THIS WEEK: North Dakota State travels to second-year Missouri Valley Football Conference member Murray State for the first time this week when the No. 1-ranked Bison (7-1, 4-0 MVFC) face the Racers (1-6, 0-4 MVFC) at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at Roy Stewart Stadium (16,800) in Murray, Ky.
TELEVISION: Saturday’s game will be televised on ABC stations statewide in North Dakota with Dom Izzo (play-by-play), Kyle Emanuel (analyst) and Sam Goetzinger (sideline) handling the call. The broadcast will be available to ESPN+ 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 12 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: NDSU beat Murray State 38-6 in the teams’ first meeting last year in Fargo. The Bison scored three first-quarter touchdowns with Cam Miller‘s 15- and 9-yard runs before an 8-yard pass to Braylon Henderson. Miller connected with Zach Mathis on a 15-yard TD in the second quarter to go ahead 28-0. Jayden Price scored on a 66-yard punt return in the third quarter. Logan Kopp had seven tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, a half-sack, forced fumble and interception as the Bison held Murray State to a pair of field goals. Marcus Gulley had five tackles including one of NDSU’s three sacks, and Loshiaka Roques made five tackles.
SECOND TRIP TO KENTUCKY: This will be the NDSU football team’s second appearance in the state of Kentucky. The 1976 Bison won the North Central Conference with a 6-0 record before opening the NCAA playoffs with their ninth-straight win 10-7 over Eastern Kentucky in a Division II quarterfinal game in Richmond, Ky. NDSU returned home to Fargo for the Grantland Rice Bowl, falling to Montana State 10-3 in the national semifinal game and finishing the year 9-3 overall.
LAST WEEK: North Dakota State claimed the Dakota Marker for the first time since 2019 with a 13-9 home win over South Dakota State last week to snap a five-game losing streak to the Jackrabbits. Cam Miller was 7-for-7 passing on the 10-play, 92-yard game-winning drive capped by a 20-yard TD pass to RaJa Nelson, who also caught an 18-yard TD pass from Miller in the second quarter. Miller finished 20 of 27 passing for 163 yards. Linebacker Logan Kopp made his seventh career interception at the NDSU 38 with 1:00 left to seal the victory. Linebackers Oscar Benson and Luke Weerts each made a career-high eight tackles, and Kopp and defensive tackle Eli Mostaert had six tackles apiece to lead the Bison defense.
BACK ON TOP: North Dakota State’s 13-9 win over previously No. 1-ranked South Dakota State vaulted the Bison (7-1) into the top spot in the Stats Perform FCS media poll and AFCA FCS Coaches Poll for the first time since October 10, 2022. South Dakota State (5-2) slipped to third in both polls behind No. 2 Montana State (8-0). NDSU is in the Stats Perform media poll for the 196th consecutive time, breaking Montana’s record streak of 195 straight from 1998 to 2012. The Bison have been in every FCS media poll since Nov. 1, 2010.
TURNOVERS: North Dakota State is tied with Eastern Washington for the FCS lead in fewest turnovers lost with two this season. NDSU leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference with a plus-9 turnover margin, including plus-5 over the past three weeks. Murray State is minus-4 in the turnover margin, but the Racers have committed zero turnovers each of the past two games.
POSITIVE YARDS: North Dakota State’s CharMar Brown ranks fourth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with a team-high 577 rushing yards, the second-most yards by any freshman in Division I this year. Brown is averaging 4.6 yards per carry and has lost only nine yards in 125 attempts.
Most Rushing Yards, Division I Freshmen
582 – TJ Thomas, Elon
577 – CharMar Brown, North Dakota State
564 – Isaac Brown, Louisville
509 – Bill Davis, Louisiana
500 – Ahmad Hardy, Louisiana-Monroe
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: North Dakota State has had seven players earn nine Missouri Valley Football Conference player of the week awards this season.
— Cam Miller, Offense (9/2 and 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 and 9/30)…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.
—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)…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.
—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.
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.
TWO RECORDS FOR MILLER: NDSU’s Cam Miller had his 15th career 200-yard passing game against Illinois State, surpassing the school record held by Brock Jensen, who passed for 200-plus yards in 14 games from 2010 to 2013. Miller picked up his 42nd career rushing touchdown against North Dakota, breaking the Missouri Valley Football Conference record for quarterbacks set previously by NDSU’s Easton Stick from 2015 to 2018.
PASSING GAME: Quarterback Cam Miller has passed for more than 200 yards in eight of NDSU’s last 14 games and has not thrown an interception in 286 attempts over that span. He leads the FCS in completion percentage (.762), ranks fourth in pass efficiency (176.9) and points responsible for (122), and is ninth nationally with 9.01 yards per passing attempt.
NDSU Most Pass Attempts Without Interception
307 – Trey Lance, 2018-2020 (19 games)
286 – Cam Miller, 2023-present (14 games)
152 – Easton Stick, 2016-2017 (9 games)
LONG BALL: NDSU quarterback Cole Payton‘s 73-yard touchdown run at Illinois State is the longest play of the season for NDSU and the longest of Payton’s career, which includes TD runs last year of 61 against Maine, 65 against Northern Iowa and 70 against Eastern Washington. Payton led the Bison last year with 10 touchdowns going 20 or more yards.
BIG KICKS: Prior to his 54-yard field goal at East Tennessee State, Eli Ozick‘s 51-yard field goal on his first career attempt against Tennessee State was the longest field goal by a Bison kicker in eight years when Cam Pedersen hit from 52 yards in the 2016 season-opener against Charleston Southern. Ozick has booted 44 of 52 kickoffs into the end zone with 43 touchbacks helping the Bison limit opponents to just 58 return yards through eight contests.
BISON PICKED SECOND: North Dakota State was picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference behind two-time defending national champion South Dakota State. NDSU had 10 players on the MVFC preseason team. First-team picks were FB/LS Hunter Brozio, OT Grey Zabel, DE Dylan Hendricks, DT Eli Mostaert, LB Logan Kopp and S Cole Wisniewski. Second-team honorees were QB Cam Miller, TE Joe Stoffel, OT Mason Miller and K Griffin Crosa.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: NDSU led the country with eight preseason FCS All-Americans selected by Stats Perform. NDSU DT Eli Mostaert, S Cole Wisniewski and LS Hunter Brozio were on the first team, QB Cam Miller, OT Grey Zabel, DE Dylan Hendricks and LB Logan Kopp were second team, and K Griffin Crosa was third team. The Missouri Valley Football Conference had 24 of the 106 preseason honorees, the most of all 13 FCS conferences.
AWARD CANDIDATES: North Dakota State has six players on preseason watch lists for national player of the year honors. QB Cam Miller is listed for the Walter Payton Award, presented annually to the FCS Offensive Player of the Year. Miller finished 11th in the voting last year. DT Eli Mostaert, LB Logan Kopp and S Cole Wisniewski are up for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the FCS Defensive Player of the Year. Kopp tied for 22nd in the voting last year. Kaedin Steindorf is on the FCS Punter of the Year watch list, and Griffin Crosa is on the preseason list for the Fred Mitchell Award, presented to the top placekicker among the FCS, Division II, III, NAIA and NJCAA.
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 193-29 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.
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, is on pace to break the NDSU scoring record and is also within reach of the MVFC and NCAA FCS extra-points record of 261 set 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. Crosa led the MVFC last season with 19 field goals, 70 extra points and 127 total points.
NDSU Career Points Scored
399 – Cam Pedersen, K, 2015-18
386 – Jeff Bentrim, QB, 1983-86
384 – Lamar Gordon, RB, 1998-01
380 – Griffin Crosa, K, 2019-23
359 – Adam Keller, K, 2011-14
NDSU Career PAT Kicks Made
261 – Cam Pedersen, 2015-18 (MVFC and FCS record)
233 – Griffin Crosa, 2019-23
191 – Adam Keller, 2011-14
NDSU Career FG Made
56 – Adam Keller, 2011-14
51 – Shawn Bibeau, 2006-09
49 – Griffin Crosa, 2019-23
46 – Cam Pedersen, 2015-18
42 – Aaron Pederson, 1998-01
FOURTH-YEAR STARTER: Quarterback Cam Miller has started 46 straight games for NDSU since the middle of the 2021 season. Miller has led NDSU to a 38-10 record as the starting QB, including two NCAA playoff games in the spring 2021 season.
RECORD SEASON: NDSU quarterback Cam Miller completed a school-record 72 percent of his passes last season going 208-for-289 with 19 touchdowns and four interceptions. That was the third best completion percentage in Missouri Valley Football Conference history. Miller set NDSU and MVFC records in 2023 with 23 consecutive completions against Central Arkansas (17) and South Dakota (6).
TOP FIVE PASSER: North Dakota State’s Cam Miller is among the top five passers in NDSU history for passing attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns. He also ranks first in career passing completion percentage (69.2%), third in pass efficiency (161.6), fifth in yards per passing attempt (8.8), and sixth in Bison history with 42 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.
NDSU Career Pass Attempts
1,124 – Brock Jensen, 2010-13
980 – Easton Stick, 2015-18
928 – Cam Miller, 2020-23
841 – Steve Walker, 2004-07
612 – Carson Wentz, 2012-15
NDSU Career Pass Completions
703 – Brock Jensen, 2010-13
642 – Cam Miller, 2020-23
598 – Easton Stick, 2015-18
534 – Steve Walker, 2004-07
392 – Carson Wentz, 2012-15
NDSU Career Passing Yards
8,693 – Easton Stick, 2015-18
8,598 – Brock Jensen, 2010-13
8,137 – Cam Miller, 2020-23
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
62 – Cam Miller, 2020-23
60 – Steve Walker, 2004-07
45 – Carson Wentz, 2012-15
NDSU Career TDs Responsible For
129 – Easton Stick, 2015-18
107 – Brock Jensen, 2010-13
104 – Cam Miller, 2020-24
88 – Jeff Bentrim, 1983-86
85 – Kevin Feeney, 1995-98
NDSU Career Total Offense Yards
11,216 – Easton Stick, 2015-18
10,035 – Cam Miller, 2020-24
9,838 – Brock Jensen, 2010-13
7,230 – Kevin Feeney, 1995-98
7,144 – Steve Walker, 2004-07