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THIS WEEK:  A pair of national semifinalists from last year meet this week when No. 2-ranked North Dakota State (1-0) travels to face No. 6-ranked Eastern Washington (0-1) on Saturday, Sept. 9.  Game time is 1:05 p.m. PT at Roos Field (8,600) in Cheney, Wash.
 
TELEVISION:  Coverage begins at 3 p.m. CT 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 2:30 p.m. CT 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 11:30-12:30 with Brad Jones, "Bison Game Day" from 12:30-2:30 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:  North Dakota State and Eastern Washington are meeting for the third time since 2010.  The Eagles claimed a 38-31 overtime victory in Cheney that year in the FCS quarterfinals before going on to win the national championship.  NDSU won last year's game in Fargo 50-44 in overtime.  Tre Dempsey intercepted a pass on the second play of OT and Lance Dunn scored on a 25-yard run on the next play for the victory.
 
TOP 10 ROAD GAMES:  This week's game at Eastern Washington will mark the ninth time NDSU has faced an FCS Top 10 team on the road since 2004.  The Bison are 4-4 in the previous eight games with wins in the last two at No. 5 South Dakota State in 2015 (28-7) and No. 6 South Dakota State in 2013 (20-0).  Eastern Washington was the last Top 10 team the Bison have lost to on the road, a 38-31 overtime decision in the 2010 NCAA quarterfinals.
            FCS Top 10 Opponents on Road
            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:  This year's inaugural Missouri Valley Football Conference and Big Sky Conference challenge features eight games, with NDSU-EWU being one of five games this week.  The two conferences have played 35 times over the past four seasons including a 4-4 split last year.  The MVFC has a 50-33 edge over the Big Sky all-time.
 
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 first with Sam Houston State.  NDSU's 72 points are third most behind South Dakota (77 vs. Drake) and Weber State (76 vs. Montana-Western).  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).
 
PAIR OF FRESHMEN PLAY:  Two true freshmen played for NDSU in the season opener.  Defensive end Logan McCormick from Appleton, Wis., was in on a tackle for loss and cornerback Josh Hayes from Lakeland, Fla., had one pass breakup and two tackles.  They were the first true freshmen to play for NDSU since 2015 when safety Robbie Grimsley, running back Bruce Anderson and wide receiver Dimitri Williams all played in the season opener at Montana and kicker Cam Pedersen debuted in Week 2 against Weber State.  NDSU redshirted its entire freshman class in 2016, the only time that has happened in 14 years of Division I football.
 
HENDRICKS LEADS STINGY BISON DEFENSE:  Sophomore safety James Hendricks, the team's third-string quarterback last year, led a stingy Bison defense with five tackles (all solo) in the season opener.  Hendricks had two tackles for loss and a 17-yard interception return as NDSU held Mississippi Valley State to three first downs, minus-31 yards rushing and 58 yards of total offense.  The Bison combined for five sacks and held MVSU to 3 of 16 on third down.
 
DUAL 100-YARD RUSHERS:  Sophomore running back Ty Brooks posted his first 100-yard rushing game with a career-high 11 carries for 127 yards and two touchdowns against Mississippi Valley State.  Brooks finished with 199 all-purpose yards including one pass reception and two kickoff returns.  Junior running back Lance Dunn had seven carries for 142 yards and two scores including a career-long 73-yard TD run.  It was the first time since October 2015 at Southern Illinois that NDSU had dual 100-yard rushers.
 
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.
 
BOUNCING BACK:  North Dakota State has won the next game after its last 14 losses, including the home win over Mississippi Valley State (2017) and 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 2009.
 
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 1,101 games with a 697-370-34 record in 120 seasons of football, good for a .649 winning percentage.  Over the past six seasons, NDSU's 84 victories are more than any other team in Division I football ahead of Alabama (77), Clemson (71), Sam Houston State (69), Florida State (68) and Ohio 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 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.