2023-10-02 20:28:08
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THIS WEEK: North Dakota State plays its first true road game of the season this week when the Bison (3-1, 0-1 MVFC) play Missouri State (1-3, 0-1 MVFC) at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at Plaster Stadium (17,500) in Springfield, Mo.
TELEVISION: This is the Missouri Valley Football Conference Game of the Week and will be televised exclusively on ESPN+ with Scott Warmann (play-by-play), Adam Seidel (analyst) and Kelly Burke (sideline). ESPN+ is available by subscription on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
RADIO: Statewide network coverage begins at 1 p.m. on the Pioneer Seeds Bison Sports Network including Bison 1660 and 107.9 The Fox in Fargo with Sam Neidermann (play-by-play), Phil Hansen (analyst) and Andy Rieckhoff (sideline). The network broadcast includes 1-hour pregame and 30-minute postgame shows. Streaming is available on GoBison.com/allaccess and the NDSU Athletics mobile app.
THE SERIES: This is the 15th meeting between North Dakota State and Missouri State. NDSU has won 11 straight to take a 12-2 lead in the series dating back to 2008, NDSU’s first season in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison and Bears did not play last year due to the MVFC scheduling rotation. NDSU won the last meeting 27-20 in Fargo on Oct. 23, 2021.
LATE ROAD START: This week’s trip to Missouri State is NDSU’s latest first road game since 1961 when the Bison lost 7-6 at Morningside on October 7.
USD SNAPS NDSU STREAKS: South Dakota scored three first-half touchdowns and held on for a 24-19 victory over North Dakota State last week, snapping NDSU’s streaks of 11 straight homecoming wins and 12 straight conference-opener wins. It was NDSU’s first loss after a regular-season bye week since October 2005. The Coyotes snapped a six-game losing streak to NDSU.
COYOTES DROP BISON IN POLLS, AGAIN: North Dakota State fell five spots to seventh in this week’s Stats Perform FCS media poll, and the Bison dropped six spots to No. 8 in the American Football Coaches Association FCS coaches poll. Both rankings are the lowest the Bison have been since October 19, 2015, when NDSU was ranked eighth in both polls following a 24-21 home loss to South Dakota.
BOUNCING BACK: North Dakota State is 16-0 after regular-season losses since 2010. The Bison rebounded from a 23-21 loss against South Dakota State last October by beating Illinois State 24-7. NDSU also had a 34-17 victory over South Dakota after last year’s 31-28 loss at Arizona in September.
MILLER SETS RECORD: Quarterback Cam Miller leads the FCS and ranks fifth in all divisions with a 78.2 completion percentage through four games. Miller was 18-for-19 against Central Arkansas and his 94.7 completion rate was an NDSU single-game record for passers with more than 10 attempts. Miller completed his last 17 attempts against UCA and his first six against South Dakota to set a new NDSU record with 23 consecutive completions, breaking Brock Jensen‘s 2013 record of 21 straight against Kansas State (14) and Ferris State (7).
MULTIPLE TARGETS: NDSU has 18 players with at least one pass reception through the first four games of the season led by Zach Mathis with 15 catches, Joe Stoffel with 12 and Eli Green with 10. Last year’s team had 17 players with at least one catch.
CROSA CONNECTS: Bison kicker Griffin Cross has made 107 consecutive PATs dating back to 2019, the fifth most in Missouri Valley Football Conference history. Crosa is fifth all-time at NDSU in PATs made and sixth in attempts (151-for-152) and his career PAT percentage of 99.3 is second in school history behind Jake Reinholzwho was 87-for-87 from 2018 to 2021. Crosa is seventh all-time at NDSU with 28 field goals made and ranks first with an 84.8 career field goal percentage (28-for-33).
CAREER DAY FOR GREEN: Wide receiver and kick returner Eli Green had a career day with 171 all-purpose yards in the 49-31 win over Central Arkansas. Green averaged 22.7 yards per kick return with 68 yards on the first three returns of his career. His returns of 18, 29 and 21 yards sparked three touchdown drives for NDSU. Green also had a career-high four receptions and 86 yards with all four catches going for first downs including a long of 35 yards.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: North Dakota State has had three players earn Missouri Valley Football Conference Player of the Week honors in 2023:
– Cole WisniewskiDefense (9/4)…Game- and career-high 11 tackles with his first career interception and one pass breakup against Eastern Washington in his first game at strong safety.
– Kaedin SteindorfSpecial Teams (9/4)…Averaged 47.2 yards per punt with three inside the 20 (two inside the 10) and held for five PAT conversions against Eastern Washington.
– Griffin CrossSpecial Teams (9/11)…Converted field goals from 27, 40 and 31 yards to stake the Bison to a 9-0 lead and added five extra-point kicks in the 44-7 win over Maine.
SUNDELL ON SENIOR BOWL LIST: North Dakota State left tackle Jalen Sundell was named to the preseason watch list for the Reese’s Senior Bowl, widely regarded as the top college football all-star game. Sundell the past three seasons has been NDSU’s starting center, a position he hadn’t played prior to the 2020-21 season. The Bison have had 12 players selected to the Senior Bowl, including left tackle Cody Mauch last year.
WATCH LISTS: NDSU has three players on watch lists for national player of the year awards. Running back TaMerick Williams is on the preseason list for the Walter Payton Award, presented to the FCS offensive player of the year. Defensive tackle That is, Mostaert is on the preseason list for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the FCS defensive player of the year. Punter Kaedin Steindorf is on the list for FCS Punter of the Year.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: NDSU defensive tackle That is, Mostaertlong snapper Hunter Broziooffensive lineman Jalen Sundell and running back TaMerick Williams were named to the Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team. Mostaert was also named to the HERO Sports All-FCS preseason team, and Mostaert and Sundell made Phil Steele’s FCS Preseason All-America Team.
BISON PICKED NO. 2: North Dakota State was picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference behind defending national champion South Dakota State. NDSU took 14 spots on the MVFC preseason team, including four first-team picks in FB Hunter BrozioOL Jalen SundellDL That is, Mostaert and RS Jayden Price. Second team picks were RB TaMerick WilliamsTHE Joe StoffelOL Jake Kubas and Brandon WestbergDL Will MostaertLB Cole WisniewskiCB Jayden Price and K Griffin Cross. WR Zach Mathis and LB Nick Kubitz were honorable mention.
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS: North Dakota State is 79-4 against non-conference opponents since the beginning of its first FCS national championship season in 2011. One loss was to a Pac-12 opponent (31-28 at Arizona in 2021) 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 38-35 home win in the 2015 FCS Kickoff is NDSU’s only other non-conference loss the past 12 years.
BISON AT HOME: The Bison have a 186-29 record in the Fargodome, 33-6 at home against FCS Top 10 ranked teams, and winners of 81 of the last 83 home games over non-conference opponents. North Dakota State has a 34-1 record in the Fargodome during the NCAA playoffs since 2010 with the only loss coming to eventual national champion James Madison in the 2016 semifinals. NDSU’s 32-game home winning streak September 2017 through April 2021 was fourth longest in FCS history.
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