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THIS WEEK:  No. 1-ranked North Dakota State opens Missouri Valley Football Conference play this week when the Bison (3-0, 0-0 MVFC) host No. 18 Illinois State (2-2, 0-1 MVFC) at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (18,700).
 
TELEVISION:  KVLY and the NBC North Dakota network will have live coverage with Brian Shawn calling the play-by-play, Lee Timmerman color analyst, and Beth Hoole reporting from the sidelines.  ESPN3 will carry the telecast on WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN mobile app through participating Internet service providers.
 
RADIO:  Coverage begins at 12:30 p.m. on KPFX-FM 107.9 The Fox and the Peterson Farms Seed Bison Radio Network with Jeff Culhane calling the play-by-play, NDSU and Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer Phil Hansen as color analyst, and NDSU's Jeremy Jorgenson reporting from the sideline.  Extended coverage on 107.9 The Fox includes "Bison Game Day" from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and "Bison Hotline" for 2 hours following the network broadcast with hosts Keith Brake, Chris Hanson and former NDSU safety Christian Dudzik.
 
ONLINE:  NDSU All Access live video streaming for home games is by subscription on GoBison.com/allaccess.  Audio streaming of the Bison Radio Network broadcast for every NDSU football game is available free of charge.  Live stats for NDSU home games are available on BisonStats.com.  Follow @NDSUfootball on Twitter for game updates.
 
THE SERIES: This is the ninth meeting between Illinois State and North Dakota State dating back to 2007.  NDSU has won four straight and leads the series 6-2.  The teams did not meet in the 2014 and 2015 regular seasons due to the conference schedule rotation, but the teams both advanced to the 2014 national championship with NDSU winning 29-27.  The Redbirds' only win in four trips to Fargo was a 27-24 victory in the 2009 homecoming game.
 
LAST MEETING:  North Dakota State went 78 yards in six plays and scored on a 5-yard Carson Wentz run with 37 seconds left to beat Illinois State 29-27 for the 2014 national championship in the teams' last meeting.  Wentz completed passes of 32, 13 and 33 yards to RJ Urzendowski on the drive, which took just 1:01 off the clock.  Linebacker Esley Thorton's interception with 8 seconds left sealed the victory.  NDSU led 23-14 with 11:20 to go before a pair of Illinois State touchdowns.  Quarterback Tre Roberson scored on a 58-yard run to put the Redbirds up 27-23 with 1:38 left.  Wentz finished 15 of 22 passing for 237 yards and rushed 16 times for 87 yards to earn the game's Most Outstanding Player award.
 
HOMECOMING GAMES:  This is the 96th annual homecoming game for North Dakota State and the Bison are 55-37-3 all-time since 1919 (no game in war years 1943 or 1944).  NDSU has won five straight homecoming contests after last year's 31-28 come-from-behind victory over Northern Iowa.  This is Illinois State's third trip to Fargo as the homecoming opponent.  The Redbirds won 27-24 in 2009 and the Bison won 20-10 in 2011.
 
AFTER THE OPEN WEEK:  North Dakota State has won 22 straight games after open weeks in the regular season and playoffs since a 2005 home loss to UC Davis.  That streak includes 12 home games, five road games and five national championship games in Frisco, Texas.
 
CONFERENCE OPENERS:  North Dakota State has won its last five Missouri Valley Football Conference openers, and the Bison have gone on to win at least a share of the last five league crowns.  NDSU is 5-3 in league openers and is beginning conference play with Illinois State for the second time (2011).
 
GORDON, MAHER TO BE INDUCTED:  All-time leading rusher Lamar Gordon (1998-01) and All-America inside linebacker Jared Maher (1996-2000) are among the 45th Bison Athletic Hall of Fame class slated for induction this Friday.  Gordon was a Harlon Hill Award finalist and rushed for 4,696 yards in his All-America career before spending five years in the NFL with the Rams, Dolphins, Eagles and Lions.  Maher led the Bison in tackles each of his final two seasons and was a two-time All-North Central Conference performer.  Other inductees are volleyball All-America middle hitter Angie (Converse) Grove, wrestling national champion Ryan Wolters, softball All-America catcher/outfielder Shelly (Rhein) Rowedder, women's basketball assistant coach Kelli Layman, radio broadcaster Scott Miller, and the 1972 men's cross country NCAA College Division national championship team.
 
AP TOP 25 VOTES:  North Dakota State received an FCS-record 74 votes in the AP Top 25 poll after beating 11th-ranked Iowa in Week 3.  The Bison were tied for 27th in the voting and dipped to 28th in voting this week with 58 points.  NDSU previously received votes after the 2011, 2012 and 2013 national championships and the first 10 weeks of the 2014 season after beating Iowa State.
 
SUCCESS VS. THE FBS:  North Dakota State has a 9-3 record against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents and has won six 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), Iowa State (34-14) and 11th-ranked Iowa (23-21).  NDSU did not play an FBS opponent in 2015 and does not have any other FBS opponents scheduled until Oregon in 2020 and Colorado in 2024.  NDSU's first three FBS wins were against Ball State (2006), Central Michigan (2007) and Minnesota (2007).
 
BACK-TO-BACK OVERTIMES:  After not playing a home overtime game in the history of NDSU football, the Bison started the season with back-to-back OT home wins over Charleston Southern (24-17) and Eastern Washington (50-44).  NDSU scored on its first offensive play in both games, getting a 25-yard run from King Frazier and a 25-yard run from Lance Dunn.  NDSU is the first Valley Football team to open a season with back-to-back OT wins.
 
FOURTH QUARTER MARCH:  North Dakota State held the ball for 10:45 and outgained Iowa 126 to minus-9 in the fourth quarter of NDSU's come-from-behind 23-21 victory.  The Bison pulled within 21-20 with a 15-play, 80-yard drive that took 8:39 off the clock before getting a three-and-out on defense to set up the game-winning field goal drive.  The 15-play march was reminiscent of NDSU's 18-play, 80-yard, 8:30 game-winning drive at Kansas State in 2013.
 
CONFERENCE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:  The following players have earned Missouri Valley Football Conference player of the week awards this season:
        — Nick DeLuca, Defensive...After missing the second half of the season opener with a shoulder separation, made a game-high 15 tackles in the win over Eastern Washington...Also scored on a 40-yard interception return.
        — Zack Johnson, Offensive Line...Six knockdowns with zero hurries or sacks allowed in 73 snaps against Charleston Southern...Graded out at 98.6% on assignment and led the Bison line in finish (88%) and technique (76%).
        — MJ Stumpf, Defensive...Made three tackles and scored on a 21-yard interception return in the victory at Iowa...Downed a punt at the Iowa 2 to set up one of five three-and-outs...Part of a defensive unit that held Iowa to 34 yards rushing in the game and minus-7 after halftime.
        ­— Cam Pedersen, Special Teams...Converted 2 of 2 PAT kicks and made a 37-yard field goal on the final play of the fourth quarter to give NDSU a 23-21 win at Iowa one week after a game-tying 28-yarder to force overtime in the win over Eastern Washington.
        — Landon Lechler, Offensive Line...Five knockdowns with zero quarterback hurries or sacks in 70 snaps against Iowa...Led the Bison with a 100% assignment grade, 88% finish and 85% technique.
 
MENARD ON WATCH LIST:  North Dakota State junior defensive end Greg Menard is on the watch list for STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year, which was won in 2014 by NDSU defensive end Kyle Emanuel.  Menard was STATS FCS All-America third team last year when he ranked second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with 10.0 sacks and an additional 15 quarterback hurries.
 
DeLUCA OUT FOR SEASON:  Senior middle linebacker Nick DeLuca had a season-ending shoulder surgery following the Week 3 win at Iowa and can apply for a medical hardship to return to the Bison in 2017.  DeLuca was the only FCS player on the watch list for the 32nd annual Butkus Award, honoring the nation's best collegiate linebacker, and also was on the STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year watch list.  He was first-team all-conference and runner-up for Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2015.
 
PLANK STEPS IN AT LINEBACKER:  North Dakota State junior Matt Plank made a career-high six tackles — all in the second half — filling in at middle linebacker after an injury to starter Nick DeLuca in the 24-17 overtime win over sixth-ranked Charleston Southern.  Plank assisted on a tackle for loss and was part of a defensive effort that held CSU to 2 of 12 on third down and 263 total yards, nearly 100 yards under its average from a year ago.
 
FRAZIER LEADS DEEP RUSHING ATTACK:  North Dakota State has had a 1,000-yard rusher for 13 straight seasons after King Frazier's 1,158 yards last season as a junior.  Frazier leads a group of four returning running backs who each had at least 90 carries last year.  He rushed 219 times and averaged 5.3 yards per carry with 11 touchdowns on the season.  Frazier averaged 94.0 yards per game over the final eight contests.  He has four career 100-yard games including a career-high 177 yards at Southern Illinois and back-to-back playoff games last year against Northern Iowa (107) and Richmond (121).
 
BISON CHEW UP CLOCK:  North Dakota State led the nation in time of possession with an average of 36:39 last year and the Bison have only been out-clocked once in the last 34 games (South Dakota, 2015).  The Bison held the ball for 43:47 against Western Illinois last year, the most time of possession in NDSU's 12 seasons of Division I football.
 
BISON AT HOME:  North Dakota State is 50-4 at home since 2010.  The Bison have won 53 of the last 54 home games over non-conference opponents including 44 straight since a 2003 loss to UC Davis.  NDSU is 13-2 at home all-time against FCS Top 10 teams.
 
COACHING STAFF INTACT:  After having at least one new assistant coach every year since beginning Division I play in 2004, North Dakota State has the same full-time coaching staff for the third straight season under head coach Chris Klieman.  NDSU made two changes to support staff adding former Bison defensive back Bryan Shepherd as defensive assistant and former Wisconsin-Stout assistant Kody Morgan in the offensive quality control position.
 
13-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS:  North Dakota State won its 13th football national championship last season.  NDSU claimed three College Division national championships in 1965, 1968 and 1969, five Division II titles in 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988 and 1990, and is the first team in college football history to win five straight national championships with FCS titles in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
 
MOST WINS IN DIVISION I FOOTBALL:  NDSU has a record of 74-5 since the beginning of the 2011 national championship season.  The Bison went 14-1, 14-1, 15-0, 15-1 and 13-2 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 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
            74 - North Dakota State
            66 - Alabama
            61 - Florida State
            60 - Clemson
            59 - Ohio State
            59 - Oregon
            59 - Sam Houston State
            57 - Stanford
            56 - Michigan State
 
VALLEY FOOTBALL PRESEASON PICKS:  North Dakota State had five players picked to the preseason all-Missouri Valley Football Conference team: running back King Frazier, offensive guard Zack Johnson, defensive end Greg Menard, linebacker Nick DeLuca, and free safety Tre Dempsey.  NDSU long snapper James Fisher, defensive tackle Nate Tanguay and strong safety Robbie Grimsley earned honorable mention.  NDSU was picked to win the league ahead of Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Illinois State and Youngstown State.
 
#PROBISON:  North Dakota State has nine former players active in the NFL and two others in the CFL.  Four Bison from last season are still with NFL teams including No. 2 overall draft pick Carson Wentz, fifth-round pick Joe Haeg, and undrafted free agents Andrew Bonnet and CJ Smith.  On the sidelines, former Bison safety/punter (1984-1988) and longtime assistant coach (1996-2005) Gus Bradley is in his fourth season as the Jaguars' head coach.

NFL Players	Year	Team
Andrew Bonnet, FB	1st	Philadelphia Eagles (practice squad)
John Crockett, RB	2nd	Green Bay Packers
Kyle Emanuel, LB	2nd	San Diego Chargers
Joe Haeg, OL	1st	Indianapolis Colts
Ramon Humber, LB	8th	Buffalo Bills
CJ Smith, CB	1st	Philadelphia Eagles (practice squad)
Billy Turner, OL	3rd	Miami Dolphins
Carson Wentz, QB	1st	Philadelphia Eagles
Marcus Williams, CB	3rd	New York Jets
CFL Players	Year	Team
Brock Jensen, QB	2nd	Ottawa Redblacks
Ryan Smith, WR	3rd	Winnipeg Blue Bombers

 
 
NATIONAL EXPOSURE:  North Dakota State has become a well-known name in college football thanks to its run of five 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 the Bison have played 16 games on ESPN (five), ESPN2 (10) or ESPNU (one) since 2011.  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.