Opponent Insight: North Dakota State

North Dakota State Notes (NDSU Record: 13-0, MVFC: 8-0, No. 1 in STATS/AFCA polls)
The Series (From NDSU): This is the 109th meeting between North Dakota State and South Dakota State dating back to 1903. NDSU leads the series 61-42-5 including this season's 21-17 win in Fargo on Sept. 29. The Bison hold a 15-2 advantage in the Fargodome since 1993. This is the fourth playoff meeting between NDSU and SDSU, which met in the 2012 and 2014 second round and 2016 quarterfinals - all of them in Fargo. The teams have played for the Dakota Marker annually since beginning Division I competition in 2004, but the trophy is not at stake in the postseason. NDSU has a 9-6 edge in Dakota Marker games.

MVFC Notes: Saturday's game features the 11th matchup of two MVFC schools in playoff action, but the first in a semifinal. NDSU and SDSU have had three previous Division I playoff meetings as MVFC members, with NDSU winning all three games in Fargo. In 2014, Illinois State and North Dakota State played an all-MVFC championship game -- the only time that's happened in FCS Championship history.

An MVFC member has reached the FCS playoff championship game in 11 of the past 21 years. Friday's winner will make it 12 title trips in the past 22 years and will extend the MVFC's record for having a title-game participant to eight-straight seasons. The league is 8-4 in previous NCAA Division I Football Championship games.

Bison Notables (From NDSU): North Dakota State owns the longest active winning streak in the FCS at 19 games, which is second longest in Missouri Valley Football Conference history behind the 33-game Bison winning streak from 2012 to 2014. Princeton is second with a 10-game winning streak. UCF (25) and Alabama (15) have the two longest active winning streaks in FBS. NDSU's 18- game home winning streak is second longest in the FCS behind San Diego's 21.

North Dakota State's Easton Stick has a 47-3 record as starting quarterback, the second most wins in FCS history behind NDSU's Brock Jensen, who went 47-5 as a starter with 48 total wins from 2010-13.

North Dakota State is tied for second in FCS with a conference-best 20 interceptions this year. Safety Robbie Grimsley has five picks, safety James Hendricks has four, and linebacker Jabril Cox has four..

NDSU's plus-17 turnover margin is third in the FCS behind Southeast Missouri State (+24) and Dartmouth (+18). NDSU has scored a conference-best 108 points off 26 opponent turnovers.

North Dakota State leads the FCS in red zone defense this year allowing opponents inside the 20-yard line only 21 times with six touchdowns and four field goals. The Bison also are third nationally in red zone offense scoring on 49 of 53 chances with 44 TDs

NDSU is 73-6 at home since 2010 including a 23-1 mark in the FCS playoffs. The Bison have won 64 of the last 66 home games over non-conference opponents with its last home loss coming in the 2016 semifinals to James Madison. NDSU is 23-4 at home all-time against FCS Top 10 teams. North Dakota State ranks fifth in the FCS this year with an average home attendance of 18,085.

Bison Players to Watch
OFFENSE
QB Easton Stick (#12, SR, 6-2, 221): Completed 150-247 (60.7%) for 2,385 yards (183.5 per game) and 25 TDs with 5 INTs in all 13 starts this season ... has the fifth most rushing yards (409) on the team and second-most rushing TDs (11) ... has thrown an INT in three of the last four games ... thrown for more than 200 yards five games, three of the last four ... was 7-12 for 86 yards and an INT and had one rush for three yards vs. Montana State ... was 14-19 for 205 with three TDs and six rushes for four yards vs. Colgate ... vs. SDSU in 2018 meeting - 9-20 for 182 yards and two TDs and one INT with 15 rushes for 63 yards and one TD ... career vs. SDSU - (2-2) 51-89 for 742 with five TDs and five INTs and 53 rushes for 260 yards and six TDs ... averaging 12.7 completions on 22.2 attempts for 185.5 yards with 1.3 TDs and 1.3 INTS and 13.3 rushes for 65 yards and 1.5 TDs ... second ranked in the FCS in passing efficiency, 12th in the passing TDs, 33rd in passing yards, and 11th in points responsible for.

RB Bruce Anderson (#8, SR, 5-11, 210): Leads the team in rushing yards (845) while being second on the team in carries (115) for an average of 7.3 yards per carry in 11 games played, seven starts ... is expected to start vs. SDSU ... third on the team in rushing TDs (7) and averages 76.8 yards per game ... has two TDs receptions on 11 catches for 185 yards - averaging 16.8 per game ... had back-to-back 100 yards games in both playoff appearances this year (118 vs. Montana State, 124 vs. Colgate) and TDs in both game - one each ... had two catches vs. Colgate for 49 yards ... had two prior 100 yard games this season - vs. Cal Poly (185) and at Northern Iowa (170) ... has four TDs rushing in the last three games after starting the season with three in the first two games and none since the last three games this season ... started the season with one catch each game for the first six games - adding two TDs - one of 75 and one of 18 ... 54th ranked in the FCS for all-purpose yards ... has 12 carries for 58 yards and a long or 17 with one catch for 12 yards last time out vs. SDSU.

RB Ty Brooks (#28, JR, 5-9, 178): Listed second on the depth chart vs. SDSU ... has the third-most rushing yards on the team (607) on 83 attempts - averaging 7.3 yards per carry ... has played in 11 games, no starts ... has five rushing TDs on the season - fifth-most on team ... averages 55.2 yards per game ... has had at least six carries in every game played and a high of 12 ... rushed for 113 yards on nine carries in the season finale and 103 yards on six carries in the first playoff game ... had eight carries for 65 yards last time out ... scored three TDs - one each game - in the final three games ... has one catch in the last three games ... had six carries for 35 yards with a long of 15 vs. SDSU earlier this season.

WR Darrius Shepherd (#20, SR, 5-11, 188): Leads the team in receptions (53) - while no other receiver has more than 19 catches on the year ... leads the team in yards (869) and second in TDs (7) behind TE Ben Ellefson's eight, only other WR/TE with more than three TD receptions ... averages 66.8 yards per game 16.4 per catch ... has more than five catches in seven of his 13 games started ... only has three catches for 32 yards and a score in the two playoff games ... has rushed it once in both playoff games ... hit over the century mark twice - vs. SDSU and Illinois State - and over 75 yards seven times ... has two TDs in the last three games, scoring no TDs during a four-game span ... ranked fourth in FCS with an average of 16.5 yards per return ... had five catches for 118 yards and a score vs. SDSU this season - a then-career-high in yards.

TE Ben Ellefson (#82, JR, 6-3, 250): Has played in all 13 games, starting 12 ... tied for third-most (13) in receptions and fourth-best in yards (179) but is leading the team in receiving TDs (8) - averaging 13.8 per catch and 13.8 yards per game ... has one catch in the playoffs - last time out - for a two-yard TD ... scored TDs in six of the 13 games, multiple TDs twice ... added a TD on two catches for 28 yards vs. SDSU this year.

DEFENSE
DE Greg Menard (#96, R-SR, 6-2, 240): Started all 13 games ... has 32 tackles (17 solo) and 10 TFLs (leads team) ... has a team-high eight sacks while adding a pass breakup and eight QB hurries ... has five tackles in the two playoff games with 0.5 TFL and 0.5 sack ... only had one tackle, a TFL/sack vs. SDSU.

DT Cole Karcz (#53, JR, 6-4, 270): Third on the team in TFLs (9) while adding 26 tackles in 13 games played, one start ... second in sacks on the team with 7.5 and has three QB hurries ... has six tackles in the postseason with two TFLs and one sack ... had four tackles and 1.5 TFLs with one sack vs. SDSU.

LB Jabril Cox (#42, SO, 6-3, 231): Leads the team in tackles with 84 (50 solo) ... second on the team with TFLs (9.5) and has four sacks on the year with four INTs ... hurried the QB five times and has three pass breakups, seven passes defended ... has 16 tackles in his two playoff games and has five or more in all but three games ... added a TFL in all but four games, has 1.5 TFLs in the postseason ... had eight stops with one TFL vs. SDSU earlier this season.

LB Dan Marlette (#48, SR, 6-1, 226): Third on the team in tackles (75) while adding 8.5 TFLs and four passes defended and four broken up ... posted nine tackles in the two playoff games ... had five tackles and one TFL in the game vs. SDSU earlier this season.

S Robbie Grimsley (#5, SR, 6-0, 194): Second on the team in tackles (77) and leads the team in INTs (5) ... has five pass breakups and 10 passes defended ... has nine tackles in two playoff games ... had eight tackles, five solo vs. SDSU.

DB James Hendricks (#6, JR, 6-1, 209): Has 43 tackles and tied for the second-most INTs with four ... has eight pass breakups and 12 passes defended ... has eight tackles in the two postseason games with one TFL and one INT ... had four tackles vs. SDSU.

MVFC Players of the Week for NDSU
North Dakota State had eight players earn 11 Player of the Week awards in the Missouri Valley Football Conference this year.

Bruce Anderson, Offense (9/2) ... Rushed 11 times for a career-high 185 yards averaging 16.8 yards per carry with two touchdowns against Cal Poly ... Scored on runs of 10 and 86 yards ... Finished with 239 all-purpose yards including kickoff returns of 23 and 24 yards and one reception.

Tanner Volson, Offensive Line (9/4, 10/29) ... Four knockdowns with zero sacks or hurries in each of the wins over Cal Poly and South Dakota ... Graded 100% on assignment both games ... NDSU rushed for 458 yards and seven TDs averaging 10.2 yards per carry vs. Cal Poly ... Season-high 560 yards of total offense at USD with five rushing TDs and 8.0 yards per carry.

Easton Stick, Offense (9/23, 10/7, 11/11) ... Accounted for 321 yards of total offense and four TDs in the win over Delaware ... Went 17 of 26 passing for 280 yards and rushed five times for 41 yards and two TDs ... Completed nine passes for 179 yards and four TDs and ran for two TDs in the comeback win at Northern Iowa ... School record-tying five TD passes all in the first half of win at Missouri State.

Dillon Radunz, Offensive Line (9/24) ... Helped lead NDSU to 527 yards of offense against Delaware's No. 9-ranked defense ... Coaching grade of 97% assignment and 82% technique with two explosive blocks ... Team allowed zero sacks for the third straight week.

Garret Wegner, Special Teams (10/1) ... Averaged 47.4 yards on five punts with three inside the 20 against South Dakota State ... Booted a 49-yard punt out-of-bounds at the SDSU 2 with just 1:15 left before halftime ... Launched a key 54-yarder to the SDSU 7 that led to a three-and-out on SDSU's final offensive possession.

James Hendricks, Defensive (10/14) ... Two interceptions, one pass breakup and four tackles in the win at Western Illinois as the Bison forced five turnovers.

Darrius Shepherd, Special Teams (10/21) ... Totaled 236 all-purpose yards against Illinois State including six catches for 126 yards and two punt returns for 103 yards ... Had receptions of 55 and 44 yards on NDSU's first two drives and a 69-yard punt return to start the third quarter.

Zack Johnson, Offensive Line (11/19) ... Played 57 of 70 snaps with six knockdowns and zero sacks or hurries allowed against Southern Illinois ... Led the Bison with an 86% technique grade and was 100% on assignment ... NDSU put up a season-high 663 yards in the 65-17 win, the most yards and points by the Bison in an MVFC game.

Game-by-Game Recap (From NDSU, 13-0, MVFC: 8-0):
Dec. 8 - FCS PLAYOFF QUARTERFINAL vs. Colgate (W, 35-0): QB Easton Stick passed for 205 yards and three touchdowns and North Dakota State shut out a playoff opponent for the first time in seven years beating Colgate 35-0 on Saturday, Dec. 8, in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Football Championship. North Dakota State (13-0) advanced to a record eighth-straight FCS semifinal and will host rival South Dakota State (10-2) on either Friday, Dec. 14.

Stick completed passes to nine different receivers and finished 14 of 19 with touchdown passes to TE Ben Ellefson, WR Darrius Shepherd and WR Phoenix Sproles, who scored his first career TD. RB Ty Brooks scored on a 26-yard run to cap a four-play, 96-yard scoring drive on NDSU's first possession. RB Bruce Anderson rushed 12 times for 124 yards including a 42-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

NDSU put up 443 yards of total offense against a Colgate team that came in ranked first in the nation in defense allowing just 7.0 points and 219.0 yards per game.

The Bison were 7 of 13 on third down and limited the Raiders to 1 of 12 on third down and 0-for-3 on fourth down. LB Jabril Cox made a team-high six tackles for North Dakota State, DB Robbie Grimsley had five tackles and a pass breakup, and DE Derrek Tuszka had 2.5 sacks.

DB James Hendricks intercepted a pass in the end zone to help preserve the shutout, which was NDSU's first in the playoffs since a 24-0 win over another Patriot League opponent, Lehigh, in the 2011 quarterfinals.

Dec. 1 - FCS PLAYOFF SECOND ROUND vs. Montana State (W, 52-10): No. 1-ranked North Dakota State rushed for 407 yards and scored on its first six possessions to beat 23rd-ranked Montana State 52-10 in the second round of the FCS playoffs Saturday, Dec. 1, before a crowd of 17,007 at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.

RB Lance Dunn carried 11 times for 127 yards and an NDSU postseason record-tying four touchdowns, RB Bruce Anderson went 13 times for 118 yards and one TD, and RB Ty Brooks had six carries for 103 yards and a score for the Bison (12-0).

NDSU averaged 9.2 yards per carry and had three 100-yard rushers for the first time since 1996 when Reggie Scott (170), Kevin Feeney (145) and Jake Morris (109) did it against Minnesota State-Mankato.

Montana State (8-5) connected on a 71-yard pass to the NDSU 4 on the game's first offensive play but couldn't get in the end zone. DB James Hendricks broke up a third-down pass in the end zone and the Bison forced a 24-yard field goal after an MSU false start penalty. The Bobcats got only three more first downs before halftime and went 0-for-7 on third-down conversions while the Bison opened a 35-3 halftime lead.

Dunn scored on runs of 1, 11, 1 and 46 yards all in the first half, tying the NDSU postseason mark of four rushing TDs set by DJ McNorton in the 2010 second round playoff game at Montana State. NDSU's seven total rushing TDs tied a school postseason record set in 1988 against Augustana (S.D.).

NDSU LB Jabril Cox made a game-high 10 tackles, LB Dan Marlette added eight stops, and LB Jackson Hankey and LB Mason Hofstedt had six tackles apiece.

DB Marquise Bridges made his second interception of the year, DE Caleb Butler forced a fumble, and DB Michael Tutsie blocked a punt for NDSU.

Nov. 24 - FCS PLAYOFF FIRST ROUND - Bye Week

Nov. 17 vs. Southern Illinois (W, 65-17): No. 1-ranked North Dakota State rolled up 663 yards of total offense and completed an undefeated regular season with a 65-17 thrashing of Southern Illinois on Saturday, Nov. 17, the most points and yards by NDSU in a Missouri Valley Football Conference game since joining the league in 2008. North Dakota State (11-0) became just the third team to go unbeaten in an eight-game MVFC schedule, joining the 2013 Bison and the 2009 Southern Illinois teams. NDSU will be a top-eight seed for the FCS playoffs and await a Dec. 1 game against a second-round opponent to be determined.

A crowd of 18,008 was on hand at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome to witness the final regular-season home game for 24 Bison seniors, the largest outgoing class in NDSU football history.

Southern Illinois put a damper on the celebration when their return-man took the game's opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, but the Bison answered quickly. WR Darrius Shepherd hauled in a 32-yard pass from QB Easton Stick on NDSU's first offensive play, and RB Ty Brooks scored from 36 yards out to cap a four-play scoring drive that knotted the game at 7-7. Brooks had his third career 100-yard game with 113 yards on nine carries.

Stick connected with WR Christian Watson for 48 yards on the first play of NDSU's second drive, and Stick's 1-yard TD run two plays later put the Bison ahead 14-7.

After a three-and-out on its first drive, Southern Illinois went 75 yards in four plays capped by a 59-yard passing TD to tie the game 14-14 less than 6 1/2 minutes into the game.

NDSU scored touchdowns on its first four possessions running a total of 12 offensive plays. Stick found TE Nate Jenson wide open down the left sideline for a 60-yard touchdown and TE Ben Ellefson caught a 22-yard TD to make it 28-14 with still 6:21 left in the first quarter.

Shepherd's 31-yard TD catch early in the second quarter extended NDSU's lead to 35-14, which held until halftime. Bison RB Bruce Anderson scored on runs of 18 and 30 yards in the third quarter, RB Saybein Clark scored his first career touchdown on a 19-yard run in the fourth, and RB Adam Cofield scored from 20 yards out to cap the scoring.

NDSU DB Robbie Grimsley made his 15th and 16th career interceptions, moving into a tie for second in NDSU history behind DB Marcus Williams (21 from 2010-13). DB Michael Tutsie also had an interception for the Bison.

DE Derrek Tuszka and LB Dan Marlette each made seven tackles to lead the North Dakota State defense and Tuszka finished with 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack assist.

Nov. 10 at Missouri State (W, 48-7): QB Easton Stick tied a school record with five touchdown passes - all in the first half - and top-ranked North Dakota State rolled to a 48-7 win over Missouri State on Saturday, Nov. 10, at Plaster Stadium. NDSU improved to 10-0 overall and claimed its second straight outright championship in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with a 7-0 record. Missouri State fell to 4-6 overall and 2-5 in the conference.

Stick completed his first 11 passes and finished 15 of 24 passing for 238 yards. He finished the game with 9,978 career yards of total offense, breaking QB Brock Jensen's previous NDSU record set in 2013.

TE Ben Ellefson caught his team-leading fifth and sixth touchdowns from 29 and 5 yards, WR Dallas Freeman (29 yards) and TE Nate Jenson (43) caught their first touchdowns of the season, and RB Lance Dunn added a 27-yard TD as the Bison built a 34-0 halftime lead.

RB Adam Cofield added touchdown runs from 14 yards and 5 yards in the third quarter for NDSU, which had nine players combine for 245 yards on the ground. RB Seth Wilson, playing his first game of the year, led all rushers with 95 yards on eight attempts.

LB Jabril Cox made a game-high nine tackles with one of NDSU's four sacks and DE Greg Menard was in on two of NDSU's nine tackles for loss. DE Stanley Jones forced a fumble, LB Jackson Hankey recovered a muffed kickoff, and DB James Hendricks made his third interception of the year.

NDSU PK Cam Pedersen made his 231st career PAT kick, breaking the Missouri Valley Football Conference record of 229 set by PK Craig Coffin of Southern Illinois 12 years ago.

Nov. 3 vs. Youngstown State (W, 17-7): North Dakota State earned an automatic qualifier for the FCS playoffs and clinched at least a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference championship with a 17-7 win over Youngstown State on Saturday, Nov. 3, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome. The Bison (9-0, 6-0 MVFC) became the first team in Valley Football history to win eight straight crowns. It is the 35th conference championship in NDSU football history.

NDSU QB Easton Stick threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to RB Lance Dunn in the second quarter and put the Bison ahead for good with a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter before a 36-yard PK Cam Pedersen field goal. The two TDs gave Stick 108 career total touchdowns responsible for, passing Brock Jensen's record of 107 from 2010 to 2013. Stick was 13 of 23 passing for 197 yards and completed passes to six different receivers.

WR Darrius Shepherd made a career-high eight receptions for 99 yards. He surpassed WR RJ Urzendowski for fourth in career yards (2,462) and WR Warren Holloway and WR Travis White for third on NDSU's all-time receptions list (165).

NDSU punted, fumbled and missed a field goal on its first three drives before a quick four-play, 85-yard TD drive. Stick connected with WR Desmond Cain on a career-long 50-yard reception down the right sideline on third-and-5 and then hit Dunn on the next play for a 7-0 lead.

Youngstown State (3-6, 2-4 MVFC) threatened to tie it before halftime. The Penguins reached the NDSU 3 with a nine-yard passing play on third-and-10, but the Penguins spiked the ball on fourth down with only seven seconds to go in the half.

YSU made it a 7-7 game late in the third quarter when their QB found an open WR on a 46-yard pass to the NDSU 34 before hitting the TE on a 21-yard TD pass three plays later. The Penguins drove again late in the fourth quarter, but DB Robbie Grimsley intercepted a pass in the end zone to keep it a 17-7 game with 30 seconds left.

The Bison had nine tackles for loss including two apiece for DE Stanley Jones and Derrek Tuszka, plus five QB hurries. LB Jabril Cox and LB Dan Marlette led the Bison with eight tackles each, and Jones and Grimsley both made six stops. LB Greg Menard had one solo sack and one assisted sack.

Oct. 27 at South Dakota (W, 59-14): QB Easton Stick threw three first-half touchdown passes and No. 1-ranked North Dakota State marched to a 59-14 win over South Dakota in the Missouri Valley Football Conference on Saturday, Oct. 27, at the DakotaDome.

Stick's third TD was a 6-yard strike to TE Ben Ellefson and put the Bison ahead 35-7 late in the second quarter. It was Stick's 73 career TD pass, topping QB Brock Jensen's school record of 72 from 2010-13. Stick finished 12 of 19 passing for 176 yards and rushed seven times for 79 yards and two scores. RB Lance Dunn notched his ninth career 100-yard rushing game and second this year with 12 carries for 114 yards.

NDSU's two-play, 68-yard scoring drive on the second possession of the game was a sign of things to come. WR Darrius Shepherd's 53-yard catch and Ellefson's 15-yard TD reception were two of NDSU's eight explosive plays from scrimmage that went 20 or more yards.

Shepherd also had a 75-yard punt return touchdown called back by a penalty, LB Jabril Cox returned an interception 34 yards, and RB Ty Brooks had kick returns of 22 and 21 yards.

NDSU scored on 9 of 13 possessions before running out the clock on the final drive, and five of those scoring drives took four plays or less. When the Bison didn't score, P Garret Wegner flipped the field with four impressive punts averaging 50.8 yards.

Cox had five tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and his interception all in the first quarter alone before finishing with nine tackles. South Dakota native LB Dan Marlette made nine tackles and DE Spencer Waege had a fumble recovery for the Bison.

NDSU's 59 points were the most by the Bison against a Missouri Valley Football Conference opponent, tying the mark set against Western Illinois in 2015.

Oct. 20 vs. Illinois State (W, 28-14): RB Lance Dunn rushed for three touchdowns and No. 1-ranked North Dakota State remained unbeaten with a 28-14 victory over seventh-ranked Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Football Conference on Saturday, Oct. 20.

WR Darrius Shepherd caught six passes for a career-high 126 yards and added two punt returns totaling 103 yards for North Dakota State, which improved to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the conference. Illinois State dropped to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the league.

North Dakota State put up 279 yards of offense in the first half against Illinois State's league-leading defense, which came in allowing just 275 yards per game. NDSU converted 10 of 16 third downs and outgained the Redbirds 385-364.

The Bison went ahead 28-0 on their first possession of the third quarter. Illinois State went three-and-out, Shepherd returned the ensuing punt 69 yards to the ISU 17, and Dunn scored three plays later from the 2. Dunn scored on a 4-yard run in the first quarter and WR Dallas Freeman's 9-yard TD run made it 14-0 early in the second quarter.

Illinois State threatened to make it a one-score game, but DB Robbie Grimsley's interception near the goal line ended a 12-play, 68-yard drive. The Bison marched 95 yards in 12 plays capped by Dunn's 1-yard TD to go ahead 21-0 before halftime.

The Redbirds put together a 99-yard scoring drive capped by an 11-yard TD run late in the third quarter, and then caught a 21-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter. ISU's RB rushed 20 times for 128 yards, the most by an NDSU opponent this year and just the second to crack the 100-yard rushing mark this season.

Stick was 13 of 22 passing for 207 yards and led the Bison ground attack with 10 carries for 70 yards. Dunn finished with 61 yards on a team-high 19 carries with fellow senior Bruce Anderson out of the game with an injury.

Oct. 13 at Western Illinois (W, 34-7): No. 1-ranked North Dakota State forced five turnovers including a fumble recovery for touchdown in the second quarter to spark a 34-7 victory over Western Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 13.

NDSU LB Dan Marlette scored from 38 yards after a strip sack by DB Marquise Bridges and the Bison scored 31 straight points to improve to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison scored 17 points off turnovers and intercepted four passes – two by DB James Hendricks, one by LB Jabril Cox and one by DB Michael Tutsie. LB Levi Jordheim led the Bison with seven tackles including a sack, and the Bison had seven tackles for loss in holding Western Illinois to nine yards on 18 rushing attempts.

NDSU led 3-0 after the first quarter behind a 47-yard PK Cam Pedersen field goal, but Western Illinois took a 7-3 lead early in the second quarter. The Bison answered with an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive highlighted by long runs by RB Lance Dunn (17), RB Bruce Anderson (16) and QB Easton Stick (20) before Dunn's 1-yard TD put NDSU ahead 10-7.

Stick connected with WR Darrius Shepherd on a 22-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to make it 24-7, and the Bison tacked on a 24-yard field goal and a 15-yard RB Ty Brooks TD run for the final margin.

Oct. 6 at No. 22/22 Northern Iowa (W, 56-31): No. 1-ranked North Dakota State scored four fourth-quarter touchdowns to put away 22nd-ranked Northern Iowa 56-31 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference on Saturday, Oct. 6.

RB Bruce Anderson caught a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter to put NDSU ahead for good 35-31, and QB Easton Stick added touchdown runs of 1 and 31 yards to put the game out of reach.

Stick passed for four touchdowns and the Bison rushed for 344 yards to improve to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the MVFC. Northern Iowa dipped to 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the conference.

UNI jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter highlighted by a 64-yard TD reception on the third play of the game. An 8-yard TD run on the next drive capped a nine-play, 92-yard drive.

The Bison came back to tie it 14-14 with a 20-yard TD catch by WR Darrius Shepherd and a 3-yard TD run by RB Lance Dunn early in the second quarter. Shepherd added a 22-yard scoring catch midway through the third quarter to give NDSU its first lead, 28-24. Anderson rushed for 170 yards and Dunn finished with 104 yards on the ground to give NDSU dual 100-yard rushers for the first time this season. The Bison averaged 7.2 yards per carry.

LB Dan Marlette made nine tackles and LB Jabril Cox and DB Robbie Grimsley had eight stops apiece for the NDSU defense. DE Greg Menard was in on two of NDSU's three sacks.

Sept. 29 vs. No. 3/3 South Dakota State (W, 21-17): WR Darrius Shepherd caught five passes for a career-high 118 yards as No. 1-ranked North Dakota State reclaimed the Dakota Marker with a 21-17 victory over third-ranked South Dakota State in the Missouri Valley Football Conference opener for both teams Saturday, Sept. 29.

Shepherd caught a 41-yard TD pass in the second quarter to give NDSU its first lead 14-7, and the Bison (4-0) went ahead for good early in the fourth quarter when QB Easton Stick's five-yard run capped an eight-play, 80-yard scoring drive.

Stick passed for 182 yards and two touchdowns as the Bison improved to 9-6 in the Dakota Marker series since 2004. LB Jabril Cox and DB Robbie Grimsley each made eight tackles to lead the NDSU defense.

South Dakota State (2-1) threatened to add on to its 7-0 lead in the first quarter when NDSU's DB Jalen Allison intercepted QB Taryn Christion in the end zone. Stick found Shepherd on passes of 34 and 24 yards on the ensuing drive, then rushed for 22 yards on third-and-21 before hitting TE Ben Ellefson with a 17-yard touchdown pass to tie the game 7-7.

It was 14-7 at the half before the Jackrabbits got a 39-yard field goal from PK Chase Vinatieri and a 61-yard TD run from RB Isaac Wallace on their first two drives of the third quarter to go ahead 17-14.

NDSU had a 389-357 edge in total yards and the Bison converted 8 of 16 third-down opportunities compared to 3 of 12 for the Jacks.

Christion finished 19 of 29 passing for 202 yards, Wallace finished with a game-high 110 yards on the ground, and LB Christian Rozeboom made a game-high 12 tackles for SDSU.

Sept. 22 vs. Delaware (W, 38-10): North Dakota State scored a touchdown on the game's opening drive and got a pick-six by LB Jabril Cox on NDSU's first defensive play of the game to jump-start a 38-10 victory over Delaware on Saturday, Sept. 22.

QB Easton Stick accounted for 321 yards of total offense with four touchdowns for the No. 1-ranked Bison, who improved to 3-0 heading into next week's Missouri Valley Football Conference opener against South Dakota State.

Stick was 17 of 26 passing for 280 yards and two TDs. He capped the nine-play, 75-yard opening drive with a 2-yard TD run and scored on a 12-yard run to make it 21-0 after DB Robbie Grimsley ended Delaware's second drive with another interception.

DB Jaylaan Wimbush had NDSU's third interception early in the second quarter, plus another that was negated by a penalty. LB Jaxon Brown had six tackles and Cox finished with five stops to lead the NDSU defense.

The Bison held Delaware to 152 yards of total offense while rolling up 527 yards on offense and averaging 7.6 yards per play. Ten different Bison players caught passes led by WR Desmond Cain's four catches for 89 yards and WR Darrius Shepherd's four receptions for 77 yards. RB Bruce Anderson caught an 18-yard TD pass and TE Ben Ellefson scored on an 11-yard strike.

Cox went 36 yards for his pick-six and became the first NDSU player with interception returns for touchdowns in back-to-back games since DB Del Gehrett did it in 1967 against South Dakota State and Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

NDSU PK Cam Pedersen converted five PAT kicks to run his school-record career total to 196 PATs made. He passed the mark of 191 set by PK Adam Keller from 2011 to 2014.

Delaware went scoreless until the final five minutes of the game when they connected on a 33-yard field goal and returned a Bison fumble 92 yards for a touchdown. A sellout crowd of 18,883 was on hand for the annual homecoming game at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.

Sept. 15 vs. North Alabama (W, 38-7): No. 1-ranked North Dakota State improved to 2-0 on the football season with a 38-7 victory over North Alabama on Saturday, Sept. 15, before a crowd of 18,557 at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.

QB Easton Stick went 10 of 17 passing for 162 yards and one touchdown while rushing for another score. RB Bruce Anderson rushed for 56 yards and one TD, and QB Trey Lance had 54 yards including a 44-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.

DB Robbie Grimsley led the NDSU defense with 11 tackles and LB Jabril Cox added seven tackles and a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown. The Bison got to the quarterback early and often. Cox had two of NDSU's six quarterback hurries and DT Cole Karcz had two of NDSU's four sacks, which all came in the first half.

NDSU capitalized on an early North Alabama turnover to open the scoring. DB James Hendricks recovered an errant snap over the head of UNA's punter on the 3-yard-line to set up Anderson's 1-yard TD two plays later to make it 7-0.

WR Dallas Freeman made a career-high four catches for 117 yards, including a 54-yard strike in the second quarter on a third-and-2 that put NDSU at the UNA 18-yard line. Stick found WR Darrius Shepherd on the next play, and Shepherd broke a tackle before diving inside the pylon and putting NDSU up 14-0.

Freeman added a 48-yard reception on the next drive that led to a 20-yard PK Cam Pedersen field goal after a goal-line stop by the Lions. The Bison took a 17-0 lead into the locker room at halftime. Pedersen, who made 4 of 4 PAT kicks in the game, tied Adam Keller's school record of 191 career PAT kicks made. PK Jake Reinholz came on to kick the fifth PAT for the Bison in the fourth quarter.

Sept. 1 vs. Cal Poly (W, 49-3): RB Bruce Anderson rushed for a career-high 185 yards and two touchdowns as No. 1-ranked North Dakota State rolled to a 49-3 victory over Cal Poly in the football season opener for both teams Saturday, Sept. 1.

RB Lance Dunn tied a career high with three rushing touchdowns for the Bison, who had seven ball carriers combine for 458 yards and seven TDs on the ground. NDSU ran it 45 times and averaged 10.2 yards per carry.

Cal Poly's only score was a 50-yard field goal in the first quarter.

NDSU's defensive front held strong in the fourth quarter after a fumble set up Cal Poly with first-and-goal from the Bison 7. DE Spencer Waege had a tackle for loss, DT Quinn Alo pressured an incomplete pass and DE Logan McCormick's sack on fourth down ended the threat. McCormick's was one of five NDSU sacks joining DE Stanley Jones, DT Cole Karcz, DE Greg Menard and DE Caleb Butler.

LB Dan Marlette led the Bison with nine tackles including 2.0 tackles for loss, DB Robbie Grimsley and LB Levi Jordheim had seven tackles apiece to help hold Cal Poly's triple option attack to 82 yards on 52 carries.

A crowd of 18,483 was on hand at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome to watch the 2017 national championship banner rise to the roof prior to the game. The game was delayed for 23 minutes in the first quarter due to a lighting malfunction. NDSU was leading 7-0.

-GoJacks.com-

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Upcoming Event: Football versus North Dakota State on October 25, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Football versus Indiana State on November 1, 2025 at 2 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Football at South Dakota on November 8, 2025 at TBA

Upcoming Event: Football versus Illinois State on November 15, 2025 at 2 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Football at North Dakota on November 22, 2025 at 1 p.m.

Completed Event: Football at Murray State on October 18, 2025 , Win , 35, to, 14

Completed Event: Football versus Northern Iowa on October 11, 2025 , Win , 31, to, 3

Completed Event: Football at Youngstown State on October 4, 2025 , Win , 35, to, 30

Completed Event: Football versus Mercyhurst on September 27, 2025 , Win , 51, to, 7

Completed Event: Football versus Drake on September 13, 2025 , Win , 37, to, 21

Completed Event: Football at Montana State on September 6, 2025 , Win , 30, to, 24 , 2 OT

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