Friday, December 16
Fargo, N.D.
6 p.m.
North Dakota State
vs
James Madison
Photo by: Tim Sanger
MVFC, CAA Champs Meet in Friday Night FCS Semifinal on ESPN2
12/12/2016 4:35:00 PM | Football
Live Stats | Live Audio | Live Video
NDSU Notes | JMU Notes | Playoff Bracket
THIS WEEK: Champions of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and Colonial Athletic Association meet this week when No. 1 seed North Dakota State (12-1) hosts No. 4 seed James Madison (12-1) in the semifinal round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (18,700). The winner advances to the Jan. 7 national championship game in Frisco, Texas, against the winner of Saturday's semifinal featuring Youngstown State (11-3) at No. 2 seed Eastern Washington (12-1).
TELEVISION: ESPN2 will televise the game live with Anish Shroff play-by-play, Ahmad Brooks analyst and Cole Cubelic sidelines. Video streaming will be available on WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app through participating television providers.
RADIO: Coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. on KPFX-FM 107.9 The Fox and the Peterson Farms Seed Bison Radio Network with Jeff Culhane play-by-play, NDSU and Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer Phil Hansen analyst, and NDSU's Jeremy Jorgenson sidelines. A free live audio stream of the Bison Radio Network broadcast is available on GoBison.com/allaccess. Extended coverage on 107.9 The Fox and Bison 1660 includes "Bison Game Day" from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and "Bison Hotline" for 2 hours following the network broadcast with hosts Keith Brake, Chris Hanson and former NDSU safety Christian Dudzik.
THE SERIES: This is the second meeting between North Dakota State and James Madison. NDSU won 26-14 in Fargo in the second round of the 2011 FCS playoffs. The Bison are 4-0 against CAA teams including wins over New Hampshire in the 2013 semifinals (52-14), Towson in the 2013 championship (35-7), and Richmond in the 2015 semifinals (33-7).
NDSU STOPS SDSU IN QUARTERFINALS: North Dakota State rushed for 302 yards and held South Dakota State to 30 yards of total offense in the final three quarters of a 36-10 quarterfinal victory. NDSU rebounded from its first double-digit deficit in more than a year with 36 unanswered points. King Frazier carried 15 times for 101 yards and Lance Dunn finished with 13 carries for 91 yards including a 49-yard TD run. Quarterback Easton Stick had 16 carries for 83 yards and two TDs and went 12 of 21 passing for 188 yards including a 67-yard passing TD to Darrius Shepherd, who had four catches for a career-high 105 yards all in the second half. Greg Menard had five tackles including a strip sack and fumble recovery, Tre Dempsey intercepted his sixth pass of the season, defensive tackle Grant Morgan scored on a safety, and Caleb Butler had a pair of sacks. It was NDSU's third win over SDSU in three FCS playoff rematches. The Bison held the ball for a season-high 40:55 including a 20-play, 82-yard, 12:09 scoring drive in the second quarter to go ahead 14-10.
BISON BEAT SAN DIEGO IN SECOND ROUND: Easton Stick passed for 208 yards and an NDSU postseason-record three TDs to lead NDSU to a 45-7 victory over San Diego in the second round. Chase Morlock caught touchdowns of 16 and 49 yards, RJ Urzendowski caught an 11-yard TD, and running backs Lance Dunn and Bruce Anderson scored on fourth-quarter runs of 56 and 61 yards, respectively, to put an exclamation point on NDSU's 21st straight postseason victory. The Bison averaged 9.6 yards per carry and rushed for 299 yards against the top-ranked defense in FCS. MJ Stumpf had eight tackles plus a 40-yard interception return TD.
SEVEN STRAIGHT POSTSEASONS: This is NDSU's seventh straight FCS playoff appearance and 30th postseason trip overall. The Bison are 59-14 in the postseason and 54-13 in the NCAA playoff format since 1973. NDSU has won 22 straight FCS playoff games since the 2010 quarterfinal loss in overtime at Eastern Washington, the eventual national champion that year.
SIX STRAIGHT CONFERENCE TITLES: North Dakota State won a share of its sixth straight Missouri Valley Football Conference championship this season, tying South Dakota State with a 7-1 record in league play. NDSU won outright MVFC titles in 2012 and 2013. The Bison shared the 2011 title with Northern Iowa and the 2014 and 2015 crowns with Illinois State. North Dakota State has won 33 football conference championships including 26 in the North Central Conference (last in 1994) and one in the Great West Football Conference (2006).
FIVE STRAIGHT NATIONAL TITLES: North Dakota State won its 13th football national championship last season. NDSU claimed three College Division national championships in 1965, 1968 and 1969, five Division II titles in 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988 and 1990, and is the first team in college football history to win five straight national championships with FCS titles in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: NDSU is 18-0 at home in the FCS playoffs and has won 19 straight home playoff games including a 1992 Division II first round victory against Northeast Missouri State in the final game at Dacotah Field. Minnesota State Mankato was the last team to beat NDSU at home in the playoffs, a 27-7 defeat in the 1991 Division II first round. The past six FCS national champions have played all their playoff games at home, a luxury NDSU is enjoying for the sixth straight season.
BISON AT HOME: North Dakota State is 55-5 at home since 2010. The Bison have won 54 of the last 55 home games over non-conference opponents including 45 straight since a 2003 loss to UC Davis. NDSU is 16-3 at home all-time against FCS Top 10 teams. North Dakota State ranks fifth in the FCS with an average home attendance of 18,590 through eight games and has drawn 18,000-plus to 46 straight home contests.
LEAGUE-BEST 12 ALL-MVFC: North Dakota State led all schools with 12 players named to the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference team plus three honorable mentions by a vote of the league's media, head coaches and sports information directors. First team picks were running back King Frazier, fullback Chase Morlock, left guard Zack Johnson, right tackle Landon Lechler, linebacker MJ Stumpf, defensive end Greg Menard, and safeties Tre Dempsey and Robbie Grimsley. Second team selections were right guard Jack Plankers, tight end Jeff Illies, defensive tackle Nate Tanguay, and long snapper James Fisher. Linebacker Pierre Gee-Tucker, cornerback Jalen Allison and quarterback Easton Stick earned honorable mention. The 12 honorees are NDSU's second most in nine years of conference membership behind only the 15-0 team of 2013 that landed 14 players between the All-MVFC first and second teams.
ALL-NEWCOMER KOONCE SHUTS DOWN PUNT RETURN GAME: North Dakota State leads the FCS in punt return defense with only three opponent punt returns going for a net 0.0 yards. The FCS record is 0.96 yards allowed per punt return by the 1988 Yale team that held opponents to 23 yards on 24 returns. NDSU junior punter Jackson Koonce was named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team and is averaging 36.9 yards on 55 punts with a long of 54 at Western Illinois, 34 fair catches and 13 punts inside the 20.
ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS: Defensive end Greg Menard (3.82 civil engineering) was a repeat pick to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® first team. Safety Robbie Grimsley (3.58 exercise science) and running back Chase Morlock (3.81 exercise science) were voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 6 team. Menard, Morlock and quarterback Easton Stick (3.90 sport management) were voted to the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Academic first team and Grimsley was second team.
BISON THIRD NATIONALLY IN SCORING DEFENSE: North Dakota State has the No. 3 scoring defense in FCS allowing 15.8 points per game, best among the final four teams in the FCS playoffs. Youngstown State is seventh (18.1 ppg), James Madison 24th (22.1 ppg) and Eastern Washington 48th (25.5 ppg). NDSU ranks fifth in the FCS in red zone defense holding opponents to 29 scores in 42 trips (69%) inside the 20 with only 19 touchdowns.
DUKES SCORING EARLY AND OFTEN: James Madison is the No. 1 scoring team in the FCS with an average of 49.6 points per game and the Dukes are getting on the board early, outscoring opponents 14-3 on average in the first quarter. JMU has scored 183 points in its last three contests, including a 65-7 win over Sam Houston State in last week's quarterfinals. It was the most points in the FCS playoffs since 1999 and the second largest margin of victory in the FCS playoffs behind Montana's 70-7 win over Troy in the 1996 semifinals.
DUNN CLOSING IN ON 1,000 YARDS: Sophomore running back Lance Dunn enters Friday's game with a team-high 940 rushing yards and is averaging 109.7 yards over the past three contests. Dunn has three 100-yard games this year including a career-high 145 in the regular-season finale at South Dakota. NDSU has had a 1,000-yard rusher 13 straight seasons including King Frazier's 1,158 yards last year.
RUSHING GAME HEATING UP: North Dakota State's rushing game has been heating up over the past six weeks. The Bison have rushed for 1,670 yards the past six games (278.3 ypg) against Northern Iowa (217), Youngstown State (240), Indiana State (243), South Dakota (season-high 369), San Diego (299) and South Dakota State (302). NDSU is third in the FCS in tackles for loss allowed (3.62/game) and ninth in rushing offense with 249.2 ypg.
RUSHING DEFENSE: NDSU has the No. 8 rushing defense in FCS with opponents averaging 99.2 yards per game on the ground with only nine rushing touchdowns. The Bison held six opponents to season lows rushing—Iowa (34), Illinois State (37), Missouri State (30), Western Illinois (86), Northern Iowa (68) and Youngstown State (92). James Madison ranks fourth in rushing offense with 291.0 yards per game and a season-low of 126 at Villanova.
INTERCEPTION LEADERS: Junior free safety Tre Dempsey leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference with six interceptions and is tied for second with 12 passes defended. NDSU has picked off a pass in 11 of 13 games and leads the MVFC with 18 interceptions including three pick-sixes, one by Nick DeLuca against Eastern Washington two by MJ Stumpf against Iowa and San Diego.
TOUGHEST SCHEDULES: Five of the top 10 and seven of the 20 toughest schedules in the FCS reside in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with North Dakota State ranked first based on opponent win-loss records.
RANKED OPPONENTS: NDSU's seven Top 25 regular season opponents this year were the most the Bison have faced in a Division I regular season, and James Madison is the 10th this season, tying high mark of 10 ranked opponents faced in 2014. NDSU opened this year with four straight wins over Top 25 foes, including the 11th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes in FBS. It was the first time since 2008 that NDSU has played four straight Top 25 teams in the regular season.
NARROW LOSSES: North Dakota State's last three losses have all come on the last play of the game, and seven of the last eight losses have been by a combined 24 points. NDSU has only three double-digit losses since the beginning of the 2010 season—Western Illinois (2010), at Illinois State (2010), and at Northern Iowa (2014).
NDSU Losses, since 2010
2016 - South Dakota State, 19-17*
2015 - South Dakota, 24-21*
2015 - at Montana, 38-35*
2014 - at Northern Iowa, 23-3
2012 - Indiana State, 17-14
2011 - Youngstown State, 27-24
2010 - at Eastern Washington, 38-31 (OT)
2010 - at Missouri State, 3-0
2010 - at Illinois State, 34-24
2010 - Western Illinois, 28-16
2010 - at Northern Iowa, 16-9
*games won on final play
BOUNCING BACK: North Dakota State has won the next game after its last 13 losses, including road wins at Western Illinois (2016), Indiana State (2015), Missouri State (2014), South Dakota (2012), Western Illinois (2011) and Youngstown State (2010). NDSU has not suffered consecutive losses since a five-game losing streak in 2009.
SECOND LONGEST STREAK: NDSU's 14-game winning streak snapped by South Dakota State on Oct. 15 was the second longest in Missouri Valley Football Conference history behind NDSU's 33-game streak that spanned the 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons. The previous MVFC mark was 13 straight wins by Western Kentucky (2002-03) and Northern Iowa (2006-07).
TURNOVER LEADERS: North Dakota State leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference and is 15th in the FCS with a +10 turnover margin. NDSU has a 78-27 advantage over opponents in points off turnovers. James Madison is seventh in the FCS with a +16 margin and is outscoring teams 125-23 off turnovers.
ANDERSON KICK RETURN CAREER LEADER: NDSU sophomore Bruce Anderson is the FCS active career leader in kickoff returns with a 29.2 average. Anderson has 31 career returns for 905 yards and two touchdowns. He had 585 yards and a school-record 36.56 yards per return last year, including 100- and 97-yard touchdowns in the NCAA playoffs.
SUCCESS VS. THE FBS: North Dakota State has a 9-3 record against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents and has won six in a row against FBS foes since 2010 with wins at Kansas (6-3), Minnesota (37-24), Colorado State (22-7), Kansas State (24-21), Iowa State (34-14) and 11th-ranked Iowa (23-21). NDSU did not play an FBS opponent in 2015 and does not have any other FBS opponents scheduled until Oregon in 2020 and Colorado in 2024. NDSU's first three FBS wins were against Ball State (2006), Central Michigan (2007) and Minnesota (2007).
BACK-TO-BACK OVERTIMES: After not playing a home overtime game in the history of NDSU football, the Bison started the season with back-to-back OT home wins over Charleston Southern (24-17) and Eastern Washington (50-44). NDSU scored on its first offensive play in both games, getting a 25-yard run from King Frazier and a 25-yard run from Lance Dunn. NDSU is the first Valley Football team to open a season with back-to-back OT wins.
FOURTH QUARTER MARCH: North Dakota State held the ball for 10:45 and outgained Iowa 126 to minus-9 in the fourth quarter of NDSU's come-from-behind 23-21 victory. The Bison pulled within 21-20 with a 15-play, 80-yard drive that took 8:39 off the clock before getting a three-and-out on defense to set up the game-winning field goal drive. The 15-play march was reminiscent of NDSU's 18-play, 80-yard, 8:30 game-winning drive at Kansas State in 2013.
CONFERENCE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: The following players have earned Missouri Valley Football Conference player of the week awards this season:
— Zack Johnson, Offensive Line (2x)...Six knockdowns with zero hurries or sacks allowed in 73 snaps against Charleston Southern...Graded out at 98.6% on assignment and led the Bison line in finish (88%) and technique (76%)...Eight knockdowns in win at South Dakota...Graded 100% assignment and 84% technique as NDSU rolled to a season-high 369 yards rushing.
— Nick DeLuca, Defensive...After missing the second half of the season opener with a shoulder separation, made a game-high 15 tackles in the win over Eastern Washington...Also scored on a 40-yard interception return.
— MJ Stumpf, Defensive...Made three tackles and scored on a 21-yard interception return in the victory at Iowa...Downed a punt at the Iowa 2 to set up one of five three-and-outs...Part of a defensive unit that held Iowa to 34 yards rushing in the game and minus-7 after halftime.
— Cam Pedersen, Special Teams...Converted 2 of 2 PAT kicks and made a 37-yard field goal on the final play of the fourth quarter to give NDSU a 23-21 win at Iowa one week after a game-tying 28-yarder to force overtime in the win over Eastern Washington.
— Landon Lechler, Offensive Line...Five knockdowns with zero quarterback hurries or sacks in 70 snaps against Iowa...Led the Bison with a 100% assignment grade, 88% finish and 85% technique.
— Tre Dempsey, Defensive...Two second-half interceptions, one pass breakup in the end zone, one tackle for loss and four total tackles in NDSU's 24-20 victory at Northern Iowa.
— Austin Kuhnert, Offensive Line...Six knockdowns and did not allow a sack or hurry in 43 plays vs. Youngstown State...Graded 100% assignment, 87% technique and 84% finish as the Bison rushed for 240 yards against a YSU team allowing only 102.9 per game.
— Darrius Shepherd, Special Teams...84-yard punt return touchdown after the game's opening drive sparked a 41-17 rout of Indiana State...NDSU's first special teams TD of the season and Shepherd's first career return TD...Fourth longest punt return in NDSU history...Also had four pass receptions for 40 yards.
DeLUCA, TANGUAY OUT FOR SEASON: Senior middle linebacker Nick DeLuca had a season-ending shoulder surgery following the win at Iowa and can apply for a medical hardship to return to the Bison in 2017. DeLuca was the only FCS player on the watch list for the 32nd annual Butkus Award, honoring the nation's best collegiate linebacker, and also was on the STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year watch list. He was first-team all-conference and runner-up for Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2015. Junior defensive tackle Nate Tanguay suffered a knee injury against Youngstown State and will miss the remainder of the year. Tanguay was second-team all-conference with 31 tackles including 5.5 tackles for loss in nine starts.
COACHING STAFF INTACT: After having at least one new assistant coach every year since beginning Division I play in 2004, North Dakota State has the same full-time coaching staff for the third straight season under head coach Chris Klieman. NDSU made two changes to support staff adding former Bison defensive back Bryan Shepherd as defensive assistant and former Wisconsin-Stout assistant Kody Morgan in the offensive quality control position.
MOST WINS IN DIVISION I FOOTBALL: NDSU has the most wins in Division I football with an 83-6 record since the beginning of the 2011 national championship season. The Bison went 14-1, 14-1, 15-0, 15-1 and 13-2 the past five years. Fifteen FCS programs have multiple 10-win seasons since 2011, and only four have reached the 10-win mark at least three times—NDSU (6), Sam Houston State (5), Eastern Washington (4) and Jacksonville State (4).
Most Wins Since 2011, Division I
83 - North Dakota State
75 - Alabama
68 - Sam Houston State
68 - Clemson
67 - Florida State
67 - Ohio State
BIG LEAGUE BISON: North Dakota State will host Butler at Target Field in Minneapolis in the season opener August 31, 2019. It will be the first Division I football game at the Major League Baseball stadium, which is hosting a Division III game next year between in-state rivals St. Thomas and Saint John's. NDSU has more than 12,000 alumni in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and nearly 26,000 alumni across Minnesota. The game is in addition to a six-game home schedule at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome in 2019, which is a 12-game regular season.
#PROBISON: North Dakota State has eight former players active in the NFL and two others in the CFL. Three Bison from last season are still with NFL teams including No. 2 overall draft pick Carson Wentz, fifth-round pick Joe Haeg, and undrafted free agent CJ Smith. On the sidelines, former Bison safety/punter (1984-1988) and longtime assistant coach (1996-2005) Gus Bradley is in his fourth season as the Jaguars' head coach.
NDSU Notes | JMU Notes | Playoff Bracket
THIS WEEK: Champions of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and Colonial Athletic Association meet this week when No. 1 seed North Dakota State (12-1) hosts No. 4 seed James Madison (12-1) in the semifinal round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship at 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (18,700). The winner advances to the Jan. 7 national championship game in Frisco, Texas, against the winner of Saturday's semifinal featuring Youngstown State (11-3) at No. 2 seed Eastern Washington (12-1).
TELEVISION: ESPN2 will televise the game live with Anish Shroff play-by-play, Ahmad Brooks analyst and Cole Cubelic sidelines. Video streaming will be available on WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app through participating television providers.
RADIO: Coverage begins at 5:30 p.m. on KPFX-FM 107.9 The Fox and the Peterson Farms Seed Bison Radio Network with Jeff Culhane play-by-play, NDSU and Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer Phil Hansen analyst, and NDSU's Jeremy Jorgenson sidelines. A free live audio stream of the Bison Radio Network broadcast is available on GoBison.com/allaccess. Extended coverage on 107.9 The Fox and Bison 1660 includes "Bison Game Day" from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and "Bison Hotline" for 2 hours following the network broadcast with hosts Keith Brake, Chris Hanson and former NDSU safety Christian Dudzik.
THE SERIES: This is the second meeting between North Dakota State and James Madison. NDSU won 26-14 in Fargo in the second round of the 2011 FCS playoffs. The Bison are 4-0 against CAA teams including wins over New Hampshire in the 2013 semifinals (52-14), Towson in the 2013 championship (35-7), and Richmond in the 2015 semifinals (33-7).
NDSU STOPS SDSU IN QUARTERFINALS: North Dakota State rushed for 302 yards and held South Dakota State to 30 yards of total offense in the final three quarters of a 36-10 quarterfinal victory. NDSU rebounded from its first double-digit deficit in more than a year with 36 unanswered points. King Frazier carried 15 times for 101 yards and Lance Dunn finished with 13 carries for 91 yards including a 49-yard TD run. Quarterback Easton Stick had 16 carries for 83 yards and two TDs and went 12 of 21 passing for 188 yards including a 67-yard passing TD to Darrius Shepherd, who had four catches for a career-high 105 yards all in the second half. Greg Menard had five tackles including a strip sack and fumble recovery, Tre Dempsey intercepted his sixth pass of the season, defensive tackle Grant Morgan scored on a safety, and Caleb Butler had a pair of sacks. It was NDSU's third win over SDSU in three FCS playoff rematches. The Bison held the ball for a season-high 40:55 including a 20-play, 82-yard, 12:09 scoring drive in the second quarter to go ahead 14-10.
BISON BEAT SAN DIEGO IN SECOND ROUND: Easton Stick passed for 208 yards and an NDSU postseason-record three TDs to lead NDSU to a 45-7 victory over San Diego in the second round. Chase Morlock caught touchdowns of 16 and 49 yards, RJ Urzendowski caught an 11-yard TD, and running backs Lance Dunn and Bruce Anderson scored on fourth-quarter runs of 56 and 61 yards, respectively, to put an exclamation point on NDSU's 21st straight postseason victory. The Bison averaged 9.6 yards per carry and rushed for 299 yards against the top-ranked defense in FCS. MJ Stumpf had eight tackles plus a 40-yard interception return TD.
SEVEN STRAIGHT POSTSEASONS: This is NDSU's seventh straight FCS playoff appearance and 30th postseason trip overall. The Bison are 59-14 in the postseason and 54-13 in the NCAA playoff format since 1973. NDSU has won 22 straight FCS playoff games since the 2010 quarterfinal loss in overtime at Eastern Washington, the eventual national champion that year.
SIX STRAIGHT CONFERENCE TITLES: North Dakota State won a share of its sixth straight Missouri Valley Football Conference championship this season, tying South Dakota State with a 7-1 record in league play. NDSU won outright MVFC titles in 2012 and 2013. The Bison shared the 2011 title with Northern Iowa and the 2014 and 2015 crowns with Illinois State. North Dakota State has won 33 football conference championships including 26 in the North Central Conference (last in 1994) and one in the Great West Football Conference (2006).
FIVE STRAIGHT NATIONAL TITLES: North Dakota State won its 13th football national championship last season. NDSU claimed three College Division national championships in 1965, 1968 and 1969, five Division II titles in 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988 and 1990, and is the first team in college football history to win five straight national championships with FCS titles in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: NDSU is 18-0 at home in the FCS playoffs and has won 19 straight home playoff games including a 1992 Division II first round victory against Northeast Missouri State in the final game at Dacotah Field. Minnesota State Mankato was the last team to beat NDSU at home in the playoffs, a 27-7 defeat in the 1991 Division II first round. The past six FCS national champions have played all their playoff games at home, a luxury NDSU is enjoying for the sixth straight season.
BISON AT HOME: North Dakota State is 55-5 at home since 2010. The Bison have won 54 of the last 55 home games over non-conference opponents including 45 straight since a 2003 loss to UC Davis. NDSU is 16-3 at home all-time against FCS Top 10 teams. North Dakota State ranks fifth in the FCS with an average home attendance of 18,590 through eight games and has drawn 18,000-plus to 46 straight home contests.
LEAGUE-BEST 12 ALL-MVFC: North Dakota State led all schools with 12 players named to the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference team plus three honorable mentions by a vote of the league's media, head coaches and sports information directors. First team picks were running back King Frazier, fullback Chase Morlock, left guard Zack Johnson, right tackle Landon Lechler, linebacker MJ Stumpf, defensive end Greg Menard, and safeties Tre Dempsey and Robbie Grimsley. Second team selections were right guard Jack Plankers, tight end Jeff Illies, defensive tackle Nate Tanguay, and long snapper James Fisher. Linebacker Pierre Gee-Tucker, cornerback Jalen Allison and quarterback Easton Stick earned honorable mention. The 12 honorees are NDSU's second most in nine years of conference membership behind only the 15-0 team of 2013 that landed 14 players between the All-MVFC first and second teams.
ALL-NEWCOMER KOONCE SHUTS DOWN PUNT RETURN GAME: North Dakota State leads the FCS in punt return defense with only three opponent punt returns going for a net 0.0 yards. The FCS record is 0.96 yards allowed per punt return by the 1988 Yale team that held opponents to 23 yards on 24 returns. NDSU junior punter Jackson Koonce was named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team and is averaging 36.9 yards on 55 punts with a long of 54 at Western Illinois, 34 fair catches and 13 punts inside the 20.
ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS: Defensive end Greg Menard (3.82 civil engineering) was a repeat pick to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® first team. Safety Robbie Grimsley (3.58 exercise science) and running back Chase Morlock (3.81 exercise science) were voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 6 team. Menard, Morlock and quarterback Easton Stick (3.90 sport management) were voted to the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Academic first team and Grimsley was second team.
BISON THIRD NATIONALLY IN SCORING DEFENSE: North Dakota State has the No. 3 scoring defense in FCS allowing 15.8 points per game, best among the final four teams in the FCS playoffs. Youngstown State is seventh (18.1 ppg), James Madison 24th (22.1 ppg) and Eastern Washington 48th (25.5 ppg). NDSU ranks fifth in the FCS in red zone defense holding opponents to 29 scores in 42 trips (69%) inside the 20 with only 19 touchdowns.
DUKES SCORING EARLY AND OFTEN: James Madison is the No. 1 scoring team in the FCS with an average of 49.6 points per game and the Dukes are getting on the board early, outscoring opponents 14-3 on average in the first quarter. JMU has scored 183 points in its last three contests, including a 65-7 win over Sam Houston State in last week's quarterfinals. It was the most points in the FCS playoffs since 1999 and the second largest margin of victory in the FCS playoffs behind Montana's 70-7 win over Troy in the 1996 semifinals.
DUNN CLOSING IN ON 1,000 YARDS: Sophomore running back Lance Dunn enters Friday's game with a team-high 940 rushing yards and is averaging 109.7 yards over the past three contests. Dunn has three 100-yard games this year including a career-high 145 in the regular-season finale at South Dakota. NDSU has had a 1,000-yard rusher 13 straight seasons including King Frazier's 1,158 yards last year.
RUSHING GAME HEATING UP: North Dakota State's rushing game has been heating up over the past six weeks. The Bison have rushed for 1,670 yards the past six games (278.3 ypg) against Northern Iowa (217), Youngstown State (240), Indiana State (243), South Dakota (season-high 369), San Diego (299) and South Dakota State (302). NDSU is third in the FCS in tackles for loss allowed (3.62/game) and ninth in rushing offense with 249.2 ypg.
RUSHING DEFENSE: NDSU has the No. 8 rushing defense in FCS with opponents averaging 99.2 yards per game on the ground with only nine rushing touchdowns. The Bison held six opponents to season lows rushing—Iowa (34), Illinois State (37), Missouri State (30), Western Illinois (86), Northern Iowa (68) and Youngstown State (92). James Madison ranks fourth in rushing offense with 291.0 yards per game and a season-low of 126 at Villanova.
INTERCEPTION LEADERS: Junior free safety Tre Dempsey leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference with six interceptions and is tied for second with 12 passes defended. NDSU has picked off a pass in 11 of 13 games and leads the MVFC with 18 interceptions including three pick-sixes, one by Nick DeLuca against Eastern Washington two by MJ Stumpf against Iowa and San Diego.
TOUGHEST SCHEDULES: Five of the top 10 and seven of the 20 toughest schedules in the FCS reside in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with North Dakota State ranked first based on opponent win-loss records.
| Team | Conf. | Opp. W% |
| 1. North Dakota State (12-1) | MVFC | .663 |
| 2. Cal Poly (7-5) | Big Sky | .637 |
| 3. Richmond (10-4) | CAA | .636 |
| 4. South Dakota (4-7) | MVFC | .630 |
| 5. South Dakota State (9-4) | MVFC | .629 |
| — | ||
| 7. Northern Iowa (5-6) | MVFC | .626 |
| 9. Youngstown State (11-3) | MVFC | .607 |
| 15. Illinois State (6-6) | MVFC | .579 |
| 20. Missouri State (4-7) | MVFC | .573 |
RANKED OPPONENTS: NDSU's seven Top 25 regular season opponents this year were the most the Bison have faced in a Division I regular season, and James Madison is the 10th this season, tying high mark of 10 ranked opponents faced in 2014. NDSU opened this year with four straight wins over Top 25 foes, including the 11th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes in FBS. It was the first time since 2008 that NDSU has played four straight Top 25 teams in the regular season.
NARROW LOSSES: North Dakota State's last three losses have all come on the last play of the game, and seven of the last eight losses have been by a combined 24 points. NDSU has only three double-digit losses since the beginning of the 2010 season—Western Illinois (2010), at Illinois State (2010), and at Northern Iowa (2014).
NDSU Losses, since 2010
2016 - South Dakota State, 19-17*
2015 - South Dakota, 24-21*
2015 - at Montana, 38-35*
2014 - at Northern Iowa, 23-3
2012 - Indiana State, 17-14
2011 - Youngstown State, 27-24
2010 - at Eastern Washington, 38-31 (OT)
2010 - at Missouri State, 3-0
2010 - at Illinois State, 34-24
2010 - Western Illinois, 28-16
2010 - at Northern Iowa, 16-9
*games won on final play
BOUNCING BACK: North Dakota State has won the next game after its last 13 losses, including road wins at Western Illinois (2016), Indiana State (2015), Missouri State (2014), South Dakota (2012), Western Illinois (2011) and Youngstown State (2010). NDSU has not suffered consecutive losses since a five-game losing streak in 2009.
SECOND LONGEST STREAK: NDSU's 14-game winning streak snapped by South Dakota State on Oct. 15 was the second longest in Missouri Valley Football Conference history behind NDSU's 33-game streak that spanned the 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons. The previous MVFC mark was 13 straight wins by Western Kentucky (2002-03) and Northern Iowa (2006-07).
TURNOVER LEADERS: North Dakota State leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference and is 15th in the FCS with a +10 turnover margin. NDSU has a 78-27 advantage over opponents in points off turnovers. James Madison is seventh in the FCS with a +16 margin and is outscoring teams 125-23 off turnovers.
ANDERSON KICK RETURN CAREER LEADER: NDSU sophomore Bruce Anderson is the FCS active career leader in kickoff returns with a 29.2 average. Anderson has 31 career returns for 905 yards and two touchdowns. He had 585 yards and a school-record 36.56 yards per return last year, including 100- and 97-yard touchdowns in the NCAA playoffs.
SUCCESS VS. THE FBS: North Dakota State has a 9-3 record against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents and has won six in a row against FBS foes since 2010 with wins at Kansas (6-3), Minnesota (37-24), Colorado State (22-7), Kansas State (24-21), Iowa State (34-14) and 11th-ranked Iowa (23-21). NDSU did not play an FBS opponent in 2015 and does not have any other FBS opponents scheduled until Oregon in 2020 and Colorado in 2024. NDSU's first three FBS wins were against Ball State (2006), Central Michigan (2007) and Minnesota (2007).
BACK-TO-BACK OVERTIMES: After not playing a home overtime game in the history of NDSU football, the Bison started the season with back-to-back OT home wins over Charleston Southern (24-17) and Eastern Washington (50-44). NDSU scored on its first offensive play in both games, getting a 25-yard run from King Frazier and a 25-yard run from Lance Dunn. NDSU is the first Valley Football team to open a season with back-to-back OT wins.
FOURTH QUARTER MARCH: North Dakota State held the ball for 10:45 and outgained Iowa 126 to minus-9 in the fourth quarter of NDSU's come-from-behind 23-21 victory. The Bison pulled within 21-20 with a 15-play, 80-yard drive that took 8:39 off the clock before getting a three-and-out on defense to set up the game-winning field goal drive. The 15-play march was reminiscent of NDSU's 18-play, 80-yard, 8:30 game-winning drive at Kansas State in 2013.
CONFERENCE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: The following players have earned Missouri Valley Football Conference player of the week awards this season:
— Zack Johnson, Offensive Line (2x)...Six knockdowns with zero hurries or sacks allowed in 73 snaps against Charleston Southern...Graded out at 98.6% on assignment and led the Bison line in finish (88%) and technique (76%)...Eight knockdowns in win at South Dakota...Graded 100% assignment and 84% technique as NDSU rolled to a season-high 369 yards rushing.
— Nick DeLuca, Defensive...After missing the second half of the season opener with a shoulder separation, made a game-high 15 tackles in the win over Eastern Washington...Also scored on a 40-yard interception return.
— MJ Stumpf, Defensive...Made three tackles and scored on a 21-yard interception return in the victory at Iowa...Downed a punt at the Iowa 2 to set up one of five three-and-outs...Part of a defensive unit that held Iowa to 34 yards rushing in the game and minus-7 after halftime.
— Cam Pedersen, Special Teams...Converted 2 of 2 PAT kicks and made a 37-yard field goal on the final play of the fourth quarter to give NDSU a 23-21 win at Iowa one week after a game-tying 28-yarder to force overtime in the win over Eastern Washington.
— Landon Lechler, Offensive Line...Five knockdowns with zero quarterback hurries or sacks in 70 snaps against Iowa...Led the Bison with a 100% assignment grade, 88% finish and 85% technique.
— Tre Dempsey, Defensive...Two second-half interceptions, one pass breakup in the end zone, one tackle for loss and four total tackles in NDSU's 24-20 victory at Northern Iowa.
— Austin Kuhnert, Offensive Line...Six knockdowns and did not allow a sack or hurry in 43 plays vs. Youngstown State...Graded 100% assignment, 87% technique and 84% finish as the Bison rushed for 240 yards against a YSU team allowing only 102.9 per game.
— Darrius Shepherd, Special Teams...84-yard punt return touchdown after the game's opening drive sparked a 41-17 rout of Indiana State...NDSU's first special teams TD of the season and Shepherd's first career return TD...Fourth longest punt return in NDSU history...Also had four pass receptions for 40 yards.
DeLUCA, TANGUAY OUT FOR SEASON: Senior middle linebacker Nick DeLuca had a season-ending shoulder surgery following the win at Iowa and can apply for a medical hardship to return to the Bison in 2017. DeLuca was the only FCS player on the watch list for the 32nd annual Butkus Award, honoring the nation's best collegiate linebacker, and also was on the STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year watch list. He was first-team all-conference and runner-up for Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2015. Junior defensive tackle Nate Tanguay suffered a knee injury against Youngstown State and will miss the remainder of the year. Tanguay was second-team all-conference with 31 tackles including 5.5 tackles for loss in nine starts.
COACHING STAFF INTACT: After having at least one new assistant coach every year since beginning Division I play in 2004, North Dakota State has the same full-time coaching staff for the third straight season under head coach Chris Klieman. NDSU made two changes to support staff adding former Bison defensive back Bryan Shepherd as defensive assistant and former Wisconsin-Stout assistant Kody Morgan in the offensive quality control position.
MOST WINS IN DIVISION I FOOTBALL: NDSU has the most wins in Division I football with an 83-6 record since the beginning of the 2011 national championship season. The Bison went 14-1, 14-1, 15-0, 15-1 and 13-2 the past five years. Fifteen FCS programs have multiple 10-win seasons since 2011, and only four have reached the 10-win mark at least three times—NDSU (6), Sam Houston State (5), Eastern Washington (4) and Jacksonville State (4).
Most Wins Since 2011, Division I
83 - North Dakota State
75 - Alabama
68 - Sam Houston State
68 - Clemson
67 - Florida State
67 - Ohio State
BIG LEAGUE BISON: North Dakota State will host Butler at Target Field in Minneapolis in the season opener August 31, 2019. It will be the first Division I football game at the Major League Baseball stadium, which is hosting a Division III game next year between in-state rivals St. Thomas and Saint John's. NDSU has more than 12,000 alumni in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and nearly 26,000 alumni across Minnesota. The game is in addition to a six-game home schedule at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome in 2019, which is a 12-game regular season.
#PROBISON: North Dakota State has eight former players active in the NFL and two others in the CFL. Three Bison from last season are still with NFL teams including No. 2 overall draft pick Carson Wentz, fifth-round pick Joe Haeg, and undrafted free agent CJ Smith. On the sidelines, former Bison safety/punter (1984-1988) and longtime assistant coach (1996-2005) Gus Bradley is in his fourth season as the Jaguars' head coach.
| NFL Players | Year | Team |
| John Crockett, RB | 2nd | Green Bay Packers |
| Kyle Emanuel, LB | 2nd | San Diego Chargers |
| Joe Haeg, OL | 1st | Indianapolis Colts |
| Ramon Humber, LB | 8th | Buffalo Bills |
| CJ Smith, CB | 1st | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Billy Turner, OL | 3rd | Denver Broncos |
| Carson Wentz, QB | 1st | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Marcus Williams, CB | 3rd | New York Jets |
| CFL Players | Year | Team |
| Brock Jensen, QB | 2nd | Ottawa Redblacks |
| Ryan Smith, WR | 3rd | Winnipeg Blue Bombers |
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