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THIS WEEK:  No. 2 seed North Dakota State (10-1) and San Diego (10-2) meet for the second straight year in the second round of the NCAA Division I football playoffs. Game time is 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (18,700).
 
TELEVISION:  ESPN3 and ESPN College Extra will televise the game live with Shawn Kenney calling the play-by-play and Al Groh as color analyst.  ESPN3 is available through participating Internet service providers on WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app.  ESPN College Extra is available on DirecTV and Verizon Fios.
 
RADIO:  Coverage begins at 2 p.m. on 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.  Extended coverage locally on 107.9 The Fox, Bison 1660 and 92.7 FM includes "Bison Tailgate" from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. with Brad Jones, "Bison Game Day" from 12-2 p.m. and "Bison Hotline" for two hours following the network broadcast with hosts Keith Brake, Chris Hanson and former NDSU defensive end Cole Jirik.
 
TICKETS:  Reserved tickets are available on GoBison.com/tickets or at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex ticket office, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.  End zone seats are $30 and sideline seats are $40.  The Fargodome ticket office opens at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
 
THE SERIES:  North Dakota State won the only other meeting 45-7 over San Diego in last year's second round playoff game.  NDSU is 2-0 against teams from the Pioneer Football League with a 52-0 win over Valparaiso in the 2004 season opener, NDSU's first Division I game.  The Bison have games scheduled against PFL opponents in the 2019 season opener when NDSU hosts Butler at Target Field in Minneapolis and in 2020 hosting Drake in Fargo.
 
SEVENTH STRAIGHT VALLEY TITLE:  North Dakota State went 7-1 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference to win its third outright conference title (2012, 2013) and seventh straight title overall.  Northern Iowa is the only other MVFC team to win seven in a row (1990-1996).  NDSU's longest streak of conference titles is seven straight (1964-1970).  The Bison have won 34 conference titles altogether, including 26 in the North Central Conference and one in the Great West Football Conference (2006).
 
EIGHTH STRAIGHT POSTSEASON:  This is NDSU's eighth straight FCS playoff appearance and 31st postseason trip overall.  The Bison are 59-15 in the postseason and 54-14 in the NCAA playoff format since 1973.  North Dakota State has advanced to seven straight quarterfinals and six straight semifinals.
 
13-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS:  North Dakota State won its 13th football national championship in 2015.  NDSU claimed three College Division national championships in 1965, 1968 and 1969, five Division II titles in 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988 and 1990, and was the first team in college football history to win five straight national championships with FCS titles in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
 
FAMILIAR FOES:  This is the fourth time North Dakota State is facing an opponent in the FCS playoffs in consecutive seasons.  NDSU beat Georgia Southern in the 2011 and 2012 semifinals, Sam Houston State in the 2011 and 2012 championships, and Coastal Carolina in the 2013 and 2014 quarterfinals.  Other NDSU postseason opponents in back-to-back years include Montana (1969-1970), UC Davis (1982-1985), South Dakota (1985-1986), North Dakota (1994-1995) and Pittsburg State (1994-1995).
 
LAST YEAR VS. SAN DIEGO:  Easton Stick went 12 of 20 passing for 208 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for a game-high 99 yards in last year's 45-7 second round win over San Diego.  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.  The Bison had 299 rushing yards and averaged 9.6 yards per carry against the No. 1-ranked FCS scoring defense and total defense.  MJ Stumpf had a 40-yard interception return TD to open the scoring and it was 21-0 by halftime.  Ross Dwelley caught a 1-yard TD pass for San Diego's only score in the third quarter.  Jonah Hodges rushed 19 times for 93 yards and Anthony Lawrence was 24 of 39 passing for 201 yards.
 
KLIEMAN, COX TAKE TOP MVFC HONORS:  North Dakota State claimed three of the top five honors in the Missouri Valley Football Conference this year.  Chris Klieman was selected as the Bruce Craddock Coach of the Year for the first time in his career.  Linebacker Jabril Cox is the third player in conference history to sweep the Freshman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards, joining Northern Iowa quarterback Sawyer Kollmorgen and Youngstown State running back Martin Ruiz, and he is the first Bison player to win either award.
 
LEAGUE-BEST 11 ALL-CONFERENCE:  North Dakota State had a league-high 11 players voted to the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference team, the third most for NDSU in its 10 years in the league.  NDSU had six first team picks: fullback Connor Wentz, right guard Austin Kuhnert, long snapper James Fisher, linebacker Nick DeLuca, and safeties Tre Dempsey and Robbie Grimsley.  Second team selections from NDSU were running back Bruce Anderson, wide receiver RJ Urzendowski, center Tanner Volson, defensive tackle Aaron Steidl and linebacker Jabril Cox.  Right tackle Zack Johnson, kicker Cam Pedersen, quarterback Easton Stick and defensive tackle Nate Tanguay earned honorable mention.
 
GRIMSLEY ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT:  Junior safety Robbie Grimsley was voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-District® team for the second straight season with a 3.56 GPA in criminal justice and is on the ballot for CoSIDA Academic All-America® honors.  The Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Academic Team will be announced Wednesday.
 
NATIONAL AWARD FINALISTS:  North Dakota State has three finalists for the top four national awards presented by STATS FCS.  For the third time in four years as head coach, Chris Klieman is a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award presented to the FCS coach of the year.  Senior linebacker Nick DeLuca is a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award presented to the top defensive player, and linebacker Jabril Cox is a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award presented to the top freshman in the FCS.
 
KLIEMAN WINS 50th GAME:  Chris Klieman won his 50th game as North Dakota State head coach in the regular-season finale at Illinois State.  He is just the fifth Bison coach to reach that mark and the second fastest to 50 wins behind Ron Erhardt.  Klieman has a 50-6 record at NDSU and has guided the Bison to their seventh straight conference championship and two national titles.  The Bison are 28-4 in the MVFC the past four seasons, have gone 30-5 against FCS Top 25 teams, and have an FBS Top 25 win over No. 11 Iowa.  North Dakota State is 10-1 this season and has an FCS-best six Top 25 victories.
 
POLL POSITION:  North Dakota State is ranked fourth in the final regular-season STATS FCS Top 25 and FCS Coaches Poll.  The Bison have been in 104 straight STATS FCS polls and 109 of the last 110.  Since beating Minnesota and climbing to No. 5 on Sept. 26, 2011, the Bison have been in the top five all but three weeks in 2015.
 
AFTER THE OPEN WEEK:  North Dakota State has won 25 straight games after an open week in the regular season and playoffs since a 2005 home loss to UC Davis.  That streak includes 15 home games, five road games and five national championship games in Frisco, Texas.
 
BOUNCING BACK:  The win over South Dakota was NDSU's 15th straight victory after a loss.  NDSU's last consecutive losses came in 2009 when the Bison lost five straight.  Since then, South Dakota was the highest-rated opponent NDSU has faced after a loss, behind No. 18 Indiana State (2015) and No. 12 Western Illinois (2016).
 
BISON AT HOME:  NDSU is 61-6 at home since 2010.  The Bison have won 56 of the last 58 home games over non-conference opponents including 45 straight before last year's NCAA semifinal loss to James Madison.  NDSU is 18-4 at home all-time against FCS Top 10 teams and 18-1 at home in the FCS playoffs.  North Dakota State ranks sixth in FCS this year with an average home attendance of 18,607 and has drawn 18,000-plus to 53 straight home contests.
 
AFTER HALFTIME:  North Dakota State has scored on its opening drive of the half 15 of 22 times this year with 13 touchdowns and two field goals.  That includes touchdowns on the opening drive of the second half in 8 of 11 games.  The Bison are averaging more than 18 minutes in time of possession and outscoring opponents 214-53 after halftime.
 
GETTING TO THE QUARTERBACK:  North Dakota State's 42 sacks this year are the fifth most in school single-season history.  NDSU had nine players combine for 17 sacks against Youngstown State, Western Illinois and Northern Iowa, the second most in any three-game stretch for NDSU as a Division I program (18 in final three games of 2008).  The Bison led the MVFC with 25 sacks in eight conference games and rank 13th in the FCS with 3.00 sacks per game overall.  Caleb Butler and Derrek Tuszka lead NDSU with 4.5 sacks each, and Jabril Cox has 4.0 sacks and a team-best 9.0 tackles for loss.
 
STOPPING THE RUN:  The Bison, who have allowed just nine rushing TDs this year, continue to lead the Missouri Valley Football Conference in rushing defense with 90.0 yards per game (8th in FCS) and 2.81 yards per carry (10th in FCS).  Only three other Division I NDSU teams have allowed fewer than 100 rushing yards per game in a full season.
            NDSU Rushing Defense, since 2004
            67.2 yards per game allowed in 2006 (2.5/carry)
            90.0 yards per game allowed in 2017 (2.8/carry)
            91.3 yards per game allowed in 2013 (2.9/carry)
            93.9 yards per game allowed in 2012 (3.0/carry)
 
INTERCEPTION LEADERS:  Safety Tre Dempsey leads NDSU with five interceptions and his 15 career picks are tied with Tremon Smith of Central Arkansas for second most among active FCS players behind Southern's Danny Johnson (16).  Dempsey's 15 picks are third most in NDSU history behind Marcus Williams (21) and Steve Krumrei (16).
 
URZENDOWSKI ON NDSU CAREER LISTS:  Wide receiver RJ Urzendowski continues to climb the NDSU career receiving charts.  He ranks fifth with 2,287 yards and is approaching Tim Strehlow (2,332 yards from 1996-99) on the all-time list.  Urzendowski's 21 career TD catches are fifth behind TR McDonald (22 from 1990-93) and his 138 receptions are sixth behind Ryan Smith (147 from 2010-13).  He has caught at least one pass in 49 of 56 career games.
 
JORDHEIM, DELUCA TIE RECORDS:  Linebacker Levi Jordheim's three fumble recoveries against Northern Iowa tied the NDSU record set by Don Meyer at Northern Michigan in 1976 and the Missouri Valley Football Conference record set by Missouri State's Dempster Jackson in 1985 vs. Southern Illinois.  Linebacker Nick DeLuca's two strip sacks tied the NDSU record of two forced fumbles done 31 times by 28 players, most recently by defensive end Cole Jirik in the 2012 win at Illinois State.
 
TIGHT END PRODUCTION:  NDSU tight ends have been a steady weapon in the NDSU passing game this season.  Seniors Connor Wentz and Jeff Illies, junior Nate Jenson and sophomore Ben Ellefson have combined for 36 catches totaling 531 yards and eight TDs.
 
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:  North Dakota State has had seven players earn nine Missouri Valley Football Conference player of the week honors this season:
        —Tanner Volson, Offensive Line (2x)...Graded 100% assignment and 87% technique with zero sacks against Mississippi Valley State...NDSU averaged 17.5 yards per carry while in the game...Graded 97% assignement and 83% technique with team-high seven knockdowns and zero sacks in win over South Dakota.
        —Robbie Grimsley, Defensive...Two interceptions, two pass breakups and four tackles at Eastern Washington...Part of a defense that held EWU to 73 yards in the final three quarters.
        —Lance Dunn, Offensive...Scored four TDs on four plays against Robert Morris...Had runs of 61, 5 and 45 yards and a 10-yard catch for 121 all-purpose yards.
        —Jabril Cox, Newcomer (2x)...Team-high eight tackles including four on kickoff coverage, a fumble recovery and a tackle for loss as NDSU held Robert Morris to 57 total yards, four first downs and one trip past midfield...STATS FCS Freshman of the Week after a career-high eight tackles with two sacks and another key tackle for loss in overtime of a win at Youngstown State
        —Cam Pedersen, Special Teams...Kicked a 36-yard game-winning field goal in overtime at Youngstown State...Also had a 19-yarder to tie the game at halftime and went 3 of 3 on PATs.
        —Easton Stick, Offensive...Completed first 11 passes and finished 11 of 12 for 307 yards and a TD in the win over South Dakota...Also rushed seven times for 39 yards and a TD.
        —Jalen Allison, Defensive...Team-high and career-high 10 tackles with one sack in the win over South Dakota...Part of a defensive effort that registered four sacks, nine QB hurries, and held USD to 14 points, its lowest scoring output in two years.
 
SENIOR CLASS:  North Dakota State's 20-man senior class includes 17 fifth-year seniors who arrived on campus for the 15-0 national championship season in 2013 plus wide receiver RJ Urzendowski, who played as a true freshman in 2014.  The Bison have a 50-6 record since 2014 with two NCAA FCS championships, four Missouri Valley Football Conference titles, a 30-3 home record, a 10-1 postseason record, and a 30-5 record over FCS Top 25 opponents.
 
WILSON THIRD FRESHMAN TO PLAY:  Running back Seth Wilson from Holmen, Wis., made is debut in the Northern Iowa game and is the third true freshman to play for NDSU this season.  Defensive end Logan McCormick from Appleton, Wis., and cornerback Josh Hayes from Lakeland, Fla., have played since the season opener against Mississippi Valley State.  They were the first true freshmen to play for NDSU since 2015.  NDSU redshirted its entire freshman class in 2016, the only time that has happened in 14 years of Division I football.
 
PEDERSEN TIES PAT RECORD:  Junior placekicker Cam Pedersen tied the 49-year old school record of 10 PAT kicks made in the 72-7 win over Mississippi Valley State.  The mark was set in 1968 by Ken Blazei against Augustana (S.D.).  Pedersen ranks third all-time at NDSU for PAT kicks made (161) and attempted (167).  He also ranks fourth in field goals made (35) and attempted (56).
 
RECORD DAY FOR BISON OFFENSE:  North Dakota State set highs for points, rushing yards and total offense in 14 years of Division I football in the 72-7 win over Mississippi Valley State.  The 683 yards of total offense were the most for the Bison in 29 years and the fourth highest in school single-game history.  NDSU's 498 rushing yards ranked seventh in school history.  NDSU scored touchdowns on its first five possessions with only one drive longer than three plays, and the Bison built a 44-0 lead early in the second quarter.
 
EARLY-SEASON SCORING:  North Dakota State's 168 points scored through the first three games was the most in NDSU's Division I history and second most in the modern era of the program.  The 2000 NCAA playoff team scored 169 over its first three contests.  NDSU's previous Division I high through three games was 140 points by the 2012 team.
 
FOUR OUT FOR SEASON:  North Dakota State has lost four players to season-ending knee injuries this year.  Two-time All-America defensive end Greg Menard went out during the opening week of fall camp, but is eligible to return to the Bison for a fifth season in 2018 after playing as a true freshman in 2014.  Redshirt freshman left tackle Dillon Radunz and sophomore running back Demaris Purifoy were both injured in the season-opener against Mississippi Valley State, and junior linebacker Dan Marlette was injured against Missouri State.
 
DECADE LEADER:  North Dakota State's 102 wins this decade are more than any other program in college football.  NDSU is 93-8 since the beginning of 2011, the first of five national championship seasons.  North Dakota State holds the distinction of being the winningest Division II program of the 1980s, going 103-20-2 from 1980-89 with four national titles in that span.
            FCS Winningest Teams, 2010s (by wins)
            102 - North Dakota State (102-13)
            84 - Sam Houston State (84-26)
            78 - Eastern Washington (78-28)
            76 - Jacksonville State (76-23)
            70 - James Madison (70-28)
            69 - New Hampshire (69-34)

            FCS Winningest Teams, 2010s (by pct.)
            .887 - North Dakota State (102-13)
            .800 - Harvard (64-16)
            .768 - Jacksonville State (76-23)
            .764 - Sam Houston State (84-26)
            .736 - Eastern Washington (78-28)
 
MORE THAN 700 WINS:  North Dakota State has played 1,111 games with a 706-371-34 record in 120 seasons of football, good for a .651 winning percentage.  Only four Ivy League teams each with at least 20 more years of football have more wins at the FCS level: Yale (902), Harvard (869), Penn (850) and Princeton (821).  Northern Iowa has the second most wins among Missouri Valley Football Conference programs with 663.  NDSU's 93 victories since 2011 are more than any other team in Division I football ahead of Alabama (87), Clemson (81), Sam Houston State (78) and Ohio State (77).
 
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 has three future FBS games against Oregon in 2020, Arizona in 2022 and Colorado in 2024.  NDSU's first three FBS wins were against Ball State (2006), Central Michigan (2007) and Minnesota (2007).
 
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 hosted a Division III game this 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.