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THIS WEEK:  No. 4-ranked North Dakota State looks to win its third outright Missouri Valley Football Conference championship this week when the Bison (9-1, 6-1 MVFC) play 21st-ranked Illinois State (6-4, 4-3 MVFC).  Game time is noon Saturday, Nov. 18, at Hancock Stadium (13,391) in Normal, Ill.
 
TELEVISION:  Coverage begins at 12 p.m. on KVLY and the NBC North Dakota network with Brian Shawn calling the play-by-play, Lee Timmerman color analyst, and Ryan Gellner on the sidelines.  ESPN3 will carry the game on WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.  Pregame coverage hosted by Alex Egan and Beth Hoole begins one hour prior to kickoff. 
 
RADIO:  Coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. on the Peterson Farms Seed Bison Radio Network with Jeff Culhane play-by-play, NDSU and Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer Phil Hansen analyst, and NDSU's Jeremy Jorgenson sidelines.  Extended coverage locally on 107.9 The Fox, Bison 1660 and 92.7 FM includes "Bison Tailgate" from 8:30-9:30 a.m. with Brad Jones, "Bison Game Day" from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and "Bison Hotline" for two hours following the network broadcast with hosts Keith Brake, Chris Hanson and former NDSU defensive end Cole Jirik.
 
THE SERIES:  This is the 10th meeting between North Dakota State and Illinois State dating back to a non-conference matchup in 2007, the year before NDSU joined the Missouri Valley Football Conference.  The Bison have won five straight and lead the series 7-2 including last year's 31-10 homecoming victory.  Illinois State hasn't won since 2010, a 34-24 victory in Normal, where the Bison are 2-1 all-time but haven't played since 2012.
 
BISON SEEK THIRD OUTRIGHT TITLE:  North Dakota State clinched at least a share of its seventh straight Missouri Valley Football Conference championship with last week's win over South Dakota.  NDSU can win its third outright title (2012, 2013) with a win at Illinois State this week or losses by NDSU, South Dakota State and Northern Iowa.  UNI is the only other MVFC team to win seven in a row (1990-1996).  NDSU's longest streak of conference titles is seven straight (1964-1970).  The Bison have won 34 conference titles altogether, including 26 in the North Central Conference and one in the Great West Football Conference (2006).
 
AUTOMATIC QUALIFIER:  North Dakota State will earn the Missouri Valley Football Conference's automatic qualifier for the 24-team FCS playoffs with one of three scenarios: a win over Illinois State, a two-way tie against Northern Iowa (NDSU head-to-head win), or a three-way tie with UNI and South Dakota State (NDSU 5-1 against common opponents, UNI and SDSU 4-2).
 
SELECTION SHOW SUNDAY:  The 24-team field for the NCAA Division I Football Championship will be revealed on in a one-hour selection show beginning at 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, live on ESPNU, WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.  The top eight seeds get a first-round bye and the remaining 16 teams open the FCS playoffs next Saturday, Nov. 25.
 
NCAA COMMITTEE RANKINGS:  North Dakota State slipped from No. 2 to No. 4 in the second of two NCAA Division I Football Committee rankings released last Thursday.  Defending champion and undefeated James Madison from the Colonial Athletic Association remained first, Jacksonville State of the Ohio Valley Conference moved up to second and Central Arkansas of the Southland Conference climbed to third.  Sam Houston State was fifth, Elon sixth, South Dakota State seventh, Wofford eighth, South Dakota ninth and North Carolina A&T was 10th.
 
POLL POSITION:  North Dakota State moved up one spot to No. 4 in the STATS FCS Top 25 this week.  NDSU dropped from its season-long No. 2 ranking to fifth in the STATS FCS media poll and sixth in the FCS coaches poll following the loss at South Dakota State.  It's the lowest the Bison have been ranked since Nov. 2, 2015, when NDSU was sixth in the STATS FCS poll and fifth in the FCS coaches poll.  The Bison have been in 103 straight STATS FCS polls and 108 of the last 109.  Since beating Minnesota and climbing to No. 5 on Sept. 26, 2011, the Bison have been in the top five all but three weeks in 2015.
 
LAST WEEK:  Missouri Valley Football Conference Offensive Player of the Week Easton Stick completed his first 11 passes and went 11 of 12 for a career-high 307 yards to lead North Dakota State to a 49-14 win over South Dakota.  Defensive Player of the Week Jalen Allison had a team- and career-high 10 tackles and registered one of NDSU's four sacks.  Jabril Cox, Stanley Jones and Derrek Tuszka each had sacks and the Bison had four pass breakups and a season-high nine quarterback hurries while holding South Dakota to its lowest scoring output in two years.  Center Tanner Volson was named MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week after leading the Bison with seven knockdowns and grading out at 97 percent assignment.
 
RUSHING GAME RETURNS:  After three straight weeks of season-low rushing totals, NDSU's 340 yards rushing against South Dakota were the most since running for 375 yards in Week 2 at Eastern Washington.  Ty Brooks rushed nine times for a career-high 152 yards and three touchdowns, and the Bison scored six TDs on the ground including runs by Bruce Anderson, Easton Stick and true freshman Seth Wilson, who notched his first career TD on a 28-yard run and totaled 88 yards on 13 carries in just his third game.
 
BIG PLAY BISON:  NDSU had 10 plays from scrimmage go 20-plus yards against South Dakota, including four of its eight longest plays from scrimmage this year.  Ty Brooks had two 54-yard runs including one for a TD, and tight end Jeff Illies made the two longest receptions of his career, 46 and 50 yards, Connor Wentz had a career-long 40-yard reception, Dimitri Williams sparked a 98-yard scoring drive with a 24-yard run and career-long 77-yard reception, and RJ Urzendowski had catches of 21 and 35 yards.  The Bison rolled up 647 yards of total offense and averaged 11.2 yards per play, including 7.4 per carry.
 
BOUNCING BACK:  The win over South Dakota was NDSU's 15th straight victory after a loss.  NDSU's last consecutive losses came in 2009 when the Bison lost five straight.  Since then, South Dakota was the highest-rated opponent NDSU has faced after a loss, behind No. 18 Indiana State (2015) and No. 12 Western Illinois (2016).
 
SENIOR CLASS:  North Dakota State's 20-man senior class includes 17 fifth-year seniors who arrived on campus for the 15-0 national championship season in 2013 plus wide receiver RJ Urzendowski, who played as a true freshman in 2014.  The Bison have a 49-6 record since 2014 with two NCAA FCS championships, four Missouri Valley Football Conference titles, a 30-3 home record, a 10-1 postseason record, and a 29-5 record over FCS Top 25 opponents.
 
WILSON JOINS DEPLETED BACKFIELD:  True freshman Seth Wilson carried 13 times for 88 yards and his first collegiate touchdown last week as one of only three running backs available behind Bruce Anderson and Ty Brooks.  The Bison lost Demaris Purifoy (knee) for the year in the season-opener, Adam Cofield (knee) has missed four straight games, and leading rusher Lance Dunn (hip) has missed three straight games with a likely season-ending injury, according to head coach Chris Klieman.  Brooks also missed five games earlier this year with two different leg injuries.
 
JORDHEIM, DELUCA TIE RECORDS:  Linebacker Levi Jordheim's three fumble recoveries against Northern Iowa tied the NDSU record set by Don Meyer at Northern Michigan in 1976 and the Missouri Valley Football Conference record set by Missouri State's Dempster Jackson in 1985 vs. Southern Illinois.  Linebacker Nick DeLuca's two strip sacks tied the NDSU record of two forced fumbles done 31 times by 28 players, most recently by defensive end Cole Jirik in the 2012 win at Illinois State.
 
AFTER HALFTIME:  North Dakota State has scored on its opening drive of the half 14 of 20 times this year with 12 touchdowns and two field goals.  That includes touchdowns on the opening drive of the second half in 7 of 10 games.  The Bison are averaging more than 18 minutes in time of possession and outscoring opponents 194-46 after halftime.
 
GETTING TO THE QUARTERBACK:  North Dakota State has registered at least two sacks in six straight games and 8 of 10 contests altogether.  NDSU had nine players combine for 17 sacks against Youngstown State, Western Illinois and Northern Iowa, the second most in any three-game stretch for NDSU as a Division I program (18 in final three games of 2008).  The Bison lead the MVFC with 25 sacks in seven conference games and rank seventh in the FCS with 3.30 sacks per game overall.  Caleb Butler and Derrek Tuszka lead NDSU with 4.5 sacks each, and Jabril Cox has 4.0 sacks and a team-best 8.5 tackles for loss.
 
DECADE LEADER:  North Dakota State's 101 wins this decade are more than any other program in college football.  NDSU is 92-8 since the beginning of 2011, the first of five national championship seasons.  North Dakota State holds the distinction of being the winningest Division II program of the 1980s, going 103-20-2 from 1980-89 with four national titles in that span.
            FCS Winningest Teams, 2010s (by wins)
            101 - North Dakota State (101-13)
            83 - Sam Houston State (83-26)
            77 - Eastern Washington (77-28)
            75 - Jacksonville State (75-23)
            69 - James Madison (69-28)
            68 - New Hampshire (68-33)

            FCS Winningest Teams, 2010s (by pct.)
            .886 - North Dakota State (101-13)
            .810 - Harvard (64-15)
            .765 - Jacksonville State (75-23)
            .761 - Sam Houston State (83-26)
            .733 - Eastern Washington (77-28)
 
STOPPING THE RUN:  The Bison, who have allowed just eight rushing TDs this year, continue to lead the Missouri Valley Football Conference in rushing defense with 88.4 yards per game (8th in FCS) and 2.75 yards per carry (9th in FCS).  Only three other Division I NDSU teams have allowed fewer than 100 rushing yards per game in a full season.
            NDSU Rushing Defense, since 2004
            67.2 yards per game allowed in 2006 (2.5/carry)
            88.4 yards per game allowed in 2017 (2.8/carry)
            91.3 yards per game allowed in 2013 (2.9/carry)
            93.9 yards per game allowed in 2012 (3.0/carry)
 
BISON DEFENSE STINGY:  NDSU leads the FCS in first downs allowed (127) and ranks second in total defense (239.8), third in scoring defense (12.8), third in passing yards allowed (151.4), eighth in rushing defense (88.4), and seventh in sacks (3.30/game).  The Bison lead the Missouri Valley Football Conference in all of those categories.
 
INTERCEPTION LEADERS:  Safety Tre Dempsey leads NDSU with five interceptions and his 15 career picks are second most among active FCS players behind Southern's Danny Johnson (16) and third most in NDSU history behind Marcus Williams (21) and Steve Krumrei (16).
 
URZENDOWSKI ON NDSU CAREER LISTS:  Wide receiver RJ Urzendowski continues to climb the NDSU career receiving charts.  Urzendowski ranks fifth with 2,287 yards and is approaching Tim Strehlow (2,332 yards from 1996-99) on the all-time list.  Urzendowski's 21 career TD catches are fifth behind TR McDonald (22 from 1990-93) and his 138 receptions are sixth behind Ryan Smith (147 from 2010-13).  He has caught at least one pass in 49 of 55 career games including the last 15 straight contests.
 
TIGHT END PRODUCTION:  NDSU tight ends have been a steady weapon in the NDSU passing game this season.  Seniors Connor Wentz and Jeff Illies, junior Nate Jenson and sophomore Ben Ellefson have combined for 36 catches totaling 531 yards and eight TDs.
 
TOP 10 ROAD GAMES:  South Dakota State was the 11th road game against an FCS Top 10 opponent in NDSU's Division I history.  The Bison are 6-5 in those games including 2-1 this season, the first time the Bison have faced more than two FCS Top 10 opponents on the road.
            FCS Top 10 Opponents on Road
            2017–Lost 33-21 at #8 South Dakota State
            2017–Won 27-24 at #8 Youngstown State
            2017–Won 40-13 at #6 Eastern Washington
            2015–Won 28-7 at #5 South Dakota State
            2013–Won 20-0 at #6 South Dakota State
            2010–Lost 38-31 at #1 Eastern Washington
            2010–Won 42-17 at #6 Montana State
            2009–Lost 24-14 at #8 Southern Illinois
            2008–Lost 23-13 at #4 Northern Iowa
            2005–Lost 37-6 at #9 Cal Poly
            2005–Won 35-7 at #9 Northwestern State
 
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:  North Dakota State has had seven players earn nine Missouri Valley Football Conference player of the week honors this season:
        —Tanner Volson, Offensive Line (2x)...Graded 100% assignment and 87% technique with zero sacks against Mississippi Valley State...NDSU averaged 17.5 yards per carry while in the game...Graded 97% assignement and 83% technique with team-high seven knockdowns and zero sacks in win over South Dakota.
        —Robbie Grimsley, Defensive...Two interceptions, two pass breakups and four tackles at Eastern Washington...Part of a defense that held EWU to 73 yards in the final three quarters.
        —Lance Dunn, Offensive...Scored four TDs on four plays against Robert Morris...Had runs of 61, 5 and 45 yards and a 10-yard catch for 121 all-purpose yards.
        —Jabril Cox, Newcomer (2x)...Team-high eight tackles including four on kickoff coverage, a fumble recovery and a tackle for loss as NDSU held Robert Morris to 57 total yards, four first downs and one trip past midfield...Career-high eight tackles with two sacks and another key tackle for loss in overtime of a win at Youngstown State.
        —Cam Pedersen, Special Teams...Kicked a 36-yard game-winning field goal in overtime at Youngstown State...Also had a 19-yarder to tie the game at halftime and went 3 of 3 on PATs.
        —Easton Stick, Offensive...Completed first 11 passes and finished 11 of 12 for 307 yards and a TD in the win over South Dakota...Also rushed seven times for 39 yards and a TD.
        —Jalen Allison, Defensive...Team-high and career-high 10 tackles with one sack in the win over South Dakota...Part of a defensive effort that registered four sacks, nine QB hurries, and held USD to 14 points, its lowest scoring output in two years.
 
COX ON JERRY RICE AWARD WATCH LIST:  North Dakota State linebacker Jabril Cox is one of 17 players on the watch list for the STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award, presented annually since 2011 to the top freshman in the Football Championship Subdivision.  Cox leads the Bison with 48 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and is second with 4.0 sacks.  He is a two-time Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer of the Week and was named the STATS FCS National Freshman of the Week after making eight tackles, two sacks and a key tackle for loss in overtime of the win at Youngstown State.  Cox is the first NDSU player nominated for the Jerry Rice Award, named after the NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver who played at Mississippi Valley State.
 
WILSON THIRD FRESHMAN TO PLAY:  Running back Seth Wilson from Holmen, Wis., made is debut in the Northern Iowa game and is the third true freshman to play for NDSU this season.  Defensive end Logan McCormick from Appleton, Wis., and cornerback Josh Hayes from Lakeland, Fla., have played since the season opener against Mississippi Valley State.  They were the first true freshmen to play for NDSU since 2015.  NDSU redshirted its entire freshman class in 2016, the only time that has happened in 14 years of Division I football.
 
PEDERSEN TIES PAT RECORD:  Junior placekicker Cam Pedersen tied the 49-year old school record of 10 PAT kicks made in the 72-7 win over Mississippi Valley State.  The mark was set in 1968 by Ken Blazei against Augustana (S.D.).  Pedersen ranks third all-time at NDSU for PAT kicks made (159) and fourth for PAT attempts (164).  He also ranks fourth in field goals made (35) and attempted (56).
 
MORE THAN 700 WINS:  North Dakota State has played 1,110 games with a 705-371-34 record in 120 seasons of football, good for a .650 winning percentage.  Only four Ivy League teams each with at least 20 more years of football have more wins at the FCS level: Yale (901), Harvard (869), Penn (849) and Princeton (821).  Northern Iowa has the second most wins among Missouri Valley Football Conference programs with 661.  NDSU's 92 victories since 2011 are more than any other team in Division I football ahead of Alabama (86), Clemson (79), Sam Houston State (77) and Ohio State (75).
 
RECORD DAY FOR BISON OFFENSE:  North Dakota State set highs for points, rushing yards and total offense in 14 years of Division I football in the 72-7 win over Mississippi Valley State.  The 683 yards of total offense were the most for the Bison in 29 years and the fourth highest in school single-game history.  NDSU's 498 rushing yards ranked seventh in school history.  NDSU scored touchdowns on its first five possessions with only one drive longer than three plays, and the Bison built a 44-0 lead early in the second quarter.
 
EARLY-SEASON SCORING:  North Dakota State's 168 points scored through the first three games was the most in NDSU's Division I history and second most in the modern era of the program.  The 2000 NCAA playoff team scored 169 over its first three contests.  NDSU's previous Division I high through three games was 140 points by the 2012 team.
 
BISON RETURN 16 STARTERS:  North Dakota State returned nine starters on defense and seven on offense from last year's NCAA semifinal team that finished 12-2 and won a sixth straight Missouri Valley Football Conference championship with a 7-1 league record.  Included is linebacker Nick DeLuca, a two-time nominee for the Butkus Award, who is playing his fifth season after being limited to three games last year with a shoulder injury.
 
FOUR OUT FOR SEASON:  North Dakota State has lost four players to season-ending knee injuries this year.  Two-time All-America defensive end Greg Menard went out during the opening week of fall camp, but is eligible to return to the Bison for a fifth season in 2018 after playing as a true freshman in 2014.  Redshirt freshman left tackle Dillon Radunz and sophomore running back Demaris Purifoy were both injured in the season-opener against Mississippi Valley State, and junior linebacker Dan Marlette was injured against Missouri State.
 
SEVEN ON PRESEASON TEAM:  Junior running back Lance Dunn, senior long snapper James Fisher, senior defensive end Greg Menard, senior defensive tackle Nate Tanguay, senior linebacker Nick DeLuca, senior safety Tre Dempsey, and junior safety Robbie Grimsley were voted to the Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason team by the league's coaches, sports information directors and media.  Wide receivers Darrius Shepherd and RJ Urzendowski and offensive lineman Austin Kuhnert earned honorable mention for NDSU.
 
BISON AT HOME:  North Dakota State is 61-6 at home since 2010.  The Bison have won 56 of the last 58 home games over non-conference opponents including a string of 45 straight before last year's NCAA semifinal loss to James Madison.  NDSU is 18-4 at home all-time against FCS Top 10 teams.  North Dakota State ranks fourth in FCS this year with an average home attendance of 18,607 and has drawn 18,000-plus to 53 straight home contests.
 
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 has three future FBS games against Oregon in 2020, Arizona in 2022 and Colorado in 2024.  NDSU's first three FBS wins were against Ball State (2006), Central Michigan (2007) and Minnesota (2007).
 
BIG LEAGUE BISON:  North Dakota State will host Butler at Target Field in Minneapolis in the season opener August 31, 2019.  It will be the first Division I football game at the Major League Baseball stadium, which hosted a Division III game this year between in-state rivals St. Thomas and Saint John's.  NDSU has more than 12,000 alumni in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and nearly 26,000 alumni across Minnesota.  The game is in addition to a six-game home schedule at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome in 2019, which is a 12-game regular season.