THIS WEEK: North Dakota State goes back on the road this week when the 10th-ranked Bison (6-2, 3-2 MVFC) face top-ranked South Dakota State (8-0, 5-0 MVFC) in the annual Dakota Marker game at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium (19,300) in Brookings, S.D. The Jackrabbits have won 22 straight games including 16 in a row at home.
 
TELEVISION: The statewide ABC network of WDAY (Fargo), WDAZ (Grand Forks), KBMY (Bismarck/Dickinson) and KMCY (Minot/Williston) will have live coverage beginning at 1:50 p.m. with Dom Izzo (play-by-play), Kyle Emanuel (analyst) and Logan Campbell (sideline). South Dakota State's telecast on Midco Sports will be available to ESPN+ subscribers on ESPN.com and the ESPN app.
 
RADIO: Statewide network coverage begins at 1 p.m. on the Pioneer Seeds Bison Sports Network including Bison 1660 and 107.9 The Fox in Fargo with Sam Neidermann (play-by-play), Phil Hansen (analyst) and James Hendricks (sideline). The network broadcast includes 1-hour pregame and 30-minute postgame shows. Streaming is available on GoBison.com/allaccess and the NDSU Athletics mobile app.
 
THE SERIES: This is the 115th meeting between North Dakota State and South Dakota State dating back to 1903. NDSU leads the series 63-46-5, but SDSU has won four straight including a 45-21 victory in last year's FCS national championship game and a 23-21 victory in Fargo last October. The Bison have a 10-9 edge in the Dakota Marker game, which has been played each regular season since 2004. The trophy is a 75-pound model replica of the original quartzite monuments placed along the state border in the 1890s.
 
LAST WEEK: North Dakota State scored touchdowns on its first three possessions and cruised to a 38-6 home win over Murray State last week. NDSU won the coin toss, received the opening kickoff, and quarterback Cam Miller ran 25 yards on the first snap to spark a five-play scoring drive capped by Miller's 15-yard touchdown run. Miller scored from the 9 on the next drive and completed touchdown passes of 8 yards to Braylon Henderson and 15 yards to Zach Mathis as the Bison opened a 28-0 lead. MVFC Defensive Player of the Week Logan Kopp made a team-high seven tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss, a half-sack, forced fumble and interception to lead a Bison defense that allowed a season-low 164 total yards.
 
THE COIN TOSS: North Dakota State has won 37 of 64 pregame coin tosses since 2019 under head coach Matt Entz. The Bison have deferred their choice to the second half 33 times and elected to receive the ball four times, including each of the past two weeks against Western Illinois and Murray State. The other two games were the 2019 season opener at Target Field against Butler and in 2021 at Illinois State. Entz's teams are 4-0 when electing to take the ball first, and 24-3 overall when receiving the opening kickoff. Meanwhile, NDSU is 4-0 when opponents win the toss and elect to receive, beating Western Illinois in the Fargodome in 2019, South Dakota in the Fargodome in 2019 and 2021, and Eastern Washington in the 2023 season opener at U.S. Bank Stadium.
 
TOUGH ROAD AHEAD: North Dakota State is on the road for two of its final three regular-season games, which all feature nationally ranked opponents. After playing at No. 1-ranked South Dakota State this week, NDSU is home for the annual Harvest Bowl game next week against Southern Illinois, which is ranked 10th in the Stats Perform FCS media poll and 11th in the AFCA coaches poll this week. NDSU closes out the regular season on the road against Northern Iowa, which is ranked 18th in the media poll and 23rd in the coaches poll.
 
NUMBER ONE: This will be NDSU's first regular-season matchup against a No. 1-ranked team in the FCS. The Bison are 3-2 against top-ranked teams with four of those matchups played in Frisco, Texas, for the FCS national championship. The last road game against a No. 1 team was the 2010 NCAA quarterfinal at Eastern Washington, the eventual national champion that year.
        NDSU vs. No. 1-Ranked FCS Opponents
        12/11/2010 - at Eastern Washington - L, 31-38 (OT)
        1/7/2012 - vs Sam Houston State - W, 17-6
        1/9/2016 - vs Jacksonville State - W, 37-10
        1/6/2018 - vs James Madison - W, 17-13
        1/8/2023 - vs South Dakota State - L, 21-45
 
PRICE TIES PUNT RETURN RECORD: All-America punt returner Jayden Price tied the NDSU career record with his fourth career punt return touchdown, a 66-yard run against Murray State. Richard Lewis set the school record with four punt return TDs in 2000 and 2001.
 
TRUE FRESHMEN: North Dakota State has played five true freshmen this season. Kicker Eli Ozick, cornerback Najee Nelson and running back Kelly Watson made their debuts against Western Illinois. Cornerbacks Jaylin Crumby and Jailen Duffie played their first game against Murray State. Players may participate in up to four regular-season games without using a year of eligibility. New this year, FCS postseason games are exempt and will not count toward the four-game rule.
 
NO PUNTS: NDSU's win over Western Illinois was the first time in 91 games since the 2017 season opener against Mississippi Valley State that the Bison did not attempt a punt. With freshman Eli Ozick handling the kickoff duties, it was a slow day for punter Kaedin Steindorf, who took 34 of 39 kickoffs prior to the Western Illinois game. Steindorf was the holder for Griffin Crosa's seven PAT kicks and 29-yard field goal.
 
GREEN, MATHIS GOING DEEP: Bison wide receiver Eli Green is third in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with 18.22 yards per reception and Zach Mathis is eighth in the league with 15.36 yards per reception. Green has three catches of 30-plus yards and 16 of his 18 catches this season have resulted in first downs for NDSU. Mathis leads the Bison with 12 plays of 20-plus yards.
 
THIRD DOWN PRODUCTION: South Dakota State leads the FCS in third-down conversion percentage (.603) and North Dakota State ranks second (.526) in the latest NCAA statistics. Bison quarterback Cam Miller has picked up 12 first downs rushing and receivers Eli Green (9) and Zach Mathis (8) lead the team in third-down passing conversions. Overall, Mathis and Miller lead the Bison with 22 total first downs and Green is third with 20.
 
TURNOVER MARGIN: North Dakota State's plus-9 turnover margin is tied for third in the FCS through eight games. The Bison have scored 48 points off 13 opponent turnovers this year, while opponents have scored 21 points off four NDSU turnovers.
        FCS Turnover Margin Leaders
        +12 - Furman (SoCon)
        +11 - Eastern Illinois (OVC)
        +9 - North Dakota State (MVFC)
        +9 - Montana (Big Sky)
        +9 - Alcorn State (SWAC)
        +8 - South Dakota State (MVFC)
        +8 - Harvard (Ivy)
 
NATIONAL LEADERS: NDSU safety Cole Wisniewski is one of five players in the FCS with four interceptions this season, and quarterback Cam Miller continues to lead the FCS in completion percentage at 76.1% through eight games. Miller also ranks third in passing efficiency (168.9) and eighth in yards per passing attempt (8.87).
 
MILLER SETS RECORD: Quarterback Cam Miller leads the FCS and ranks third in all divisions with a 76.1 completion percentage through eight games. Miller was 18-for-19 against Central Arkansas and his 94.7 completion rate was an NDSU single-game record for passers with more than 10 attempts. Miller completed his last 17 attempts against UCA and his first six against South Dakota to set a new NDSU record with 23 consecutive completions, breaking Brock Jensen's 2013 record of 21 straight against Kansas State (14) and Ferris State (7).
        NCAA Completion Percentage Leaders
        .783 - Bo Nix, Oregon (FBS)
        .781 - JJ McCarthy, Michigan (FBS)
        .761 - Cam Miller, North Dakota State
        .759 - Graham Mertz, Florida (FBS)
        .758 - Noah Fifita, Arizona (FBS)
        (min. 15 attempts/game and 75% GP)
 
SEASONED VETS: North Dakota State cornerback Jayden Price (64) and linebacker Julian Wlodarczyk (61) are among the NCAA's active career leaders in games played. The NDSU school record is 70 games played by offensive guard Nash Jensen from 2018 to 2022.
        NCAA Active Career Leaders, Games Played
        65 - Jaxon Janke, WR, South Dakota State
        64 - Jayden Price, CB, North Dakota State
        63 - Mason McCormick, OL, South Dakota State
        62 - Kelechi Nwachuku, S, Texas-San Antonio (FBS)
        61 - Julian Wlodarczyk, LB, North Dakota State
        61 - Jadon Janke, WR, South Dakota State
        61 - four others
 
CROSA CONNECTS: Bison kicker Griffin Crosa has made 127 consecutive PATs dating back to 2019, the third most in Missouri Valley Football Conference history behind the current streak of 145 by Northern Iowa's Matthew Cook and 129 by Taylor Rowan of Western Illinois from 2005 to 2008. Crosa is fourth all-time at NDSU in PATs made and attempted (171-for-172) and his career PAT percentage of 99.4 is second in school history behind Jake Reinholz, who was 87-for-87 from 2018 to 2021. Crosa is fifth all-time at NDSU with 32 field goals made and ranks first with an 84.2 career field goal percentage (32-for-38).
 
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: North Dakota State has had four players earn five Missouri Valley Football Conference Player of the Week honors in 2023:
        – Cole Wisniewski, Defense (9/4)...Game- and career-high 11 tackles with his first career interception and one pass breakup against Eastern Washington in his first game at strong safety.
        – Kaedin Steindorf, Special Teams (9/4)...Averaged 47.2 yards per punt with three inside the 20 (two inside the 10) and held for five PAT conversions against Eastern Washington.
        – Griffin Crosa, Special Teams (9/11)...Converted field goals from 27, 40 and 31 yards to stake the Bison to a 9-0 lead and added five extra-point kicks in the 44-7 win over Maine.
        – Logan Kopp, Defense (10/9, 10/30)...Nine tackles, two pass breakups, fumble forced and recovered in the 38-10 win at Missouri State...Seven tackles, 1.5 TFLs, a half-sack, forced fumble and interception in the 38-6 win over Murray State.
 
POLL MOVEMENT: The Missouri Valley Football Conference has seven teams ranked in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 this week. The Bison moved up one spot to 11th in the media poll and 10th in the AFCA coaches poll, which includes six MVFC teams. South Dakota State (1/1), South Dakota (9/12), Southern Illinois (10/11), North Dakota State (11/10) and North Dakota (13/15) and Northern Iowa (18/23) are ranked in both polls. Youngstown State is 22nd in the media poll.
 
SUNDELL ON SENIOR BOWL LIST: North Dakota State left tackle Jalen Sundell was named to the preseason watch list for the Reese's Senior Bowl, widely regarded as the top college football all-star game. Sundell the past three seasons has been NDSU's starting center, a position he hadn't played prior to the 2020-21 season. The Bison have had 12 players selected to the Senior Bowl, including left tackle Cody Mauch last year.
 
WATCH LISTS: NDSU has three players on watch lists for national player of the year awards. Running back TaMerik Williams is on the preseason list for the Walter Payton Award, presented to the FCS offensive player of the year. Defensive tackle Eli Mostaert is on the preseason list for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the FCS defensive player of the year. Punter Kaedin Steindorf is on the list for FCS Punter of the Year.
 
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: NDSU defensive tackle Eli Mostaert, long snapper Hunter Brozio, offensive lineman Jalen Sundell and running back TaMerik Williams were named to the Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team. Mostaert was also named to the HERO Sports All-FCS preseason team, and Mostaert and Sundell made Phil Steele's FCS Preseason All-America Team.
 
BISON PICKED NO. 2: North Dakota State was picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Football Conference behind defending national champion South Dakota State. NDSU took 14 spots on the MVFC preseason team, including four first-team picks in FB Hunter Brozio, OL Jalen Sundell, DL Eli Mostaert and RS Jayden Price. Second team picks were RB TaMerik Williams, TE Joe Stoffel, OL Jake Kubas and Brandon Westberg, DL Will Mostaert, LB Cole Wisniewski, CB Jayden Price and K Griffin Crosa. WR Zach Mathis and LB Nick Kubitz were honorable mention.
 
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS: North Dakota State is 79-4 against non-conference opponents since the beginning of its first FCS national championship season in 2011. One loss was to a Pac-12 opponent (31-28 at Arizona in 2021) and two were in the playoffs to the eventual national champion (27-17 to James Madison in 2016 and 24-20 at Sam Houston State in 2020-21). Montana's 38-35 home win in the 2015 FCS Kickoff is NDSU's only other non-conference loss the past 12 years.
 
BISON AT HOME: The Bison have a 186-29 record in the Fargodome, 33-6 at home against FCS Top 10 ranked teams, and winners of 81 of the last 83 home games over non-conference opponents. North Dakota State has a 34-1 record in the Fargodome during the NCAA playoffs since 2010 with the only loss coming to eventual national champion James Madison in the 2016 semifinals. NDSU's 32-game home winning streak September 2017 through April 2021 was fourth longest in FCS history.