THIS WEEK: North Dakota State plays its first Football Bowl Subdivision opponent in six years this Saturday, Sept. 17, when the Bison (2-0) take on the Arizona Wildcats (1-1) of the Pac-12 Conference. Game time is 10 p.m. CDT at Arizona Stadium (50,782) in Tucson, Ariz.
TELEVISION: Saturday’s game will be televised live nationally on Fox Sports 1 with Alex Faust (play-by-play) and Petros Papadakis (analyst) on the call.
RADIO: Statewide coverage begins at 9 p.m. CDT on the Pioneer Seeds Bison Radio Network including Bison 1660 and 107.9 The Fox in Fargo with Rob Hipp (play-by-play), Phil Hansen (analyst) and Cole Jirik (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 North Dakota State’s first meeting against a Pac-12 opponent. The Bison were scheduled to play Oregon in 2020, but that game was canceled due to COVID-19 and has been rescheduled for 2028. NDSU is also scheduled to face Colorado in 2024. Missouri Valley Football Conference teams are 0-2 against the Pac-12 with Oregon winning both games against Missouri State (2011) and South Dakota (2014).
FBS HISTORY: This week’s game will mark six years to the day from NDSU’s last FBS game in 2016 at Iowa. North Dakota State is 9-3 against FBS opponents and has won six in a row since 2010 with wins at Kansas (6-3), Minnesota (37-24), Colorado State (22-7), Kansas State (24-21), Iowa State (34-14) and 11th-ranked Iowa (23-21). NDSU’s first three FBS wins were against Ball State (2006), Central Michigan (2007) and Minnesota (2007).
TV HISTORY: This will be North Dakota State’s third football game on Fox Sports 1 national television. NDSU played on the network’s first Friday night primetime game and second-ever football game Aug. 30, 2013, when the Bison beat Kansas State 24-21. NDSU also beat Iowa State 34-14 on FS1 in the 2014 season opener.
LAST WEEK: North Dakota State improved to 2-0 on the season with a 43-3 win over North Carolina A&T. The Bison scored 21 points off three A&T turnovers, a forced fumble by Jaxon Duttenhefer, the first career interception for senior linebacker James Kaczor, and a strip sack by defensive end Spencer Waege, who finished with two sacks and three tackles for loss.
SCHOOL-RECORD RETURN: Safety Dawson Weber‘s 79-yard fumble return touchdown against North Carolina A&T tied the NDSU school record set by Claudie Miller on Oct. 31, 1925, at North Dakota. After going nearly four years without a defensive touchdown, North Dakota State’s defense has now scored in back-to-back games. Weber’s strip sack against Drake led to a 5-yard fumble return touchdown for defensive tackle Will Mostaert.
SPECIAL TEAMS SPARK BISON: Touchdowns on a blocked field goal and punt return sparked North Dakota State to a 56-14 win over Drake in the season opener. Destin Talbert scored from 56 yards after Jake Kava‘s blocked field goal, and Jayden Price scored on a 66-yard punt return after the ensuing Drake possession to give the Bison a 21-7 lead. The Bison also got their first defensive touchdown since 2018 on Will Mostaert‘s 5-yard fumble return after Dawson Weber‘s strip sack.
SHARING THE LOAD: North Dakota State used 10 ball carriers in last week’s win over North Carolina A&T and 11 against Drake in the season-opener. Dominic Gonnella‘s six carries against Drake are the most by a Bison this season.
ARIZONA TIES: North Dakota State has a couple of unique ties to Arizona on its roster. NDSU linebacker Luke Weerts is the older brother of second-year Wildcats linebacker Matthew Weerts, while NDSU running back and Arizona Diamondbacks rookie Dominic Gonnella has spent the past two summers playing in the Arizona Complex League.
WILDCATS LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK: Arizona is 1-1 after winning its season opener 38-20 at San Diego State and dropping its home opener 39-17 to Mississippi State last week. The Wildcats have 15 starters back from last year’s team that went 1-11 overall including a 21-19 loss to FCS opponent Northern Arizona.
SAGARIN RATINGS: North Dakota State is the top-ranked FCS team in the Sagarin Ratings, which ranks all 261 Division I teams each week. NDSU is currently No. 58 and ahead of four Pac-12 teams including No. 59 California, No. 65 Arizona, No. 69 Stanford and No. 103 Colorado. North Dakota State finished 38th in the Sagarin Ratings last year and the Bison have finished as high as 17th in 2013 and 19th in 2018 going 15-0 both of those years.
FINDING THE END ZONE: Eleven different players have scored touchdowns in the first two games for North Dakota State, including wide receiver Zach Mathis with a touchdown reception in each contest and fullback Hunter Luepke with two rushing TDs and one receiving. Luepke has scored in five consecutive games and has 11 TDs in his past nine games played.
PRICE SECOND: Cornerback Jayden Price moved into a tie for second place all-time at NDSU with his third career punt return touchdown in the win over Drake. Price is tied with Ryan Smith (2010-13) and Keith Krebsbach (1972-73) behind Richard Lewis, who had four punt return TDs over the 2000 and 2001 seasons. Price ranks second in the FCS this year averaging 24.7 yards per return and he is the FCS active career leader with a punt return average of 15.5, which ranks second in school history behind Travis White‘s 16.0 average from 2002 to 2006.
MAUCH AWARDED: Left tackle Cody Mauch was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Lineman of the Week for the first time in his career after playing 33 snaps against Drake with no sacks, quarterback pressures or tackles for loss allowed. Mauch graded out with 12 plus-physical plays and helped the Bison rush for 274 yards and 7.4 yards per carry in the win.
BISON PICKED TO WIN: North Dakota State received 39 of 41 first-place votes to claim the top spot in a preseason poll of the Missouri Valley Football Conference head coaches, media and sports information directors. South Dakota State had the remaining two votes in second place followed by Missouri State third, Southern Illinois fourth, Northern Iowa fifth, South Dakota sixth and North Dakota seventh. Illinois State, Youngstown State, Indiana State and Western Illinois rounded out the poll in order eighth through 11th.
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE: Twelve NDSU players were named to the Preseason All-MVFC Team including four on the first team: fullback Hunter Luepke, left tackle Cody Mauch, defensive tackle Eli Mostaert and safety Michael Tutsie. NDSU’s eight preseason second-team honorees were running back Kobe Johnson, tight end Noah Gindorff, left guard Nash Jensen, defensive end Spencer Waege, linebacker James Kaczor, cornerback Destin Talbert, safety Dawson Weber and return specialist Jayden Price.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: North Dakota State had nine players named to preseason All-America teams. Fullback Hunter Luepke, tight end Noah Gindorff, left tackle Cody Mauch and safety Michael Tutsie, left guard Nash Jensen and defensive tackle Eli Mostaert were recognized by HERO Sports. Luepke, Mauch, Tutsie, defensive end Spencer Waege, linebacker James Kaczor and punt returner Jayden Price were recognized by Stats Perform.
SENIOR BOWL WATCH LIST: North Dakota State fullback Hunter Luepke, tight end Noah Gindorff and left tackle Cody Mauch were among the NFL prospects on the preseason watch list for the Reese’s Senior Bowl, widely regarded as the top college football all-star game. The Bison have had 11 players selected including wide receiver Christian Watson last year.
AWARD WATCH LISTS: Fullback Hunter Luepke was named to the preseason watch list for the Walter Payton Award presented to the FCS Offensive Player of the Year, and defensive end Spencer Waege, linebacker James Kaczor and safety Michael Tutsie were named to the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award presented to the FCS Defensive Player of the Year. Additionally, NDSU’s Kaedin Steindorf was named to the FCS Punter of the Year watch list.
BISON AT HOME: The Bison have a 178-27 record in the Fargodome, 31-5 at home against FCS Top 10 ranked teams, and winners of 76 of the last 78 home games over non-conference opponents. North Dakota State has a 31-1 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 in the Fargodome from September 2017 through April 2021 was the fourth longest in NCAA FCS history.
ON THE ROAD: North Dakota State has a 47-6 record in true road games since 2011, and that record is 58-6 including 11 neutral site games over the same span. NDSU’s 2-2 road record in the spring season of 2020-21 was the first time since 2010 the Bison have lost multiple road games.
BISON RETURNING TO TWIN CITIES: North Dakota State will host Eastern Washington on the opening weekend of the 2023 season at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings. NDSU drew a crowd of 34,544 fans to the 2019 season opener against Butler at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins.
#PROBISON: North Dakota State has 14 former players with NFL clubs including 12 on active rosters and two on practice squads. The list includes Broncos OL Billy Turner (9th year), Commanders QB Carson Wentz (7th), Steelers OL Joe Haeg (7th), Lions LB Chris Board (5th), Chargers QB Easton Stick (4th), Broncos practice squad WR Darrius Shepherd (4th), Vikings TE Ben Ellefson (3rd), Steelers LB Derrek Tuszka (3rd), 49ers QB Trey Lance (2nd), Titans OL Dillon Radunz (2nd), Cowboys LB Jabril Cox (2nd), Packers WR Christian Watson (1st), Bengals OL Cordell Volson (1st), and Rams practice squad LB Brayden Thomas (1st).
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