NDSU No. 3 in Athlon Sports 2012 College Football Preview FCS Preseason Top 25
7/23/2012 2:00:00 PM | Football
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—North Dakota State was listed at No. 3 in Athlon Sports 2012 College Football Preview magazine NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) preseason top 25.
The Bison were one of
five Missouri Valley Football Conference teams listed in the top 25 which
included No. 9 Youngstown State, No. 14 Indiana State, No. 15 Illinois State,
and No. 20 Northern Iowa.
The Athlon Sports capsule on North Dakota State said “Coach Craig Bohl is confident that the loss of 11 starters won't prevent the reigning national champs from challenging for back-to-back titles. Junior cornerback Marcus Williams was electrifying for last year's stingiest defense in the FCS (12.7 ppg). Third-year quarterback Brock Jensen keeps improving for an offense that will be run-heavy behind 1,000-yard back Sam Ojuri.”
Williams was named to Athlon Sports Preseason FCS All-America
team. NDSU is one of four Valley Football teams projected by Athlon Sports as FCS playoff qualifiers.
The Bison are picked to be the MVFC champs and are joined by Illinois State,
Indiana State, and Youngstown State in the playoff field.
North Dakota State won the program's first NCAA Division I Football Championship with a 17-6 win over Sam Houston State on Jan. 7 and also claimed the program's first Missouri Valley Football Conference title. The Bison were 14-1 overall and 7-1 in MVFC.
The Bison open the
2012 season against Robert Morris at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1, at Gate City
Bank Field at the Fargodome.
Athlon Sports Preseason Top 25
1. Sam Houston State
2. Georgia Southern
3. North Dakota State
4. Montana State
5. James Madison
6. Old Dominion
7. Towson
8. Appalachian State
9. Youngstown State
10. New Hampshire
11. Delaware
12. Eastern Washington
13. Jacksonville State
14. Indiana State
15. Illinois State
16. Stony Brook
17. Montana
18. Eastern Kentucky
19. Wofford
20. Northern Iowa
21. Murray State
22. Harvard
23. Stephen F. Austin
24. Chattanooga
25. Lehigh
FCS All-America Team
Offense
QB Brad Sorensen, Southern Utah
RB Shakir Bell, Indiana State
RB Tim Flanders, Sam Houston State
WR Nicholas Edwards, Eastern Washington
WR Aaron Mellette, Elon
TE Colin Anderson, Furman
C Dan Shirey, Villanova
G Malcolm Boyd, Liberty
G Earl Wotford, James Madison
T Aaron Adams, Eastern Kentucky
T Blake Matthews, Norfolk State
Defense
DE Blake Oliaro, San Diego
DE Ben Obaseki, Indiana State
DT Zach Minter, Montana State
DT Brent Russell, Georgia Southern
LB Matt Evans, New Hampshire
LB Blake Peiffer, Southeast Missouri State
LB Keith Pough, Howard
CB Demetrius McCray, Appalachian State
CB Marcus Williams, North Dakota State
S Kejuan Riley, Alabama State
S Darnell Taylor, Sam
Houston State
Specialists
K Zach Brown, Portland State
P Jonathan Plisco, Old Dominion
KR Kevin Fogg, Liberty
PR Darius Carey, McNeese State
AP Richard Sincere, Sam Houston State
Projected FCS Playoff Qualifiers
Appalachian State (at-large)
Bethune-Cookman (MEAC champ)
Bryant (Northeast champ)
Delaware (at-large)
Eastern Washington (at-large)
Georgia Southern (Southern champ)
Illinois State (at-large)
Indiana State (at-large)
Jacksonville State (Ohio Valley champ)
James Madison (CAA champ)
Lehigh (Patriot champ)
Montana State (Big Sky champ)
Montana (at-large)
New Hampshire (at-large)
North Dakota State (Missouri Valley champ)
Old Dominion (at-large)
Sam Houston State (Southland champ)
Stony Brook (Big South Champ)
Towson (at-large)
Youngstown State (at-large)
