No. 12 North Dakota State Prepares For GWFC Opener at No. 9 Cal Poly on Oct. 8
10/3/2005 5:00:00 AM | Football
GAME SIX:
No. 12-ranked North Dakota State University (4-1, 0-0 GWFC) is scheduled to open Great West Football Conference play on the road ... The Bison battle defending champion and league-leading No. 9 Cal Poly (4-1, 2-0 GWFC) at 8 p.m. (CDT) Saturday, Oct. 8 in Mustang Stadium (8,500) ... North Dakota State returned to the win column with a 26-13 victory over Nicholls State before 14,022 at the Fargodome ... Kyle Steffes rushed for 102 yards and one TD, recording his fourth 100-yard effort of the season and the 10th of his career ... Steve Walker tossed TD passes to Tyler Jangula and Andy DelaBarre ... The Bison defense scored for the fourth time in five games when nose guard Rodney Thompson recorded a sack ... Punter Mike Dragosavich was named GWFC Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time in 2005 after averaging 47.4 yards per kick including two inside the opponents 20-yard line ... North Dakota State didn't commit a turnover for the second time this season against Nicholls State and had a season-low four penalties ... The Bison started six drives inside Nicholls State territory and on the average, started drives on the NDSU 47 ... North Dakota State leads the conference (based on all games) in scoring offense, scoring defense, pass defense, total defense, kickoff and punt returns, pass efficiency, pass efficiency defense and turnover margin ... Cal Poly has reeled off four straight wins since a 27-10 loss at I-A Troy State in the opener ... That includes a pair of GWFC road wins at South Dakota State (24-16) and Northern Colorado (31-14) the past two weekends ... Defensive end Chris Gocong has led a stingy Cal Poly defense with 11 sacks in the first five games ... He leads the nation in sacks, averaging 2.1 per game ... Gocong is a two-time GWFC Defensive Player of the Week this season ... Quarterback Anthony Garnett is off to a fast start, scoring seven rushing TDs and passing for three others ... James Noble is averaging 103.2 yards rushing per game ... NDSU is the hall of fame opponent for Cal Poly ... The Mustangs play four ranked opponents over the last six games with UC Davis primed to crack the Top 25.TICKETS: For more information, contact the NDSU ticket office at 1-888-231-NDSU (6378).
THE SERIES: This is the FOURTH meeting between the schools ... The series is tied at two games apiece ... The Mustangs won the last meeting 13-10 in Fargo last season and the first meeting 35-29 at San Luis Obispo, Calif., in the second game of the 1985 season ... The Bison won the second meeting against Cal Poly 47-0 in the 1990 NCAA Division II quarterfinals at Dacotah Field in Fargo ... NDSU opened the 1992 season with a 26-10 victory over the Mustangs.
THE COACHES:
North Dakota State head coach Craig Bohl (Nebraska, 1979) is in his third season at the helm of the Bison with a 20-7 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).Rich Ellerson (Hawaii, 1977) is in his fifth season at Cal Poly with a 29-20 record ... His overall collegiate record is 33-27 including the 1996 season with Southern Utah ... Coaching resume includes two stops at the University of Arizona as the defensive coordinator (1997-2000) and assistant head coach (1992-95) ... Had three tours of duty with the University of Hawaii as the defensive coordinator (1987-92), defensive line coach/outside linebacker/special teams (1981-84) and defensive line graduate assistant (1977-78) ... In the Canadian Football League (CFL), he was the defensive coordinator for the Calgary Stampeders (1986-87) and defensive line coach at British Columbia (1984-86) ... Other college assistant coaching stops include Cal State Fullerton (1980-81), the University of Idaho (1979-80) and Arizona Western (1978-79).
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 7:15 p.m. (CDT) ... Bismarck (KFYR 550AM) and Williston (KEYZ, 660 AM) are on the Bison Radio Network.
KXTY, 99.7 FM, San Luis Obispo, Calif.. ... Randy Scovil and Joe Harper to broadcast the game for Cal Poly ... Air time set for 30 minutes prior to kickoff with the pregame show.
DEFENSE SEALS BISON 26-13 WIN OVER STUBBORN NICHOLLS STATE: Rodney Thompson came up with a safety and Kole Zimmerman picked off a pass in the final five minutes to seal North Dakota State's hard-fought 26-13 win over stubborn, Nicholls State on Oct. 1, before a Trees Bowl crowd of 14,022 at the Fargodome. The Bison improved to 13-2 in Trees Bowl games.
Thompson's safety came with 5:17 left in the fourth quarter when he chased down Nicholls State quarterback Yale Vannoy in the end zone.
Thompson's safety, Zimmerman's second career interception and Steve Walker's 19-yard fourth quarter touchdown pass to Andy DelaBarre stopped a methodical, bone-jarring comeback by Nicholls State after the Bison built a 17-0 halftime lead.
Kyle Steffes capped an eight play, 80-yard drive with a 2-yard run to put North Dakota State ahead 7-0 with 3:37 left in the first quarter. Steffes completed the evening with 22 carries for 102 yards, his fourth 100-yard effort of the season and the 10th of his career. He moved to No. 12 all-time on the NDSU rushing charts and has 430 carries for 2,183 yards, moving past Bruce Reimer (1970-74, 531-2,095 yards), Mike Kasowski (1978-81, 401-2100 yards) and Tim Mjos (1967-69, 423-2143).
Following a Nicholls State punt, Walker hooked up with Tyler Jangula on a 15-yard scoring pass as North Dakota State needed five plays to cover 59 yards and extend the lead to14-0 with 14:46 remaining in the second quarter. Shamen Washington gained 39 of his 61 yards rushing to highlight the scoring drive. Washington also added 32 yards on three punt returns and a 42-yard kickoff return to provide 135 all-purpose yards.
Cory Vartanian nailed a 22-yard field goal with 9:28 left in the second period to put NDSU ahead 17-0 at halftime.
Nicholls State rallied back, holding the ball for 9-1/2 minutes in the third quarter. The Colonels took advantage of the running of Joseph Tobias and Broderick Cole to cover 80 yards in 11 plays to cut the deficit to 17-7 on a Cole 1 yard run at the 6:35 mark of the third quarter. Tobias rushed for 46 yards during that drive, while Cole added 20.
The Nicholls State offense continued to roll in the fourth quarter after a Mike Dragosavich punt pinned the Colonels at the 6 yard line. Zach Morgan sparked the NSU offense with a pair of long runs including a 24-yard scamper, while Tobias finished the 13-play, 94-yard drive that lasted nearly six minutes with a 15-yard TD run up the middle.
North Dakota State regained control following the ensuing kickoff. Walker connected on all three passes during the drive and also rushed twice for 12 yards, and Washington and Steffes were both productive with a pair of handoffs. Walker hit DelaBarre with a 19-yard touchdown pass to provide the Bison with a 24-13 cushion with 5:27 left.
Walker completed 10 of 17 passes for 95 yards, finding six different receivers open. Vannoy was 7 of 16 for 48 yards and one interception.
Nicholls State rushed 49 times for 249 yards led by Tobias, who finished with 97 yards on 13 carries. Cole rushed 17 times to 75 yards. The Colonels held a 297-290 edge in total offense and 31:36 to 28:24 advantage in time of possession. However, North Dakota State started six drives inside NSU territory and had an average field position of the NDSU 47-yard line. The Bison were 4 of 5 in the red zone.
North Dakota State's defense was sparked by the career-high 14 tackles by linebacker Joe Mays, while Thompson had nine tackles including two tackles for loss of 10 yards, one sack and one pass breakup. Alvin Robinson, Craig Dahl and Justin Frick were each credited with eight tackles. Dragosavich punted five times for an average of 47.4 yards per pick including three touchbacks and two inside the NSU 20-yard line.
Linebacker Cory Vavala led the Nicholls State defense with 12 tackles, while Naton Stewart had seven stops. Henry Johnson added five tackles and a pair of pass breakups.
NORTH DAKOTA STATE ON THE ROAD: The loss to Montana State snapped a three-game road win streak for North Dakota State ... The Bison ended the 2004 season with wins at Weber State and UC Davis ... NDSU is now 7-5 on the road over the past three years and 14-14 since 2000 ... North Dakota State is 14-11 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 12th place on the NDSU career rushing charts with 2,183 yards and 21 TDs on 430 carries.
For the season, Steffes has carried the ball 109 times for 552 yards (5.2 avg.) and five touchdowns for an average of 110.4 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. 17 in I-AA pass efficiency with a 150.15 rating ... Walker has completed 57 of 100 passes for 803 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 matched 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 18 receptions for 234 yards (13 avg.) and two TDs ... Senior tight end AJ Cooper has snared 10 passes for 203 yards (20.3 avg.) and two TDs, while senior wide receiver Marques Johnson has nine catches for 205 yards (22.8 avg.) and one TD ... Johnson with 87 career receptions and 1,391 yards needs two more catches to move past former NFL receiver Stacy Robinson (88, 1982-84) at No. 5 and five 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-2.00 turnover margin, which is tied for second in I-AA football ... The Bison defense is No. 3 in scoring defense (9.4 ppg), No. 9 in total defense (257.0 ypg), No. 10 in interceptions (8), and No. 13 in turnovers gained (13).
THE DEFENSE STATES ITS CASE: North Dakota State's defense scored in four of five 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 five games, the opposition is 24 of 70 for 34 percent on third down ... On the other side of the ball, the Bison offense is 28 of 63 for 44 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. 3 ... It was the second time this season and third time 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 24 times for an average of 44 yards per punt, including six inside the opponents 20-yard line, six touchbacks and one fair catch ... He ranks third in the conference and seventh 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 120.6 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. 3 in punt returns (22.33 ypr) 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. 11 in the fourth regular season ESPN/USA Today I-AA Coaches Top 25 poll released Oct. 3 ... NDSU was ranked No. 8 on Sept. 19, the highest ranking the Bison football team has achieved since moving to NCAA I-AA ... The fifth regular season ESPN/USA Today I-AA Coaches Top 25 will be released on Monday, Oct. 10 ... North Dakota State was ranked No. 12 in The Sports Network I-AA Top 25 poll released Oct. 3 ... The fifth regular season poll is scheduled to be released Monday, Oct. 10 ... Cal Poly is No. 9 in 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 begins its second season at the Division I-AA level 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.
The Bison open Great West Football Conference play against defending league champion and preseason favorite Cal Poly at 8 p.m. (CST) Saturday, Oct. 8, at Mustang in San Luis Obispo ... The Mustangs were 9-2 last season.
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: North Dakota State University head football coach Craig Bohl announced several freshmen will have the redshirt taken off this season. 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.) has 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.
Backup wide receiver Nick Jackson (East Cleveland, Ohio) is out for a month with a separated shoulder sustained in the Weber State contest.
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 207 conference games (161-44-2, .783)
-Won 224 of the last 287 games (224-61-2, .783)
-Won 198 of the last 250 regular-season games (198-50-2, .791) 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.
