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THIS WEEK:  No. 2 seed North Dakota State (12-1, 7-1 MVFC) hosts sixth-seeded Sam Houston State (12-1, 8-1 Southland) in the semifinals of the FCS playoffs at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.  The winner advances to play either South Dakota State (11-2) or defending champion James Madison (13-0) in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game on Saturday, Jan. 6, in Frisco, Texas.
 
TELEVISION:  ESPN2 will televise the game live with Dave Neal calling the play-by-play and Matt Stinchcomb as color analyst.  Neal had the call of the 2011 and 2012 FCS national championship games between NDSU and Sam Houston State.  Video streaming will be available on WatchESPN.com and the ESPN app through participating television providers.
 
RADIO:  Coverage begins at 6:30 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 4:30-6:30 p.m. with Brad Jones, "Bison Game Day" from 3:30-4:30 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 will go on sale at 8 a.m. Wednesday 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.  Season ticket holders have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to renew their same seats.  NDSU student tickets are $5 and available at the Memorial Union from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and Tuesday or at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex during regular hours.
 
THE SERIES:  North Dakota State leads the series 4-1 over Sam Houston State including wins in the last three straight, all in the FCS playoffs.  NDSU won its first two FCS titles against Sam Houston State 17-6 in 2011 and 39-13 in 2012.  The teams last met in the 2014 FCS semifinals with NDSU winning 35-3 and advancing to beat Illinois State in the championship.  North Dakota State is 11-1 against Southland Conference opponents with its only loss coming in 2009 at Sam Houston State, 48-45.  The Bearkats are 8-8-1 against Missouri Valley Football Conference teams including a 54-42 win over South Dakota in this year's second round.
 
BISON ROLL PAST WOFFORD IN QUARTERFINALS:  North Dakota State limited Wofford's triple-option offense to only 134 yards rushing, 120 less than the Terriers averaged coming in, and the Bison rolled to a 42-10 quarterfinal victory.  Chris Board had a team-high nine tackles including one for loss, Nick DeLuca had seven tackles with a sack and forced fumble, and Caleb Butler had six tackles and a forced fumble.  Nine players had at least one reception for NDSU.  Easton Stick ran for a touchdown and completed TD passes to Connor Wentz, Seth Wilson and Jeff Illies.  NDSU led 14-10 before tacking on three quick touchdowns in the second quarter thanks to two Wofford fumbles.  The Bison held the ball for nearly 36 minutes and outgained Wofford 464-177 while holding the Terriers to just 1 of 12 on third down.
 
BISON TOP SAN DIEGO IN SECOND ROUND:  Quarterback Easton Stick passed for three touchdowns and NDSU rushed for 301 yards in a 38-3 victory over San Diego in the second round.  The Bison outgained San Diego 472-174.  Bruce Anderson carried 14 times for 112 yards, Ty Brooks carried 11 times for 88 yards and a TD, and Seth Wilson rushed 13 times for 47 yards.  Cam Pedersen's season-long 47-yard field goal put NDSU ahead 17-0 by halftime and the Bison scored on their first three possessions of the second half.  Nick DeLuca had an interception and two sacks to highlight the defensive effort.  NDSU had seven tackles for loss.
 
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).
 
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.
 
EIGHTH STRAIGHT POSTSEASON:  This is NDSU's eighth straight FCS playoff appearance and 31st postseason trip overall.  The Bison are 61-15 in the postseason and 56-14 in the NCAA playoff format since 1973.  North Dakota State is the first team to advance to seven straight FCS semifinal games.
            Consecutive FCS Quarterfinals
            8 - North Dakota State, 2010-2017
            6 - Appalachian State, 2005-2010
            6 - Marshall, 1991-1996
            6 - Georgia Southern, 1985-1990
            6 - Georgia Southern, 1997-2002
            4 - Sam Houston State, 2014-2017
            4 - McNeese State 1992-1995
            4 - Youngstown State, 1991-1994
            4 - Arkansas State 1984-1987

            Consecutive FCS Semifinals
            7 - North Dakota State, 2011-2017
            6 - Marshall, 1991-1996
            5 - Georgia Southern, 1998-2002
            4 - Youngstown State, 1991-1994
 
GOLD RUSH:  North Dakota State will wear its alternate gold jersey and green "Harvest Helmet" for this week's game.  The Bison are 26-0 in the gold jersey since the 2011 season opener.  NDSU is 9-0 in the green helmet since its November 2015 debut, and the Bison are 7-0 in the gold jersey and green helmet combo.
 
CROWD NOISE EFFECT:  The raucous environment inside the Fargodome has worked to North Dakota State's advantage over the years, especially in the postseason.  In 21 home playoff games, opposing teams have been called for 50 false starts.  That is 44 percent of the opponents' 113 penalties.
 
THIRD DOWN DEFENSE:  North Dakota State has held its first two playoff opponents to just 2 of 26 on third down.  San Diego, which entered as the No. 1 team in FCS converting 52 percent on third down, went 1 of 14 against the Bison.  Wofford, which entered No. 3 in the FCS converting 50 percent on third down, was 1 of 12 against NDSU.  North Dakota State ranks fourth in the FCS in third down defense allowing 26 percent.
 
TOP PASSING OFFENSE MEETS DEFENSE:  Sam Houston State has the No. 1-ranked offense in FCS this year averaging 45.6 points, 368.4 passing yards and 552.4 yards of total offense.  The Bearkats hold the record for most passing yards against a Division I NDSU team since 2004.  North Dakota State, however, is No. 1 in FCS allowing just 137.1 passing yards and 228.3 total yards.  NDSU has the No. 2-ranked scoring defense allowing 11.4 points per game.  NDSU has only allowed 300 yards passing in 11 games since 2004, while Sam Houston State has thrown for at least 300 yards in 11 of 13 games this season!  The Bearkats had a season-low 164 yards passing at Southeastern Louisiana and 292 at Prairie View A&M.
            Most Opponent Passing Yards, since 2004
            482 - at Sam Houston State, 2009 (NDSU lost)
            450 - Eastern Washington, 2016 (NDSU won)
            434 - at Montana, 2015 (NDSU lost)
            385 - at Ball State, 2006 (NDSU won)
            358 - Sam Houston State, 2007 (NDSU won)
 
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 91.2 yards per game (7th in FCS) and 2.84 yards per carry (9th 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)
            91.2 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)
 
ANDERSON APPROACHING 1,000 YARDS:  NDSU junior running back Bruce Anderson enters this week's game with a team-high 970 rushing yards on 199 attempts.  He is averaging 74.6 yards per game this year and has a chance to post NDSU's 27th 1,000-yard season.  King Frazier was the last Bison player to hit that mark with 1,158 rushing yards in 2015.
 
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, STICK ACADEMIC HONORS:  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.  He and junior quarterback Easton Stick (3.91, sport management) were voted to the Missouri Valley Football Conference for the second year in a row.  Senior wide receiver RJ Urzendowski (3.37, construction management) was an honorable mention to the MVFC team.
 
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.
 
DeLUCA SELECTED FOR SENIOR BOWL:  North Dakota State linebacker Nick DeLuca has accepted an invite to play in the Reese's Senior Bowl scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, in Mobile, Ala.  The game will be televised live on NFL Network.  DeLuca is the seventh NDSU player to be invited and the fourth since 2014 behind current Broncos OL Billy Turner, Colts OL Joe Haeg and Eagles QB Carson Wentz.  Other NDSU players in the Senior Bowl were WR Stacy Robinson (1985), RB Lamar Gordon (2002) and P Mike Dragosavich (2008).
 
BISON AT HOME:  NDSU is 63-6 at home since 2010.  The Bison have won 58 of the last 60 home games over non-conference opponents including 45 straight before last year's NCAA semifinal loss to James Madison.  NDSU is 19-4 at home all-time against FCS Top 10 teams and 20-1 at home in the FCS playoffs.  North Dakota State ranks seventh in FCS this year with an average home attendance of 18,340.  The Bison drew 18,000-plus to 54 straight home contests from the 2011 quarterfinals through the 2017 second round.
 
AFTER HALFTIME:  North Dakota State has scored on its opening drive of the half 17 of 26 times this year with 15 touchdowns and two field goals.  That includes touchdowns on the opening drive of the second half in 9 of 13 games.  The Bison are averaging nearly 18 minutes in time of possession and outscoring opponents 242-56 after halftime.
 
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 charts for receptions, yards and touchdowns.  He has caught at least one pass in 51 of 58 career games.
            NDSU Career Receptions
            195 - Zach Vraa, 2011-15
            178 - Kole Heckendorf, 2005-08
            163 - Travis White, 2002-06
            161 - Warren Holloway, 2008-11
            147 - Ryan Smith, 2010-13
            144 - RJ Urzendowski, 2014-17

            NDSU Career Receiving Yards
            2957 - Zach Vraa, 2011-15
            2732 - Kole Heckendorf, 2005-08
            2544 - TR McDonald, 1990-93
            2386 - RJ Urzendowski, 2014-17

            NDSU Career Receiving TDs
            28 - Zach Vraa, 2011-15
            26 - Tim Strehlow, 1996-99
            24 - Len Kretchman, 1985-88
            22 - TR McDonald, 1990-93
            22 - RJ Urzendowski, 2014-17
 
STICK THIRD IN NDSU SINGLE-SEASON TD PASSES:  Junior quarterback Easton Stick has passed for three touchdowns in each of the first two playoff games and his 23 TD passes this year are third most in NDSU single-season history behind Brock Jensen's 34 in 2013 and Carson Wentz's 25 in 2014.  Here is a look at the top four passers, statistically, in NDSU history:

Quarterback	Comp.	Att.	Yards	TD	Starter W-L
Brock Jensen, 2010-13	703	1124	8598	72	*47-5
Steve Walker, 2004-07	534	841	7033	60	30-6
Easton Stick, 2015-	400	660	5651	55	32-3
Carson Wentz, 2012-15	392	612	5115	45	20-3
*FCS record 48 total wins

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 42 catches totaling 661 yards and 10 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% assignment 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 52-6 record since 2014 with two NCAA FCS championships, four Missouri Valley Football Conference titles, a 32-3 home record, a 12-1 postseason record, and a 31-5 record over FCS Top 25 opponents.
 
WILSON THIRD FRESHMAN TO PLAY:  Running back Seth Wilson from Holmen, Wis., made his 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.
 
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.
 
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 (172) and attempted (178).  He also ranks fourth in field goals made (36) and attempted (58).  Pedersen connected on a season-long 47-yard field goal vs. San Diego.
 
KLIEMAN WINS 50th GAME:  Chris Klieman is just the fifth Bison coach to reach the 50-win mark and the second fastest behind Ron Erhardt.  Klieman has a 52-6 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 31-5 against FCS Top 25 teams, and have an FBS Top 25 win over No. 11 Iowa.  North Dakota State is 12-1 this season and has an FCS-best seven Top 25 victories.
 
DECADE LEADER:  North Dakota State's 104 wins this decade are more than any other program in college football.  NDSU is 95-8 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)
            104 - North Dakota State (104-13)
            86 - Sam Houston State (86-26)
            78 - Eastern Washington (78-28)
            76 - Jacksonville State (76-24)
            72 - James Madison (72-28)
            70 - New Hampshire (70-35)

            FCS Winningest Teams, 2010s (by pct.)
            .889 - North Dakota State (104-13)
            .800 - Harvard (64-16)
            .768 - Sam Houston State (86-26)
            .760 - Jacksonville State (76-24)
            .736 - Eastern Washington (78-28)
 
MORE THAN 700 WINS:  North Dakota State has played 1,113 games with a 708-371-34 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 95 victories since 2011 are more than any other team in Division I football ahead of Alabama (87), Clemson (82), Sam Houston State (80) and Ohio State (78).
 
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.