THIS WEEK: No. 1-ranked North Dakota State (8-0, 4-0 MVFC) plays its second straight road game this week against Youngstown State (5-3, 1-3 MVFC). Game time is 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 2, at Stambaugh Stadium (20,630) in Youngstown, Ohio.
 
TELEVISION: This is the Missouri Valley Football Conference game of the week and will be exclusive to ESPN+ subscribers on ESPN.com and the ESPN app. Lane Grindle will call the play-by-play with analyst Danan Hughes and sideline reporter Kelly Burke. Pregame coverage on KVLY and the NBC North Dakota with Beth Hoole, Alex Egan, Kyle Emanuel and Ryan Gellner will begin at 4 p.m. CT.
 
RADIO: Coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. CT on the Peterson Farms Seed Bison Radio Network with fourth-year NDSU play-by-play voice Jeff Culhane joined by NDSU and Buffalo Bills hall of famer Phil Hansen and NDSU sideline reporter Jeremy Jorgenson. Extended coverage locally on 107.9 The Fox, Bison 1660 and 92.7 FM includes "Bison Tailgate" from 1:30-2:30 with Brad Jones and "Bison Game Day" from 2:30-4:30 with Keith Brake and Cole Jirik. Brake and Jirik return for "Bison Hotline" with Chris Hanson and Kyle Emanuel for two hours following the network broadcast.
 
ONLINE: NDSU All Access will have free audio streaming on GoBison.com/allaccess and the NDSU Athletics mobile app. Live stats are available on YSUSports.com. Follow along with in-game updates on Twitter @NDSUfootball.
 
THE SERIES: This is the 14th meeting between North Dakota State and Youngstown State. NDSU leads the series 9-4 dating back to 1972. That includes an 8-3 mark since joining the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The Bison have won seven straight including last year's 17-7 victory in Fargo. NDSU is 4-2 in Youngstown after a 27-24 overtime victory in 2017. Three of NDSU's last four games in Youngstown have been decided by five points or less.
 
LAST YEAR: Quarterback Easton Stick passed for 197 yards and a touchdown and rushed for the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter of last year's 17-7 NDSU win in Fargo. Darrius Shepherd made a career-high eight receptions for 99 yards. YSU quarterback Nathan Mays rushed 22 times for 58 yards and went 10 of 17 passing for 120 yards. The Bison had five quarterback hurries, four sacks and nine tackles for loss including two by defensive end Derrek Tuszka. Linebackers Jabril Cox and Dan Marlette led the Bison with eight tackles each. Cam Pedersen's 36-yard field goal with 5:13 to play made it a 17-7 game, and Robbie Grimsley intercepted Montgomery VanGorder in the end zone to keep it a two-score game with 30 seconds left.
 
BISON RETAIN DAKOTA MARKER: Adam Cofield's 71-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-inches with 2:32 left in the game lifted North Dakota State to a 23-16 victory to claim the Dakota Marker trophy for the 10th time in 16 years. South Dakota native Derrek Tuszka recorded back-to-back sacks on SDSU's final drive to help seal the victory. NDSU had a 332-220 advantage in rushing yards led by Ty Brooks with nine carries for 97 yards including a 59-yard TD and Cofield's seven carries for 86. Quarterback Trey Lance ran a career-high 18 times for 76 yards. Safety Michael Tutsie and linebacker Jabril Cox each had seven tackles to lead the Bison defense, which totaled four sacks and eight tackles for loss. Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Week Josh Hayes made his first career interception in the red zone to preserve a 16-16 tie late in the fourth quarter.
 
BACK-TO-BACK ON THE ROAD: North Dakota State is facing back-to-back road games in Missouri Valley Football Conference play for the 10th time in 12 years. The Bison have won both trips in six of nine previous occasions including four straight years after 2018 victories at Northern Iowa and Western Illinois. Illinois State in 2010 is the only team to deal NDSU a conference road loss (34-24) the week following a Bison road win (34-29 at Youngstown State). NDSU lost the front end of its two-game road stretches in 2008 and 2014 both at Northern Iowa.
 
BIG PLAY BISON: Nearly one out of five offensive plays for North Dakota State this season (19%) have been a chunk play of at least 10 yards rushing or 15 yards passing. NDSU has 101 chunk plays with 68 rushing and 33 passing. There have been 23 for touchdowns, including two of the three longest touchdown plays of the year last week at South Dakota State on Ty Brooks' 59-yard rush and Adam Cofield's 71-yard rush. Meanwhile, the Bison are allowing chunk plays at just a 12% rate.
 
LANCE TAKING CARE OF BALL: North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance has thrown 151 career passes without an interception, one shy of the school record 152 set by Easton Stick from the 2016 national quarterfinal win over South Dakota State through the seventh game of 2017 against Western Illinois. Lance passed Carson Wentz (143) and Brock Jensen (142 and 140) on the NDSU record list last week. The Bison have committed just five total turnovers on the season and are plus-7 in turnover margin, second best in the Missouri Valley Football Conference behind Youngstown State (+9).
 
BISON GET AP TOP 25 VOTE: North Dakota State earned one vote in the Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday, making an appearance in the poll for the 18th week. NDSU garnered votes in the AP Top 25 after each of its first three national championships, for 10 straight weeks after beating Iowa State in the 2014 opener, and four weeks in 2016 after beating 11th-ranked Iowa. NDSU's 74 votes after the Iowa win were the most for an FCS team in the AP Top 25.
 
LEAGUE LEADERS: Eight-time reigning champion North Dakota State is in a familiar position atop the Missouri Valley Football Conference standings. NDSU has played only eight conference games since the beginning of 2011 without holding at least a share of first place. The Bison fell out of first place for three weeks in 2012, three weeks in 2015 and two weeks in 2016.
 
BISON ON 29-GAME WINNING STREAK: North Dakota State's current 29-game winning streak is the second longest in FCS history behind the record 33-game Bison winning streak from 2012-14. Oklahoma owns the FBS record with 47 consecutive wins from 1953-57.

HOME STREAK AT 23 GAMES: North Dakota State's 23 straight home wins is the longest active home winning streak in FCS and second longest in Division I behind Alabama's 31 straight. It is the third longest in Missouri Valley Football Conference history, three shy of the conference record set by NDSU in 2015. The Bison record for consecutive home wins is 28 from 1964-69. NDSU had a 36-game home unbeaten streak 1964-71 including a 1970 season-opening tie with Eastern Michigan.
        NDSU Longest Home Winning Streaks
        28—Started 9/12/1964 vs. Minn. St. Moorhead, ended 9/12/1970 by Eastern Michigan (T, 14-14)
        26—Started 10/27/2012 vs. Southern Illinois, ended 10/17/2015 by South Dakota (L, 24-21)
        23—Started 9/13/1980 vs. Northern Arizona, ended 9/15/1984 by Minn. St. Mankato (L, 28-21)
        23—Started 9/2/2017 vs. Mississippi Valley State to present

        MVFC Longest Home Winning Streaks
        26—North Dakota State, 2012-15
        25—Northern Iowa, 1989-92
        23—Northern Iowa, 1983-87
        23—North Dakota State, 2017-present
 
AGAINST THE TOP 25: NDSU has five victories this year against FCS Top 25 opponents, and the Bison have defeated 17 ranked teams on their current 29-game winning streak. That includes 13 teams ranked in the top 10 nationally, and NDSU has outscored those 13 by an average of 35-13.
 
TOP-FIVE OPPONENTS: North Dakota State is 17-1 since the beginning of the 2011 national championship season against opponents ranked in the top five of the Football Championship Subdivision. That includes an 9-1 record in the Fargodome, where the only loss in the past eight seasons to a top-five opponent came in the 2016 national semifinals to James Madison, 27-17.
 
FOUR 100-YARD RUSHERS: Running back Adam Cofield had his first career 100-yard rushing game against Northern Iowa finishing with 15 carries for 104 yards and two scores. He is the fourth NDSU player to crack the 100-yard mark this season joining quarterback Trey Lance (116 vs. Butler), and running backs Kobe Johnson (101 at Delaware) and Ty Brooks (104 vs. UC Davis and 106 at Illinois State). Brooks has topped the 100-yard mark six times in his career. Cofield has scored in six straight games to take the team lead in rushing touchdowns (8) and total touchdowns (9).
 
ELLEFSON SETS TIGHT END TOUCHDOWN RECORD: North Dakota State's Ben Ellefson caught his 15th career touchdown pass at South Dakota State to break Jerimiah Wurzbacher's NDSU career record for touchdown receptions by a tight end. Ellefson is tied with wide receiver Travis White for ninth overall in NDSU career TD receptions.
 
COX CLIMBING TACKLES LIST: Linebacker Jabril Cox has already cracked the NDSU career top 10 for solo tackles midway through his junior season. Cox ranks ninth with 129 solo tackles, three shy of Craig Dahl's 132 in eighth place.
 
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: North Dakota State has had seven players combine for nine Player of the Week awards in the Missouri Valley Football Conference this season:
        — Trey Lance, Offensive (9/1) & Newcomer (9/1, 10/6)...301 yards and six touchdowns in the 57-10 win over Butler...Went 10 of 11 passing for 185 yards and four touchdowns with five carries for 116 yards and two scores...First NDSU freshman to start a season opener at quarterback...Accounted for 232 yards at Illinois State including 12 of 15 passing for 189 yards and three TDs.
        — Zack Johnson, Offensive Line (9/9)...12 knockdowns and zero pressures in 38-7 win over North Dakota...Graded 98% in his second career start at right guard after an All-America junior year at right tackle...Helped NDSU rush for 266 yards and 5.3 yards per carry, convert 9 of 14 third downs, and keep the ball for more than 35 minutes in the contest.
        — Griffin Crosa, Special Teams (9/15)...Made five PAT kicks and two field goals from 46 and 23 yards in the 47-22 victory at Delaware.
        — Garret Wegner, Special Teams (10/13)...Averaged 50.7 yards on three punts with two inside the 20 and a season-long of 60 yards in the win over Northern Iowa.
        — Karson Schoening, Offensive Line (10/14)...Graded 94 percent with zero missed assignments on 69 snaps in the win over Northern Iowa...Helped NDSU rush for 347 yards with zero sacks allowed against the Panthers, ranked sixth in sacks and allowing less than 100 rushing yards/game.
        — Cordell Volson, Offensive Line (10/21)...Team-high eight knockdowns and zero pressures allowed against Missouri State...Graded 95 percent and credited with 12 factor plays as the balanced Bison rushed for 222 and passed for 225 averaging 6.0 yards per play.
        — Josh Hayes, Defensive (10/27)...Late fourth-quarter interception in the red zone at South Dakota State to a preserve a 16-16 tie before NDSU's winning score...Finished with six solo tackles and one pass breakup.
 
ELLEFSON NAMED TO GOOD WORKS TEAM: North Dakota State tight end Ben Ellefson was named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which recognizes 22 players in college football for outstanding leadership and commitment to giving back in their local communities. Fans are invited to visit ESPN.com/Allstate to vote for the Good Works Team captain once per day through Nov. 22. The team will be recognized at this year's Allstate Sugar Bowl. Ellefson is the eighth NDSU player to be named to the Good Works Team.
 
ELLEFSON SEMIFINALIST FOR CAMPBELL TROPHY: North Dakota State tight end Ben Ellefson is one of 185 semifinalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy presented by Mazda. The award recognizes the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. He is the 11th Bison player to be recognized as a semifinalist and follows 2018 finalist Easton Stick.
 
BISON RETURN SEVEN FULL-TIME STARTERS: North Dakota State returns three offensive starters and four defensive starters from last year's 15-0 national championship team. Offensive linemen Dillon Radunz and Zack Johnson return with tight end Ben Ellefson on an offensive unit that will have a new quarterback and lost 65% of its rushing yards, 80% of its receptions and 84% of its receiving yards. NDSU still has depth at running back where Ty Brooks, Adam Cofield and Saybein Clark combined for 200 carries, 1,391 yards and 12 touchdowns last year. On defense, the Bison return their leading tackler in Buck Buchanan Award candidate Jabril Cox at linebacker, second-leading sack-getter in defensive end Derrek Tuszka, leading pass defender James Hendricks at safety, and cornerback Marquise Bridges.
 
COX ON BUCHANAN WATCH LIST: Junior linebacker Jabril Cox was on the 25-man preseason watch list for the STATS FCS Buck Buchanan Award presented annually to the top defensive player in the FCS. Cox finished fourth in the voting last year after being selected as the Defensive Player of the Year in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. He was the 2017 MVFC Newcomer of the Year and Freshman of the Year.
 
WEGNER ON WATCH LIST FOR FCS PUNTER OF THE YEAR: Junior punter Garret Wegner is on the preseason watch list for the inaugural FCS Punter of the Year award by the Augusta Sports Council, which has been home to the Ray Guy Award since 2000 honoring the nation's best punters as the FBS level. Wegner was STATS FCS and Associated Press All-America third team in 2018 and the All-MVFC first team punter.
 
FIVE PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: North Dakota State has five preseason All-Americans including junior linebacker Jabril Cox and senior offensive lineman Zack Johnson, who were each named to first teams by HERO Sports, Athlon Sports and STATS FCS. Junior offensive lineman Dillon Radunz was second team by HERO Sports, senior defensive end Derrek Tuszka was named to the STATS FCS second team and HERO Sports third team, and junior punter Garret Wegner was third team by STATS FCS.
 
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE: North Dakota State led the way with six players named to the Preseason All-Missouri Valley Football Conference team. Offensive linemen Zack Johnson and Dillon Radunz joined linebacker Jabril Cox, safety James Hendricks, defensive end Derrek Tuszka and punter Garret Wegner on the first team. NDSU had three honorable mentions in tight end Ben Ellefson, defensive tackle Cole Karcz and long snapper Ross Kennelly.
 
15-TIME NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: North Dakota State won its 15th football national championship in 2018. NDSU claimed three College Division national championships in 1965, 1968 and 1969, five Division II titles in 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988 and 1990, and was the first team in college football history to win five straight national titles with FCS crowns in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 before winning again in 2017.
 
BISON WIN RECORD SEVENTH FCS TITLE: North Dakota State has won seven of the last eight FCS championships to surpass Georgia Southern's record of six FCS titles. The Bison are 7-0 in seven FCS title game appearances.
        Most FCS Championship Game Appearances
        8 - Georgia Southern (6-2)
        7 - North Dakota State (7-0)
        7 - Youngstown State (4-3)
        7 - Montana (2-5)
 
FIFTH UNDEFEATED, UNTIED FCS CHAMPION: Last year's 15-0 North Dakota State team was the fifth to go undefeated and untied in winning the FCS championship joining Eastern Kentucky in 1982 (13-0), Georgia Southern in 1989 (15-0), Marshall in 1996 (15-0) and NDSU in 2013 (15-0).
 
UNBEATEN SEASONS: Eleven teams have gone unbeaten in Missouri Valley Football Conference games since 1985, and only North Dakota State (2013 and 2018) and Southern Illinois (2009) have done it through an eight-game conference schedule. There have been 15 undefeated NDSU teams since 1894 including the 2018 national champions (15-0).
 
EIGHT STRAIGHT CONFERENCE TITLES: NDSU won its eighth consecutive Missouri Valley Football Conference championship in 2018, topping the league record seven straight by Northern Iowa in the early 1990s. NDSU won outright MVFC titles in 2012, 2013, 2017 and 2018. North Dakota State has won 35 football conference championships including 26 in the North Central Conference (last in 1994) and one in the Great West Football Conference (2006).
        Most Consecutive Conference Titles in Division I Football
        14 - Oklahoma (Big 8, 1946-59)
        12 - Montana (Big Sky, 1998-09)
        10 - BYU (WAC, 1976-85)
        9 - Florida State (ACC, 1992-00)
        8 - Nebraska (Big 8, 1910-17)
        8 - North Dakota State (MVFC, 2011-18)
 
BISON PICKED TO WIN VALLEY FOOTBALL CROWN: North Dakota State topped the Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason poll with 392 points and 32 of the 40 first-place votes from the league's coaches, media and sports information directors. South Dakota State earned the second spot in the poll, finishing with 348 total points and four first-place votes. Illinois State (289 points), Indiana State (279) and Northern Iowa (266) were tightly bunched for third, fourth and fifth place, while Illinois State (3) and Indiana State (1) also received first-place mentions. South Dakota came in sixth followed by Youngstown State, Western Illinois, Southern Illinois and Missouri State (80).
 
BISON AT HOME: NDSU is 78-6 at home since 2010 including a 24-1 mark in the FCS playoffs. The Bison have the longest active home winning streak in the FCS at 23 games and NDSU has won 66 of the last 68 home games over non-conference opponents with its last home loss coming in the 2016 semifinals to James Madison. NDSU is 26-4 at home all-time against FCS Top 10 teams. North Dakota State ranked fifth in the FCS last year with an average home attendance of 18,106.
 
DECADE LEADER: North Dakota State's 129 wins this decade are more than any other program in college football. NDSU is 120-8 since the beginning of 2011, the first of five consecutive 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.
 
SUCCESS VS. THE FBS: NDSU 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).
 
ANNIVERSARY SEASONS: Three milestones are being celebrated this year with the 150th anniversary of college football, the 125th anniversary of NDSU football, and the 35th anniversary of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. NDSU has commissioned artist Terrence Fogarty for a limited-edition commemorative painting on sale at GoBison.com/painting. It features iconic images from the program's humble beginnings in 1894 through NDSU's modern-day FCS dynasty.