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THIS WEEK:  North Dakota State (12-2) makes its fifth straight appearance in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game this week when the third-seeded Bison take on Ohio Valley Conference champion and No. 1 seed Jacksonville State (13-1).  Game time is 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, at Toyota Stadium (20,500) in Frisco, Texas.
 
TELEVISION:  Live coverage begins at 11 a.m. on ESPN2 with Anish Shroff calling the play-by-play, Ahmad Brooks as color analyst, and Quint Kessenich reporting from the sidelines.  Video streaming will be on WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN mobile app through participating TV providers.  ESPN3 will broadcast a Spanish-language presentation of the game as well as the postgame championship trophy presentation.
 
RADIO:  KFGO-AM 790 and Mix 101.9 FM of Fargo along with the Peterson Farms Seed Bison Radio Network will have live coverage beginning at 10:30 a.m.  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 sideline.  Audio streaming will be available exclusively on GoBison.com/allaccess.
 
THE SERIES:  This is the third meeting between North Dakota State and Jacksonville State but the first as Division I opponents.  Jacksonville State won the 1977 Grantland Rice Bowl NCAA Division II semifinal 31-7 in Anniston, Ala., and the 1989 NCAA Division II quarterfinal 21-17 in Jacksonville, Ala. ... North Dakota State is 1-0 against the Ohio Valley Conference with a 41-6 home win over Austin Peay in the 2008 season opener. ... The Missouri Valley Football Conference is 15-2 all-time in the FCS playoffs against the Ohio Valley Conference, which hasn't had a national finalist since Eastern Kentucky won the 1982 title.
 
12-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS:  North Dakota State is seeking its 13th football national championship this week.  NDSU won three College Division national championships in 1965, 1968 and 1969, five Division II titles in 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988 and 1990, and four straight FCS championships in 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
 
POSTSEASON HISTORY:  This is North Dakota State's sixth straight appearance in the FCS playoffs.  NDSU has won 19 straight playoff games and is 21-1 including four straight national championships and a quarterfinal appearance in 2010.  This is NDSU's 29th postseason overall.  NDSU has a 56-14 record all-time in the postseason including a 51-13 mark in the NCAA playoff format since 1973.
 
70 WINS IN FIVE SEASONS:  North Dakota State has a record of 70-5 since the beginning of the 2011 national championship season.  The Bison went 14-1, 14-1, 15-0, 15-1 and 12-2 for the most wins in Division I football in that five-year span.  Fifteen FCS programs have multiple 10-win seasons since 2011, and only four teams have reached the 10-win mark at least three times—NDSU (5), Sam Houston State (4), Eastern Washington (3) and Jacksonville State (3).
            Most Wins Since 2011, Division I
            70 - North Dakota State
            61 - Alabama
            58 - Florida State
            57 - Oregon
            56 - Clemson
            56 - Ohio State
            56 - Sam Houston State
            54 - Michigan State
            54 - Northern Illinois
            54 - Stanford
 
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE:  This will be the seventh straight year the FCS champion will have played all of its preliminary round games at home.  Jacksonville State beat Chattanooga, Charleston Southern and Sam Houston State.  NDSU beat Montana, Northern Iowa and Richmond.  NDSU is 16-0 at home in the FCS playoffs since 2010.
 
BISON ROLL PAST RICHMOND IN SEMIFINAL:  King Frazier rushed for 121 yards and two touchdowns to lead North Dakota State to a 33-7 semifinal win over Richmond.  Nick DeLuca made six tackles, Tre Dempsey and CJ Smith each intercepted passes, and the Bison had five pass breakups and five quarterback hurries in holding Richmond to a season-low 209 yards including 38 on the ground.  The Bison got a 31-yard return from Bruce Anderson on the opening kickoff and marched 68 yards in nine plays capped by Frazier's two-yard run for a 6-0 lead.  Chase Morlock caught a 27-yard TD pass at the end of the first quarter, Zach Vraa hauled in a 12-yard TD pass, and Eric Perkins scored on an 88-yard punt return to give NDSU a 26-0 lead by halftime.  Frazier scored on another 2-yard run with 6:11 left to close an 18-play, 87-yard drive that consumed more than 10 minutes of the third and fourth quarters.
 
BISON STOP UNI IN QUARTERFINAL:  Bruce Anderson returned the second half kickoff 97 yards for the go-ahead touchdown and North Dakota State's defense allowed just 71 yards in the second half to key a 23-13 victory over Northern Iowa in the quarterfinals.  King Frazier rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown, Easton Stick set a school playoff record for completion percentage going 13 of 17 for 116 yards, and Ben LeCompte averaged 45.0 yards on six punts with five inside the 20 and a long of 62 yards to boost the Bison defense.  NDSU limited Northern Iowa 1,000-yard rushers Aaron Bailey and Tyvis Smith to a combined 91 yards on 34 carries.  
 
RETURNS, DEFENSE KEY SECOND ROUND WIN:  Interception returns for touchdowns by Jalen Allison (30 yards) and CJ Smith (32 yards) along with a 100-yard kickoff return by Bruce Anderson keyed North Dakota State's 37-6 second round win over Montana.  NDSU's defense set the tone early holding Montana to four yards on the game's opening drive and forcing the Grizzlies to go three-and-out on six of their first seven possessions.  Quarterback Easton Stick ran up the middle for a 49-yard touchdown on NDSU's third play and the Bison opened up a 21-0 lead by halftime with Allison's pick-six and a 15-yard touchdown run by Anderson, who led all players with 162 all-purpose yards.  Robbie Grimsley and Tre Dempsey each recorded interceptions, Dempsey and Smith combined for six pass breakups, and NDSU totaled three sacks, five QB hurries and six tackles for loss.  The Bison held Montana to a season-low 65 plays and 235 yards after the Griz totaled 92 plays and 544 yards in the season opener against NDSU.
 
FRAZIER PASSES 1,000 YARDS:  North Dakota State has a 1,000-yard rusher for the 13th straight season after junior King Frazier eclipsed the mark in the semifinal win over Richmond.  Frazier enters the national championship with 1,105 yards and is averaging 5.5 yards on 201 carries.  Frazier is averaging 99.9 yards per game over the last seven contests since posting a career-high 177 at Southern Illinois.  He has four career 100-yard games including back-to-back playoff games against Northern Iowa (107) and Richmond (121).

GOLD RUSH:  North Dakota State will wear its alternate gold jersey with green pants for the third time in five trips to Frisco.  NDSU is 21-0 in the gold jersey since its debut in 2011, including championship wins over Sam Houston State (2011) and Towson (2013), and three wins this year over North Dakota, Western Illinois and Northern Iowa.
 
AGAINST NO. 1 TEAMS:  This is North Dakota State's third all-time meeting against the top-ranked team in the FCS.  The Bison lost 38-31 in overtime at No. 1-ranked (but fifth-seeded) eventual national champion Eastern Washington in the 2010 quarterfinals, and NDSU beat top-ranked No. 1 seed Sam Houston State 17-6 for the 2011 national championship in Frisco.
 
FRESHMAN QB IN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: Appalachian State's Armanti Edwards was the last freshman to quarterback a team in the FCS national championship when he led the Mountaineers to a 28-17 win over Massachusetts in the 2006 title game.  Edwards was 12 of 19 for 146 yards with one interception and zero touchdowns while rushing 15 times for 81 yards.
 
DEFENSE SHINING IN PLAYOFFS:  North Dakota State will need another strong defensive performance to stop a Jacksonville State team that has put up more than 500 yards of total offense in 9 of 14 games this year.  NDSU has limited each of its first three playoff opponents to season lows in total yardage, and the average 222 yards allowed per game is the best Bison defense in six FCS playoff trips.  JSU's season-low was 385 yards at Eastern Illinois.

Opponent	Avg. Yards Before NDSU	Yards vs. NDSU
Montana	438	235
Northern Iowa	395	221
Richmond	471	209
Year	Avg. Yards Allowed in Playoffs
2010	356 (3 games)
2011	300 (4 games)
2012	341 (4 games)
2013	291 (4 games)
2014	355 (4 games)
2015	222 (3 games)

 
SLOWING DOWN HIGH-POWERED OFFENSES:  North Dakota State limited Western Illinois to 1 yard rushing in the first half and 33 yards on the ground altogether while holding Nikko Watson, the second-leading rusher in the MVFC, to just one yard on four carries.  WIU's no-huddle offense ran only 47 plays, 28 fewer than its average.  It was the third straight week the Bison defense rose to the challenge.  NDSU limited the top-rated offense in the MVFC to a season-low 398 yards of total offense and 121 rushing yards at Southern Illinois and held an Indiana State team averaging 438 yards to just 201 yards of total offense.
 
WHAT'S THE RUSH?  North Dakota State's opponent has dual 1,000-yard rushers for the second time in three games, but NDSU has a track record of shutting down explosive ground attacks.  The Bison held Northern Iowa's two leading rushers to a combined 91 yards in the quarterfinals, and have shut down some of the top rushers in the FCS this year:

	Rushing YPG	FCS Rank	Rushing vs. NDSU
John Santiago, North Dakota	132.6	4th	7 yards
Troymaine Pope, Jacksonville State	125.5	6th	—
Jacobi Green, Richmond	113.9	8th	32 yards
Nikko Watson, Western Illinois	108.7	11th	1 yard

 
DeLUCA TOP 10 IN SOLO, TOTAL TACKLES:  Middle linebacker Nick DeLuca has moved into the NDSU single-season top 10 in total tackles and solo tackles.  DeLuca's 126 total tackles are 10th in school history and his 54 solo tackles rank fourth.
            NDSU Single Season Solo Tackles
            59 - Colten Heagle, 2014
            58 - Carlton Littlejohn, 2014
            57 - Ramon Humber, 2008
            54 - Nick DeLuca, 2015
 
KICK RETURN TEAM FIRST NATIONALLY:  North Dakota State is first in the FCS in kickoff returns with an average of 29.45 yards per return.  Freshman Bruce Anderson's average of 37.9 yards per return would lead the FCS by more than six yards, but he is two returns short of qualifying for the national rankings (1.2 returns/game).  Anderson has averaged 45.1 yards on nine returns with two touchdowns over the past five games.  Junior Eric Perkins is averaging 26.6 yards and has vaulted into sixth all-time in NDSU history with 631 kick return yards and a 25.24 average on 25 attempts since making his return debut against Missouri State last year.
 
SCHOOL RECORD FOR KICK RETURNS:  Freshman Bruce Anderson's two kickoff return touchdowns is a new single-season NDSU record.  Only 14 other players in school history have kickoff return touchdowns.  Anderson's 37.87 kick return average is a school record and his 568 return yards are third most in school history behind Tony Satter's 751 in 1989 and Shamen Washington's 651 in 2007.
 
SCORING IN ALL FASHIONS:  North Dakota State has scored 32 points on defense and special teams in its three playoff games—two Bruce Anderson kickoff returns, a punt return by Eric Perkins, interceptions by CJ Smith and Jalen Allison, and a safety by Brian Schaetz.
 
BISON CHEW UP CLOCK:  North Dakota State leads the nation in time of possession and has only been out-clocked once in the last 30 games (South Dakota, 2015).  The Bison are averaging an FCS-best 36:21 over 14 games.  The Bison held the ball for 43:47 against Western Illinois, the most time of possession in NDSU's 12 seasons of Division I football.
 
LeCOMPTE SETS NDSU, MVFC RECORDS:  North Dakota State ranks fourth nationally in net punting (39.37) thanks to All-America and three-time all-conference punter Ben LeCompte, who is NDSU's new career leader in punts (226), punting yards (10,062) and punting average (44.52).  LeCompte is second in the Football Championship Subdivision this season with a 45.8 average on 60 punts including a long of 73 in the Weber State game, 22 punts of 50-plus yards, and 28 downed inside the 20.  LeCompte ranks fourth in FCS history and is the MVFC leader in career punting average.  The previous NDSU record was 44.46 by Mike Dragosavich (2004-07) and the MVFC record was 43.62 by Indiana State's Lucas Hileman (2011-12).
            NCAA FCS Career Punting Leaders
            45.1 - Jonathan Plisco, Old Dominion (2009-12)
            44.8 - Mark Gould, Northern Arizona (2000-03)
            44.7 - Cory Carter, Texas Southern (2012-15)
            44.5 - Ben LeCompte, NDSU (2012-15)
            44.4 - Pumpy Tudors, Chattanooga (1989-91)
 
SMITH CLIMBING PASS DEFENSE LIST:  Senior cornerback CJ Smith is the FCS active leader and fourth in the FCS record book (since 2000) with 56 career passes defended.  Smith has 48 pass breakups and eight interceptions in his career, second only to New York Jets defensive back Marcus Williams, who had 60 passes defended for NDSU (2010-13).
            NCAA FCS Career Passes Defended, since 2000
            62 - Ian Williams, Fordham (2010-14)
            61 - David Hyland, Morehead State (2005-08)
            60 - Marcus Williams, NDSU (2010-13)
            56 - CJ Smith, NDSU (2012-15)
 
VRAA ALL-TIME RECEIVING LEADER:  Sixth-year wide receiver Zach Vraa has caught a pass in 53 of 57 career games and broken North Dakota State's career records for pass receptions, yards and touchdowns.  Among the Missouri Valley Football Conference career leaders, Vraa ranks eighth in receptions, seventh in receiving yards and sixth in receiving touchdowns.
            NDSU Career Receiving Yards
            2925 - Zach Vraa, 2011-15 (57g)
            2732 - Kole Heckendorf, 2005-08 (43g)
            2544 - TR McDonald, 1990-93 (39g)

            NDSU Career Receiving TDs
            28 - Zach Vraa, 2011-15
            26 - Tim Strehlow, 1996-99
            24 - Len Kretchman, 1985-88

            NDSU Career Receptions
            192 - Zach Vraa, 2011-15
            178 - Kole Heckendorf, 2005-08
            163 - Travis White, 2002-06
 
FIVE ALL-AMERICANS:  North Dakota State had five players earn All-America recognition this year led by left tackle Joe Haeg, who was a first team pick by STATS, The Associated Press, FCS Athletic Directors Association, and Walter Camp.  Punter Ben LeCompte was first team by STATS, second team AP, and first team FCS ADA.  Fullback Andrew Bonnet was second team by STATS, defensive end Greg Menard was third team STATS, and left guard Zack Johnson was third team AP.
 
BISON LAND 11 ON ALL-MVFC TEAM:  North Dakota State had 11 players named to the All-Missouri Valley Football Conference first and second teams.  NDSU led the league with seven selections on the first team.  They were fullback Andrew Bonnet, left tackle Joe Haeg, left guard Zack Johnson, defensive end Greg Menard, middle linebacker Nick DeLuca, cornerback CJ Smith and punter Ben LeCompte.  On the second team were running back King Frazier, tight end Luke Albers, right guard Jeremy Kelly and long snapper James Fisher.  Bison quarterback Carson Wentz, wide receiver RJ Urzendowski and defensive tackle Nate Tanguay were honorable mention.  LeCompte was all-conference for the third straight year, Bonnet and Haeg for the second straight year, and Johnson for the second time in three seasons.
 
DeLUCA SECOND IN VOTE:  Junior middle linebacker Nick DeLuca from North Dakota State was second in the voting for the Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year award, which went to Northern Iowa cornerback Deiondre Hall.  DeLuca is NDSU's leading tackler with 126 stops including 9.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks.  He has one interception, six pass breakups, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble.  DeLuca made double-digit tackles three times and was MVFC Defensive Player of the Week after a career-high 20 tackles at Southern Illinois.
 
FIVE ON MVFC ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM:  North Dakota State had a league-high five players selected to the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team.  Running back Bruce Anderson, kicker Cam Pedersen, wide receiver Darrius Shepherd, quarterback Easton Stick, and safety Robbie Grimsley were five of the 20 freshmen named to the 24-man team.  It's the most newcomers NDSU has had selected to the team in eight years in the league.
 
HAEG 13th IN FCS VOTING:  North Dakota State left tackle Joe Haeg was 13th out of 25 in the final voting for STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Year honors.  He was the first lineman on the watch list since Villanova's Ben Ijalana in 2010.  Haeg was first team All-America in 2014 and the Top Collegiate Offensive Lineman by the FCS Athletic Directors Association.  He was named Offensive Lineman of the Week twice this season by the Missouri Valley Football Conference and has helped pave the way for the top rushing offense in the league.  NDSU quarterback Carson Wentz was a preseason nominee for the award, but was removed from consideration after being sidelined with a wrist injury after six games.
 
WENTZ ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN® OF THE YEAR:  Senior quarterback Carson Wentz was voted CoSIDA Academic All-American® of the Year for Division I football (FBS and FCS) by the College Sports Information Directors of America.  It is the second straight year on the Academic All-America® first team for Wentz, who has a 4.0 in health and physical education.  He was joined on the first team by Greg Menard, who has a 3.9 in civil engineering.  Wentz is the fifth Academic All-American® of the Year from NDSU, joining track and field All-Americans Jill Theeler (2002) and Marc Steckler (2005), men's basketball all-time leading rebounder Brett Winkelman (2009), and baseball all-time hits leader Tim Colwell (2014).
 
FOUR EARN ACADEMIC HONORS:  North Dakota State had four players selected to the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Academic Team.  Defensive end Greg Menard, wide receiver Zach Vraa and quarterback Carson Wentz were named to the first team, and running back Chase Morlock was named to the second team.  All four student-athletes previously were voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-District™ team.  Menard has a 3.90 in civil engineering, Vraa has a 3.56 and holds a bachelor's degree in sport management, Wentz has a 4.00 in health and physical education, and Morlock has a 3.80 in exercise science.
 
CONFERENCE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:  The following players were recognized as Player of the Week by the Missouri Valley Football Conference for their performances:
        - Nick DeLuca, Defense (Career-high 20 tackles with one TFL and one pass breakup at Southern Illinois...NDSU limited the league's top-rated offense to a season-low 398 yards of total offense and 121 rushing yards)
        - King Frazier, Offense (Ran 16 times for a career-high 177 yards and one TD at Southern Illinois...Had runs of 41, 50 and 51 yards)
        - Joe Haeg, 2x Offensive Line (Led the Bison with 12 knockdowns and graded out at 92 percent on technique against Weber State...Had eight knockdowns and a 94 percent grade at South Dakota State)
        - Jeremy Kelly, Offensive Line (Nine knockdowns and an 88 percent technique grade at Southern Illinois as the Bison rushed for a season-high 397 yards)
        - Cam Pedersen, Special Teams (Converted 4 of 4 PAT kicks and 28- and 49-yard field goals against North Dakota)
        - Easton Stick, Newcomer (Made his first collegiate start Oct. 24 at Indiana State...Ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns while passing for 126 yards and one score...Eighth of last 10 starting QBs since 1998 to win his first start at NDSU)
        - Carson Wentz, Offense (Four TD passes in 31-28 comeback victory over Northern Iowa...Led a 10-play, 79-yard drive in less than 2 minutes capped with an 18-yard TD pass to Darrius Shepherd with 35 seconds left...Finished a career-high 26 of 40 passing for 335 yards, fifth most passing yards in school history)
 
TWO ALL-STAR INVITES:  Two North Dakota State players have accepted invitations to postseason all-star games.  Left tackle Joe Haeg was selected to the 91st East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg, Fla., at 4 p.m. EST on Jan. 23.  Quarterback Carson Wentz was selected to the Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., at 1:30 p.m. CST on Jan. 30.  Both games will be televised on NFL Network.
 
#PROBISON:  With seven former Bison on NFL rosters, NDSU is tied for the second-most active NFL players among FCS schools.  The list includes Chargers rookie linebacker Kyle Emanuel, the 2014 FCS defensive player of the year as a defensive end for NDSU, and rookie free agent running back John Crockett, who was called up from the Packers' practice squad in December.  Former Bison safety/punter and longtime assistant coach Gus Bradley will return for his fourth season as the Jaguars' head coach in 2016.

Name	Year in NFL	Team
John Crockett, RB	1st	Green Bay Packers
Craig Dahl, S	8th	New York Giants
Kyle Emanuel, LB	1st	San Diego Chargers
Ramon Humber, LB	7th	New Orleans Saints
Joe Mays, LB	8th	San Diego Chargers
Billy Turner, OL	2nd	Miami Dolphins
Marcus Williams, CB	2nd	New York Jets

 
NDSU TO OFFER FULL COST OF ATTENDANCE:  North Dakota State will offer full cost of attendance to student-athletes in all 16 men's and women's sports beginning in the 2016-17 season.  The anticipated additional cost for NDSU will be up to $3,400 per full scholarship.  This initiative will be funded exclusively through private donations.  The athletics department has secured lead gifts from several donors that will provide a matching funds program for the first three years of implementation.  Donations can be made online at NDSUAthleticFund.com.
 
EXCELLENCE BEYOND FOOTBALL:  North Dakota State has a storied history of athletic success including 24 team national championships since 1965 in football, women's basketball, wrestling, softball, men's cross country and women's indoor track and field.  In only seven years since completing a reclassification to NCAA Division I, the Bison have to their credit four football national championships, three NCAA men's basketball tournaments, six softball regionals and one super regional, three NCAA women's volleyball postseason appearances, NCAA tournaments in women's soccer, women's golf and baseball, and several All-Americans in track and field, cross country and wrestling.
 
NEW FACILITY OPENING NEXT YEAR:  North Dakota State may already be atop the FCS with its football amenities at the Fargodome, but the Bison will take another step forward with the addition of a new strength and conditioning facility next fall in the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.  Slated to open in October, the $41 million renovation and expansion includes the 5,700-seat Scheels Center basketball arena and the already-open Nodak Mutual Basketball Performance Center.  The facility is adjacent to NDSU's three full-size outdoor practice fields and Dacotah Field, the former Bison football stadium which is covered with a dome in the winter.
 
PLENTY RETURNING:  North Dakota State will graduate 14 seniors this year but the Bison have plenty of experience returning in 2016.  On offense, NDSU gets back four offensive linemen, a sophomore quarterback, four leading rushers and two leading receivers, and two kick returners.  On defense, NDSU will return eight starters including the four leading tacklers and top sack-getter.  Four true freshmen have played this year—running back Bruce Anderson, safety Robbie Grimsley, kicker Cam Pedersen and receiver Dimitri Williams.
 
NATIONAL EXPOSURE:  North Dakota State has become a national brand in college football thanks to its run of four straight national championships and several appearances on national television.  NDSU hosted ESPN's College GameDay in 2013 and 2014, SportsCenter on the Road in 2015, and this week is playing its 14th game on ESPN (four), ESPN2 (nine) or ESPNU (one) in the past five seasons.  The Bison have also won games at Minnesota (2011) on the Big Ten Network and at Kansas State (2013) and Iowa State (2014) on Fox Sports 1.
 
SUCCESS VS. THE FBS:  North Dakota State has an 8-3 record against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents and has won five in a row against FBS foes since 2010 with wins at Kansas (6-3), Minnesota (37-24), Colorado State (22-7), Kansas State (24-21) and Iowa State (34-14).  NDSU is scheduled to play at Iowa in Week 3 next season and at Oregon in 2020.