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NDSU Notes
Montana Notes

THIS WEEK:  Two of the top-ranked teams in the Football Championship Subdivision meet this week when No. 1-ranked North Dakota State (3-0) hosts No. 3/4-ranked Montana (2-1) in the 24th annual Trees Bowl game.  Kickoff is scheduled for 2:37 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (18,700).
 
TELEVISION:  Saturday's game will be televised live on the NBC North Dakota network, ESPN3 and ESPN GamePlan with Brian Shawn calling the play-by-play, Lee Timmerman and Kevin Feeney providing analysis from the booth, and Jamal Spencer and Beth Hoole reporting from the sidelines.
 
RADIO:  KFGO-AM 790 and KRWK-FM 101.9 of Fargo along with the Peterson Farms Seed Bison Radio Network will have live coverage beginning at 2 p.m.  KFGO's Scott Miller will describe the play-by-play with NDSU and Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer Phil Hansen as color analyst and NDSU's Jeremy Jorgenson reporting from the sidelines.  A live audio stream will be available on GoBison.com/allaccess.
 
THE SERIES:  This is the seventh meeting between North Dakota State and Montana and the first appearance for the Grizzlies in Fargo.  NDSU has won the last three straight to even the series record at 3-3.  Montana won games in 1914, 1921 and 1941 in Missoula before a pair of NDSU wins in the 1969 and 1970 Camellia Bowl games in Sacramento, Calif.  The teams have not met since 2003 when NDSU rallied from a 24-2 halftime deficit to win 25-24 in Missoula.  Tight end Mike Wieser caught a 20-yard pass from running back Rod Malone on a fake field goal with 2:13 left to provide the winning score.  NDSU is 4-2 against Big Sky Conference opponents including its 24-7 win at Weber State two weeks ago.
 
TREES BOWL:  This is the 24th annual Trees Bowl game sponsored by the North Dakota Forest Service.  NDSU is 20-3 in the game and has won five straight including last year's 24-23 win over Northern Iowa.  Western Illinois was the last team to beat NDSU in the Trees Bowl with a 27-22 win in 2008.  The event began in 1990 and has missed only the 2001 season due to the cancellation of the Maine game after the 9/11 attacks.
 
LAST WEEK:  North Dakota State won its 27th straight game last Saturday with a 58-0 shutout of Incarnate Word before a sellout crowd of 19,020 at Gate City Bank Field, which was the sixth largest crowd in Fargodome history.  Carson Wentz was 14 of 18 passing for a career-high 237 yards and three touchdowns, including a career-long 60-yard TD strike to RJ Urzendowski, who led all Bison receivers with three catches for 82 yards.  John Crockett rushed 13 times for 82 yards and two scores, Chase Morlock had six carries for 42 yards and a TD, and King Frazier scored twice on a 9-yard run and 29-yard pass.  Tre Dempsey led the Bison defense with six tackles including four solo stops, Esley Thorton had a career-high 2.0 sacks and 2.5 tackles for loss, Pierre Gee-Tucker had an interception, and Shea DeJong returned an interception 69 yards for a touchdown.
 
RECORD WINNING STREAK:  North Dakota State's 27-game winning streak is an MVFC record and the longest in NDSU and Football Championship Subdivision history.  The Bison won 24 straight games spanning three seasons 1964-66, Penn set the previous FCS record of 24 from 1992-95, and Montana tied the FCS record over two seasons from 2001-02.
            Active Division I Overall Winning Streaks
            27 - North Dakota State (MVFC)
            18 - Florida State (ACC)
            7 - Oklahoma (Big 12)
 
BISON AT HOME VS. TOP 10:  Montana is the highest-ranked non-conference opponent to visit Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome since the 2011 NCAA semifinals when the Bison beat No. 2-ranked Georgia Southern 35-7.  The Bison also hosted No. 2 Northern Iowa in conference play that year.  NDSU is 8-2 against Top 10 teams at home since beginning Division I play in 2004:
            2004 - #6 Cal Poly (L, 10-13)
            2006 - #9 Cal Poly (W, 51-14)
            2009 - #3/4 Northern Iowa (L, 27-42)
            2011 - #2 Northern Iowa (W, 27-19)
            2011 - #6 Lehigh (W, 24-0)
            2011 - #2/3 Georgia Southern (W, 35-7)
            2012 - #3 Youngstown State (W, 48-7)
            2012 - #9 Wofford (W, 14-7)
            2012 - #6/7 Georgia Southern (W, 23-20)
            2013 - #4 Northern Iowa (W, 24-23)
 
TWO MILLION:  With an expected sellout crowd of more than 18,700 this week, North Dakota State will welcome its 2 millionth fan through the Fargodome doors.  This is NDSU's 22nd season in the dome, which has drawn 1,982,678 fans over 134 home games since 1993.
 
BACK ON TOP:  North Dakota State returned to a familiar spot as the No. 1 team in the Sports Network FCS Top 25 poll Monday, Sept. 1, after powering its way to 34 unanswered points in a 34-14 win at Iowa State on opening weekend.  NDSU spent 20 consecutive weeks atop the Sports Network rankings before slipping to second in the 2014 preseason poll.  But after rolling up 506 yards of total offense and holding their Big 12 opponent to just 57 yards in the second half, the Bison returned to No. 1, a spot they now hold in the Sports Network poll for the 31st time in 38 weeks.  NDSU is No. 1 in the FCS Coaches Poll for the 23rd straight week.
 
NATIONAL HONORS FOR EMANUEL, CROCKETT:  Defensive end Kyle Emanuel and running back John Crockett each earned national Player of the Week awards for their performances in North Dakota State's 34-14 win at Iowa State.  Emanuel was named the FCS National Defensive Player of the Week by The Sports Network after making a team-high nine tackles. He led the FCS with four tackles for loss including two sacks and also forced one fumble.  Crockett was selected as an FCS National All-Star by College Sporting News after rushing 17 times for 139 yards and a career-high three touchdowns.  His 80-yard touchdown run in the second quarter cut NDSU's deficit to 14-7 and sparked the Bison to 34 unanswered points.  The Missouri Valley Football Conference picked Crockett as Offensive Player of the Week and Emanuel as Defensive Player of the Week.
 
HAEG NAMED O-LINEMAN OF THE WEEK:  Left tackle Joe Haeg was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Lineman of the Week for the second time in his career after grading out at 100 percent with six knockdown blocks and zero sacks or quarterback hurries in North Dakota State's win at Iowa State.  It was Haeg's first start at left tackle after playing right tackle in his first 29 career games.  NDSU put up 506 yards of total offense highlighted by touchdown runs from John Crockett (80 yards) and Chase Morlock (66 yards) and an 18-for-24 passing day for QB Carson Wentz, who had 204 yards in his first start.
 
LITTLEJOHN NATIONAL ALL-STAR:  Middle linebacker Carlton Littlejohn was named a College Sporting News FCS National All-Star after making 12 tackles and scoring the go-ahead touchdown on a 5-yard fumble return in the 24-7 win at Weber State.  Littlejohn also had a key tackle at the NDSU 2 on a fake field goal that preserved a 21-7 lead early in the fourth quarter.  He had one tackle for loss and one pass breakup.
 
SUCCESS VS. THE FBS:  North Dakota State has an 8-3 record and has won five straight games against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents after beating Iowa State 34-14 in the season-opener.  The Bison are 5-0 against the FBS since 2010 with wins at Kansas (6-3), Minnesota (37-24), Colorado State (22-7), Kansas State (24-21) and Iowa State (34-14).
 
THREE PEAT:  North Dakota State is just the second team in FCS history to win three straight national championships joining the Appalachian State teams of 2005-07.  NDSU set a school record for wins with a 15-0 mark and become the first undefeated national champion since Southern Conference champion Marshall went 15-0 to win the 1996 title.
 
BULK OF DEFENSE RETURNS:  NDSU returns 10 total starters including six players from the nation's No. 1 scoring defense and a Buck Buchanan Award nominee in strong safety Colten Heagle.  Seven of the top nine tacklers are back led by linebacker Carlton Littlejohn (89 tackles) and including free safety Christian Dudzik (6 interceptions) and right end Kyle Emanuel (7.5 sacks).  NDSU's defense was in usual form at Iowa State, holding the Cyclones to just 102 yards on the ground and only 57 yards of total offense in the second half.
 
DEFENSIVE LINE YOUNG:  North Dakota State returns a pair of defensive ends, all three linebackers, and 3 of 4 defensive backs that all played in the FCS championship game, but the Bison will have a new look at defensive tackle, where junior Brian Schaetz is the only returner from last year's four-man rotation.  Redshirt freshmen Nate Tanguay and Grant Morgan will play along with sophomore Austin Farnlof, who missed last year with an injury.
 
TWO FRESHMEN PLAY:  Wide receiver RJ Urzendowski out of Creighton Prep in Omaha and defensive end Greg Menard from Lakeville North in Minnesota are the only true freshmen who have played for NDSU this season.  Urzendowski caught one pass for six yards in his debut at Iowa State in the season opener.  Menard joined the travel squad for Weber State, where he made one tackle in his first game.
 
WENTZ STEPS IN:  Junior quarterback Carson Wentz takes over the reins of the Bison offense in place of All-American Brock Jensen, who went 47-5 as NDSU's starter and totaled an FCS-record 48 victories at quarterback.  Wentz completed 18 of 28 passes for 204 yards and ran eight times for 38 yards at Iowa State in his first career start.  He saw action in 11 games last season completing 22 of 30 passes (73.3 percent) for 209 yards and one touchdown.
 
RUNNING BACKS: North Dakota State had dual 1,000-yard running backs each of the past three seasons and part of that equation the past two seasons was John Crockett, who ranks 10th in school history with 2,656 career rushing yards.  He has 11 career 100-yard games after going for 139 and 120 yards in his first two games this season, and Crockett is on pace to finish as one of NDSU's top five rushers despite splitting the carries in 2012 and 2013.  Chase Morlock returns after getting 47 carries as a true freshman, and sophomore King Frazier joins the mix after transferring from Nebraska.
            NDSU Career Rushing Leaders
            1. 4696 - Lamar Gordon, 1998-01
            2. 3952 - Kyle Steffes, 2003-06
            3. 3694 - Sam Ojuri, 2009-13
            4. 3688 - Jake Morris, 1994-97
            5. 3313 - Chris Simdorn, 1987-90
            6. 3212 - Tony Satter, 1987-90
            7. 2985 - DJ McNorton, 2008-11
            8. 2945 - Jeff Bentrim, 1983-86
            9. 2837 - Chad Stark, 1983-86
            10. 2656 - John Crockett, 2012-14
 
VRAA AMONG NATION'S BEST:  Wide receiver Zach Vraa was third in the FCS last year with a school-record 15 touchdown catches, and ranked 10th nationally with a school-record 1,191 receiving yards.  Vraa has caught a pass in 24 consecutive games and 31 of 32 games in his career.  He ranks fifth in NDSU career receiving yards (1949), sixth in career receptions (123), and fourth in touchdown catches (19).
            NDSU Career Receiving Yards
            1. 2732 - Kole Heckendorf, 2005-08
            2. 2544 - TR McDonald, 1990-93
            3. 2332 - Tim Strehlow, 1996-99
            4. 2232 - Warren Holloway, 2008-11
            5. 1949 - Zach Vraa, 2011-14
 
            NDSU Career Receptions
            1. 178 - Kole Heckendorf, 2005-08
            2. 163 - Travis White, 2002-06
            3. 161 - Warren Holloway, 2008-11
            4. 147 - Ryan Smith, 2010-13
            5. 134 - TR McDonald, 1990-93
            6. 123 - Zach Vraa, 2011-14

            NDSU Career Receiving TDs
            1. 26 - Tim Strehlow, 1996-99
            2. 24 - Len Kretchman, 1985-88
            3. 22 - TR McDonald, 1990-93
            4. 19 - Zach Vraa, 2011-14
 
VAADELAND BACK FOR SIXTH YEAR:  Tight end Kevin Vaadeland returned to the Bison program for a sixth season due to a 2010 injury and is coming off his most productive season.  Vaadeland caught 20 passes for 233 yards and his eight touchdown receptions ranked third overall in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and second in the FCS among tight ends.  He had a career-high four catches and two TDs in last year's win at Youngstown State.  Vaadeland's 10 career TDs rank second in NDSU history among tight ends.  He caught four passes for 48 yards in the opener at Iowa State and two passes for 20 yards at Weber State.
 
O-LINE SHAKEUP:  North Dakota State has just one returning starter on the offensive line and that is junior Joe Haeg, who is moving from right tackle to left tackle in place of Miami Dolphins third round draft pick Billy Turner.  The Bison expected three starters back, but center Josh Colville gave up his final two years of eligibility due to injuries, and left guard Zack Johnson is missing the season due to injury.
 
OFFENSIVE OPENER: Despite an entirely new offensive line and a new quarterback, North Dakota State rolled to 506 yards of total offense at Iowa State in the opener, the most total offense since putting up 571 yards against Stephen F. Austin in the 2007 opener.  NDSU rushed for 302 yards, the most since 2008 against Austin Peay (304).  Career-long runs for John Crockett (80) and Chase Morlock (66) both went for touchdowns, and the Bison controlled the clock with a time of possession advantage 35:47 to 24:13, including 10:28 in the fourth quarter.
 
WEARING THEM OUT:  North Dakota State has a habit of wearing out its opponents with its bruising running game in the fourth quarter.  NDSU has held the ball for over 10 minutes in the final quarter in 2 of 3 games and ranks 13th nationally in time of possession. NDSU ranked second nationally in time of possession (33:40) and led the FCS in third down conversions last year (55%).  The advantage was most notable in the fourth quarter.  NDSU averaged 9:30 in the fourth quarter last year including seven games over 10 minutes and a season-high 11:31 at Youngstown State.  The Bison converted 37 of 56 third downs in the final quarter for 66 percent. 
 
FOURTH QUARTER SUCCESS:  North Dakota State held 13 of 15 opponents scoreless in the fourth quarter last year with Missouri State and New Hampshire combining for 13 points on two touchdowns.  Those touchdowns and a Sam Houston State field goal in the January 2013 national title game are the only 16 fourth-quarter points NDSU has allowed in the last 23 games since holding Illinois State scoreless in the final game of the 2012 regular season.
 
KELLER BACK ON PLACE KICKING DUTIES:  Senior Adam Keller is back from an offseason hip surgery to handle North Dakota State's place kicking duties.  Keller set school records for PAT kicks made (76) and attempted (78) for the second straight season.  He converted 9 of 12 field goals including a season-long 48-yarder in the FCS quarterfinal victory over Coastal Carolina and led the Bison in scoring with 103 points.  Keller has converted 71 straight PAT kicks dating back to the fourth game of 2013 and eight straight field goals over the past seven contests.  He has a career-long of 49 yards against Youngstown State in 2012.
 
PUNT COVERAGE:  North Dakota State's Ben LeCompte punted 52 times for an average of 43.65 yards per punt that ranked second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and fourth in school history last season.  LeCompte had 10 touchbacks, 25 punts inside the 20, and 12 boots of 50 yards or more including a career-best 75 yards at South Dakota State and a 74-yarder in the same game.  Only 8 of 52 punts were returned and NDSU was fifth in the FCS allowing just 2.63 yards per return.  LeCompte is second in NDSU and MVFC history with a 43.35 career punting average.
 
PRESEASON PICKS:  North Dakota State, ranked No. 1 in the FCS coaches poll and No. 2 in the Sports Network media poll, was picked to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference ahead of South Dakota State and Northern Iowa.  NDSU had a league-high eight players on the preseason all-conference team including fullback Andrew Bonnet, wide receiver Zach Vraa, left guard Zack Johnson (out due to injury), defensive end Kyle Emanuel, linebacker Carlton Littlejohn, strong safety Colten Heagle and punter Ben LeCompte.  Free safety and punt returner Christian Dudzik was an honorable mention.
 
ON THE ROAD:  North Dakota State has won 16 straight true road games and 20 including three national championship games in Frisco, Texas, and one neutral site win against South Dakota in Sioux Falls, S.D.  The Bison have won 25 of their last 29 road games and are 17-7 in MVFC road games.  The Bison have not lost away from Fargo since the 38-31 overtime loss to eventual national champion Eastern Washington in the 2010 NCAA quarterfinals.
            Division I Road Winning Streaks
            17 - Northern Illinois (MAC)
            16 - North Dakota State (MVFC)
            9 - Ohio State (Big Ten)
            8 - Florida State (ACC)
 
BISON AT HOME:  North Dakota State has won 15 straight home games and 45 of the last 46 non-conference home games including 35 straight since a 2003 loss to UC Davis.  NDSU has the longest home winning streak in Division I football after Sam Houston State's 23-game streak fell to Colorado State-Pueblo last weekend.
            Division I Home Winning Streaks
            15 - North Dakota State (MVFC)
            12 - Baylor (Big 12)
            12 - Northern Illinois (MAC)
            11 - Alabama (SEC)
            11 - Auburn (SEC)
            11 - LSU (SEC)
 
HOME GAMES SOLD OUT:  For the third straight season, all six North Dakota State home games sold out within an hour of single-game tickets going on sale Aug. 1.  The Bison have more than 12,000 season ticket holders plus 4,000 student tickets available at Gate City Bank Field, where capacity is 18,700.  Additional single-game tickets may become available Fridays of each home game week.
 
RECORD ATTENDANCE:  North Dakota State set a school record for average home attendance for the third straight year drawing 18,622 over nine games in 2013, which ranked sixth in the FCS.  NDSU drew a record crowd of 19,108 for the homecoming game against Missouri State, which was the fifth straight regular season sellout and the 17th sellout overall since 2006.  NDSU finished second in total home attendance (167,600) behind Montana.
            2013 FCS average home attendance
            1. Montana - 24,380
            2. James Madison - 21,011
            3. Southern - 20,107
            4. Yale - 19,809
            5. Montana State - 19,704
            6. North Dakota State - 18,622
 
THE COACH:  The 30th head coach in team history, Chris Klieman (Northern Iowa, 1992) takes over the North Dakota State program after spending the past three years on staff as the defensive backs coach and handling the defensive coordinator duties in 2012 and 2013.  The head coach at Division III Loras College in 2005, Klieman came to NDSU after five years at Northern Iowa. He also made coaching stops at Western Illinois (1994-96), Kansas (1997), Missouri State (1999) and Loras (2002-04).  He is a native of Waterloo, Iowa, and was a three-time all-conference defensive back at UNI from 1986-90.