THIS WEEK: Two-time defending national champion North Dakota State (13-0) hosts Illinois State (10-4) in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Football Championship at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (18,700), where the Bison have won 26 straight. The winner of this week's game will face either Austin Peay or fifth-seeded Montana State in the semifinal round.
 
TICKETS: Single-game tickets went on sale Sunday at 5 p.m. and season ticket holders have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to purchase their same seats for the game. Unclaimed season tickets will go on sale to the public at 7 a.m. on GoBison.com/tickets. Student tickets are $6 and available Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the NDSU One Stop desk in the Memorial Union. The Bison Ticket Office is open at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and will open at 6 a.m. Saturday in the Fargodome east lobby.
 
TELEVISION: Coverage begins at 11 a.m. with play-by-play announcer Jay Alter and color analyst Ray Bentley on ESPN and the ESPN app.
 
RADIO: Coverage begins at 10:30 a.m. on the Peterson Farms Seed Bison Radio Network with fourth-year NDSU play-by-play voice Jeff Culhane joined by NDSU and Buffalo Bills hall of famer Phil Hansen and NDSU sideline reporter Jeremy Jorgenson. Extended coverage locally on 107.9 The Fox, Bison 1660 and 92.7 FM includes "Bison Tailgate" from 7:30-8:30 with Brad Jones and "Bison Game Day" from 8:30-10:30 with Keith Brake and Cole Jirik. Brake and Jirik return for "Bison Hotline" with Chris Hanson and Kyle Emanuel for two hours following the network broadcast.
 
ONLINE: NDSU All Access offers free audio streaming on GoBison.com/allaccess and the NDSU Athletics mobile app. Live stats are available on NCAA.com. Follow along with in-game updates on Twitter @NDSUfootball.
 
THE SERIES: This is the 13th meeting between North Dakota State and Illinois State dating back to 2007. NDSU has won eight straight and leads the series 10-2 including a 37-3 victory on the road in Normal to open Missouri Valley Football Conference play in October. NDSU and Illinois State have one prior FCS playoff meeting with the Bison winning 29-27 in the 2014 national championship. The Redbirds' only win in six previous trips to Fargo was in NDSU's 2009 homecoming game, 27-24.
 
TENTH STRAIGHT POSTSEASON: North Dakota State is in the postseason for the 10th straight season dating back to 2010 when the Bison advanced to the FCS quarterfinals in their first appearance. NDSU has a 33-2 record in the FCS playoffs, including a 25-1 record in the Fargodome. This is North Dakota State's 33rd postseason appearance since 1964. The Bison are 68-15 all-time in the postseason including a 63-14 record in the NCAA playoff format since 1973.
 
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE: North Dakota State is the No. 1 overall seed for the FCS playoffs and would host through the semifinal round for the ninth straight year should the Bison advance. NDSU has been the No. 1 seed for five of its 10 FCS playoff appearances and was seeded No. 2 twice (2014, 2017) and No. 3 once (2015).
 
BISON ON 34-GAME WINNING STREAK: North Dakota State's current 34-game winning streak the longest in FCS history and tied for sixth in Division I history, surpassing the FCS record 33-game Bison winning streak from 2012-14.
        Longest Division I Football Winning Streaks
        47—Oklahoma, 1953-57
        40—Washington, 1908-14
        37—Yale, 1890-93
        37—Yale, 1887-89
        35—Toledo, 1969-71
        34—Miami (Fla.), 2000-03
        34—Penn, 1894-96
        34—North Dakota State, 2017-present
        33—North Dakota State, 2012-14
 
HOME STREAK AT 26 GAMES: North Dakota State's 26 straight home wins is the longest active home winning streak in Division I and has tied the Missouri Valley Football Conference home winning streak record set by NDSU in 2015. The Bison record for consecutive home wins is 28 from 1964-69. NDSU had a 36-game home unbeaten streak 1964-71 including a 1970 season-opening tie with Eastern Michigan.
        NDSU Longest Home Winning Streaks
        28—Started 9/12/1964 vs. Minn. St. Moorhead, ended 9/12/1970 by Eastern Michigan (T, 14-14)
        26—Started 10/27/2012 vs. Southern Illinois, ended 10/17/2015 by South Dakota (L, 24-21)
        26—Started 9/2/2017 vs. Mississippi Valley State to present
        23—Started 9/13/1980 vs. Northern Arizona, ended 9/15/1984 by Minn. St. Mankato (L, 28-21)

        MVFC Longest Home Winning Streaks
        26—North Dakota State, 2012-15
        26—North Dakota State, 2017-present
        25—Northern Iowa, 1989-92

BISON SWEEP TOP VALLEY HONORS: North Dakota State swept the five major year-end awards in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with first-year head coach Matt Entz being named Bruce Craddock Coach of the Year, senior defensive end Derrek Tuszka the Defensive Player of the Year, and redshirt freshman quarterback Trey Lance named Offensive Player, Newcomer and Freshman of the Year in a vote of the league's media, head coaches and sports information directors. Lance is the league's first freshman to be named Offensive Player of the Year, and he is the fourth to sweep the Newcomer and Freshman of the Year awards.
 
ELEVEN ON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM: North Dakota State had eight first-team all-conference selections including Offensive Player of the Year Trey Lance at quarterback, Defensive Player of the Year Derrek Tuszka on the defensive line, tight end Ben Ellefson, offensive linemen Zack Johnson, Dillon Radunz and Cordell Volson, linebacker Jabril Cox, and defensive back James Hendricks. Bison wide receiver Christian Watson and cornerbacks Marquise Bridges and Josh Hayes were voted to the second team. Eight other NDSU players were listed as honorable mention: running backs Ty Brooks and Adam Cofield, fullbacks Hunter Luepke and Garrett Malstrom, return specialist Trevor Heit, offensive lineman Karson Schoening, defensive lineman Spencer Waege, and defensive back Michael Tutsie. Freshman running back Kobe Johnson and Lance were NDSU's two selections to the MVFC All-Newcomer Team.
 
NINE STRAIGHT TITLES: North Dakota State won its ninth straight Missouri Valley Football Conference championship dating back to 2011 and fifth outright crown including 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2018. North Dakota State has won 36 football conference championships including 26 in the North Central Conference (last in 1994) and one in the Great West Football Conference (2006).
        Most Consecutive Conference Titles in Division I Football
        14 - Oklahoma (Big 8, 1946-59)
        12 - Montana (Big Sky, 1998-09)
        10 - BYU (WAC, 1976-85)
        9 - Florida State (ACC, 1992-00)
        9 - North Dakota State (MVFC, 2011-19)
 
ROOKIE HEAD COACHES: Matt Entz has won his first 13 games as head coach, surpassing the NDSU and Missouri Valley Football Conference record 9-0 start by Chris Klieman in 2014. Entz is the third MVFC head coach to win at least 12 games in his first year in the league:
        Most Wins, First-Year MVFC Head Coaches
        15—Chris Klieman, North Dakota State, 2014 (15-1, 7-1 MVFC, 1st place)
        13—Jim Tressel, Youngstown State, 1997 (13-2, 4-2 MVFC, 3rd place)
        13—Matt Entz, North Dakota State, 2019 (11-0, 7-0 MVFC)

BIG PLAY BISON: One out of five offensive plays for North Dakota State this season (20%) have been a chunk play of at least 10 yards rushing or 15 yards passing. NDSU has 175 chunk plays (13.5 per game) with 114 rushing and 61 passing. There were a season-high 22 chunk plays against South Dakota as the Bison put up 700 total yards of offense, the third most yards in school history and most in NDSU's Division I era. That was one week after putting up 690 yards with 19 chunk plays against Western Illinois. Meanwhile, the Bison are allowing chunk plays at just a 12% rate.
 
LANCE, BISON LIMITING TURNOVERS: North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance has attempted 236 career passes without an interception, breaking the school record 152 set by Easton Stick. The Bison have committed the fewest turnovers in the FCS this season (5) and are third in the FCS with a league-best plus-15 turnover margin. NDSU has not committed a turnover in five games since Oct. 26 in the fourth quarter at South Dakota State on an intercepted halfback pass.
 
BISON TOP RETURN TEAM IN VALLEY: North Dakota State leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference in kickoff returns and punt returns through 13 games. NDSU is second in the FCS with 24.84 yards per kick return (fifth best in school history) and 20th nationally with 12.00 yards per punt return. Trevor Heit leads the MVFC and ranks 10th in the FCS averaging 12.4 yards per punt return.
 
LEAGUE LEADERS: Nine-time reigning champion North Dakota State is in a familiar position atop the Missouri Valley Football Conference standings. NDSU has played only eight conference games since the beginning of 2011 without holding at least a share of first place. The Bison fell out of first place for three weeks in 2012, three weeks in 2015 and two weeks in 2016.
 
AGAINST THE TOP 25: NDSU has seven victories this year against FCS Top 25 opponents, and the Bison have defeated 19 ranked teams on their current 34-game winning streak. That includes 13 teams ranked in the top 10 nationally, and NDSU has outscored those 13 by an average of 35-13.
 
TOP-FIVE OPPONENTS: North Dakota State is 17-1 since the beginning of the 2011 national championship season against opponents ranked in the top five of the Football Championship Subdivision. That includes an 9-1 record in the Fargodome, where the only loss in the past eight seasons to a top-five opponent came in the 2016 national semifinals to James Madison, 27-17.
 
ELLEFSON SETS TIGHT END TOUCHDOWN RECORD: North Dakota State's Ben Ellefson ranks ninth in school history with 16 career touchdown receptions, a new NDSU record for tight ends passing the 14 TD catches by Jerimiah Wurzbacher from 2005 to 2008.
 
COX EIGHTH IN SOLO TACKLES: Linebacker Jabril Cox has already cracked the NDSU career top 10 for solo tackles midway through his junior season. He ranks eighth with 145 solo tackles. Cox is NDSU's active career leader with 236 total tackles in 42 games.
 
TUSZKA FIFTH IN CAREER SACKS: Senior defensive end Derrek Tuszka ranks 10th in the FCS averaging 0.96 sacks per game, which is third in the MVFC. Tuszka has recorded sacks in nine of 12 games played this year. His career total of 27.5 sacks is tied for fifth at NDSU with Coulter Boyer (2008-11).
 
LANCE CLIMBS SINGLE-SEASON CHARTS: Quarterback Trey Lance has set NDSU freshman records for passing yards (2,356) and passing touchdowns (25) and currently ranks third in rushing yards (829) and rushing touchdowns (11) by a freshman player. His 25 passing TDs, 36 TDs responsible for and 3,185 yards of total offense all rank fourth overall in NDSU single-season history, and his pass completion percentage (68.5) and pass efficiency rating (187.3) both top the school single-season charts. He is second among Bison passers with 10.0 yards per attempt.
 
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: North Dakota State had 10 players combine for 13 Player of the Week awards in the Missouri Valley Football Conference this season:
        — Trey Lance, Offensive (9/1) & Newcomer (9/1, 10/6)...301 yards and six touchdowns in the 57-10 win over Butler...Went 10 of 11 passing for 185 yards and four touchdowns with five carries for 116 yards and two scores...First NDSU freshman to start a season opener at quarterback...Accounted for 232 yards at Illinois State including 12 of 15 passing for 189 yards and three TDs.
        — Zack Johnson, Offensive Line (9/9)...12 knockdowns and zero pressures in 38-7 win over North Dakota...Graded 98% in his second career start at right guard after an All-America junior year at right tackle...Helped NDSU rush for 266 yards and 5.3 yards per carry, convert 9 of 14 third downs, and keep the ball for more than 35 minutes in the contest.
        — Griffin Crosa, Special Teams (9/15)...Made five PAT kicks and two field goals from 46 and 23 yards in the 47-22 victory at Delaware.
        — Garret Wegner, Special Teams (10/13)...Averaged 50.7 yards on three punts with two inside the 20 and a season-long of 60 yards in the win over Northern Iowa.
        — Karson Schoening, Offensive Line (10/14)...Graded 94 percent with zero missed assignments on 69 snaps in the win over Northern Iowa...Helped NDSU rush for 347 yards with zero sacks allowed against the Panthers, ranked sixth in sacks and allowing less than 100 rushing yards/game.
        — Cordell Volson, Offensive Line (10/21)...Team-high eight knockdowns and zero pressures allowed against Missouri State...Graded 95 percent and credited with 12 factor plays as the balanced Bison rushed for 222 and passed for 225 averaging 6.0 yards per play.
        — Josh Hayes, Defensive (10/27)...Late fourth-quarter interception in the red zone at South Dakota State to a preserve a 16-16 tie before NDSU's winning score...Finished with six solo tackles and one pass breakup.
        — Kobe Johnson, Special Teams (11/3)...Had 241 all-purpose yards and two TDs at Youngstown State...Had three kick returns for 138 yards including a 94-yard TD...Rushed six times for a season-high 103 yards and a 75-yard TD.
        — Dillon Radunz, Offensive Line (11/4 and 11/18)...Zero missed assignments or pressures allowed in the win at Youngstown State...Led an offensive line that paved the way for six rushers to total 251 yards and 7.4 yards per carry while limiting YSU to one tackle for loss...Graded 100 percent with eight knockdowns and zero sacks against South Dakota as Bison had 700 total yards including 419 rushing.
        — Jalen Bussey, Newcomer (11/10)...Team-high 173 all-purpose yards and 123 rushing yards with two touchdowns in his first collegiate game against Western Illinois...First carry went 65 yards for a touchdown...Added a 50-yard kickoff return and 45-yard rushing TD on consecutive plays.
 
ELLEFSON NAMED TO GOOD WORKS TEAM: North Dakota State tight end Ben Ellefson was named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which recognizes 22 players in college football for outstanding leadership and commitment to giving back in their local communities. The team will be recognized at the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
 
HANKEY CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN: North Dakota State linebacker Jackson Hankey was voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-America second team with a 4.0 GPA in agricultural economics. Fullback Garrett Malstrom (4.0 master's of business administration) and safety James Kaczor (3.77 manufacturing engineering) were made the CoSIDA Academic All-District team.
 
FIVE BISON NAMED TO MVFC ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM: NDSU tight end Ben Ellefson and defensive end Derrek Tuszka were named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Academic first team, and linebacker Jackson Hankey, safety James Kaczor and fullback Garrett Malstrom made the second team. Bison punter Garret Wegner earned honorable mention. Nominees for the all-academic team must be starters or important reserves who have sophomore athletic and academic standing, completed at least one calendar year at their current institution, participate in at least 50 percent of the team's games, and carry a minimum 3.20 cumulative grade-point average.
 
ENTZ AFCA REGION 4 COACH OF THE YEAR: First-year NDSU head coach Matt Entz is the American Football Coaches Association FCS Region 4 Coach of the Year in addition to being one of 15 finalists for the STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Award, presented annually to the FCS coach of the year. Entz inherited a team that lost 24 seniors and 15 full-time starters and led the Bison to a 13-0 record and the No. 1 seed for the playoffs.
 
TUSZKA FIFTH IN BUCK BUCHANAN AWARD VOTING: Senior defensive end Derrek Tuszka was fifth in the voting for the STATS FCS Buck Buchanan Award, presented annually to the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision. Tuszka was NDSU's ninth finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, including current linebacker Jabril Cox, who finished fourth in the voting last year, and former defensive end Kyle Emanuel, who was the 2014 winner.
 
LANCE FINALIST FOR PAYTON, RICE AWARDS: NDSU quarterback Trey Lance is a finalist for two of the major FCS Player of the Year awards. Lance is the only freshman up for the STATS FCS Walter Payton Award, which will be presented to the FCS offensive player of the year Jan. 10 in Frisco, Texas. He is also a finalist for the STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award, given to the top freshman player in the subdivision. Quarterback Easton Stick's third place finish in the 2018 Payton Award voting was NDSU's highest finish. Linebacker Jabril Cox finished sixth in the Rice Award voting in 2017.
 
WEGNER ON WATCH LIST FOR FCS PUNTER OF THE YEAR: Junior punter Garret Wegner is on the preseason watch list for the inaugural FCS Punter of the Year award by the Augusta Sports Council, which has been home to the Ray Guy Award since 2000 honoring the nation's best punters as the FBS level. Wegner was STATS FCS and Associated Press All-America third team in 2018 and the All-MVFC first team punter.
 
BISON AT HOME: NDSU is 81-6 at home since 2010 including a 25-1 mark in the FCS playoffs. The Bison have the longest active home winning streak in Division I at 26 games and NDSU has won 67 of the last 69 home games over non-conference opponents with its last home loss coming in the 2016 semifinals to James Madison. NDSU is 26-4 at home all-time against FCS Top 10 teams. North Dakota State ranks fourth in the FCS with an average home attendance of 17,822.
 
DECADE LEADER: North Dakota State's 134 wins this decade are more than any other program in college football. NDSU is 125-8 since the beginning of 2011, the first of five consecutive 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.
 
15-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: North Dakota State won its 15th football national championship in 2018. 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 titles with FCS crowns in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 before winning again in 2017 and 2018.
 
BISON WIN RECORD SEVENTH FCS TITLE: North Dakota State has won seven of the last eight FCS championships to surpass Georgia Southern's record of six FCS titles. The Bison are 7-0 in seven FCS title game appearances.
        Most FCS Championship Game Appearances
        8 - Georgia Southern (6-2)
        7 - North Dakota State (7-0)
        7 - Youngstown State (4-3)
        7 - Montana (2-5)
 
TENTH STRAIGHT QUARTERFINAL: North Dakota State is in the FCS quarterfinals for the 10th straight season, the longest streak in FCS history. NDSU also has a record eight-straight FCS semifinal appearances. Only three teams have made the FCS semifinals at least eight times: Georgia Southern (13), Montana (11) and Youngstown State (8).
        Consecutive FCS Quarterfinal Appearances
        10 – North Dakota State, 2010-2019
        6 – Appalachian State, 2005-2010
        6 – Marshall, 1991-1996
        6 – Georgia Southern, 1985-1990
        6 – Georgia Southern, 1997-2002

        Most FCS Quarterfinal Appearances
        17 - Georgia Southern
        14 - Northern Iowa
        13 - Montana
        12 - Appalachian State
        12 - Delaware
        10 - North Dakota State
        10 - Eastern Washington

        Consecutive FCS Semifinal Appearances
        8 - North Dakota State, 2011-2018
        6 - Marshall, 1991-1996
        5 - Georgia Southern, 1998-2002
        4 - Eastern Kentucky, 1979-1982
        4 - Youngstown State, 1991-1994

        Most FCS Semifinal Appearances
        13 - Georgia Southern
        11 - Montana
        8 - North Dakota State
        8 - Youngstown State
        7 - Marshall
        7 - Delaware
        7 - Eastern Kentucky
        7 - Northern Iowa

FIFTH UNDEFEATED, UNTIED FCS CHAMPION: Last year's 15-0 North Dakota State team was the fifth to go undefeated and untied in winning the FCS championship joining Eastern Kentucky in 1982 (13-0), Georgia Southern in 1989 (15-0), Marshall in 1996 (15-0) and NDSU in 2013 (15-0).
 
UNBEATEN SEASONS: Twelve teams have gone unbeaten in Missouri Valley Football Conference games since 1985, and only North Dakota State (2013, 2018, 2019) and Southern Illinois (2009) have done it through an eight-game conference schedule. There have been 15 undefeated NDSU teams since 1894 including the 2018 national champions (15-0).
 
SUCCESS VS. THE FBS: NDSU 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).
 
ANNIVERSARY SEASONS: Three milestones are being celebrated this year with the 150th anniversary of college football, the 125th anniversary of NDSU football, and the 35th anniversary of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. NDSU has commissioned artist Terrence Fogarty for a limited-edition commemorative painting on sale at GoBison.com/painting. It features iconic images from the program's humble beginnings in 1894 through NDSU's modern-day FCS dynasty.