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THIS WEEK:  No. 1-ranked North Dakota State (6-0, 3-0 MVFC) plays Southern Illinois (4-3, 2-1 MVFC) at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at Saluki Stadium (15,000) in Carbondale, Ill., in the first of two straight Missouri Valley Football Conference road games for the Bison, who have won 14 straight games away from Fargo.  NDSU does not play at home again until Nov. 9 against Illinois State after an open week.
 
TELEVISION:  Live coverage in high definition begins at 2 p.m. on the NBC North Dakota network, ESPN3 and ESPN GamePlan with KVLY's Brian Shawn describing the action, KFYR's Lee Timmerman as color analyst, and KVLY's Jamal Spencer on the sideline.  Live video streaming will be available from Southern Illinois on SIUSalukis.com/allaccess.
 
RADIO:  Live coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. on KFGO-AM 790 and KRWK-FM 101.9 of Fargo along with the North Dakota Corn Growers 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 eighth meeting between North Dakota State and Southern Illinois.  NDSU has won three straight to take a 4-3 edge in the series including a 23-17 victory in Fargo last season.  The Bison are 1-3 all-time in Carbondale with their only victory coming at Saluki Stadium by a 9-3 score in 2011.  The series dates back to 1963 in Carbondale when SIU won 20-15 to end coach Darrell Mudra's first year at NDSU.  The teams met as non-conference opponents again in 2005 when SIU won 9-0 in the season finale for NDSU.
 
LAST WEEK:  North Dakota State extended its Missouri Valley Football Conference-record winning streak to 15 games with a 41-26 homecoming win over Missouri State.  Brock Jensen was 20-for-28 passing for a career-high 313 yards and three touchdowns.  He found 10 different receivers including Zach Vraa, who caught touchdown passes of 36 and 23 yards and totaled five catches for a career-high 179 yards.  Kevin Vaadeland scored on a 33-yard pass on his only catch of the day.  Christian Dudzik set up two NDSU touchdowns with a 29-yard interception return and an MSU fumble recovery.  Grant Olson led the NDSU defense with 11 tackles, a forced fumble, two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.  Zach Colvin, Travis Beck and Colten Heagle had six tackles apiece with Beck getting a half sack and two breakups.
 
VRAA, SMITH NATIONAL PERFORMERS OF WEEK:  North Dakota State had two players recognized as national performers of the week by the College Football Performance Awards following the Missouri State game.  Zach Vraa was named FCS National Wide Receiver of the Week after catching five passes for a career-high 179 yards and two touchdowns.  He caught TD passes of 36 and 23 yards and had two other catches go for 56 and 52 yards.  Ryan Smith, the Missouri Valley Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week, was named FCS National Punt Returner of the Week.  Smith turned his first punt return of the year into an 85-yard touchdown to give the Bison a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.  He is the Division I active leader with three career punt return TDs.
 
FOURTH QUARTER SUCCESS:  North Dakota State held its first five opponents scoreless in the fourth quarter before Missouri State's 11-yard TD pass from Ashton Glaser to Dorian Buford last week.  Previously, the last NDSU opponent to score in the fourth quarter was Sam Houston State with a field goal in last year's national championship game.  Buford's fourth quarter touchdown was the first allowed by NDSU since Nov. 10 last year in the regular-season win over South Dakota State.
 
OJURI CLIMBS RUSHING CHART:  Senior running back Sam Ojuri has moved into ninth place on North Dakota State's all-time rushing chart with 2,772 yards passing former Bison players Paul Hatchett, Doug Lloyd, Kevin Feeney, Tyler Roehl and Pat Paschall over the first five games of the season.  Ojuri needs 66 yards to pass Chad Stark for eighth place.  Only five NDSU players have rushed for 3,000 yards in a career with the last being Kyle Steffes, who finished second in school history with 3,952 yards from 2003-06.
 
SMITH CRACKS TOP FIVE IN RECEPTIONS:  Senior wide receiver Ryan Smith moved into fifth place in career pass receptions at North Dakota State with four catches against Missouri State.  Smith has 122 career receptions for 1,327 yards and needs just four catches to pass Tim Strehlow (1996-99) for fifth place.
NDSU Top Five Career Pass Receptions
1. Kole Heckendorf, 178 (2005-08)
2. Travis White, 163 (2002-06)
3. Warren Holloway, 161 (2008-11)
4. T.R. McDonald, 134 (1990-93)
5. Ryan Smith, 122 (2010-present)
 
FLIPPING THE FIELD:  North Dakota State ranks sixth nationally and leads the Missouri Valley Football Conference in net punting thanks to sophomore punter Ben LeCompte, who has been flipping the field with an impressive 43.9 yards per punt average that ranks 10th in the NCAA FCS statistics.  LeCompte had eight punts and five inside the 20 – both career highs – in the Northern Iowa game.  He had a career-long punt of 75 yards and another for 74 yards at South Dakota State, and a 65-yarder against UNI.  LeCompte's career average of 43.4 would rank second in school history behind Mike Dragosavich's 44.46 from 2004-07.
 
SMITH AMONG PUNT RETURN LEADERS:  North Dakota State wide receiver Ryan Smith is the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision active career leader in punt returns (75), punt return yards (868), is tied for first in punt return touchdowns (3), and is fourth in punt return average (11.6).  Junior free safety Christian Dudzik handled the first 13 punt returns this year before Smith scored on an 85-yard return in the first quarter against Missouri State.
 
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 (79).  Jensen is 38-5 as NDSU's starting quarterback and with 39 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.
 
MVFC RECORD WINNING STREAK:  North Dakota State extended its Missouri Valley Football Conference-record winning streak to 15 games last week with a 41-26 win over Missouri State.  NDSU has the longest active winning streak in the Football Championship Subdivision at 15 games and the second longest streak in all of Division I behind Ohio State.  The Bison have won nine straight at home and 41 of the last 42 non-conference home games including 31 straight since a 2003 loss to UC Davis.
Division I Overall Winning Streaks
1. Ohio State (Big Ten)                    18
2. North Dakota State (MVFC)        15
3. Alabama (SEC)                             10
4. Baylor (Big 12)                               9
5. Louisville (AAC)                             8
     Oregon (Pac-12)                           8
 
BISON FIFTH IN ATTENDANCE:  North Dakota State's record crowd of 19,108 for the homecoming game against Missouri State was the fifth straight regular season sellout and the 17th sellout overall since 2006.  NDSU is fifth in the Football Championship Subdivision with an average attendance of 18,981 through four home games.
FCS average home attendance
1. Montana - 25,904
2. James Madison - 21,470
3. Southern - 20,406
4. Montana State - 19,960
5. North Dakota State - 18,981
 
SEVEN UNBEATENS REMAIN:  Division I has 19 teams with perfect records and five of those are in the Football Championship Subdivision.  North Dakota State (6-0) represents the Missouri Valley Football Conference:
Remaining Unbeaten Teams in the FCS
Charleston Southern (Big South) 7-0
Fordham (Patriot)                          7-0
Coastal Carolina (Big South)        6-0
North Dakota State (MVFC)          6-0
Harvard (Ivy)                                  4-0
 
NDSU, MVFC TOP GRIDIRON POWER INDEX: North Dakota State has the top spot for the third straight week in the Gridiron Power Index (GPI), the index ranking for the NCAA Division I FCS and a top indicator of at-large playoff selection.  The Missouri Valley Football Conference has five teams in the top 20 and is tops among all 14 conferences ahead of the Colonial Athletic Association and Southland Conference.
Gridiron Power Index - Oct. 14
1. North Dakota State          1.00
2. Eastern Illinois                  2.57
3. Towson                             5.14
4. Northern Iowa                  6.00
5. Villanova                           7.29
 
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.
 
BACK-TO-BACK SHUTOUTS:  North Dakota State's shutout victories over Delaware State and South Dakota State were the first back-to-back shutouts for NDSU since 1987 when the Bison won 34-0 at Augustana (S.D.) and 33-0 at home over Morningside.
 
OLSON NATIONAL ALL STAR:  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 at South Dakota State.  Olson was the leading tackler for the NDSU defense which held SDSU to minus-32 yards rushing.
 
LeCOMPTE NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK:  Punter Ben LeCompte was selected by The Sports Network as the FCS National co-Special Teams Player of the Week after the South Dakota State game, where he 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.  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 touchback.  He was the Missouri Valley Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week.
 
JENSEN TOPS CHARTS:  Quarterback Brock Jensen became NDSU's career leader in pass attempts (940), pass completions (581) and total offense yards (7,800) earlier this season.  Jensen is second in passing yards with 6,888 behind Steve Walker, who passed for 7,033 yards from 2004 to 2007.
 
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)        34-2    .944
2. Alabama (SEC)                              31-2    .939
3. Oregon (Pac-12)                           30-3    .909
4. Harvard (Ivy)                                 21-3    .875
 
WILLIAMS AND INTERCEPTIONS: North Dakota State's Marcus Williams has 20 career interceptions, which ranks third-best all-time on the MVFC list.  He is the NCAA all-divisions active leader in career interceptions (20) and 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
 
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)                           18
2. Northern Illinois (MAC)               12
3. North Dakota State (MVFC)        11
     Alabama (SEC)                            11
5. Texas A&M (SEC)                            8
 
BISON IN NCAA TOP 10:  North Dakota State leads the nation in third down conversion percentage, ranks second in third down defense and time of possession, and the Bison are among the top 10 in several categories in the NCAA FCS statistics through Oct. 12:
NDSU in the FCS Statistics
1st - third down conversion percentage (.559)
2nd - third down coversion defense (.256)
2nd - time of possession (35:05)
3rd - total defense (263.0)
3rd - rushing defense (80.7)
5th - first downs allowed (84)
6th - net punting (39.92)
6th - turnovers lost (6)
7th - fumbles lost (2)
9th - fewest penalty yards per game (36.33)
9th - passing efficiency defense (103.64)
 
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.
 
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.
 
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 after the win at Kansas State.  Turner graded out at 96 percent with 10 knockdowns and 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 Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week after the Kansas State win where he led NDSU with seven solo tackles including two stops for loss in his first game back since a knee injury at Colorado State in September 2012.  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 State                    323
3. Northern Iowa                            269
4. Illinois State                                264
5. Youngstown State                     253
6. Indiana State                              197
7. Southern Illinois                         188
8. Missouri State                             123
9. Western Illinois                             77
10. South Dakota   61