THIS WEEK: No. 2 seed North Dakota State (10-2) opens the postseason this week when the Bison host United Athletic Conference champion and No. 15 seed Abilene Christian (9-4) in the second round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship. The Wildcats shut out Northern Arizona 24-0 in the first round last week. Game time is 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (18,700). The winner advances to face either No. 10 Rhode Island or No. 7 Mercer in next week’s quarterfinals.
TICKETS: Unclaimed season tickets go on sale to the public at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Tickets may be purchased online at GoBison.com/tickets or by calling the Bison Ticket Office in the south lobby of the Sanford Health Athletic Complex at (701) 231-6378 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Game day ticket sales at the Fargodome begin 5 hours prior to kickoff.
TELEVISION: ESPN has exclusive coverage of the NCAA FCS playoffs. Saturday’s game will be on ESPN+ with Noah Reed (play-by-play) and Craig Haubert (analyst) on the call. ESPN+ is available to subscribers on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
RADIO: Statewide network coverage on all 25 stations across the Pioneer Seeds Bison Sports Network begins at 1 p.m. including Bison 1660 and 107.9 The Fox in Fargo with Sam Neidermann (play-by-play), Phil Hansen (analyst) and Noah Gindorff (sideline). Streaming is available on GoBison.com/allaccess and the NDSU Athletics mobile app.
WEEKLY SHOWS: Fans are invited to join the NDSU head coach Tim Polasek each Thursday night from 6:30 to 8 p.m. for the Bison Football Coaches Show live from Holiday Inn Fargo with host Sam Neidermann and other NDSU coaches and players. The show can be heard on Bison 1660 in Fargo, KSJB-AM 600 in Jamestown, KYCR-AM 1440 in Minneapolis, GoBison.com and the NDSU Athletics mobile app. On television, The Bison Football Show airs statewide each Sunday night at 10:35 p.m. on WDAY (Fargo), WDAZ (Grand Forks), KBMY (Bismarck) and KMCY (Minot).
THE SERIES: This is the first meeting between NDSU and Abilene Christian. ACU began playing at the FCS level in 2013, joined the Southland Conference in 2014, and has been in the Western Athletic Conference since 2021. The WAC and Atlantic Sun Conference football alliance became known as the United Athletic Conference in 2023. NDSU is 1-0 against the UAC with a 49-31 win over Central Arkansas in September 2023. Abilene Christian is 0-2 against the Missouri Valley Football Conference with a 31-17 loss at Illinois State in 2013 and a 34-31 loss at North Dakota in 2022.
POSTSEASON HISTORY: This is North Dakota State’s 38th postseason appearance and 15th straight dating back to 2010. The Bison have advanced to the quarterfinals or beyond all 14 previous years in the FCS playoffs. NDSU has an 82-18 record in the postseason with 17 national championships including nine FCS titles in 11 years from 2011 to 2021. The Bison won three College Division national championships in 1965, 1968 and 1969 and five Division II titles in 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988 and 1990. NDSU is 7-17 in the NCAA playoff format since 1973, and the Bison own the record for FCS playoff victories with a 47-5 mark, including 35-1 in the Fargodome.
SEED HISTORY: North Dakota State has a top-two seed for the 10th time in 15 FCS playoff appearances. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds have home field advantage through the semifinals, and NDSU has hosted through the semifinal round 11 times. The Bison were No. 3 in 2015 and hosted a semifinal en route to the national title that year after a quarterfinal loss by No. 2 Illinois State. The Bison were No. 3 again in 2022 and won a home semifinal against No. 7 Incarnate Word after UIW beat No. 2 Sacramento State 66-63 in the quarterfinals.
CONFERENCE CHAMPS: North Dakota State tied with South Dakota and South Dakota State for the Missouri Valley Football Conference championship with 7-1 league records. It is NDSU’s 11th title in 17 years of MVFC membership. NDSU has won six outright titles (2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021) and shared five (2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2024). Overall, this is NDSU’s 38th football conference championship counting 26 at the Division II level in the North Central Conference and its first FCS title in 2006 as a member of the Great West Football Conference.
PLAYERS OF THE YEAR: Bison QB Cam Miller was voted Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Year and RB CharMar Brown was selected as Newcomer of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Miller is the fourth NDSU player to be named Offensive Player of the Year joining quarterbacks Brock Jensen (2013), Easton Stick (2018) and Trey Lance (2019). Brown is the sixth player in MVFC history and third from NDSU to sweep the league’s Newcomer and Freshman of the Year awards, joining linebacker Jabril Cox (2017) and quarterback Trey Lance (2019).
ALL-CONFERENCE: NDSU had nine all-conference selections and five honorable mentions. QB Cam Miller was one of six All-MVFC first team picks along with LT Grey Zabel, RT Mason Miller, WR Bryce Lance, DT Eli Mostaert and LB Logan Kopp. RB CharMar Brown made the second team with K Griffin Crosa and RS Jackson Williams. Honorable mentions were FB Truman Werremeyer, TE Joe Stoffel, DT Kody Huisman, S Sam Jung and LS Caleb Bowers. Mostaert finished second in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year behind South Dakota lineman Mi’Quise Grace, and first-year head coach Tim Polasek was second for MVFC Coach of the Year behind Bob Nielson from South Dakota.
ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM: NDSU had five players named to the MVFC All-Newcomer Team including RB CharMar Brown, C Trent Fraley, RS Jackson Williams, S Jaylin Crumby and CB Anthony Chideme-Alfaro.
REGIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR: First-year NDSU head coach Tim Polasek was named FCS Region 4 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association. Polasek is in his third stint at NDSU after working as an assistant coach under Craig Bohl from 2016 to 2012 and offensive coordinator under Chris Klieman from 2014 to 2016.
NATIONAL AWARD FINALISTS: Quarterback Cam Miller is one of the three top finalists for the Walter Payton Award, presented annually to the FCS offensive player of the year. The winner will be named at the Jan. 4 FCS National Awards banquet in Frisco, Texas. Bison defensive tackle Eli Mostaert is a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award (defensive player of the year) and running back CharMar Brown is a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award (freshman of the year).
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: North Dakota State had nine players earn 14 Missouri Valley Football Conference player of the week awards this season.
— Cam Miller, Offense (9/2, 10/7)…Had 358 yards of total offense and three TDs at Colorado including a career-high 277 yards on 18 of 22 passing…Also carried 16 times for 81 yards with a 20-yard TD that pulled NDSU within five points with 2:19 to play…Had 207 total yards and three TDs against North Dakota, leading the Bison to points on six of their first seven drives.
— CharMar Brown, Newcomer (9/23, 9/30, 10/28, 11/4)…Rushed 24 times for 126 yards and three TDs in the win over Towson, including 41 yards on five straight carries in the fourth quarter as NDSU scored to make it a two-possession game…Ran for 100 yards on 17 carries at Illinois State the following week…Had 97 yards on 13 carries with 3 TDs at Murray State…Rushed for 124 yards and one TD on 18 carries against Northern Iowa.
—Jackson Williams, Special Teams (9/23)…Game-high 169 all-purpose yards in the win over Towson, including a 67-yard touchdown on his first collegiate punt return…Also averaged 21.3 yards on four kickoff returns.
—Eli Mostaert, Defense (9/30)…Had two of NDSU’s five sacks in the win at Illinois State, helping limit the Redbirds to eight net rushing yards and 4 of 12 on third down.
—Grey Zabel, Offensive Line (10/7, 11/4)…Graded 94% with zero sacks, hurries or TFLs allowed as the Bison rushed for 208 yards, converted 11 of 16 third downs and held the ball for more than 34 minutes in the win over North Dakota…Graded 94% with zero sacks, hurries, TFLs or missed assignments in the 42-19 win over Northern Iowa.
—Logan Kopp, Defense (10/21)…Made six tackles and sealed the 13-9 win over South Dakota State with an interception at the NDSU 38 with 1:00 left.
—Kaedin Steindorf, Special Teams (10/21)…Averaged 43.8 yards on five punts with two 47-yarders, one out-of-bounds at the SDSU 4 helping limit the Jacks to zero punt return yards.
—Griffin Crosa, Special Teams (11/18)…Scored 11 points on eight PATs and a 32-yard field goal against Missouri State, breaking the NDSU all-time scoring record.
—Mason Miller, Offensive Line (11/18)…Graded 93% with no sacks or TFLs allowed as NDSU averaged 9.6 yards per carry and rushed for a season-high 364 yards against Missouri State.
NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK: North Dakota State was named Stats Perform FCS National Team of the Week after the 41-17 win over North Dakota. The Bison scored on six of their first seven possessions led by MVFC Offensive Player of the Week Cam Miller, who accounted for 207 yards of total offense and three touchdowns. NDSU held UND to a season-low 101 rushing yards with safety Sam Jung making a team-high six tackles and defensive end Dylan Hendricks making three stops including one sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
TURNOVERS: NDSU has committed the fewest turnovers in FCS this year (three) with one fumble and two interceptions. The FCS leader in turnover margin last season at plus-17, NDSU currently leads the FCS at plus-17. The best two seasons in turnover margin for the Bison at the Division I level were plus-19 during the 2017 and 2018 national championship seasons. NDSU has one defensive touchdown this year, a 34-yard interception return at Murray State by linebacker Enock Sibomana.
LEAGUE LEADER: North Dakota State wide receiver Bryce Lance at Murray State became the first NDSU player since Kole Heckendorf in 2008 to catch three touchdown passes in a single game. That included a career-long 74-yard reception from Cam Miller. Lance is tied for the Missouri Valley Football Conference lead with 10 touchdown catches, the most by an NDSU player since Zach Vraa‘s 15 in 2013 and third most in NDSU single-season history behind TR McDonald‘s 11 in 1993. Lance’s 50 receptions are the most by a Bison player since Darrius Shepherd‘s 62 in 2018.
THOUSAND-YARD RUSHERS: NDSU freshman CharMar Brown ranks third in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with 14 rushing touchdowns and is fifth with a team-high 965 rushing yards, the most yards by an FCS freshman this year. Brown is in position to become NDSU’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2019 when quarterback Trey Lance finished with 1,100 rushing yards. The last Bison running back to reach a thousand was Bruce Anderson with 1,216 yards in 2017.
SEASONED VETS: Wide receiver Braylon Henderson will play in his 70th career game this week against Abilene Christian, one shy of the NDSU record 71 games played by cornerback Jayden Price over five seasons from 2019 to 2023. Henderson’s 69 career games are second most among NCAA players in all divisions behind Iowa linebacker Nick Jackson’s 72 games. NDSU players hold eight of the top 10 spots for career games played among active FCS players: tight end Joe Stoffel has 65, fullback Logan Hofstedt 64, and linebackers Nick Kubitz and Luke Weerts are at 63 along with running back TK Marshall, quarterback Cam Miller and safety Sam Jung.
CROSA ON RECORD PACE: NDSU’s Griffin Crosa, in his fourth season as NDSU’s top placekicker and his sixth year overall with the Bison, broke the NDSU all-time scoring record against Missouri State and is three PAT kicks away from tying the MVFC and NCAA FCS record of 261 made by NDSU’s Cam Pedersen from 2015 to 2018. Crosa’s streak of 127 consecutive PAT conversions snapped in 2023 was the third longest in Missouri Valley Football Conference history. He has made 87 PATs in a row entering the Abilene Christian game.
NDSU Career Points Scored
408 – Griffin Crosa, K, 2019-23
399 – Cam Pedersen, K, 2015-18
386 – Jeff Bentrim, QB, 1983-86
384 – Lamar Gordon, RB, 1998-01
359 – Adam Keller, K, 2011-14
NDSU Career PAT Kicks Made
261 – Cam Pedersen, 2015-18 (MVFC and FCS record)
258 – Griffin Crosa, 2019-23
191 – Adam Keller, 2011-14
NDSU Career FG Made
56 – Adam Keller, 2011-14
51 – Shawn Bibeau, 2006-09
50 – Griffin Crosa, 2019-23
46 – Cam Pedersen, 2015-18
42 – Aaron Pederson, 1998-01
FOURTH-YEAR STARTER: Quarterback Cam Miller has started 50 straight games for NDSU since the middle of the 2021 season. Miller has led NDSU to a 41-11 record as the starting QB, including two NCAA playoff games in the spring 2021 season.
PASSING LEADER: North Dakota State’s Cam Miller broke the NDSU career record for passing yards against South Dakota and needs 12 passes to tie Brock Jensen‘s career completions record. Miller also ranks first in career passing completion percentage (69.2%), third in pass efficiency (163.5), fifth in yards per passing attempt (8.8), and fifth in Bison history with 43 career rushing touchdowns, breaking the Missouri Valley Football Conference record of 41 rushing touchdowns by a quarterback set by NDSU’s Easton Stick from 2015 to 2018. Miller also set school records this year with 16 career 200-yard passing games and 324 consecutive passing attempts without an interception.
NDSU Career Pass Attempts
1,124 – Brock Jensen, 2010-13
999 – Cam Miller, 2020-23
980 – Easton Stick, 2015-18
841 – Steve Walker, 2004-07
612 – Carson Wentz, 2012-15
NDSU Career Pass Completions
703 – Brock Jensen, 2010-13
691 – Cam Miller, 2020-23
598 – Easton Stick, 2015-18
534 – Steve Walker, 2004-07
392 – Carson Wentz, 2012-15
NDSU Career Passing Yards
8,810 – Cam Miller, 2020-23
8,693 – Easton Stick, 2015-18
8,598 – Brock Jensen, 2010-13
7,033 – Steve Walker, 2004-07
5,115 – Carson Wentz, 2012-15
NDSU Career Passing TDs
88 – Easton Stick, 2015-18
72 – Brock Jensen, 2010-13
71 – Cam Miller, 2020-23
60 – Steve Walker, 2004-07
45 – Carson Wentz, 2012-15
NDSU Career TDs Responsible For
129 – Easton Stick, 2015-18
114 – Cam Miller, 2020-24
107 – Brock Jensen, 2010-13
88 – Jeff Bentrim, 1983-86
85 – Kevin Feeney, 1995-98
NDSU Career Total Offense Yards
11,216 – Easton Stick, 2015-18
10,826 – Cam Miller, 2020-24
9,838 – Brock Jensen, 2010-13
7,230 – Kevin Feeney, 1995-98
7,144 – Steve Walker, 2004-07
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS: North Dakota State is 84-6 against non-conference opponents since the beginning of its first FCS national championship season in 2011. Two losses were to FBS opponents (31-28 at Arizona in 2021 and 31-26 at Colorado in 2024) 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 31-29 double-overtime win in the 2023 FCS semifinals and 38-35 victory in the 2015 FCS Kickoff are NDSU’s only other non-conference loss the past 13 years.
BISON AT HOME: The Bison have a 195-29 record in the Fargodome, 35-6 at home against FCS Top 10 ranked teams, and winners of 84 of the last 86 home games over non-conference opponents. North Dakota State has a 35-1 record in the Fargodome during the NCAA playoffs and has won 17 straight home playoff games since the 2016 semifinal loss to eventual national champion James Madison. NDSU’s 32-game home winning streak September 2017 through April 2021 was fourth longest in FCS history.
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