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THIS WEEK:  No. 2-ranked North Dakota State (2-0) closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule this week when the Bison host Robert Morris University (2-1) out of the Northeast Conference in the 28th annual Trees Bowl at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (18,700).
 
TELEVISION:  Coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. on KVLY and the NBC North Dakota network with Brian Shawn calling the play-by-play, Lee Timmerman color analyst, and Ryan Gellner on the sidelines.  ESPN3 will carry the game on WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.  Pregame coverage hosted by Beth Hoole and Alex Egan begins one hour prior to kickoff.
 
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.  A free live audio stream of the Bison Radio Network broadcast is available on GoBison.com/allaccess.  Extended coverage locally on 107.9 The Fox, Bison 1660 and 92.7 FM includes "Bison Tailgate" from 11:00-12:00 with Brad Jones, "Bison Game Day" from 12-2 p.m. and "Bison Hotline" for 2 hours following the network broadcast with hosts Keith Brake, Chris Hanson and former NDSU defensive end Cole Jirik.
 
THE SERIES:  This is the third meeting between North Dakota State and Robert Morris.  The Bison beat RMU 43-17 in the first round of the 2010 NCAA playoffs and 52-0 in the 2012 season opener.  NDSU is 5-0 against the Northeast Conference.  The Colonials are 0-6 against the Missouri Valley Football Conference including a 30-0 loss at Youngstown State this year.
 
TREES BOWL:  Robert Morris is making its second appearance in the Trees Bowl game sponsored by the North Dakota Forest Service.  NDSU is 23-3 and has won eight straight including last year's 50-44 overtime victory over Eastern Washington.  This is the 27th Trees Bowl game in 28 years.  The 2001 game with Maine was canceled following the 9/11 attacks.
 
BISON RUN PAST EASTERN WASHINGTON:  North Dakota State rushed for 375 yards and outgained Eastern Washington 532-204 two weeks ago in a 40-13 road win.  Bruce Anderson had 160 yards and one touchdown and Lance Dunn ran for 148 yards and three TDs.  Robbie Grimsley had two interceptions and two pass breakups for the Bison, who slowed Eastern Washington to only 54 plays on offense.  NDSU converted 6 of 8 third downs in the second half and held the ball  for more than 24 minutes after halftime, including a 17-play, 81-yard drive that ran out the final 11:50 of the contest.
 
TOP 10 ROAD GAMES:  NDSU's win at Eastern Washington was the ninth time NDSU has faced an FCS Top 10 team on the road since 2004.  The Bison are 5-4 in those games and have road games this year against current Top 10 teams South Dakota State and Youngstown State.
            FCS Top 10 Opponents on Road
            2017–Won 40-13 at #6 Eastern Washington
            2015–Won 28-7 at #5 South Dakota State
            2013–Won 20-0 at #6 South Dakota State
            2010–Lost 38-31 at #1 Eastern Washington
            2010–Won 42-17 at #6 Montana State
            2009–Lost 24-14 at #8 Southern Illinois
            2008–Lost 23-13 at #4 Northern Iowa
            2005–Lost 37-6 at #9 Cal Poly
            2005–Won 35-7 at #9 Northwestern State
 
MVFC/BIG SKY CHALLENGE:  The Missouri Valley Football Conference has a 5-2 lead this year in the inaugural challenge series with the Big Sky Conference, including NDSU's 40-13 win at Eastern Washington.  The MVFC has a 55-35 edge over the Big Sky all-time.  Illinois State at Northern Arizona on Oct. 7 is the eighth and final game in this year's series.
 
AFTER THE OPEN WEEK:  North Dakota State has won 24 straight games after open weeks in the regular season and playoffs since a 2005 home loss to UC Davis.  That streak includes 14 home games, five road games and five national championship games in Frisco, Texas.
 
EARLY-SEASON SCORING:  North Dakota State's 112 points scored through the first two games is the most in NDSU's Division I history and fifth most in the modern era of the program.  The 2000 NCAA playoff team scored 132 points in its first two games and 169 over the first three contests.  NDSU's Division I high through three games is 140 points by the 2012 team.
 
RUSHING TANDEMS:  Lance Dunn (142) and Ty Brooks (127) gave NDSU's its first dual 100-yard rushers since 2015 in the opening game win over Mississippi Valley State, and Bruce Anderson (160) and Dunn (148) against Eastern Washington gave NDSU dual 100-yard rushers in consecutive games for the first time since 2014.  The Bison have not had three players run for 100 yards in the same game since 1996 against Minnesota State Mankato.  That was part of a three-game stretch with dual 100-yard rushers, a feat accomplished only three times in school history including one four-game streak in 1988.
 
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 season-opening 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.
 
TOP MARKS NATIONALLY:  NDSU's 498 rushing yards against Mississippi Valley State are the most by an FCS team this season, and the 683 yards of total offense tied for third with Sam Houston State.  NDSU's 72 points are fourth most.  On defense, NDSU's minus-31 rushing yards allowed is best in FCS and second in NDSU's Division I history (minus-32 at South Dakota State in 2013).  The 58 yards allowed Mississippi Valley State is second in the FCS behind Illinois State (41 vs. Butler).
 
DEFENSE AMONG FCS BEST:  North Dakota State is among the top five in FCS in several defensive categories including pass efficiency (1st), total defense (3rd), rushing defense (3rd), passing yards allowed (4th) and scoring defense (5th).  NDSU also ranks third nationally in first downs allowed with only 14 through the first two contests.
 
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:  North Dakota State has had two Missouri Valley Football Conference players of the week this season:
        —Tanner Volson, Offensive Line...Graded 100% assignment and 87% technique with zero sacks against Mississippi Valley State...NDSU averaged 17.5 yards per carry while in the game.
        —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.
 
PAIR OF FRESHMEN PLAY:  Two true freshmen have played for NDSU this season.  Defensive end Logan McCormick from Appleton, Wis., and cornerback Josh Hayes from Lakeland, Fla., made their debut in 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.).
 
BISON RETURN 16 STARTERS:  North Dakota State returns nine starters on defense and seven on offense from last year's NCAA semifinal team that finished 12-2 and won a sixth straight Missouri Valley Football Conference championship with a 7-1 league record.  Included is linebacker Nick DeLuca, a two-time nominee for the Butkus Award, who returns for a fifth season after being limited to three games last year with a shoulder injury.
 
THREE OUT FOR SEASON:  Two-time All-America defensive end Greg Menard will miss the 2017 season with a knee injury suffered during the opening week of fall camp.  Menard, who made his debut at Weber State in the second game of his true freshman year 2014, is eligible to return to the Bison for a fifth season in 2018.  Redshirt freshman left tackle Dillon Radunz and sophomore running back Demaris Purifoy were lost for the season with knee injuries during the season-opener against Mississippi Valley State.
 
SIX STRAIGHT CONFERENCE TITLES:  North Dakota State won a share of its sixth straight Missouri Valley Football Conference championship last 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).
 
BISON PICKED TO WIN VALLEY FOOTBALL TITLE:  North Dakota State was picked to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference by a single vote over second-place South Dakota State.  NDSU earned 21 of 40 first-place votes and had 380 points followed by SDSU with 19 first-place votes and 379 points.  Youngstown State, national finalist a year ago, was picked third ahead of Northern Iowa, Illinois State, Western Illinois, South Dakota, Southern Illinois, Missouri State and Indiana State.
 
SEVEN ON PRESEASON TEAM:  Junior running back Lance Dunn, senior long snapper James Fisher, senior defensive end Greg Menard, senior defensive tackle Nate Tanguay, senior linebacker Nick DeLuca, senior safety Tre Dempsey, and junior safety Robbie Grimsley were voted to the Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason team by the league's coaches, sports information directors and media.  Wide receivers Darrius Shepherd and RJ Urzendowski and offensive lineman Austin Kuhnert earned honorable mention for NDSU.
 
A WINNING TRADITION:  North Dakota State has played 1,102 games with a 698-370-34 record in 120 seasons of football, good for a .649 winning percentage.  Over the past six seasons, NDSU's 85 victories are more than any other team in Division I football ahead of Alabama (79), Clemson (73), Sam Houston State (70), Ohio State (69) and Florida State (68).
 
BISON AT HOME:  North Dakota State is 56-6 at home since 2010.  The Bison have won 55 of the last 57 home games over non-conference opponents including a string of 45 straight before last year's NCAA semifinal loss to James Madison.  NDSU is 16-4 at home all-time against FCS Top 10 teams.  North Dakota State ranked fifth in the FCS last year with an average home attendance of 18,556 and has drawn 18,000-plus to 48 straight home contests.
 
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 is hosting a Division III game this week 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.