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Football
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South Dakota State University Athletics
Photo by: Keith Lucas
Opponent Insight: North Dakota State
10/23/2019 5:35:00 PM | Football
In 2013, ESPN's College GameDay producer Lee Fitting referred to the Bison of North Dakota State as "the Alabama of the FCS" when speaking to media members in Fargo. Since then, the Bison have ruled the Football Championship Subdivision with an iron fist.
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North Dakota State has claimed the five of the six FCS national championships that have been up for grabs since 2013 and has won, in total, seven Division I FCS titles in the school's history.
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This season has been no different from past seasons for coach Matt Entz and the Bison. He currently has his troops tied for first in the MVFC with a 3-0 record, but are 7-0 overall. The former Bison defensive coordinator has hardly seen his team in trouble all season, with their closest game coming at home against UC Davis on Sept. 21. The Bison won 27-16.
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Picked to finish first in the MVFC, the Bison held Missouri State scoreless in their last outing (Oct.19) with a final score of 22-0.
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OFFENSE
The Bison can run up any scoreboard and their conference-leading average of 39 points per game proves it. They are an overall dangerous team but can be lethal with their ground game. They have scored 21 rushing touchdowns and rushed for about 287 yards per game -- both which rank first in the MVFC.
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Redshirt freshman quarterback Trey Lance has wreaked havoc all season. He has the highest passing efficiency in the conference (183.9), thrown the second-most touchdowns (15) and is second for total yards per game (249.1). The Minnesota native also has completed 69.9 percent of his passes, which leads the conference, while scoring seven rushing touchdowns, which is tied for second in the conference.
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Running backs Ty Brooks and Adam Cofield have taken turns terrorizing opposing defenses this season. Brooks went for back-to-back 100-yard games against Illinois State (Sept. 5) and UC Davis (Sept. 21). Cofield, on the other hand, rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns against Northern Iowa (Sept. 12)
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As much as the Bison score on offense, they don't have a receiver that has scored more than two receiving touchdowns all season. No receiver averages even 45 yards per game. In five of their seven games this year, at least five of their players caught at least one pass.Â
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The Bison also bolster a fourth-down conversion rate that is at a staggering-high 80 percent.
DEFENSE
The Bison defense has been suffocating this season, as they have held opponents to 10 points and under in four of their seven games. Only one opponent, Delaware, has scored more than 20 points on the Bison this season.
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North Dakota State only allows about 85 rushing yards per game while only allowing about 177 passing yards per game. Both rank first in the MVFC.
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Sophomore linebacker Jackson Hankey can be an issue, as shown by his team-leading 45 tackles. This season, the North Dakota native put on tackling clinics against UC Davis and Missouri State, with nine tackles in each game.
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Sophomore strong safety Michael Tutsie can also stuff the stat sheet. The Indianapolis native has had two games this year with 10 or more tackles and sits second on the team in tackles. He also recorded two interceptions against the University of North Dakota (Sept. 7) earlier this season.
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Senior defensive end Derrick Tuszka has been a quarterback's worst nightmare this season and for his career. The South Dakota native's 6.5 sacks this season places him fourth in the conference.
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THE DAKOTA MARKER
The Dakota Marker trophy has been played for annually since the two football programs joined NCAA Division I in 2004.
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Since 2004, a total of 15 games have been played with the Bison winning nine and the Jackrabbits winning six.
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Last year's game was won in Fargo by Bison with the final score being 21-17.
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The Bison are currently on a 28-game winning streak that started in November of 2017. NDSU also holds the longest winning streak in FCS history with 33 games won from 2012-2014.
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This year's game will be the first ever Dakota Marker game being featured on ESPN's College GameDay.
-GoJacks.com-
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North Dakota State has claimed the five of the six FCS national championships that have been up for grabs since 2013 and has won, in total, seven Division I FCS titles in the school's history.
Â
This season has been no different from past seasons for coach Matt Entz and the Bison. He currently has his troops tied for first in the MVFC with a 3-0 record, but are 7-0 overall. The former Bison defensive coordinator has hardly seen his team in trouble all season, with their closest game coming at home against UC Davis on Sept. 21. The Bison won 27-16.
Â
Picked to finish first in the MVFC, the Bison held Missouri State scoreless in their last outing (Oct.19) with a final score of 22-0.
Â
OFFENSE
The Bison can run up any scoreboard and their conference-leading average of 39 points per game proves it. They are an overall dangerous team but can be lethal with their ground game. They have scored 21 rushing touchdowns and rushed for about 287 yards per game -- both which rank first in the MVFC.
Â
Redshirt freshman quarterback Trey Lance has wreaked havoc all season. He has the highest passing efficiency in the conference (183.9), thrown the second-most touchdowns (15) and is second for total yards per game (249.1). The Minnesota native also has completed 69.9 percent of his passes, which leads the conference, while scoring seven rushing touchdowns, which is tied for second in the conference.
Â
Running backs Ty Brooks and Adam Cofield have taken turns terrorizing opposing defenses this season. Brooks went for back-to-back 100-yard games against Illinois State (Sept. 5) and UC Davis (Sept. 21). Cofield, on the other hand, rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns against Northern Iowa (Sept. 12)
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As much as the Bison score on offense, they don't have a receiver that has scored more than two receiving touchdowns all season. No receiver averages even 45 yards per game. In five of their seven games this year, at least five of their players caught at least one pass.Â
Â
The Bison also bolster a fourth-down conversion rate that is at a staggering-high 80 percent.
DEFENSE
The Bison defense has been suffocating this season, as they have held opponents to 10 points and under in four of their seven games. Only one opponent, Delaware, has scored more than 20 points on the Bison this season.
Â
North Dakota State only allows about 85 rushing yards per game while only allowing about 177 passing yards per game. Both rank first in the MVFC.
Â
Sophomore linebacker Jackson Hankey can be an issue, as shown by his team-leading 45 tackles. This season, the North Dakota native put on tackling clinics against UC Davis and Missouri State, with nine tackles in each game.
Â
Sophomore strong safety Michael Tutsie can also stuff the stat sheet. The Indianapolis native has had two games this year with 10 or more tackles and sits second on the team in tackles. He also recorded two interceptions against the University of North Dakota (Sept. 7) earlier this season.
Â
Senior defensive end Derrick Tuszka has been a quarterback's worst nightmare this season and for his career. The South Dakota native's 6.5 sacks this season places him fourth in the conference.
Â
THE DAKOTA MARKER
The Dakota Marker trophy has been played for annually since the two football programs joined NCAA Division I in 2004.
Â
Since 2004, a total of 15 games have been played with the Bison winning nine and the Jackrabbits winning six.
Â
Last year's game was won in Fargo by Bison with the final score being 21-17.
Â
The Bison are currently on a 28-game winning streak that started in November of 2017. NDSU also holds the longest winning streak in FCS history with 33 games won from 2012-2014.
Â
This year's game will be the first ever Dakota Marker game being featured on ESPN's College GameDay.
-GoJacks.com-
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