THIS WEEK: No. 1-ranked North Dakota State (4-0) opens Missouri Valley Football Conference play this week against sixth-ranked Illinois State (3-1). Game time is noon Saturday, Oct. 5, at Hancock Stadium (13,391) in Normal, Ill. The Redbirds are sixth in the AFCA coaches poll and 10th in the STATS FCS media poll.
 
TELEVISION: KVLY and the NBC North Dakota network will carry the game with Brian Shawn joined by Lee Timmerman and sideline reporter Ryan Gellner. Pregame coverage hosted by Beth Hoole, Alex Egan and Kyle Emanuel begins at 11 a.m. Illinois State's broadcast will be available to ESPN+ subscribers on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
 
RADIO: Coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. 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 8:30-9:30 with Brad Jones and Nate Tanguay and "Bison Game Day" from 9:30-11:30 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 offers free audio streaming of all NDSU football games as well as live video of Bison home games to subscribers on GoBison.com/allaccess and the NDSU Athletics mobile app. Live stats for NDSU home games and select road games are available on BisonStats.com. Follow along with in-game updates on Twitter @NDSUfootball.
 
THE SERIES: This is the 12th meeting between North Dakota State and Illinois State dating back to 2007. NDSU has won seven straight and leads the series 9-2 after last year's 28-14 win in Fargo. The Bison are 3-1 in Normal including a 20-7 victory in November 2017 that clinched the MVFC championship.
 
LAST YEAR IN FARGO: Lance Dunn rushed for three touchdowns in NDSU's 28-14 victory over Illinois State last year, and Darrius Shepherd caught six passes for a career-high 126 yards while adding two punt returns for 103 yards. NDSU put up 279 yards of offense in the first half against a Redbird defense that entered the game allowing a league-low 275 yards per game. The Bison were 10 of 16 on third down. NDSU led 28-0 early in the third quarter after getting a three-and-out on defense and a 69-yard Shepherd punt return to set up Dunn's 2-yard TD run three plays later. Jalen Allison and Robbie Grimsley each had interceptions for the Bison. Illinois State quarterback Brady Davis was 12 of 24 passing for 206 yards and James Robinson rushed 20 times for 128 yards.
 
BISON STOP UC DAVIS: Safety Michael Tutsie and defensive tackle Cole Karcz each made interceptions in the fourth quarter to help North Dakota State hold off UC Davis 27-16 to close non-conference play two weeks ago. Tutsie's interception at the goal line preserved a 20-16 lead with 6:44 to play, and Karcz snared a deflection by defensive end Derrek Tuszka to put the Bison in the red zone with 3:43 to play. Trey Lance was 13 of 23 passing for 156 yards and rushed for 48 yards and two TDs. Ty Brooks led all rushers with 11 carries for 104 yards and wide receiver Christian Watson made four catches for 56 yards. James Kaczor made a game- and career-high 11 tackles.
 
FEWEST TOUCHDOWNS ALLOWED: North Dakota State and Georgetown are tied for the fewest touchdowns allowed in the FCS with five apiece through four games this season. NDSU held UC Davis and Walter Payton Award-nominated quarterback Jake Maier to just one TD and three field goals in the 27-16 win two weeks ago. NDSU has allowed only four offensive touchdowns—one rushing TD against North Dakota, two passing TDs at Delaware, and one passing against UC Davis. NDSU is seventh in the FCS allowing 13.8 points per game.
 
TOP-FIVE OPPONENTS: With a 27-16 win over then No. 4-ranked UC Davis, North Dakota State improved to 16-1 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.
 
TOP 10 ROAD GAMES:  North Dakota State is 6-5 in 11 previous road games against FCS Top 10 opponents since beginning Division I play in 2004.
        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
 
POLL POSITION: North Dakota State is ranked No. 1 in the STATS and AFCA polls for the 21st consecutive week dating back to the 2017 postseason poll. NDSU has been the top-ranked team in both polls 68 of 120 weeks this decade and No. 1 in at least one of polls for 72 weeks. The Bison went wire-to-wire in the top spot in 2013 and 2018. NDSU was ranked first in one or both polls for 31 straight weeks during its FCS-record 33-game winning streak from 2012 through 2014.
 
30 STRAIGHT AFTER OPEN WEEKS: NDSU has won 30 consecutive games after open weeks in the regular season and playoffs dating back to a 2005 home loss to UC Davis. That streak includes 18 home games, five road games and seven national championship games in Frisco, Texas.
 
VALLEY OPENER ON THE ROAD: This is the eighth time in 12 years since joining the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2008 that North Dakota State will open conference play on the road. NDSU is 8-3 and has won eight straight conference openers. The three losses all came on the road to Youngstown State (2008), Southern Illinois (2009) and Northern Iowa (2010). After opening the 2011 conference schedule with a home win over Illinois State, the Bison won four straight league openers on the road from 2012 to 2015 at Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Western Illinois and SDSU.
 
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: North Dakota State has had three players combine for four Player of the Week awards in the Missouri Valley Football Conference this season:
        — Trey Lance, Offensive (9/1) & Newcomer (9/1)...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.
        — 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.
 
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.
 
10th LARGEST CROWD FOR BISON FOOTBALL: The crowd of 34,544 for NDSU-Butler in the first Division I game at Target Field in Minneapolis was the 10th largest crowd in Bison history. Only eight other schools outside of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC and Pac-12 drew larger crowds on opening weekend: BYU, South Florida, Memphis, UCF, San Diego State, UAB, Cincinnati and UTEP.
 
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 led the Bison defense and ranked 10th in the MVFC with 91 total tackles in 2018 and finished with 9.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, four interceptions including two for touchdowns, three pass breakups and seven quarterback hurries. 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 All-MVFC first team in 2018 averaging 43.0 yards on 59 punts, which was 11th in the FCS. He had 14 punts of 50-plus yards, a league-best 27 punts inside the 20-yard line, and another 16 fair catches. NDSU opponents returned 20 punts for just 3.3 yards per return and the Bison ranked sixth nationally in net punting with a 39.15 average.
 
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.
 
BISON ON 25-GAME WINNING STREAK: North Dakota State's current 25-game winning streak is the second longest in Missouri Valley Football Conference history and third longest in FCS history behind the record 33-game Bison winning streak from 2012 to 2014.
        FCS Longest Winning Streaks
        33 - North Dakota State, 2012-14
        26 - James Madison, 2016-17
        25 - North Dakota State, 2017-present
 
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 76-6 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 21 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 25-4 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 125 wins this decade are more than any other program in college football. NDSU is 116-8 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.