THIS WEEK: No. 1-ranked North Dakota State (10-1, 7-0 MVFC) can earn the outright Missouri Valley Football Conference championship this week when the Bison close out the regular season at No. 4-ranked South Dakota (8-2, 6-1 MVFC). Game time is 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at the DakotaDome (9,100) in Vermillion.
 
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. South Dakota’s broadcast on Midco Sports 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 12 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). Streaming is available on GoBison.com/allaccess and the NDSU Athletics mobile app.
 
WEEKLY SHOWS: Fans are invited to join the 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: This is the 89th meeting between North Dakota State and South Dakota. NDSU leads the all-time series 59-27-2 dating back to 1903. USD won 24-19 in Fargo last year to snap a six-game losing streak to NDSU, but the Bison won 45-17 in the NCAA quarterfinals. The Bison have won five straight in Vermillion since a 40-37 four-overtime loss at USD in 2002.
 
LUCKY SEVEN: Before NDSU’s 7-0 start in league play this year, seven other MVFC teams that started 7-0 all won the league with unbeaten records (SIU 7-0 in 2004 and 8-0 in 2009; NDSU 8-0 in 2013, 2018 and 2019; SDSU 8-0 in 2022 and 2023).
 
CONFERENCE CHAMPS: North Dakota State clinched at least a share of the Missouri Valley Football Conference championship last week with a 59-21 rout of Missouri State. It is NDSU’s 11th title in 17 years of league membership. The Bison can still win the league outright with a win over USD this week. NDSU has won six outright titles (2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021) and shared four (2011, 2014, 2015, 2016). Overall, this is NDSU’s 38th football conference championship counting 26 at the Division II level in the North Central Conference and its first FCS title in 2006 as a member of the Great West Football Conference.
 
SELECTION SUNDAY: The 24-team bracket for the NCAA Division I Football Championship will be unveiled on the FCS Selection Show at 11:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, on ESPNU. North Dakota State was ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee’s initial rankings announced Oct. 30. There are 10 automatic qualifiers and 14 at-large selections. The top eight seeds will have a bye in the first round, which is next Saturday, Nov. 30.
 
BIG RUSHING DAY: North Dakota State rushed for a season-high 364 yards in last week’s 59-21 win over Missouri State. The Bison had two 100-yard rushers for the first time since 2022 with Barika Kpeenu carrying 10 times for a career-high 169 yards and two touchdowns and CharMar Brown getting 14 carries for 113 yards and one score. The Bison averaged 9.6 yards per carry including touchdown runs of 52 and 49 yards by Kpeenu and 48 yards by Brown. NDSU had nine rushing plays of 10-plus yards and five passing plays of 15-plus yards. On defense, the Bison had six sacks and forced four fumbles in holding Missouri State to a season-low 21 points.
 
TURNOVERS: NDSU has committed the fewest turnovers in FCS this year (three) with one fumble and two interceptions. The FCS leader in turnover margin last season at plus-17, NDSU currently leads the FCS at plus-17. The best two seasons in turnover margin for the Bison at the Division I level were plus-19 during the 2017 and 2018 national championship seasons. NDSU has one defensive touchdown this year, a 34-yard interception return at Murray State by linebacker Enock Sibomana.
 
LEAGUE LEADER: North Dakota State wide receiver Bryce Lance at Murray State became the first NDSU player since Kole Heckendorf in 2008 to catch three touchdown passes in a single game. That included a career-long 74-yard reception from Cam Miller. Lance is tied for the Missouri Valley Football Conference lead with 10 touchdown catches, the most by an NDSU player since Zach Vraa‘s 15 in 2013 and third most in NDSU single-season history behind TR McDonald‘s 11 in 1993. Lance’s 47 receptions are the most by a Bison player since Darrius Shepherd‘s 62 in 2018.
 
THOUSAND-YARD RUSHERS: NDSU freshman CharMar Brown ranks fourth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with 12 rushing touchdowns and a team-high 911 rushing yards, the most yards by an FCS freshman and second most among Division I freshmen this year. Brown is in position to become NDSU’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2019 when quarterback Trey Lance finished with 1,100 rushing yards. The last Bison running back to reach a thousand was Bruce Anderson with 1,216 yards in 2017. Brown is on the watch list for the Jerry Rice Award, presented annually to the top freshman player in the FCS.
 
REGIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR: First-year NDSU head coach Tim Polasek was named FCS Region 4 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association. Polasek is in his third stint at NDSU after working as an assistant coach under Craig Bohl from 2016 to 2012 and offensive coordinator under Chris Klieman from 2014 to 2016.
 
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: North Dakota State has had nine players earn 14 Missouri Valley Football Conference player of the week awards this season.
        — Cam Miller, Offense (9/2, 10/7)…Had 358 yards of total offense and three TDs at Colorado including a career-high 277 yards on 18 of 22 passing…Also carried 16 times for 81 yards with a 20-yard TD that pulled NDSU within five points with 2:19 to play…Had 207 total yards and three TDs against North Dakota, leading the Bison to points on six of their first seven drives.
        — CharMar Brown, Newcomer (9/23, 9/30, 10/28, 11/4)…Rushed 24 times for 126 yards and three TDs in the win over Towson, including 41 yards on five straight carries in the fourth quarter as NDSU scored to make it a two-possession game…Ran for 100 yards on 17 carries at Illinois State the following week…Had 97 yards on 13 carries with 3 TDs at Murray State…Rushed for 124 yards and one TD on 18 carries against Northern Iowa.
        —Jackson Williams, Special Teams (9/23)…Game-high 169 all-purpose yards in the win over Towson, including a 67-yard touchdown on his first collegiate punt return…Also averaged 21.3 yards on four kickoff returns.
        —Eli Mostaert, Defense (9/30)…Had two of NDSU’s five sacks in the win at Illinois State, helping limit the Redbirds to eight net rushing yards and 4 of 12 on third down.
        —Grey Zabel, Offensive Line (10/7, 11/4)…Graded 94% with zero sacks, hurries or TFLs allowed as the Bison rushed for 208 yards, converted 11 of 16 third downs and held the ball for more than 34 minutes in the win over North Dakota…Graded 94% with zero sacks, hurries, TFLs or missed assignments in the 42-19 win over Northern Iowa.
        —Logan Kopp, Defense (10/21)…Made six tackles and sealed the 13-9 win over South Dakota State with an interception at the NDSU 38 with 1:00 left.
        —Kaedin Steindorf, Special Teams (10/21)…Averaged 43.8 yards on five punts with two 47-yarders, one out-of-bounds at the SDSU 4 helping limit the Jacks to zero punt return yards.
        —Griffin Crosa, Special Teams (11/18)…Scored 11 points on eight PATs and a 32-yard field goal against Missouri State, breaking the NDSU all-time scoring record.
        —Mason Miller, Offensive Line (11/18)…Graded 93% with no sacks or TFLs allowed as NDSU averaged 9.6 yards per carry and rushed for a season-high 364 yards against Missouri State.
 
NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK: North Dakota State was named Stats Perform FCS National Team of the Week after the 41-17 win over North Dakota. The Bison scored on six of their first seven possessions led by MVFC Offensive Player of the Week Cam Miller, who accounted for 207 yards of total offense and three touchdowns. NDSU held UND to a season-low 101 rushing yards with safety Sam Jung making a team-high six tackles and defensive end Dylan Hendricks making three stops including one sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
 
CROSA ON RECORD PACE: NDSU’s Griffin Crosa, in his fourth season as NDSU’s top placekicker and his sixth year overall with the Bison, broke the NDSU all-time scoring record against Missouri State and is also within reach of the MVFC and NCAA FCS extra-points record of 261 set by NDSU’s Cam Pedersen from 2015 to 2018. Crosa’s streak of 127 consecutive PAT conversions snapped in 2023 was the third longest in Missouri Valley Football Conference history. Crosa led the MVFC last season with 19 field goals, 70 extra points and 127 total points.
        NDSU Career Points Scored
        404 – Griffin Crosa, K, 2019-23
        399 – Cam Pedersen, K, 2015-18
        386 – Jeff Bentrim, QB, 1983-86
        384 – Lamar Gordon, RB, 1998-01
        359 – Adam Keller, K, 2011-14

        NDSU Career PAT Kicks Made

        261 – Cam Pedersen, 2015-18 (MVFC and FCS record)

        254 – Griffin Crosa, 2019-23

        191 – Adam Keller, 2011-14

        NDSU Career FG Made

        56 – Adam Keller, 2011-14

        51 – Shawn Bibeau, 2006-09

        50 – Griffin Crosa, 2019-23

        46 – Cam Pedersen, 2015-18

        42 – Aaron Pederson, 1998-01

 

FOURTH-YEAR STARTER: Quarterback Cam Miller has started 49 straight games for NDSU since the middle of the 2021 season. Miller has led NDSU to a 41-10 record as the starting QB, including two NCAA playoff games in the spring 2021 season.

 

RECORD SEASON: NDSU’s Cam Miller completed a school-record 72 percent of his passes last season going 208-for-289 with 19 touchdowns and four interceptions. That was the third best completion percentage in Missouri Valley Football Conference history. Miller set NDSU and MVFC records in 2023 with 23 consecutive completions vs. Central Arkansas (17) and South Dakota (6). Miller has five of the seven longest completion streaks in NDSU history including streaks of 14, 16 and 17 consecutive pass completions this year.

 

THREE MORE RECORDS: NDSU’s Cam Miller had his 16th career 200-yard passing game against Northern Iowa and has broken the school record set by Brock Jensen, who passed for 200-plus yards in 14 games from 2010 to 2013. Miller picked up his 42nd career rushing touchdown against North Dakota, breaking the Missouri Valley Football Conference record for quarterbacks set previously by NDSU’s Easton Stick with 41 from 2015 to 2018. Miller also set a school record with 324 consecutive passing attempts without an interception, breaking the mark of 307 by Trey Lance from 2018 to 2020.

 

TOP THREE PASSER: North Dakota State’s Cam Miller is among the top three passers in NDSU history for passing attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns. He also ranks first in career passing completion percentage (69.7%), third in pass efficiency (164.3), fifth in yards per passing attempt (8.8), and sixth in Bison history with 42 career rushing touchdowns, breaking the Missouri Valley Football Conference record of 41 rushing touchdowns by a quarterback set by NDSU’s Easton Stick from 2015 to 2018.

        NDSU Career Pass Attempts

        1,124 – Brock Jensen, 2010-13

        980 – Easton Stick, 2015-18

        977 – Cam Miller, 2020-23

        841 – Steve Walker, 2004-07

        612 – Carson Wentz, 2012-15

        NDSU Career Pass Completions

        703 – Brock Jensen, 2010-13

        681 – Cam Miller, 2020-23

        598 – Easton Stick, 2015-18

        534 – Steve Walker, 2004-07

        392 – Carson Wentz, 2012-15

        NDSU Career Passing Yards

        8,693 – Easton Stick, 2015-18

        8,636 – Cam Miller, 2020-23

        8,598 – Brock Jensen, 2010-13

        7,033 – Steve Walker, 2004-07

        5,115 – Carson Wentz, 2012-15

        NDSU Career Passing TDs

        88 – Easton Stick, 2015-18

        72 – Brock Jensen, 2010-13

        70 – Cam Miller, 2020-23

        60 – Steve Walker, 2004-07

        45 – Carson Wentz, 2012-15

        NDSU Career TDs Responsible For

        129 – Easton Stick, 2015-18

        112 – Cam Miller, 2020-24

        107 – Brock Jensen, 2010-13

        88 – Jeff Bentrim, 1983-86

        85 – Kevin Feeney, 1995-98

        NDSU Career Total Offense Yards

        11,216 – Easton Stick, 2015-18

        10,570 – Cam Miller, 2020-24

        9,838 – Brock Jensen, 2010-13

        7,230 – Kevin Feeney, 1995-98

        7,144 – Steve Walker, 2004-07

 

BISON PICKED SECOND: North Dakota State was picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference behind two-time defending national champion South Dakota State. NDSU had 10 players on the MVFC preseason team. First-team picks were FB/LS Hunter Brozio, OT Grey Zabel, DE Dylan Hendricks, DT Eli Mostaert, LB Logan Kopp and S Cole Wisniewski. Second-team honorees were QB Cam Miller, TE Joe Stoffel, OT Mason Miller and K Griffin Crosa.

 

PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: NDSU led the country with eight preseason FCS All-Americans selected by Stats Perform. NDSU DT Eli Mostaert, S Cole Wisniewski and LS Hunter Brozio were on the first team, QB Cam Miller, OT Grey Zabel, DE Dylan Hendricks and LB Logan Kopp were second team, and K Griffin Crosa was third team. The Missouri Valley Football Conference had 24 of the 106 preseason honorees, the most of all 13 FCS conferences.

 

AWARD CANDIDATES: North Dakota State had six players on preseason watch lists for national player of the year honors. QB Cam Miller is listed for the Walter Payton Award, presented annually to the FCS Offensive Player of the Year. Miller finished 11th in the voting last year. DT Eli Mostaert, LB Logan Kopp and S Cole Wisniewski are up for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the FCS Defensive Player of the Year. Kopp tied for 22nd in the voting last year. Kaedin Steindorf is on the FCS Punter of the Year watch list, and Griffin Crosa is on the preseason list for the Fred Mitchell Award, presented to the top placekicker among the FCS, Division II, III, NAIA and NJCAA.

 

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS: North Dakota State is 84-6 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 loss the past 13 years.

 

BISON AT HOME: The Bison have a 195-29 record in the Fargodome, 35-6 at home against FCS Top 10 ranked teams, and winners of 84 of the last 86 home games over non-conference opponents. North Dakota State has a 35-1 record in the Fargodome during the NCAA playoffs and has won 17 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 was fourth longest in FCS history.