator over the final three years ... He was an assistant at North Dakota State, Tulsa, Wisconsin, Rice and Duke prior to Nebraska ... He played his college ball at Nebraska (1977-79).

Ken Sparks (Carson-Newman, 1968) is in his 25th season at Carson-Newman and has compiled a 236-54-2 record ... Led the Eagles to an 11-2 record in 2003 including the program's 17th South Atlantic Conference title ... Directed Carson-Newman to 19 post-season appearances including nine trips to the NCAA playoffs ... The Eagles have played in the NCAA Division II championship game three times (1996, 1998, 1999) ... Carson-Newman won five NAIA national championships (1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989) ... Played wide receiver at Carson-Newman ... Previously an assistant at Tennessee Tech and Carson-Newman.

NORTH DAKOTA STATE Bison (2-1, 0-1 GWFC) TWO-DEEP
Offense Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown
LT 76 Nick Zilka 6-6 311 Jr. Bloomington, MN
77 Nate Safe 6-5 298 Fr. Cannon Falls, MN
LG 75 Justin Monson 6-4 1/2 279 Jr. Gardner, ND
78 Jake Erickson 6-3 288 So. Brooklyn Park, MN
C 53 Rob Hunt 6-4 289 Sr. Cavalier, ND
62 Hugh Medal 6-1 282 Jr. Grand Forks, ND
RG 73 Justin Buckwalter 6-4 313 So. Lake Preston, SD
60 Jerrod Wagner 6-4 293, Fr., Pewaukee, WI
RT 69 Tim Popowski 6-2 1/2 311 Jr. Brookings, SD
74 Adam Tadisch 6-6 1/2 309 So. Wausaukee, WI
TE 85 Andy DelaBarre 6-2 1/2 251 Jr. Minot, ND
81 Derek Arndt 6-5 1/2 237 Jr. LaMoure, ND
QB 9 Tony Stauss 6-0 209 Sr. Racine, WI
11 Steve Walker 6-1 198 Fr. Lockport, IL
FB 45 Johnny Frank 6-1 245 Sr. Wabasso, MN
46 Tyler Roehl 5-10 228 Fr. West Fargo, ND
HB 23 Kyle Steffes 5-11 1/2 204 So. Dickinson, ND
34 Cinque Chapman 5-8 1/2 173 Fr. Chicago, IL
FL 1 Allen Burrell 5-10 176 Sr. Aurora, CO
10 Charles Wiest 6-1 179 Sr. North Mankato, MN
SE 15 Travis White 5-11 173 Jr. Cedar, MN
6 Marques Johnson 5-8 159 Jr. Milwaukee, WI

Defense Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown
LE 91 Alvin Robinson 6-0 238 Jr. Sumrall, MS
97 Isaac Lavant 5-11 1/2 248 Jr. Phoenix, AZ
DT 98 Dwight Summerville 6-2 1/2 266 Sr. Grenada, MS
95 Rodney Thompson 6-2 1/2 309 Jr. Minneapolis, MN
NG 59 Isaac Snell 6-6 288 Sr. Pipestone, MN
82 Justin Frick 6-3 1/2 283 So. Yankton, SD
RE 50 Travis Ware 6-0 245 Sr. Batesville, MS
96 James Delmedico 6-4 258 Sr. White Bear Lake, MN
LB 33 Jayd Kittelson 5-9 1/2 216 Sr. Velva, ND
26 Bill Wrigley 6-0 1/2 199 Sr. Heyburn, ID
LB 28 Kole Zimmerman 5-11 1/2 222 Jr. Windom, MN
8 Joe Mays 5-11 244 Fr. Chicago, IL
LB 32 Brian Erenberg 6-2 221 Sr. West Fargo, ND
48 Rob Mamula 5-11 230 Sr. West Linn, OR
CB 18 Matt Gorman 5-11 1/2 185 Sr. Marshfield, WI
21 Ryan Olson 5-11 182 So. Buffalo, MN
SS 20 Craig Dahl 6-1 1/2 207 So. Mankato, MN
44 Cody Kittelson 5-11 1/2 181 Jr. Velva, ND
FS 13 Jared Essler 5-11 1/2 191 Sr. Minot, ND
24 Kyle Ihry 5-9 1/2 175 Sr. Reynolds, ND
CB 2 Bobby Babich 5-10 177 Jr. Fargo, ND
27 Scott Walter 5-9 172 Jr. Wahpeton, ND

Specialists
Punter?#88 Mike Dragosavich
Snapper?#51 Allan Woodstrom
FGs, PAT, KO?#4 Cory Vartanian
Holder?#11 Steve Walker
Punt Return?#31 Shamen Washington
Kickoff Return?#1 Allen Burrell, #6 Marques Johnson

Avg. Weight Off. Line 292
Avg. Weight Backs 219
Avg. Weight Receivers 174

Avg. Weight Def. Line 259
Avg. Weight LB 219
Avg. Weight DB 190

CARSON-NEWMAN Eagles (2-0 Overall, 0-0 South Atlantic) TWO-DEEP
Offense Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown
LT 51 Reggie Perkins Sr. 6-2 250 Rome, Ga.
72 Cameron Atchley Jr. 6-2 240 Seymour, Tenn.
LG 54 Johnny Brooks Jr. 6-2 270 Marietta, Ga.
66 Nate Skellenger Fr. 6-3 295 Orlando, Fla.
C 62 Dusty Phillips Sr. 6-2 265 Folkton, Ga.
64 Joe Godfrey Jr. 6-2 305 Monroe, N.C.
RG 63 Pat Egan Jr. 6-2 275 Longwood, Fla.
77 Mark Call Fr. 6-3 295 Lakeworth, Fla.
RT 53 Caleb Crothers Sr. 6-2 275 Rising Sun, Md.
68 Tee Campbell Jr. 6-3 240 White Pine, Tenn.
TE 84 Leonard Weaver Sr. 6-1 225 Melbourne, Fla.
87 Logan Hollingshead Sr. 6-3 230 Tellico Plains, Tenn.
WR 15 Mikkail Jenkins Sr. 5-11 175 Atlanta, Ga.
19 Willie McCrae So. 6-0 185 Hilliard, Fla.
WR 80 Delshaun Wilkey Sr. 6-1 190 Walterboro, S.C.
2 Ta' Latimore Sr. 6-2 190 Ft. Valley, Ga.
QB 5 Shane Kelley Sr. 5-11 185 Sevierville, Tenn.
12 Joey King Jr. 6-0 183 Cedartown, Ga.
RB 34 Rayvon Howard So. 5-8 180 Brewton, Ala.
22 Ray Hightower Jr. 6-1 193 Belfast, Tenn.
RB 7 J.J. Chatmon Jr. 5-9 200 Cartersville, Ga.
31 Kiel Angry So. 5-9 195 Smithville, Ga.

Defense Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown
LDT 98 Quincy Brown Sr. 6-3 270 Miami, Fla.
70 Daniel Holmes Fr. 6-8 280 Covington, Tenn.
NG 91 Shajai Jackson So. 6-1 255 Orangeburg, S.C.
99 Norris Woods Jr. 6-1 200 Folkston, Ga.
RDT 78 Brad Yearout Jr. 6-2 265 Knoxville, Tenn.
93 Anthony Toribio Fr. 6-2 265 Miami, Fla.
OLB 95 Gerry Gilbert Jr. 6-2 215 Baconton, Ga.
55 Donte Strickland Fr. 6-2 200 Louisburg, N.C.
ILB 8 Eric Solomon Jr. 6-0 215 Ft. Valley, Ga.
50 Tipeti Paini Sr. 5-11 220 San Bruno, Calif.
ILB 41 Eric Rice Fr. 5-11 190 Thomasville, Ga.
24 Eddie Bray Jr. 6-1 215 Melbourne, Fla.
OLB 9 Demarcus Stevens Fr. 6-3 190 Knoxville, Tenn.
37 Joey Drayton Sr. 6-0 210 Bruswick, Ga.
CB 20 Trenard Foster Jr. 5-9 170 Norcross, Ga.
27 Steve Bostic Fr. 5-11 175 Miami, Fla.
FS 1 Brandon Walden So. 5-11 175 Thomasville, Ga.
16 Derek Milligan Fr. 6-1 190 Powell, Tenn.
SS 30 Tiger Williams Sr. 6-0 180 Belmont, N.C.
36 Darvon Bracey Sr. 5-10 195 Jacksonville, Fla.
CB 6 Deonte Bolden Jr. 5-11 180 St. Petersburg, Fla.
32 Mark Smith So. 5-10 170 Folkston, Ga.

SPECIALISTS
FGs, PAT, KO?#13 Ryan Smith, #38 Alex Bates
Punts?#46 Leslie Moore, #13 Ryan Smith
Punt Return?#15 Mikkail Jenkins, #6 Deonte Bolden
Kick-off Return?#15 Mikkail Jenkins, #34 Rayvon Howard
Holder?#12 Joey King
Snapper?#61 Josh Turner

Avg. Weight Off. Line 267
Avg. Weight Backs 192
Avg. Weight Receivers 181

Avg. Weight Def. Line 252
Avg. Weight LB 214
Avg. Weight DB 187

BISON DEFENSE STIFFENS: North Dakota State's defense hasn't allowed a touchdown in 12 quarters to start the 2004 season and a rushing touchdown in 14 quarters dating back to the Concordia-St. Paul contest in 2003.

In the modern era, the 1986 NDSU team held opponents without a touchdown in 15 quarters spanning five games, while the 1987 Bison defense had a 14-quarter stretch over a four-game stretch. The 1973 NDSU team had a similar streak over four games. North Dakota State held five teams scoreless in 1901, 1919, 1933 and 1935. The Bison had a shutout string of seven games, 28 quarters from 1902 (four games) and 1903 (first three games).

The Bison have allowed the opposition 212.7 yards per game over the first three contests including 103.3 yards rushing. NDSU linebacker Kole Zimmerman leads the team with 20 tackles, while linebacker Jayd Kittelson has 18 tackles, defensive end Alvin Robinson has 17. Nose guard Isaac Snell has 16 tackles including 7.5 stops for a loss.

NDSU allowed just 81.4 yards per game rushing last season.

NO PASSING ZONE: Through the first three games, North Dakota State's defense has picked off six passes. Strong safety Craig Dahl, linebacker Brian Erenberg, linebacker Rob Mamula, cornerback Matt Gorman, free safety Jared Essler and cornerback Scott Walter have each recorded an interception this season. The Bison had three picks in the opener against Valpo, two against Northern Colorado and one against Montana Tech. Essler and Gorman each have eight career picks.

Cornerback Bobby Babich leads NDSU with four pass breakups.

North Dakota State had 20 interceptions last season.

SACK PACK: Keeping the pressure on the quarterback has been key for the North Dakota State and the Bison have recorded eight sacks through three games this season. Linebacker Jayd Kittelson has a team-high 1.5 sacks, while nose guard Isaac Snell, linebacker Kole Zimmerman, nose guard Justin Frick, strong safety Craig Dahl, defensive end Isaac LaVant and defensive end Alvin Robinson have all contributed one sack. Defensive end Travis Ware has a 0.5 sack. The Bison had 36 sacks a season ago.

NDSU DEFENSE HANGS A ZERO: The North Dakota State defense disrupted Valparaiso's offense in the season opener. The last NDSU shutout was 24-0 vs. South Dakota State during the 2003 season. The Bison have three shutouts since 2000. North Dakota State didn't allow Valpo past its own 49-yard line during the contest. The Bison recorded their 29th shutout in an opening game and the first since 1974 when NDSU defeated Nebraska-Omaha 3-0. The Bison allowed 85 yards rushing and 180 yards of total offense overall vs. Valpo.

STEFFES HAS TWO 100-YARD GAMES IN 2004, FOUR IN CAREER: Kyle Steffes rushed 23 times for 128 yards and one TD in the loss to Northern Colorado. Steffes, a 5-foot-11 sophomore from Dickinson, ND, logged his fourth career 100-yard game against UNC. He rushed for a career-high 175 yards and four touchdowns against Valparaiso in the opener. Steffes scored on runs of 43, 14, 34 and two yards.

For the season, Steffes has carried the ball 46 times for 338 yards (7.3 avg.) and six touchdowns for an average of 112.7 yards per game. He scored a total of three TDs all of an injury-shortened 2003 campaign.

THE THUNDERING HERD: North Dakota State is averaging 269.3 yards rushing over the first three games. Kyle Steffes has rushed for 338 yards on 46 carries and Cinque Chapman has 35 carries for 200 yards. Overall, the Bison are averaging 472.7 yards of total offense per game. The offensive line anchored by All-America candidate senior center Rob Hunt and senior tackle Nick Zilka, the wide receivers and senior fullback Johnny Frank have paved the way.

AMAZING SHAMEN: Speedy 5-foot-6, 140-pound freshman Shamen Washington (St. Petersburg, FL) has electrified the crowd everytime he has touched the football. Washington scored on an 80-yard run from scrimmage and a dazzling 90-yard kickoff return against Montana Tech. His kickoff return for a touchdown was the first for NDSU since Richard Lewis romped 94 yards for a TD against Angelo State in the 2001 opener. Washington's 80-yard TD was the first 60+ yard scoring run since Lamar Gordon's 64-yard scamper vs. South Dakota State in 2001. He also returned three punts for 25 yards.

Washington had an impressive collegiate debut in a Bison uniform. He returned six punts for 98 yards, an average of 16.3 yards per return. Washington also rushed nine times for 67 yards. He leads the team with an average of 124.3 yard per game in all-purpose yardage.

WHITE ON THE RECEPTION: North Dakota State wide receiver Travis White had a career day against Northern Colorado with 10 receptions for 127 yards. His previous career best was seven receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown against Concordia-St. Paul. White currently tops the Bison with 19 catches for 261 yards (13.7 avg.) and a TD.

WALKER SETS SEVERAL RECORDS IN RELIEF: Redshirt freshman quarterback Steve Walker completed a NDSU single-game completion percentage record 10-of-10 passes for 112 yards. He broke the old record of 5-for-5 previously set twice by former All-American Chris Simdorn vs. North Dakota in 1988 and Northern Michigan in 1989. Walker, who completed his first 16 passes attempted in the first three games, broke the NDSU record of 10 consecutive passes completed set previously by Graig Gorder vs. Nebraska-Omaha in 2002 / Kevin Feeney vs. North Dakota in 1995. Walker has completed 16 of 17 passes for 206 yards and three TDs.

STAUSS MOVING UP CAREER COMPLETION CHARTS: North Dakota State quarterback Tony Stauss has completed 35 of 57 passes for 404 yards, four TDs and six interceptions in three games this season ... Stauss is in third place all-time in completions ... With 255, he has passed Terry Hanson (222, 1965-67), Mark Speral (225, 1977-80), and No. 3 Ryan Johnson (240, 1997-00) ... Next on the completions chart is No. 2 in Graig Gorder (287, 1999-02) ... Kevin Feeney (1995-98) is NDSU's all-time leader in completions (304) and total yards (4,769).

BISON OVERPOWER MONTANA TECH: Six different players scored as North Dakota State defeated Montana Tech 56-3 in a non-conference game before a crowd of 11,030 at the Fargodome on Sept. 11.

A pair of players scored twice. Senior wide receiver Allen Burrell caught two touchdown passes for 48 and 31-yards, while freshman Shamen Washington scored on an 80-yard run from scrimmage and a dazzling 90-yard kickoff return. NDSU also received a 24-yard TD reception by Marques Johnson, a 13-yard TD reception from Travis White, a 60-yard run by Mark Moore and 3-yard run by Kyle Steffes.

Washington's kickoff return for a touchdown was the first for NDSU since Richard Lewis romped 94 yards for a TD against Angelo State in the 2001 opener. Washington's 80-yard TD was the first 60+ yard scoring run since Lamar Gordon's 64-yard scamper vs. South Dakota State in 2001.

Tony Stauss bounced back to complete 14 of 19 passes for 178 yards, while Steve Walker hit 4 of 5 passes for 73 yards. Each Bison quarterback had two TD passes. Walker's school record consecutive pass streak was stopped at 16.

North Dakota State had 504 yards of total offense compared to 225 for Montana Tech (1-1). Tech held a 38:20-21:40 advantage in time of possession.

The North Dakota State defense has held the opposition without a touchdown for 12 straight quarters to open the 2004 season. The Bison have not allowed a rushing TD for 14 quarters dating back to the Concordia-St. Paul contest in the 2003 season finale.

Freshman linebacker Joe Mays led the NDSU defense with nine tackles including six solo stops, while Kole Zimmerman had eight tackles. Alvin Robinson and Isaac LaVant each had a sack, while Jared Essler and Jayd Kittelson each recovered a fumble. Scott Walter recorded an interception. Isaac Snell had six tackles including three tackles for a loss for the second straight game.

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA LIST: North Dakota State had four players listed on Don Hansen's Football Gazette preseason I-AA All-America list ... Quarterback Tony Stauss, offensive center Rob Hunt, defensive end Travis Ware and cornerback Matt Gorman were all honorable mention.

GREAT WEST FOOTBALL CONFERENCE: This is North Dakota State's first season at the Division I-AA level in the newly-formed Great West Football Conference. The conference is comprised of six schools located in five states and three time zones. League membership includes NDSU, Northern Colorado, South Dakota State, Cal Poly, Southern Utah and UC Davis.

North Dakota State had three seniors ? offensive center Rob Hunt, defensive end Travis Ware and cornerback Matt Gorman ? named to the Preseason All-Great West Football Conference first team selected by GWFC correspondent Chris Kelly.

On another Preseason All-GWFC team selected by I-AA.org, Hunt, Ware, and Gorman were all first team selections. Second team picks included sophomore running back Kyle Steffes, junior linebacker Jayd Kittelson, senior free safety Jared Essler, junior kicker Cory Vartanian and senior return specialist Allen Burrell. Honorable mention included senior quarterback Tony Stauss.

Bison in GWFC Stats TEAM LEADERS
Pass Defense 113.5 yds/g
Total Defense 206.5 yds/g
Pass Def. Effiency 63.6
First Downs 42 (26 r, 15 p, 1 pen)
PAT Kicking 8-8, 1.000
4th Down Conv. 2-4, .500

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS (Top 2)
Kyle Steffes, So., HB
1st rushing (112.7 yds/g)
T1st scoring (12 pts/g)

Steve Walker, Fr., QB
2nd pass efficiency (254.1)

Travis White, Jr., WR
2nd receptions (6.33 rec/g)

Cory Vartanian, Jr., K
T1st, PATs (16-16, 1.000)

Isaac Snell, Sr., NG
T1st tackles for loss (2.50 tfl/g)

Isaac LaVant, Jr., DE
T1st tackles for loss (1.33 tfl/g)

GREAT WEST FOOTBALL CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLLS: North Dakota State was picked third in the Great West Football Conference Media Poll and fourth in the Great West Football Conference Coaches Poll.

Bison 2004 Player of the Week Honors
Great West Football Conference
Offense
8-28 Kyle Steffes, HB

Defense
8-28 Craig Dahl, SS

Special Teams
8-28 Shamen Washington, PR
9-13 Shamen Washington, KO/PR
Ran back a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown as North Dakota State beat Montana Tech. It was the first Bison kickoff return for a TD since 2001 when Richard Lewis went 94 yards. Washington also had one rushing attempt in the game for an 80-yard TD, the first 60+ yard TD run for NDSU since 2001 when current NFL running back Lamar Gordon recorded a 64-yard TD run. Washington also returned three punts for 25 yards.

I-AA.org All Stars of the Week
Offense
8-28 Kyle Steffes, HB

Defense
8-28 Alvin Robinson, DE

FULL IMPACT NETWORK
Offense
8-28 Kyle Steffes, HB

Defense
8-28 Craig Dahl, SS

FOOTBALL GAZETTE
Offense
8-28 Kyle Steffes, HB

Defense
8-28 Craig Dahl, SS

RECORD CROWD AT OPENER: The Bison rumbled past Valparaiso University 52-0 before a record home opening crowd of 18,665 on Aug. 28. The previous Fargodome home opener record was 18,059 against Pittsburg State in the first-ever game played at the dome in 1993, and also topped the previous home opener record of 18,500 that witnessed the Northern Michigan game at Dacotah Field in 1989. The crowd ranks fifth all-time at the Fargodome.

AT THE FARGODOME: North Dakota State is 2-0 at the Fargodome this season ... The Bison have won seven of its last eight games played at the Fargodome over the past two seasons and have compiled a record of 56-12 (.823) since beginning play in the facility in 1993 ... Over two games this season, the Bison are averaging 14,848 fans ... NDSU has five perfect home ledgers in the Fargodome (5-0, 1993 / 6-0, 1995 / 6-0, 1999 / 7-0, 2000 / 5-0, 2001 ... The longest winning streak at the Fargodome is 22 games from 1994 to 2002.

NORTH DAKOTA STATE FIRST IN DIVISION II ATTENDANCE: North Dakota State University's football program, annually one of the top draws in the country in Division II football, earned its fifth national attendance title in 2003.

The Bison averaged 11,567 fans per game in six regular season games in 2003. The Bison dumped Tuskogee out of the top spot for the first time in three years. NDSU would have been ranked No. 23 among 2003 NCAA I-AA
attendance leaders.

The Bison have won five national attendance crowns including 1987 (14,120), 1989 (16,833), 1997 (12,512), 2000 (12,723, and 2003 (11,567).

SUCCESS OF THE BISON PROGRAM: The success of North Dakota State football over the past few years has been nothing short of phenomenal. Here is what the Bison have accomplished since the early 1980s:
-Won 159 of the last 203 conference games (159-42-2, .783)
-Won 214 of the last 274 games (214-58-2, .785)
-Won 188 of the last 237 regular-season games (187-48-2, .797 ) played including a streak of 22 straight wins before losing to Nebraska-Omaha in October 1983.
-Won 199 of the last 218 home games (199-17-2, .197).
-Appeared in six straight NCAA playoffs from 1981 to 1986 and 15 in the last 23 years including finishing second nationally in 1981 and 1984, making the semifinals in 1982 and 2000, and winning the NCAA title in 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988 and 1990.

FOOTBALL 101: Bison athletics is offering an opportunity for all to learn more about the game of football. Head coach Craig Bohl will be teaching a course called Football 101. The goal of the program is for ladies and fun-loving fans to gather in a social setting and learn more about football.

The locker room area of the Fargodome will be the setting for four fun and informative sessions. Classes will meet from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 15, Sept. 22, and Sept. 29. Sessions will include classroom chalk talks, on field demonstrations, offense, defense, kicking game and football rules. Cost is $40. All proceeds will benefit the Bison Excellence Fund.

NORTH DAKOTA STATE FEATURED IN USA TODAY, ON USA TODAY.com, PHOTOS APPEAR ON OTHER NATIONAL SITES: North Dakota State received a great deal of national publicity following its opener against Valparaiso University on August 28 ... In the Sept. 3 print edition of USA Today, “Elements of the Game” featured four photos and a brief story ... A 10-photo spread by NDSU photographer Dan Koeck on Bison tailgating appeared on USA Today.com's photo gallery on Sept. 3.

A photo captured from the Fargodome catwalk of Bison wide receiver Allen Burrell in the end zone (taken by the Forum's Darren Gibbins and distributed by The Associated Press) has been seen on web sites like FoxSports.com (“Best of the Weekend”, photo 23 of 30) and MSNBC.

BISON CAPTAINS SELECTED: Quarterback Tony Stauss, center Rob Hunt, safety Jared Essler and cornerback Matt Gorman have been selected as North Dakota State's team captains for the 2004 season.

Stauss and Hunt served last year with former linebackers Mike Sheppard and Josh Mock. Sheppard is still with the team as a student assistant coach.

NEW TALENT, NEW FORMAT FOR CRAIG BOHL FOOTBALL SHOW: The Craig Bohl Football Show airs every Sunday throughout the season at 10:30 p.m. on WDAY-TV in Fargo, and on KBMY-TV in Bismarck and KMCY-TV in Minot on Wednesdays at 10 p.m.

Former NDSU and Buffalo Bills star Phil Hansen, in his second year as a radio commentator for Bison broadcasts on WDAY-AM, will host the new show with a different format and new set from previous Bison football shows.