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NDSU Notes | Montana Notes | Playoff Bracket

THIS WEEK:  No. 3 seed North Dakota State (9-2) hosts Montana (8-4) in the second round of the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs Saturday, Dec. 5, in a rematch of the season opener.  Game time is 2:30 p.m. at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (18,700).
 
TELEVISION:  Live coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN mobile app with Trey Bender calling the play-by-play and Jay Taylor as color analyst.  ESPN3 is available from participating Internet service providers on WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN mobile app is available through participating ESPN television providers.  The game will also be on ESPN College Extra, available on DirecTV and select cable carriers.
 
RADIO:  KFGO-AM 790 and Mix 101.9 FM 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, commentary from KFGO's Jack Michaels, and NDSU's Jeremy Jorgenson reporting from the sideline.  A free audio stream will be available exclusively on GoBison.com/allaccess.
 
THE SERIES:  This is the ninth all-time meeting between North Dakota State and Montana.  The series is tied 4-4 after Montana's 38-35 win in Missoula in this year's FCS Kickoff game on ESPN.  The Bison won the only meeting in Fargo 22-10 last season.  The teams have met twice before in the postseason.  NDSU won 30-3 in the 1969 Camellia Bowl and 31-16 in the 1970 Camellia Bowl, both played in Sacramento, Calif.
 
LAST MEETING:  Joey Counts scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 2 seconds left to give Montana a 38-35 win over North Dakota State in Missoula on Aug. 29 in the second annual FCS Kickoff on ESPN.  NDSU quarterback Carson Wentz threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more.  He completed 16 of 28 passes for 198 yards and added 70 yards on the ground.  Running back King Frazier led NDSU with 91 yards on 15 carries.  Montana outgained NDSU 544-427 for the game, and the Griz converted 4 of 6 attempts on fourth down. Griz quarterback Brady Gustafson went 30-of-55 passing for 434 yards.  Neither team led by more than eight points the entire game.  The Bison played without starting cornerback CJ Smith, who was coming back from a knee injury.  Cornerback Jordan Champion led the Bison defense with 14 tackles and linebacker Nick DeLuca had an interception.
 
SIXTH STRAIGHT POSTSEASON:  This is North Dakota State's sixth straight appearance in the FCS playoffs.  NDSU is 18-1 in the FCS playoffs including four straight national championships and a quarterfinal appearance in 2010.  The Bison are 13-0 at home in the FCS playoffs and will have home field advantage through at least the quarterfinal round with the No. 3 national seed.  This is NDSU's 29th postseason overall.  NDSU has a 53-14 record all-time in the postseason including three College Division national championships in 1965, 1968 and 1969 and five Division II titles in 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988 and 1990.  NDSU is 48-13 in the NCAA playoff format since 1973.
 
BISON LAND 11 ON ALL-MVFC TEAM:  North Dakota State had 11 players named to the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference first and second teams by a vote of the league's head coaches, sports information directors and media.  NDSU led the league with seven selections on the first team.  They were fullback Andrew Bonnet, left tackle Joe Haeg, left guard Zack Johnson, defensive end Greg Menard, middle linebacker Nick DeLuca, cornerback CJ Smith and punter Ben LeCompte.  On the second team were running back King Frazier, tight end Luke Albers, right guard Jeremy Kelly and long snapper James Fisher.  Bison quarterback Carson Wentz, wide receiver RJ Urzendowski and defensive tackle Nate Tanguay were honorable mention.  LeCompte was all-conference for the third straight year, Bonnet and Haeg for the second straight year, and Johnson for the second time in three seasons.
 
DeLUCA SECOND IN VOTE:  Junior middle linebacker Nick DeLuca from North Dakota State was second in the voting for the Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year award, which went to Northern Iowa cornerback Deiondre Hall.  DeLuca is NDSU's leading tackler with 96 stops including 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks.  He has one interception, five pass breakups, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble.  DeLuca made double-digit tackles three times and was MVFC Defensive Player of the Week after a career-high 20 tackles at Southern Illinois.
 
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE:  North Dakota State is the No. 3 seed and would have home field advantage for a potential quarterfinal matchup next week.  The NDSU-Montana winner gets the winner of Northern Iowa at No. 6 seed Portland State.  NDSU is 13-0 at home in the FCS playoffs and has won 14 straight home playoff games including a 1992 Division II first round game against Northeast Missouri State at Dacotah Field.  Minnesota State Mankato was the last team to beat NDSU at home in the playoffs, a 27-7 defeat in the 1991 Division II first round.
 
VRAA SETS TOUCHDOWN RECORD:  Sixth-year wide receiver Zach Vraa broke the North Dakota State career record with his 27th touchdown reception against Missouri State.  Vraa broke the career records for receiving yards against South Dakota and receptions against Northern Iowa.  Vraa is among the MVFC's top 10 in all three categories.  He has caught a pass in 51 of 54 career games.
            NDSU Career Receiving Yards
            2854 - Zach Vraa, 2011-15 (54g)
            2732 - Kole Heckendorf, 2005-08 (43g)
            2544 - TR McDonald, 1990-93 (39g)

            NDSU Career Receiving TDs
            27 - Zach Vraa, 2011-15
            26 - Tim Strehlow, 1996-99
            24 - Len Kretchman, 1985-88

            NDSU Career Receptions
            186 - Zach Vraa, 2011-15
            178 - Kole Heckendorf, 2005-08
            163 - Travis White, 2002-06
 
TWO ALL-STAR INVITES:  Two North Dakota State players have accepted invitations to postseason all-star games.  Left tackle Joe Haeg was selected to the 91st East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Fla., at 4 p.m. EST on Jan. 23.  Quarterback Carson Wentz was selected to the Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., at 1:30 p.m. CST on Jan. 30.  Both games will be televised on NFL Network.
 
BISON LEAD MVFC IN RUSHING:  North Dakota State leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference in rushing offense and ranks 11th in the FCS with an average of 244.0 yards per game.  The Bison are averaging 5.2 yards per carry with junior King Frazier leading a four-man running back rotation.  Frazier has 790 yards and seven touchdowns on 147 carries and is averaging 71.8 yards per game, while quarterback Easton Stick is the team's second leading rusher with 60.4 yards per game.  NDSU has had at least one 1,000-yard rusher the past 12 seasons.
 
100-YARD RUSHERS:  North Dakota State has produced just three 100-yard rushing games this year with most of the workload being distributed between four running backs.  Quarterback Easton Stick ran for 124 yards in his first start at Indiana State and went for 130 yards in his second outing at Southern Illinois.  He was the first NDSU quarterback to have back-to-back 100-yard rushing games since October 1996.  King Frazier had a career-high 177 yards at SIU to give NDSU its first dual 100-yard rushers since last year.  Lance Dunn notched his first 100-yard game against Missouri State getting eight carries for 125 yards.
 
STRONG UP FRONT:  North Dakota State's offensive line has not only been opening holes for the top-ranked rushing attack in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, but also provides exceptional protection for the passing game.  NDSU has allowed the fewest sacks (11) and tackles for loss (45) in the league this year.  The Bison rank seventh nationally in TFLs allowed and 11th in sacks allowed.
 
BISON CHEW UP CLOCK:  North Dakota State leads the nation in time of possession and has only been out-clocked once in the last 27 games (South Dakota, 2015).  The Bison are averaging an FCS-best 36:20 over 11 games.  The Bison held the ball for 43:47 against Western Illinois, the most time of possession in NDSU's 12 seasons of Division I football.
 
KICK RETURN TEAM FIFTH NATIONALLY:  North Dakota State is fifth in the FCS in kickoff returns with an average of 24.78 yards per return.  Freshman Bruce Anderson is averaging 28.9 yards per return and junior Eric Perkins is averaging 26.6 yards.  Perkins has vaulted into sixth all-time in NDSU history with 631 kick return yards and a 25.24 average on 25 attempts since making his return debut against Missouri State last year.
 
LeCOMPTE LEADS BISON, FCS IN PUNTING:  North Dakota State ranks fourth nationally in net punting (39.25) thanks to All-America and three-time all-conference punter Ben LeCompte, who is NDSU's new career leader in punts (214), punting yards (9,530) and punting average (44.53).  LeCompte is second in the Football Championship Subdivision this season with a 46.1 average on 48 punts including a long of 73 in the Weber State game, 17 punts of 50-plus yards, and 20 downed inside the 20.  LeCompte ranks fourth in FCS history and is the MVFC leader in career punting average.  The previous NDSU record was 44.46 by Mike Dragosavich (2004-07) and the MVFC record was 43.62 by Indiana State's Lucas Hileman (2011-12).
            NCAA FCS Career Punting Leaders
            45.1 - Jonathan Plisco, Old Dominion (2009-12)
            44.8 - Mark Gould, Northern Arizona (2000-03)
            44.7 - Cory Carter, Texas Southern (2012-15)
            44.5 - Ben LeCompte, NDSU (2012-15)
            44.4 - Pumpy Tudors, Chattanooga (1989-91)
 
SMITH CLIMBING PASS DEFENSE LIST:  Senior cornerback CJ Smith remains second among all active players and is 12th in the FCS record book (since 2000) with 47 career passes defended.  Smith has 41 pass breakups and six interceptions in his career, second only to New York Jets defensive back Marcus Williams, who had 60 passes defended for NDSU (2010-13).
 
BISON SET MARKS FOR POINTS, POSSESSION:  North Dakota State's 59 points in the 59-7 home victory over Western Illinois were the most the Bison have scored in a Missouri Valley Football Conference game and the most since a 66-7 win over Prairie View A&M in 2012.  NDSU outgained Western Illinois 528-205 while dominating the clock with a 43:47 to 16:13 advantage in time of possession.
 
HAEG ADDED TO WATCH LIST:  North Dakota State left tackle Joe Haeg was added to the STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Year watch list Nov. 4.  He is the first lineman on the watch list since Villanova's Ben Ijalana in 2010.  Haeg was first team All-America in 2014 and the Top Collegiate Offensive Lineman by the FCS Athletic Directors Association.  He has been named Offensive Lineman of the Week twice this season by the Missouri Valley Football Conference and has helped pave the way for the top rushing offense in the league.  NDSU quarterback Carson Wentz was a preseason nominee for the award, but was removed from consideration after being sidelined with a wrist injury after six games.
 
FCS AWARDS MOVE TO FRISCO:  The annual FCS awards program will be continued this year by STATS, which purchased The Sports Network last summer.  The STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Year, STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year, STATS FCS Freshman of the Year, STATS FCS Coach of the Year and STATS Doris & Eddie Robinson FCS Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards will be presented Jan. 8 in Frisco, Texas, on the eve of the NCAA championship game.  The winners are selected by a panel of 160 voters who participate in the weekly FCS Top 25.
 
FOUR ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT:  Quarterback Carson Wentz, wide receiver Zach Vraa, running back Chase Morlock and defensive end Greg Menard were voted to the Academic All-District team by the College Sports Information Directors of America.  Starters and key reserves with at least sophomore standing and a 3.30 cumulative GPA are eligible.  Wentz has a 4.0 in health and physical education, Vraa has a 3.56 and holds a bachelor's degree in sport management, Morlock has a 3.80 in exercise science, and Menard a 3.90 in civil engineering.
 
SLOWING DOWN HIGH-POWERED OFFENSES:  North Dakota State limited Western Illinois to 1 yard rushing in the first half and 33 yards on the ground altogether while holding Nikko Watson, the second-leading rusher in the MVFC, to just one yard on four carries.  WIU's no-huddle offense ran only 47 plays, 28 fewer than its average.  It was the third straight week the Bison defense has risen to the challenge.  NDSU limited the top-rated offense in the MVFC to a season-low 398 yards of total offense and 121 rushing yards at Southern Illinois and held an Indiana State team averaging 438 yards to just 201 yards of total offense.
 
26-GAME HOME STREAK ENDS:  North Dakota State's 26-game home winning streak was the longest active streak in Division I football when South Dakota ended it Oct. 17 with a 24-21 victory.  It was the longest home field streak in Missouri Valley Football Conference history, second longest in NDSU history, and eighth longest all-time in the Football Championship Subdivision.  Georgia Southern holds the top two FCS home win streaks at 39 and 38 games.  NDSU's longest home winning streak is 28 games from 1964-69 and longest home unbeaten streak is 35 games from 1964-71 (including 1970 season-opening tie with Eastern Michigan).
 
BEST DEFENSE IN 41 YEARS:  North Dakota State held North Dakota to 61 yards of total offense, which was the lowest output by an NDSU opponent in 41 years since allowing five yards in a 1974 home win over Morningside College.  The Bison did not allow a first down until less than five minutes remained in the third quarter and limited the UND offense to four yards rushing, the fewest since 2013 when NDSU held South Dakota State to minus-32 in Brookings.
 
CONFERENCE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:  The following players were recognized as Player of the Week by the Missouri Valley Football Conference for their performances:
        - Nick DeLuca, Defense (Career-high 20 tackles with one TFL and one pass breakup at Southern Illinois...NDSU limited the league's top-rated offense to a season-low 398 yards of total offense and 121 rushing yards)
        - King Frazier, Offense (Ran 16 times for a career-high 177 yards and one TD at Southern Illinois...Had runs of 41, 50 and 51 yards)
        - Joe Haeg, 2x Offensive Line (Led the Bison with 12 knockdowns and graded out at 92 percent on technique against Weber State...Had eight knockdowns and a 94 percent grade at South Dakota State)
        - Jeremy Kelly, Offensive Line (Nine knockdowns and an 88 percent technique grade at Southern Illinois as the Bison rushed for a season-high 397 yards)
        - Cam Pedersen, Special Teams (Converted 4 of 4 PAT kicks and 28- and 49-yard field goals against North Dakota)
        - Easton Stick, Newcomer (Made his first collegiate start Oct. 24 at Indiana State...Ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns while passing for 126 yards and one score...Eighth of last 10 starting QBs since 1998 to win his first start at NDSU)
        - Carson Wentz, Offense (Four TD passes in 31-28 comeback victory over Northern Iowa...Led a 10-play, 79-yard drive in less than 2 minutes capped with an 18-yard TD pass to Darrius Shepherd with 35 seconds left...Finished a career-high 26 of 40 passing for 335 yards, fifth most passing yards in school history)
 
BISON AT HOME:  North Dakota State is 45-4 at home since 2010.  The Bison have won 50 of the last 51 home games over non-conference opponents including 40 straight since a 2003 loss to UC Davis.  NDSU is 11-2 at home all-time against FCS Top 10 teams.
 
FOUR TRUE FRESHMAN:  North Dakota State has played four true freshmen this year.  Safety Robbie Grimsley, running back Bruce Anderson and wide receiver Dimitri Williams all played in the season opener at Montana.  Kicker Cam Pedersen traveled to Montana and made his debut in Week 2 against Weber State.
 
SUCCESS VS. THE FBS:  North Dakota State has an 8-3 record against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents and has won five in a row against FBS foes since 2010 with wins at Kansas (6-3), Minnesota (37-24), Colorado State (22-7), Kansas State (24-21) and Iowa State (34-14).  NDSU is scheduled to play at Iowa next season and Oregon in 2020.
 
FOUR-PEATS:  North Dakota State earned a share of its fifth straight Missouri Valley Football Conference championship this year tying Illinois State with a 7-1 record in conference play.  NDSU is the second school in Valley Football history to win five straight league titles behind Northern Iowa's run of seven straight from 1990 to 1996.  Last year, NDSU became the second team in NCAA history to win four straight national championships.  Augustana College of Rock Island, Ill., won four NCAA Division III titles from 1983-86.  Carroll College of Helena, Mont., won four straight NAIA championships from 2002-05.
 
KLIEMAN INKED THROUGH 2020 SEASON:  North Dakota State head coach Chris Klieman (Northern Iowa, 1992) accepted a two-year contract extension in the offseason that will keep him with the Bison until January 2021.  Klieman led the Bison to a 15-1 record, a fourth straight Missouri Valley Football Conference championship with a 7-1 mark, and an unprecedented fourth straight NCAA Division I FCS national title.

NDSU didn't skip a beat in Klieman's first year despite losing 23 seniors and welcoming seven new assistant coaches.  The Bison scored 34 unanswered points to beat Big 12 member Iowa State in the season opener as part of an FCS-record 33-game winning streak that extended into November.

North Dakota State went 9-1 against Top 25 competition and earned the No. 2 national seed for the FCS playoffs.  NDSU had nine players named All-America, including Buck Buchanan Award-winning defensive end Kyle Emanuel, and four Capital One Academic All-America® selections.  Klieman was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award and was named the Rawlings Football/American Football Monthly FCS Coach of the Year.

The head coach at Division III Loras College in 2005, Klieman came to NDSU from Northern Iowa in 2011 as the defensive backs coach and was the defensive coordinator in 2012 and 2013.  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.