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NDSU Notes | Charleston Southern Notes

THIS WEEK:  The third annual FCS Kickoff on ESPN features five-time reigning national champion North Dakota State hosting FCS quarterfinalist and defending Big South Conference champion Charleston Southern on Saturday, Aug. 27.  Kickoff is at 6:36 p.m. at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (18,700).
 
TELEVISION:  Coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN with Adam Amin calling the play-by-play, Mack Brown as color analyst, and Molly McGrath reporting from the sidelines.
 
RADIO:  Coverage begins at 6 p.m. on KPFX-FM 107.9 The Fox and the Peterson Farms Seed Bison Radio Network with Jeff Culhane calling the play-by-play, NDSU and Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer Phil Hansen as color analyst, and NDSU's Jeremy Jorgenson reporting from the sideline.  Extended coverage on 107.9 The Fox includes "Bison Game Day" from 4 to 6 p.m. and "Bison Hotline" for 2 hours following the network broadcast with hosts Keith Brake and former NDSU safety Christian Dudzik.
 
ONLINE:  Live video streaming will be available on WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN mobile app through participating TV providers.  Audio streaming of the Peterson Farms Seed Bison Radio Network broadcast will be on GoBison.com/allaccess.  Live stats for NDSU home games are available on BisonStats.com.  Follow @NDSUfootball on Twitter for game updates.
 
TICKETS:  Tickets for North Dakota State's six home football games in 2016 are sold out.  Additional tickets that become available will go on sale at 8 a.m. Friday before each game on GoBison.com/tickets and at the Bison Ticket Office in the east lobby of the Fargodome.
 
THE SERIES:  This is the first meeting between North Dakota State and Charleston Southern.  NDSU is 2-0 against teams from the Big South Conference with a pair of FCS quarterfinal victories over Coastal Carolina in 2013 and 2014.  This is Charleston Southern's first game against a Missouri Valley Football Conference opponent.
 
#FCSKICKOFF:  This is the third annual FCS Kickoff on ESPN and the second straight appearance for North Dakota State.  NDSU lost 38-35 at Montana last year.  Eastern Washington, the last team other than NDSU to win a national title (2010), won the 2014 FCS Kickoff at home 56-35 over Sam Houston State, NDSU's opponent in the 2011 and 2012 national title games.
 
FOR OPENERS:  North Dakota State is 79-33-7 in season-openers since 1894.  This is NDSU's first season opener at home since 2012 when the Bison beat Robert Morris (Pa.) 52-0.  North Dakota State has won 15 of its last 17 season openers (Iowa State, 2009; Montana, 2015) and 17 straight home openers since the 1998 season-opening loss to Emporia State 23-21.
 
BISON AT HOME:  North Dakota State is 48-4 at home since 2010.  The Bison have won 51 of the last 52 home games over non-conference opponents including 42 straight since a 2003 loss to UC Davis.  NDSU is 11-2 at home all-time against FCS Top 10 teams.
 
CAPTAINS:  North Dakota State's six captains for the 2016 season are junior safety Tre Dempsey, senior linebackers Nick DeLuca and MJ Stumpf, senior running back Chase Morlock, sophomore quarterback Easton Stick and junior defensive tackle Nate Tanguay.  Stick is the first sophomore voted captain at NDSU since quarterback Steve Walker in 2005.
 
COACHING STAFF INTACT:  After having at least one new assistant coach every year since beginning Division I play in 2004, North Dakota State has the same full-time coaching staff for the third straight season under head coach Chris Klieman.  NDSU made two changes to support staff adding former Bison defensive back Bryan Shepherd as defensive assistant and former Wisconsin-Stout assistant Kody Morgan in the offensive quality control position.
 
13-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS:  North Dakota State won its 13th football national championship last season.  NDSU claimed three College Division national championships in 1965, 1968 and 1969, five Division II titles in 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988 and 1990, and is the first team in college football history to win five straight national championships with FCS titles in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
 
71 WINS IN FIVE SEASONS:  North Dakota State has a record of 71-5 since the beginning of the 2011 national championship season.  The Bison went 14-1, 14-1, 15-0, 15-1 and 13-2 for the most wins in Division I football in that five-year span.  Fifteen FCS programs have multiple 10-win seasons since 2011, and only four teams have reached the 10-win mark at least three times—NDSU (5), Sam Houston State (4), Eastern Washington (3) and Jacksonville State (3).
           Most Wins Since 2011, Division I
            71 - North Dakota State
            62 - Alabama
            58 - Florida State
            57 - Oregon
            56 - Clemson
            56 - Ohio State
            56 - Sam Houston State
            54 - Michigan State
            54 - Northern Illinois
            54 - Stanford
 
BISON NO. 1 IN PRESEASON POLLS:  North Dakota State is No. 1 in both of the preseason polls after getting 152 of 158 first-place votes in the STATS FCS Top 25 and all 25 first-place votes in the FCS Coaches Poll.  The Bison were preseason favorites last year, but after a season-opening loss at Montana never regained the No. 1 spot until the final polls following a 37-10 win over No. 1-ranked Jacksonville State in the national championship game.
 
VALLEY FOOTBALL PRESEASON PICKS:  North Dakota State had five players picked to the preseason all-Missouri Valley Football Conference team: running back King Frazier, offensive guard Zack Johnson, defensive end Greg Menard, linebacker Nick DeLuca, and free safety Tre Dempsey.  NDSU long snapper James Fisher, defensive tackle Nate Tanguay and strong safety Robbie Grimsley earned honorable mention.  NDSU was picked to win the league ahead of Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Illinois State and Youngstown State.
 
OFFENSE RETURNS SIX STARTERS:  Two NFL draft picks are gone in quarterback Carson Wentz and left tackle Joe Haeg, but North Dakota State returns six offensive starters including quarterback Easton Stick, who went 8-0 as a redshirt freshman.  Senior King Frazier (1158 yards, 11 TD, 5.3 ypc) leads a stable of four returning running backs, NDSU's two leading receivers are back in junior RJ Urzendowski and sophomore Darrius Shepherd, and the Bison return three starters and one reserve on the offensive line.
 
OFFENSIVE LINE EXPERIENCED:  Starting left guard Zack Johnson, center Austin Kuhnert and right tackle Landon Lechler are all back from last year's team along with senior Jack Plankers, who rotated at guard and tackle.  Plankers is slated to start at right guard and third-year sophomore Colin Conner is listed as the starting left tackle, where NDSU has had a pair of NFL draft picks since 2011 in Billy Turner and Joe Haeg.
 
FRAZIER LEADS DEEP RUSHING ATTACK:  North Dakota State has had a 1,000-yard rusher for 13 straight seasons after King Frazier's 1,158 yards last season as a junior.  Frazier leads a group of four returning running backs who each had at least 90 carries last year.  He rushed 219 times and averaged 5.3 yards per carry with 11 touchdowns on the season.  Frazier averaged 94.0 yards per game over the final eight contests.  He has four career 100-yard games including a career-high 177 yards at Southern Illinois and back-to-back playoff games last year against Northern Iowa (107) and Richmond (121).
 
EIGHT STARTERS BACK ON DEFENSE:  North Dakota State returns eight starters and eight of the top nine tacklers from last year's defense that ranked third in the FCS in total defense (271.5) and fifth in scoring defense (15.3 ppg). Six of the front seven are back including top tackler Nick DeLuca at middle linebacker (135 tackles) and leading pass rusher Greg Menard at defensive end (10.0 sacks, 15 QB hurries).  Junior safety Tre Dempsey (9 PBU, 3 INT) is the veteran in the defensive backfield, where sophomore Robbie Grimsley also returns after making 10 starts as a true freshman.
 
PRESEASON WATCH LISTS:  North Dakota State senior Nick DeLuca is the only FCS player on the watch list for the 32nd annual Butkus Award, honoring the nation's best collegiate linebacker.  The 51-player watch list is voted on by a 51-member panel of NFL/college GMs, coaches, scouts and media.  DeLuca and junior defensive end Greg Menard were two of 22 players named to the watch list for STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year, which was won in 2014 by NDSU defensive end Kyle Emanuel.
 
DEFENSE STINGY IN PLAYOFF RUN:  North Dakota State finished third in the FCS in total defense, fifth in scoring defense, 10th in rush defense and 11th in pass defense last year after a stingy performance in the playoffs.  NDSU limited its four playoff opponents all to season-lows in total yardage, culminating with a 204-yard performance against a Jacksonville State team that had nine 500-yard games last year.  NDSU's average of 217 yards allowed over four games was the best Bison defense in six FCS playoff trips.

Opponent	Avg. Yards Before NDSU	Yards vs. NDSU
Montana	438	235
Northern Iowa	395	221
Richmond	471	209
Jacksonville State	529	204
Year	Avg. Yards Allowed in Playoffs
2010	356 (3 games)
2011	300 (4 games)
2012	341 (4 games)
2013	291 (4 games)
2014	355 (4 games)
2015	217 (4 games)

 
 
KICK RETURN TEAM FIRST NATIONALLY:  North Dakota State ranked first in the FCS in kickoff returns with an average of 29.09 yards per return, which was a new NDSU and MVFC single-season record.  Freshman Bruce Anderson was NDSU's leading kickoff returner with 585 yards and a school-record 36.56 yards per return.  Anderson would've led the FCS in kick return average by more than five yards, but his 16 return attempts were two shy of qualifying for the NCAA rankings (1.2 returns/game).  He tied the NDSU career record of two kickoff return touchdowns in the playoffs against Montana (100 yards) and Northern Iowa (97 yards).
 
BISON CHEW UP CLOCK:  North Dakota State led the nation in time of possession with an average of 36:39 last year and the Bison have only been out-clocked once in the last 31 games (South Dakota, 2015).  The Bison held the ball for 43:47 against Western Illinois last year, the most time of possession in NDSU's 12 seasons of Division I football.
 
#PROBISON:  North Dakota State has nine former players active in the NFL and two others in the CFL.  Four Bison from last season are still with NFL teams including No. 2 overall draft pick Carson Wentz, fifth-round pick Joe Haeg, and undrafted free agent signees Andrew Bonnet and CJ Smith.  On the sidelines, former Bison safety/punter (1984-1988) and longtime assistant coach (1996-2005) Gus Bradley is in his fourth season as the Jaguars' head coach.

Name	Year in NFL	Team
Andrew Bonnet, FB	1st	Cincinnati Bengals
John Crockett, RB	2nd	Green Bay Packers
Kyle Emanuel, LB	2nd	San Diego Chargers
Joe Haeg, OL	1st	Indianapolis Colts
Ramon Humber, LB	8th	New England Patriots
CJ Smith, CB	1st	Philadelphia Eagles
Billy Turner, OL	3rd	Miami Dolphins
Carson Wentz, QB	1st	Philadelphia Eagles
Marcus Williams, CB	3rd	New York Jets
Name	Year in CFL	Team
Brock Jensen, QB	2nd	Ottawa Redblacks
Ryan Smith, WR	3rd	Winnipeg Blue Bombers

 
 
NDSU OFFERS FULL COST OF ATTENDANCE:  North Dakota State is offering full cost of attendance to student-athletes in all 16 men's and women's sports beginning in the 2016-17 season.  The anticipated additional cost for NDSU is up to $3,400 per full scholarship.  This initiative will be funded exclusively through private donations.  The athletics department has secured lead gifts from several donors that will provide a matching funds program for the first three years of implementation.  Donations can be made online at NDSUAthleticFund.com.
 
EXCELLENCE BEYOND FOOTBALL:  North Dakota State has a storied history of athletic success including 25 team national championships since 1965 in football, women's basketball, wrestling, softball, men's cross country and women's indoor track and field.  In only eight years since completing a reclassification to NCAA Division I, the Bison have to their credit five football national championships, three NCAA men's basketball tournaments, seven softball regionals and one super regional, three NCAA women's volleyball postseason appearances, NCAA tournaments in women's soccer, women's golf and baseball, and several All-Americans in track and field, cross country and wrestling.
 
NEW FACILITY OPENING:  North Dakota State may already be atop the FCS with its football amenities at the Fargodome, but the Bison have taken another step forward with the addition of a new strength and conditioning facility this summer in the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.  Slated for completion in October, the $50 million renovation and expansion includes the 5,700-seat Scheels Center basketball arena and the already-open Nodak Mutual Basketball Performance Center.  The facility is adjacent to NDSU's three full-size outdoor practice fields and Dacotah Field, the former Bison football stadium and current women's soccer facility, which has artificial turf and lights, and is covered with a dome in the winter.
 
NATIONAL EXPOSURE:  North Dakota State has become a well-known name in college football thanks to its run of five straight national championships and several appearances on national television.  NDSU hosted ESPN's College GameDay in 2013 and 2014, SportsCenter on the Road in 2015, and this week is playing its 15th game since 2011 on ESPN (five), ESPN2 (nine) or ESPNU (one).  The Bison have also won games at Minnesota (2011) on the Big Ten Network and at Kansas State (2013) and Iowa State (2014) on Fox Sports 1.
 
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 did not play an FBS opponent in 2015, but the Bison play at Iowa in Week 3 this season and have games at Oregon in 2020 and Colorado in 2024.