No. 16/17 North Dakota State, UC Davis Square Off in Homecoming Game at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22
10/18/2005 5:00:00 AM | Football
GAME SEVEN:
No. 16/17-ranked North Dakota State University (4-2, 0-1 GWFC) returns to Great West Football Conference play this weekend and is scheduled to square off with UC Davis (3-3, 1-1 GWFC) at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at the Fargodome ... It is the annual Homecoming/Hall of Fame weekend at North Dakota State ... The Bison Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremonies are scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 21, at the Holiday Inn ... Former All-American and NFL standout defensive lineman Phil Hansen headlines the Class of 2005 ... The 1965 national champion football team will also be recognized ... NDSU is 46-35-3 in homecoming games ... The Bison are 34-6 over the past 40 homecoming events ... NDSU opened conference play with a 37-6 loss at No. 9 Cal Poly ... The Mustangs held a 377-184 advantage in total offense ... Cal Poly exploded for 21 points in the second quarter and led 27-0 at halftime ... NDSU averted its first shutout since 1995 when Kyle Steffes scored from two yards out in the third quarter ... The 31-point defeat was the widest margin since UC Davis defeated the Bison 35-7 in 2002 ... Steffes rushed for 93 yards and one TD ... He is No. 10 all-time in rushing at NDSU with 2,276 yards on 453 carries ... NDSU is No. 11 in NCAA Division I-AA attendance figures ... NDSU is 4-3 against Top 25 teams over the past two seasons ... UC Davis rebounded last weekend with a 33-21 league win over Southern Utah at Toomey Field ... Aggies' kicker Emmanuel Benjamin tied a school-record with four field goals, Joshua Edwards returned a blocked field goal 54 yards for a TD and UC Davis led 20-7 at halftime ... Jon Grant completed 17 of 30 passes for 202 yards with two TDs and an interception ... For the season, Grant has completed 146 of 254 passes for 1,570 yards, 10 TDs and eight interceptions ... His top target is Tony Kays, who has made 53 receptions for 670 yards (12.6 avg.) and three touchdowns ... Blaise Smith has caught 31 passes for 309 yards (10 avg) and a pair of TDs ... Linebacker Dan Elbanna is the ring-leader on defense with 30 tackles including 18 solos, while defensive end James Amos has been a terror with 20 tackles including eight tackles for loss, four sacks and four pass breakups.TICKETS: Tickets are available for purchase online at GoBison.com/tickets or at the Bison Sports Arena ticket office between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday ... For more information, contact the NDSU ticket office at 1-888-231-NDSU (6378).
THE SERIES: This is the EIGHTH meeting between the two schools ... NDSU leads the series 4-3 ... The Bison defeated UC Davis 25-7 in the final game of the 2004 season ... UC Davis had won the two previous meetings, 35-7 at Davis in 2002 and 23-14 before 14,548 at the Fargodome in 2003 ... The first four meetings came in the NCAA Division II playoffs including the NDSU 19-14 loss to a Ken O'Brien led UC Davis team in the 1982 semifinals ... The Bison won the next three meetings in NCAA play, 26-17 at Davis in 1983, 31-23 in Fargo in 1984 and 31-12 at Davis in 1985.
THE COACHES: North Dakota State head coach Craig Bohl (Nebraska, 1979) is in his third season at the helm of the Bison with a 20-8 mark to date ... North Dakota State is 13-2 at the Fargodome over past two seasons ... 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 was a defensive back at Nebraska (1977-79).
Bob Biggs (UC Davis, 1973) is in his 13th season ... Biggs is 105-41-1 overall directing the Aggies ... Reached career win No. 100 on the road at UNC in 2004 ... He led UC Davis teams to eight playoff appearances and an average of nine wins per year during his first decade ... Joined the UC Davis coaching staff in 1978 ... He became the offensive coordinator in 1987 and was the assistant head coach in 1991 and 1992 before taking the head coaching position in 1993 ... Former quarterback for the Aggies and was the leading passer in the NCAA College Division in 1972 to earn Associated Press Little All-American honors ... Member of the Cal Aggie Athletic Hall of Fame ... Played professionally with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League and the Portland Storm of the World Football League.
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 director Steve Hallstrom and radio personality Jack Michaels will handle the sideline and locker room interviews ... Air time is set for 11:45 a.m. (CDT) ... Bismarck (KXMR, 710 AM) and Williston (KEYZ, 660 AM) are on the Bison Radio Network.
1140 AM KHTK, Davis, Calif. ... Steve Buzzard (play-by-play), Doug Kelly (analyst) and Scott Marsh (sidelines, studio host) form the Aggies' broadcast team ... www.ucdavisaggies.com will offer live internet streams ...
KDVS (90.3 FM) student station will carry the games with Andrew Tomsky (play-by-play), Josh Koehn (color) and Angela DaPrato (sidelines) calling the action.
KNDS-LPFM 105.9, Fargo ... Sports director Jim Otis will call the play-by-play and Brad Jones will serve as the color commentator on the NDSU student radio station ... Air time is set with a pregame at 12:30 p.m. ... The free webcast is available at www.thunderradio.fm.
GoBISON.COM VIDEO WEBCAST: All Access will offer a video webcast of the UC Davis football game Saturday, Oct. 22 ... Memberships to All Access can be purchased monthly for $7.95 ... Next Saturday's Webcast will begin at 12 noon CDT and will allow Bison fans around the world to see their team perform live from the Fargodome ... The live stream will be provided by NDSU athletic media relations and Fargodome video productions ... In addition to the game, the stream will include pregame footage and special features prior to the 1 p.m. kickoff. The audio provided will be that actually heard in the stadium.
GoBISON.COM LIVE STATS: Follow the game on the Internet at GoBison.com with live in-game statistics ... Click on the "Live Stats" link at the left side of the page.
CAL POLY HANDS NORTH DAKOTA STATE 37-6 SETBACK: No. 9-ranked Cal Poly defeated No. 12 North Dakota State 37-6 in a Great West Football Conference game Oct. 8, before a crowd of 6,923 at Mustang Stadium.
After field goals of 39 and 22 yards by Mustang kicker Nick Coromelas, the Bison (4-2, 0-1) were down 6-0 after the first quarter. Quarterback Anthony Garnett exploded in the second quarter throwing three touchdown passes.
Garnett hit Tredale Tolver for a 63-yard strike 22 seconds into the second quarter giving Cal Poly (5-1, 3-0) a 13-0 lead. With 8:54 remaining, Ramses Barden hauled in a 16-yard score and fullback Adam George caught a 3-yard reception with 40 seconds remaining in the first half to give the Mustangs a 27-0 lead. Barden also blocked a NDSU 47-yard field goal attempt.
Garnett completed 11 of 16 pass for 166 yards and three TDs.
Cal Poly struck first in the second half when Coromelas hit his third field goal of the day from 37 yards out giving Cal Poly a 30-0 lead.
NDSU finally got into the scoring column late in the third quarter when running back Kyle Steffes scored from two yards out. The touchdown prevented North Dakota State from being shut out for the first time since 1995 when St. Cloud State blanked the Bison 34-0. After a failed extra point, the Bison trailed 30-6.
Steffes finished the game with 93 yards on 23 carries. He moved to No. 10 on the NDSU's all-time rushing list passing Ken Rota (1965-67, 474-2,219 yards) and Mark Speral (1977-80, 596-2,264 yards). Steffes now has 2,276 career yards on 453 carries.
Cal Poly completed the scoring when running back James Noble scampered 17 yards with 4:19 remaining in the ball game. Noble finished the game with 161 yards on 20 carries.
The 31-point loss for the Bison was the largest defeat since UC Davis defeated NDSU 35-7 in 2002.
Quarterback Steve Walker was 9 of 18 for 89 yards and was pressured throughout ball game, getting sacked four times. Receiever Kole Heckendorf was the Bison's leading receiver catching four balls for 44 yards.
Senior linebacker Kole Zimmerman led the Bison defense with 10 tackles.
NORTH DAKOTA STATE ON THE ROAD: North Dakota State has lost it last two games on the road after defeating nationally-ranked Northwestern State 35-7 on Sept. 10 ... The loss to Montana State snapped a three-game road win streak for NDSU ... The Bison ended the 2004 season with wins at Weber State and UC Davis ... NDSU is 7-6 on the road over the past three years and 14-15 since 2000 ... North Dakota State is 14-12 at outdoor venues over that span.
STEFFES HAS FOUR 100-YARD GAMES IN 2005, TEN IN CAREER: Kyle Steffes rushed for 102 yards and one TD on 22 carries vs. Nicholls State ... Steffes, a 5-foot-11 1/2, 206-pound junior from Dickinson, N.D., logged his fourth 100-yard game of the season and the 10th of his career against the Colonels. Steffes moved into 10th place on the NDSU career rushing charts with 2,276 yards and 22 TDs on 453 carries.
For the season, Steffes has carried the ball 132 times for 645 yards (4.9 avg.) and six touchdowns for an average of 107.5 yards per game ... Steffes is No. 17 in NCAA I-AA rushing ... NDSU and South Dakota State are listed below the Division I-AA statistic leaders by the NCAA because of reclassifying from a Division II to Division I-AA football program. Both schools are in the third of a five-year transition period. UNC and UC Davis are also listed in the same fashion.
Steffes rushed 19 times for a career-high 179 yards and one TD in the win over Weber State ... He scored on his first touch, a career long 51-yard scamper in the first quarter ... His previous high game was 176 yards rushing, against Weber State last year.
Steffes rushed a career-high 33 times for 117 yards in the 20-17 loss at No. 18 Montana State on Sept. 24 ... His previous career-high for rushing attempts was 24 against Nicholls State in 2004.
MODEL OF EFFICIENCY: North Dakota State quarterback Steve Walker is No. 22 in I-AA pass efficiency with a 141.21 rating ... Walker has completed 66 of 118 passes for 892 yards, nine TDs and two interceptions this season ... He started his career with 87 straight passes without an interception with the first pick coming against Northwestern State (9-10-05) ... The school record was 99 set by Ryan Johnson in 1999.
Walker has twice matched his career-high of three touchdown passes originally set against UC Davis on Nov. 13, 2004, and in the season-opener vs. Arkansas-Monticello (9-1-05) and vs. Northwestern State (9-10-05) ... Walker's 16 completions and 29 pass attempts against Montana State (9-24-05) were both career-highs ... His previous high was 15 completions against UC Davis in 2004 and 21 pass attempts vs. Weber State (9-17-05).
SPREADING THE ROCK: North Dakota State quarterbacks have completed passes to 10 different players this season with five scoring at least one TD ... Redshirt freshman Kole Heckendorf leads the Bison with 22 receptions for 278 yards (12.6 avg.) and two TDs ... Senior tight end AJ Cooper has snared 11 passes for 212 yards (19.3 avg.) and two TDs, while senior wide receiver Marques Johnson has 10 catches for 212 yards (21.2 avg.) and one TD ... Johnson with 88 career receptions and 1,398 yards needs one more catches to move past former NFL receiver Stacy Robinson (88, 1982-84) at No. 5 and four to pass Chuck Wald (91, 1967-69) at No. 4 ... On the career yardage list, Eric Nelson (1997-00) is No. 5 at 1,503.
NORTH DAKOTA STATE DEFENSE FORCING THE ISSUE: With eight interceptions and five fumble recoveries, North Dakota State's defense has forced the issue ... The result has been a plus-1.50 turnover margin, which is tied for fourth in I-AA football ... The Bison defense is No. 5 in pass defense (130 ypg), No. 6 in scoring defense (14 ppg), No. 17 in total defense (277 ypg), No. 24 pass efficiency defense (105.21) and tied for No. 28 in passes intercepted (8).
THE DEFENSE STATES ITS CASE: North Dakota State's defense scored in four of six games, including three with a TD ... NDSU senior linebacker Kole Zimmerman returned an interception 27 yards for a TD in the season opener against Arkansas-Monticello (9-1-05) ... It was the first interception return for a TD since the 2003 season when Matt Gorman raced 93 yards with a pick against Concordia-St. Paul.
Bison senior cornerback Scott Walter returned an interception 29 yards with 6:37 remaining in the third quarter during the 35-7 win at Northwestern State on Sept. 10.
NDSU senior defensive end Isaac LaVant returned a fumble 3 yards for a touchdown against Weber State (9-17-05) after Zimmerman jarred the ball loose when he sacked Wildcats quarterback Ian Pizarro ... It was the first fumble returned for a TD since Matt Gorman went seven yards with a Concordia-St. Paul bobble in 2003.
Defensive nose guard Rodney Thompson chased down Nicholls State quarterback Yale Vannoy in the end zone to record NDSU's first safety since the final game against UC Davis last season.
BREAK ON THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE: North Dakota State senior cornerback Scott Walter blocked a PAT in the 20-17 loss at Montana State (9-24-05) ... It was the second blocked kick of the season.
NDSU junior strong safety Ryan Olson blocked a field goal against Arkansas-Monticello ... That was the first similiar defensive action since former Bison nose tackle and current New York Jets offensive lineman Isaac Snell recorded a blocked PAT last season.
NORTH DAKOTA STATE BLANKS WEBER STATE: North Dakota State defeated Weber State 41-0 on Sept. 17 before a crowd of 14,368 at the Fargodome ... It was NDSU's first shutout since the opening game of the 2004 season, a 52-0 win over Valparaiso (Ind.) in the school's I-AA opener.
BISON DEFENSE BULLISH ON THIRD DOWN: North Dakota State's defense has been bullish on the opponents in third down situations ... Through six games, the opposition is 30 of 82 for 37 percent on third down ... On the other side of the ball, the Bison offense is 33 of 77 for 43 percent.
DRAGOSAVICH BOOMING: North Dakota State University punter Mike Dragosavich was named the Great West Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week on Oct. 2 ... He has earned the honor twice this season and three times in his career he has been honored ... "Drago" was named the Football Gazette Division I-AA and GWFC Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 19 ... Dragosavich, a 6-foot-5, 196-pound sophomore from Oak Lawn, Ill. (Richards H.S.) punted five times for an average of 47.4 yards per kick, including a game long 57-yarder in North Dakota State's 26-13 win over Nicholls State on Oct. 1 in the Fargodome ... Dragosovich had two punts inside the 20-yard line and three touchbacks to keep the Colonels pinned deep in their territory ... This season Dragosavich has punted 29 times for an average of 43.8 yards per punt, including six inside the opponents 20-yard line, six touchbacks and two fair catches ... He ranks third in the conference and fifth in NCAA I-AA.
THE RETURN OF AMAZIN' SHAMEN: North Dakota State speedy sophomore Shamen Washington has literally burst back on the scene ... He is averaging 111.2 yards per game of all-purpose running and has scored four TDs including the 63-yard punt return for a touchdown against Northwestern State (9-10-05) ... Washington's punt return for a touchdown was the first for North Dakota State since Richard Lewis ran one back 40 yards vs. Nebraska-Omaha on Nov. 3, 2001 ... Washington also raced 69 yards with a punt for a TD vs. Weber State (9-17-05) ... Washington is No. 1 in punt returns (18.93 ypr) and No. 15 in kickoff returns (26.63 ypk) in the NCAA Division I-AA statistics.
POPOWSKI NAMED TO AFCA GOOD WORKS TEAM®: North Dakota State University offensive tackle Tim Popowski (Brookings, S.D.) was one of 22 student-athletes selected to the 2005 American Football Coaches Association Good Works Team®. Popowski is the second NDSU student-athlete to receive the honor joining former teammate Jared Essler, who was named to the 2004 AFCA Good Works Team®.
The two 11-man teams, a Division I-A team and a combined team from Divisions I-AA, II, III and the NAIA, honor players for their dedication and commitment to community service. From 1992-1996, the Good Works Team was selected by the College Football Association. When the CFA disbanded in 1997, the AFCA began selecting the teams.
In addition to the AFCA honor, Popowski was also one of 25 student-athletes to be interviewed for NCAA Football "Good Works" features being offered to television stations around the country by Host Communications. The program was open to all varsity football players at any NCAA institution.
POLL WATCHING: North Dakota State was No. 16 in the ESPN/USA Today I-AA Coaches Top 25 poll released Oct. 17 ... NDSU was ranked No. 8 on Sept. 19, the highest ranking the Bison football team has achieved since moving to NCAA I-AA ... The next ESPN/USA Today I-AA Coaches Top 25 will be released on Oct. 24 ... North Dakota State was ranked No. 17 in The Sports Network I-AA Top 25 poll released Oct. 17 ... The next Sports Network I-AA Top 25 poll is scheduled to be released Oct. 24 ... UC Davis has received votes toward both polls.
NDSU 2005 CAPTAINS: North Dakota State University head football coach Craig Bohl announced the captains for the 2005 season. On offense, sophomore quarterback Steve Walker (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township H.S.) and senior tackle Tim Popowski (Brookings, S.D./Brookings H.S.) were voted by teammates. On defense, senior linebacker Kole Zimmerman (Windom, Minn./Windom H.S.), senior defensive end Alvin Robinson (Sumrall, Miss./Sumrall H.S./Pear River C.C.) and junior strong safety Craig Dahl (Mankato, Minn./Mankato H.S.) were selected.
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 third year as a radio commentator for Bison broadcasts on WDAY-AM, will host the show.
2004 REWIND: North Dakota State finished the 2004 season with an 8-3 record under the direction of head coach Craig Bohl. It was NDSU's first year of Division I-AA football. The Bison finished 23rd in The Sports Network's Top 25 poll, 23rd in the ESPN/USA Today Top 25, 20th in the AGS (Any Given Saturday.com) Final Poll, 17th in the GPI (Gridiron Power Index) Final Poll and 15th in the Football Gazette's Top 40.
GREAT WEST FOOTBALL CONFERENCE: North Dakota State is in its second season in the 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 offensive tackle Tim Popowski, halfback Kyle Steffes and strong safety Craig Dahl named to a Preseason All-Great West Football Conference first team selected by GWFC correspondent Chris Kelly. Linebacker Joe Mays was listed as the Super Sophomore.
The Bison were well represented on the I-AA.org preseason magazine conference watch list including offensive tackle Tim Popowski and halfback Kyle Steffes on the first team offense; defensive end Alvin Robinson and strong safety Craig Dahl on the first team defense; halfback/return specialist Shamen Washington on the first team special teams; offensive guard Justin Buckwalter, quarterback Steve Walker and halfback Cinque Chapman on the second team offense; cornerback Bobby Babich and linebacker Mike Maresh on the second team defense, and punter Mike Dragosavich on the second team special teams. NDSU was picked to win the GWFC title by the I-AA.org writers, while Steffes and Popowski were named the top performers at their respective positions.
GREAT WEST FOOTBALL CONFERENCE PREDICTIONS: North Dakota State was picked by I-AA.org and The Sports Network to win the 2005 Great West Football Conference title ... Street & Smith's College Preview and the conference media members had the Bison at No. 2, while the league coaches had NDSU at No. 3.
STEFFES, WALKER ON THE RADAR: Halfback Kyle Steffes and quarterback Steve Walker have received some preseason notice. Steffes was named the Great West Football Conference's top offensive player in 2005 Street & Smith's College Football Preview. He was also listed at No. 12 in I-AA running backs to watch this season by The Sports Network:
12. Kyle Steffes, North Dakota State (Jr., 5-11 1/2, 206)--After a good freshman season, Steffes broke through as a potential emerging star in 2004. The junior from Dickinson, North Dakota averaged 5.4 yards per carry while running for 1,055 yards and 13 touchdowns in the Bison's first year at the I-AA level. Steffes ran for 141 yards and two touchdowns as the Bison scored an impressive 24-14 win at Nicholls State on Oct. 2. Steffes went for a career-high 176 yards and two scores to lead the Bison to a victory at Weber State, and teams with emerging quarterback Steve Walker to form a solid duo for a Bison team that should reside in the top 25 in 2005.
Walker was listed "Five (Quarterbacks) Ready for a Breakthrough:" Five quarterbacks who started only parts of 2004 that showed the potential to make a major name for themselves in 2005:
2. Steve Walker, North Dakota State (So., 6-0 1/2, 207)--Walker took over the starting spot for the last three games and played superb in leading NDSU to wins against Northwestern St., UC Davis and Weber State. Walker completed 78 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns and zero interceptions while playing parts of 10 games.
FRESHMEN OF INFLUENCE: At the start of the season, North Dakota State head football coach Craig Bohl announced several freshmen will have the redshirt taken off. In the defensive secondary, cornerbacks 5-foot-8, 171-pound
Richard Bowman (Houston, Texas/North Shore H.S.) and 5-8, 169-pound Nate Agbetola (Sugar Land, Texas/Kempner H.S.) are seeing playing time. At linebacker, 5-10 1/2, 214-pound Ramon Humber (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park H.S.), and 5-10, 180-pound wide receiver Jamar Champ (Houston, Texas/Booker T. Washington H.S.) have impressed the coaching staff.
FOOTBALL 101 COMPLETES ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SEASON: Bison Athletics is offered a great opportunity for all to learn more about the game of football ... Head coach Craig Bohl taught "Football 101" for those fans who want to learn more about the game ... The goal was for ladies and fun-loving fans to gather in a social setting and learn more about football than the traditional male fan ... Four sessions were held in the Fargodome locker room area on Wednesday nights in September ... Sessions included classroom chalk talks, on field demonstrations, offense, defense, kicking game and football rules ... All "Football 101" proceeds went toward the fight against ovarian cancer.
WHITE, BIZAL OUT FOR SEASON: North Dakota State University wide receiver Travis White suffered a season-ending knee injury during practice Aug. 22. Linebacker Tony Bizal suffered a season-ending knee injury against Montana State. White and Bizal plan to return for the 2006 season.
White, a 5-foot-10, 180-pound senior from Cedar, Minn., had 119 receptions for 1,336 yards and 11 touchdowns in 29 career games. He is No. 3 all-time at NDSU in receptions.
A second-team All-Great West Football Conference performer last season, White caught 57 catches for 776 yards and nine touchdowns.
White caught a career-high 10 passes for 127 yards against Northern Colorado last season. He had caught at least one pass in 14 straight games dating back to Nov. 1, 2003 vs. South Dakota.
Bizal, a 6-3, 216-pound junior from Blaine, Minn., had six tackles this season on special teams and as a reserve linebacker.
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 161 of the last 208 conference games (161-45-2, .780)
-Won 224 of the last 288 games (224-62-2, .782)
-Won 198 of the last 251 regular-season games (198-51-2, .790) played including a streak of 22 straight wins before losing to Nebraska- Omaha in October 1983.
-Won 205 of the last 225 home games (205-18-2, .916) at home since a 1980 season-opening 10-0 loss to Northern Michigan.
-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.
NDSU ADDS NCAA DIVISION I-A BALL STATE TO 2006 SCHEDULE: North Dakota State Director of Athletics Gene Taylor announced NDSU and Ball State have agreed to play Sept. 23, 2006, at Ball State Stadium in Muncie, Ind.
Ball State is a member of the NCAA Division I-A Mid-American Conference. The Cardinals are currently 0-4 in 2005 and were 2-9 overall in 2004.
"Scheduling our first Division I-A opponent is another big step in building our program," said North Dakota State head coach Craig Bohl.
North Dakota State has played three games against current Mid-American Conference opponents. NDSU tied Eastern Michigan 14-14 in the 1970 opener, and defeated Northern Illinois 31-13 in 1968 and 28-0 in 1969. The last major college opponent was Missouri in 1956 when the Tigers defeated the Bison 42-0 in Columbia.
The Bison have seven games on the 2006 schedule with home contests against Northeastern University on Sept. 9, Cal Poly on Nov. 11 and South Dakota State on Nov. 18. Road games include Ball State on Sept. 23, Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 30, Southern Utah on Oct. 28 and UC Davis on Nov. 4.
