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THIS WEEK:  Two of the top defenses in the Football Championship Subdivision will meet Saturday, Oct. 5, when No. 1-ranked North Dakota State (4-0, 1-0 MVFC) hosts No. 4-ranked Northern Iowa for a 2:37 p.m. kickoff at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (18,700) in the 23rd annual Trees Bowl game.  NDSU leads the nation in scoring defense allowing just 7.8 points per game and UNI is third allowing 11.8 points per game.
 
TELEVISION:  Live coverage in high definition begins at 2:30 p.m. on the NBC North Dakota network, Fox College Sports Pacific and Fox Sports North Plus with KVLY's Brian Shawn describing the action, KFYR's Lee Timmerman and former Bison quarterback Kevin Feeney as color analysts, and KVLY's Jamal Spencer reporting from the sideline.  A live video stream will be available on GoBison.com/allaccess.
 
RADIO:  Coverage begins at 2 p.m. on KFGO-AM 790 and KRWK-FM 101.9 of Fargo along with the Bison Radio Network.  KFGO's Scott Miller will describe the play-by-play with NDSU and Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer Phil Hansen as color analyst and NDSU's Jeremy Jorgenson reporting from the sidelines.  A live audio stream will be available on GoBison.com/allaccess.
 
THE SERIES:  This is the 46th meeting between North Dakota State and Northern Iowa.  UNI has a 25-20 lead in the series but NDSU has won the last two in a row after dropping three straight.  UNI is 1-1 in the Fargodome with a 42-27 win in 2009 and a 27-19 loss in 2011.
 
TREES BOWL:  This is the 23rd annual Trees Bowl game sponsored by the North Dakota Forest Service.  NDSU is 19-3 in the game and has won four straight including last year's 52-0 win over Robert Morris in the season opener.  Western Illinois was the last team to beat NDSU in the Trees Bowl with a 27-22 win in 2008.  The event began in 1990 and has missed only the 2001 season due to the cancellation of the Maine game after the 9/11 attacks.
 
LAST WEEK:  North Dakota State snapped South Dakota State's nine-game home winning streak with a 20-0 win in Brookings last week.  SDSU crossed midfield only twice and was 1 of 12 on third down.  NDSU's Sam Ojuri rushed 19 times for 113 yards, Brock Jensen was 10-of-20 passing for 109 yards and rushed 15 times for 61 yards including two TDs.  The Bison defense registered seven sacks including two by Grant Olson, who had a team-high eight tackles.
 
RUN DEFENSE:  South Dakota State's minus-32 yards rushing was the lowest total allowed by North Dakota State in Division I football.  The NDSU record is minus-85 yards against Morningside in 1974.  SDSU's Zach Zenner, the leading rusher in the Football Championship Subdivision, had four yards on eight carries.  The Bison are second in the FCS allowing 67.8 rushing yards per game.
 
BACK-TO-BACK SHUTOUTS:  North Dakota State posted back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1987 when the Bison won 34-0 at Augustana (S.D.) and 33-0 at home over Morningside.  NDSU has held opponents scoreless for nine straight quarters and has not allowed a touchdown in 10 quarters.
 
OLSON NATIONAL ALL STAR:  North Dakota State middle linebacker Grant Olson was chosen as a National All-Star by College Sporting News after posting eight tackles and a career-high two sacks totaling 14 yards.  He was the leading tackler for the NDSU defense which held SDSU to minus-32 yards rushing.
 
LeCOMPTE NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK:  North Dakota State punter Ben LeCompte was selected by The Sports Network as the National co-Special Teams Player of the Week in the Football Championship Subdivision on Monday.  LeCompte had seven punts for 310 yards, averaged 44.3 yards per punt, placed three punts inside the 20 and had two touchbacks in North Dakota State's 20-0 win at South Dakota State.  LeCompte blasted a career-long 75-yard punt from his own 25 in the first quarter and added a 74-yarder from NDSU's 8-yard line at the end of the first quarter.  He also handled four kickoffs with a 59.0 average including one touchbackHe also handled four kickoffs with a 59.0 average including one touchback. He was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week on Sunday.
 
JENSEN TOPS CHARTS:  Quarterback Brock Jensen broke the NDSU career record for total offense at South Dakota State.  Jensen now has 7,322 yards, which passed the mark of 7,242 by Kevin Feeney from 1995-98.  Jensen is also the school's all-time leader in completions (548) and attempts (887).
 
PICK-SIX RECORD TIED:  Cornerback Marcus Williams returned his school-record 20th interception 33 yards for a touchdown against Delaware State.  It was his sixth career interception return for a touchdown, which tied the NCAA FCS record set by Murray State's William Hampton (1993-96).
 
ANOTHER SELLOUT:  North Dakota State drew a crowd of 18,995 to the Delaware State game.  It was NDSU's third straight regular season sellout and 15th sellout overall since 2006.
 
GOOD COMPANY: In the past two-plus seasons, North Dakota State has the best winning percentage of any Division I school:
Win Percentage, Division I (2011-present)
1. North Dakota State (MVFC) 32-2 .941
2. Alabama (SEC) 29-2 .935
3. Oregon (Pac-12) 28-3 .903
4. Lehigh (Patriot) 25-3 .893
 
WILLIAMS AND INTERCEPTIONS: North Dakota State's Marcus Williams has 20 career interceptions, which ranks third-best all-time on the MVFC list. Among active players, he currently leads all of FCS in career interceptions per game (0.43) and career interception return yards (442).  His six career INT returns for touchdown tied the FCS record set by Murray State's William Hampton (1993-96).
MVFC Career Leaders - Interceptions
24, Adrion Smith, Missouri St., 1990-93
21, Jeff Smith, Illinois St., 1985-88
20, Marcus Williams, North Dakota St., 2010-present
18, Ty Talton, Northern Iowa, 1995-98
18, Dre Dokes, Northern Iowa, 2003-06
 
WINNING STREAKS:  NDSU has the longest active winning streak in the Football Championship Subdivision at 13 games.  The Bison have won seven straight at home and 41 of the last 42 non-conference home games including 31 straight since a 2003 loss to UC Davis.
FCS Winning Streaks (dating back to last season)
1. North Dakota State (MVFC) 13
2. Towson (Colonial) 9
3. Northern Iowa (MVFC) 7
    North Carolina A&T (MEAC) 7
 
ON THE ROAD:  North Dakota State has won 11 straight true road games and 14 including two national championship games in Frisco, Texas, and one neutral site win against South Dakota in Sioux Falls, S.D.  The Bison have won 19 of their last 23 road games and are 39-20 on the road since head coach Craig Bohl took over in 2003.  NDSU is 14-7 in MVFC road games.  The Bison have not lost away from Fargo since the 38-31 overtime loss to eventual national champion Eastern Washington in the 2010 NCAA quarterfinals.
Division I Road Winning Streaks
1. Oregon (Pac-12)16
2. North Dakota State (MVFC)11
     Northern Illinois (MAC)11
     Alabama (SEC)10
5. Texas A&M (SEC)7
     Towson (Colonial)7
     Lehigh (Patriot)7
 
BISON IN NCAA TOP 10:  North Dakota State leads the nation in scoring defense, third down conversion percentage and fumbles lost, and the Bison rank among the top 10 in several categories in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision statistics through Sept. 28:
NDSU in the FCS Statistics
1st - scoring defense (7.8)
1st - third down conversion percentage (.627)
1st - fumbles lost (0)
2nd - punt return defense (0.0)
2nd - rushing defense (67.8)
5th - time of possession (34:34)
6th - sacks (3.75)
8th - opponent third down conversion percentage (.273)
8th - completion percentage (.679)
9th - fewest penalty yards per game (31.75)
 
SMITH AMONG PUNT RETURN LEADERS:  North Dakota State wide receiver Ryan Smith is the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision active career leader in punt returns (74), punt return yards (783) and punt return touchdowns (2).  Junior free safety Christian Dudzik has handled all 10 punt returns this year.
 
JENSEN ON THE NCAA CAREER LIST:  North Dakota State quarterback Brock Jensen is among the NCAA active career leaders ranked fourth in total TDs responsible for (74).  Jensen is 36-5 as NDSU's starting quarterback and with 37 total victories (including 2010 off the bench against Morgan State) he is within reach of the FCS record of 43 wins by Armanti Edwards at Appalachian State from 2006-09.
 
FOUR IN A ROW: North Dakota State is the first team in Missouri Valley Football Conference history to win a game against an FBS foe in four straight years (Kansas-2010; Minnesota-2011; Colorado State-2012; Kansas State-2013). No other MVFC team has won three in successive seasons.
 
NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK:  North Dakota State was named the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl National Team of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America on Sept. 3 following its 24-21 win at Kansas State.  NDSU is just the second Football Championship Subdivision team to be recognized.  The other was Appalachian State in 2007 following its opening game win at No. 5-ranked Michigan.
 
TURNER OFFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK:  Left tackle Billy Turner was named Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Lineman of the Week by the league office on Sept. 2.  Turner graded out at 96 percent with 10 knockdowns.  He was responsible for zero quarterback hurries or sacks in front of quarterback Brock Jensen, who was 21-for-30 for 165 yards.  Turner helped paved the way for a rushing attack that outgained Kansas State 215-41 on the ground including 127 yards by running back Sam Ojuri.  NDSU had a 12-minute advantage in time of possession.
 
HEAGLE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:  Strong safety Colten Heagle was named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 1.  Heagle led NDSU with seven solo tackles including two stops for loss at Kansas State in his first game back since a knee injury at Colorado State last September.  He made a tackle in the backfield on third-and-2 in the first quarter to force a Kansas State punt and NDSU scored on the next possession for a 7-0 lead before going on to a 24-21 victory over the defending Big 12 champions.
 
JENSEN DELIVERS LATE:  Quarterback Brock Jensen was 21-for-30 with two touchdowns and one interception at Kansas State and scored the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard run with 28 seconds left.  Jensen completed 14 of 15 passes in the second half including 7 of 7 on the game's final drive which covered 80 yards in 18 plays over 8 minutes, 30 seconds.
 
LeCOMPTE KEYS SPECIAL TEAMS:  Punter Ben LeCompte averaged 42.2 yards on four punts at Kansas State including three inside the 20 (at the 3, 8 and 12).  LeCompte also handled all five kickoffs, leaving the first four short to avoid returners and getting a touchback with 28 seconds left in the game.  Senior middle linebacker Grant Olson's first career interception with 19 seconds left in the game sealed NDSU's 24-21 victory.
 
BISON PICKED TO WIN VALLEY:  North Dakota State has been picked to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference crown in 2013. NDSU, the defending national champion, has won 28 of its past 30 games (going 14-1 each year).  The Bison were a unanimous choice to repeat, earning 39 of a possible 39 first-place votes, in a poll conducted by league coaches, media and sports information directors.  The Bison return 18 total starters from a team that went 14-1 overall and 7-1 in the conference last year.   Named to the preseason all-MVFC offensive unit were quarterback Brock Jensen, offensive tackle Billy Turner, wide receiver Ryan Smith and kicker Adam Keller. Representing NDSU on the all-conference defensive squad were defensive end Cole Jirik, defensive tackle Leevon Perry, linebacker Grant Olson, cornerback Marcus Williams, punter Ben LeCompte and return specialist Ryan Smith. Linebacker Travis Beck was honorable mention. Jensen is on the preseason Payton Award (FCS Offensive Player of the Year) Watch List, and Olson and Williams are on the Buchanan Award (FCS Defensive Player of the Year) Watch List.  A preseason favorite has claimed the league crown 15 times (in 27 previous polls). North Dakota State was picked to win the league last season.
2013 Valley Football Preseason Poll
Team (first-place votes)Points
1. North Dakota State (39)390
2. South Dakota State323
3. Northern Iowa269
4. Illinois State264
5. Youngstown State253
6. Indiana State197
7. Southern Illinois188
8. Missouri State123
9. Western Illinois77
10. South Dakota61