THIS WEEK: After playing three out of four games on the road in October, top-ranked North Dakota State (8-0, 5-0 MVFC) plays three out of its final four regular-season games at home in November starting this Saturday, Nov. 1, against 18th-ranked Youngstown State (5-3, 2-2 MVFC). Game time is 2:30 p.m. at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (18,700).
 
TICKETS: Tickets may be purchased online at GoBison.com/tickets or by calling the Bison Ticket Office in the south lobby of the Sanford Health Athletic Complex at (701) 231-6378 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Game day ticket sales begin at 9:30 a.m. in the east lobby of the Fargodome.

MILITARY APPRECIATION: Saturday's game is Military Appreciation Day, honoring our nation's military veterans, active-duty service members and their families. 

• Donate Tickets: Can't make it to the game? Share the Bison Game Day experience with military families by donating your tickets through Vet Tix. Log into your GoBison.com account, transfer tickets, and send them to donate@vettix.org. Full details at GoBison.com/VetTix.

• Give Back with a Donation: For every $25 donation, NDSU will give one ticket to the football game vs. Youngstown State (Nov. 1) and one ticket to the men's basketball game vs. CSUN (Nov. 11) to Vet Tix. Fans can donate through this link: gobison.evenue.net/events/VT

TELEVISION: Saturday's game will be televised on ABC stations statewide in North Dakota with Dom Izzo (play-by-play), Kyle Emanuel (analyst) and Sam Goetzinger (sideline) handling the call. The broadcast will be available to ESPN+ subscribers on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
 
RADIO: Statewide network coverage on all 25 stations across the Pioneer Seeds Bison Sports Network begins at 1:30 p.m. including Bison 1660 and 107.9 The Fox in Fargo with Sam Neidermann (play-by-play), Phil Hansen (analyst) and Noah Gindorff (sideline) describing the action. Streaming is available on GoBison.com/allaccess and the NDSU Athletics mobile app.
 
WEEKLY SHOWS: Fans are invited to join NDSU head coach Tim Polasek each Thursday night from 6:30 to 8 p.m. for the Bison Football Coaches Show live from Holiday Inn Fargo with host Sam Neidermann and other NDSU coaches and players. The show can be heard on Bison 1660 in Fargo, KSJB-AM 600 in Jamestown, KYCR-AM 1440 in Minneapolis, GoBison.com and the NDSU Athletics mobile app. On television, The Bison Football Show airs statewide each Sunday night at 10:35 p.m. on WDAY (Fargo), WDAZ (Grand Forks), KBMY (Bismarck) and KMCY (Minot).
 
THE SERIES: North Dakota State has won 11 straight to take a 13-4 lead in the all-time series with Youngstown State dating back to 1972. The Bison and Penguins have not played since 2022 due to the Missouri Valley Football Conference scheduling rotation. North Dakota State won the last meeting 27-14 in the 2022 NDSU homecoming game. Youngstown State has a 2-6 record in the Fargodome with its last victory in the series coming in 2011 by a 27-24 score in Fargo.
 
LAST WEEK: North Dakota State earned its third straight win over South Dakota State and snapped SDSU's 33-game home winning streak last week with a 38-7 victory to extend NDSU's lead to 12-10 in the Dakota Marker series since 2004. It was the largest margin of victory between the two teams since a 37-point NDSU victory in 1992. The game was the third time in four years NDSU and SDSU met as the top two ranked teams in FCS, which hadn't happened in the regular season since 1992.
 
BISON IN CONTROL: NDSU set the tone in last week's win at South Dakota State with a 16-play, 84-yard opening drive that consumed 9 minutes of the first quarter capped by Cole Payton's 1-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal. The Bison scored touchdowns on their first three drives and forced SDSU to three straight three-and-outs. SDSU, which entered as the No. 1 team nationally in time of possession, had the ball for less than 8 minutes in the first half as NDSU scored on five of its first six drives and limited the Jackrabbits to 56 first half yards. The Bison held the ball for 38:01 and outgained SDSU 500-166 — the most yards by an NDSU team in 22 Dakota Marker games.
 
WINNING STREAKS: After snapping South Dakota State's 33-game home winning streak last week, North Dakota State's 16-game home winning streak is second longest in the FCS behind Villanova's 20. Rhode Island is third with 13 straight home wins. Overall, NDSU's 12-game winning streak also ranks second among current streaks in the FCS behind Tennessee Tech's 13.
 
DUAL THREAT QBs: NDSU quarterback Cole Payton's 17 carries, 137 yards and four rushing touchdowns last week were all career highs, and he added a career-high 18 pass completions on 23 attempts for 243 yards. It was Payton's third 100-yard rushing game and fourth 200-yard passing game of the season. Youngstown State's Beau Brungard has been just as productive. Brungard has thrown for 200-plus yards in six straight games with 12 TDs and only two interceptions, has five 100-yard rushing games, and ranks second in the FCS with a league-high 14 rushing TDs.
                MVFC Leaders, Rushing Touchdowns
                14 - Beau Brungard, QB, Youngstown State
                12 - Barika Kpeenu, RB, North Dakota State
                11 - DJ Williams, QB, Southern Illinois
                11 - LJ Phillips Jr., RB, South Dakota
                10 - Cole Payton, QB, North Dakota State
 
REMEMBER NOVEMBER: North Dakota State is off to an 8-0 start for the ninth time as a Division I program. While the 2007 Bison were ineligible for the FCS playoffs, the other seven teams went on to win national championships in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021. Four of those teams (2011, 2014, 2017, 2021) suffered a November loss but maintained a top-four ranking and No. 2 seed for the FCS playoffs. NDSU is 49-11 in regular-season November games since 2004 including a 35-6 mark since 2011.
 
COMMITTEE RANKINGS: North Dakota State was No. 1 in the NCAA Division I Football Committee's first top 10 rankings released Oct. 15. The second release is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 5. The full 24-team playoff bracket will be announced on the FCS Selection Show scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, on ESPNU.
 
MAKING THEM COUNT: North Dakota State leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference in nearly every offensive category, but the Bison are dead last in one. NDSU's 164 passing attempts rank 10th out of 10 teams, but the Bison still lead the league in total passing yards (2,000), yards per completion (16.5), yards per attempt (12.2) and yards per game (250.0). The Bison have 36 passing plays of 20-plus yards this season.

NATIONAL LEADERS: NDSU quarterback Cole Payton leads the FCS in completion percentage (.750) and passing yards per completion (16.74) and per attempt (12.56) and ranks second in passing efficiency (202.9) through his first eight starts. Payton is also fifth in total offense (302.5 ypg) and seventh in yards per carry (6.95). Barika Kpeenu is sixth in the FCS for scoring (9.0 ppg) and ranks fourth with 12 rushing TDs and fifth in total touchdowns (12). Bryce Lance is ninth in yards per reception (20.58) and Eli Ozick ranks second among FCS kickers in scoring with 68 points and 8.5 points per game.
 
TEAM RANKINGS: In this week's FCS statistics, North Dakota State ranks first in scoring defense (9.6 ppg), passing defense (132.0 ypg) and total defense (221.1 ypg), and fifth in rushing defense (89.1 ypg). NDSU is also first nationally in passing efficiency (198.72), completion percentage (.738) and passing yards per completion (16.53). The Bison rank third in total offense (494.0 ypg), fourth in rushing offense (244.0 ypg) and sixth in scoring offense (42.9 ppg). NDSU along with Youngstown State, Dayton, William & Mary and San Diego lead the FCS with only three turnovers committed. NDSU and YSU are both plus-8 in turnover margin, seventh best in FCS.
 
RECORD PACE: North Dakota State is on school-record pace in passing and total offense through eight games averaging 7.64 yards per play, 494.0 total yards per game, 250.0 passing yards per game, and 12.2 yards per pass attempt with a 198.7 pass efficiency rating and 73.8 completion percentage. Quarterback Cole Payton's 10.43 yards per play, 302.5 total offense yards per game, 226.0 passing yards per game, 12.6 yards per pass attempt, 75.0 completion percentage, and 202.9 efficiency rating would also be school single-season records. Payton has three of the top six single-game offensive performances in school history, and his 348 passing yards against Southeast Missouri State were third most in NDSU single-game history.
                NDSU Single-Game Total Offense Yards
                466 - Graig Gorder at Omaha, 11/9/2002 (50 rush, 416 pass)
                455 - Steve Walker at Ball State, 9/23/2006 (4 rush, 451 pass)
                401 - Cole Payton, Southeast Missouri State, 9/13/2025 (53 rush, 348 pass)
                382 - Carson Wentz, Northern Iowa, 10/10/2015 (47 rush, 335 pass)
                380 - Cole Payton, at South Dakota State, 10/25/2025 (137 rush, 243 pass)
                375 - Cole Payton, South Dakota, 9/27/2025 (102 rush, 273 pass)
 
GOOD WORKS TEAM: Senior linebacker Logan Kopp was one of 22 players in college football named to the 2025 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. Kopp is the 10th NDSU player named to the team, which recognizes extraordinary commitment to community service. Read more about the team members at ESPN.com/allstate.
 
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: North Dakota State has had five players earn seven Missouri Valley Football Conference player of the week awards this season:
                — QB Cole Payton, Offensive (9/29, 10/13, 10/27)...Had 375 yards of total offense and three TDs against South Dakota...Went 14 of 18 passing for 273 yards and two TDs with 11 carries for 102 yards and one score...Picked up six first downs in the run game including one on fourth-and-short and three third down conversions including a 21-yard scramble on third-and-17...Had 291 total yards and three TDs including a 41-yard scramble against Southern Illinois...Picked up eight first downs on 13 of 16 passing for 243 yards...Totaled 380 yards at South Dakota State rushing 17 times for 137 yards and four TDs while going 18 of 23 passing for 243 yards.
                — LB Nathaniel Staehling, Defensive (9/29)...Scored on a 43-yard interception return to end USD's opening drive of the second half, assisted on two tackles for loss and finished with a team-high five tackles.
                — RS Jackson Williams, Special Teams (9/29)...Had 107 all-purpose yards including two 21-yard punt returns, a 21-yard kickoff return, a 35-yard pass reception from NDSU's 10 to spark a 90-yard scoring drive in the first quarter, and a 9-yard touchdown run.
                — RG Griffin Empey, Offensive Line (9/29)...Played 66 snaps against USD with no penalties or sacks allowed and had a 94 percent overall grade with three key blocks to help the Bison rush for 274 yards, 5.5 yards per carry and four touchdowns.
                — C Trent Fraley, Offensive Line (10/26)...Played 67 snaps at SDSU with a 91 percent overall grade and three key blocks to help the Bison rush for 257 yards, 5.2 yards per carry and five touchdowns while going 9 of 16 on third down and controlling the ball for more than 38 minutes.
 
WATCH LISTS: NDSU has three players under consideration for national player of the year awards. WR Bryce Lance is on the preseason watch list for the Walter Payton Award, presented annually to the FCS offensive player of the year. DE Toby Anene and LB Logan Kopp are on the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the FCS defensive player of the year. Other preseason All-Americans from NDSU are C Trent Fraley and RS Jackson Williams.
 
18 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: North Dakota State has won 18 football national championships. NDSU claimed three College Division national championships in 1965, 1968 and 1969 via the national polls, five Division II playoff 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, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2024. The Bison lost to the eventual national champion in the 2010 and 2020 quarterfinals and 2016 semifinals.
 
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS: North Dakota State is 90-6 against non-conference opponents since the beginning of its first FCS national championship season in 2011. Two losses were to FBS opponents (31-28 at Arizona in 2021 and 31-26 at Colorado in 2024) and two were in the playoffs to the eventual national champion (27-17 to James Madison in 2016 and 24-20 at Sam Houston State in 2020-21). Montana's 31-29 double-overtime win in the 2023 FCS semifinals and 38-35 victory in the 2015 FCS Kickoff are NDSU's only other non-conference losses the past 13 years.
 
BISON AT HOME: The Bison have a 202-29 all-time record in the Fargodome since 1993, including 36-5 against FCS Top 10 ranked teams and 77-1 against FCS non-conference teams with 33 straight wins over non-MVFC teams since 2017. North Dakota State has a 38-1 record in the Fargodome during the NCAA playoffs and has won 20 straight home playoff games since the 2016 semifinal loss to eventual national champion James Madison. NDSU's 32-game home winning streak September 2017 through April 2021 is fifth longest in FCS history.