THIS WEEK (NDSU Athletics) No. 1-ranked North Dakota State (4-1, 2-0 MVFC) goes back on the road to face Indiana State (1-3, 0-1 MVFC) in a Missouri Valley Football Conference game this Saturday, Oct. 8, at Memorial Stadium (12,764) in Terre Haute, Ind. This is NDSU’s first trip to Indiana State since 2017.
THE SERIES: This is the 12th all-time meeting between North Dakota State and Indiana State. The Bison have won six straight to take a 10-1 lead in the series dating back to 2008. NDSU won 44-2 in last year’s Trees Bowl game in Fargo. The Bison are 5-0 in Terre Haute but haven’t played there since a 52-0 victory Oct. 7, 2017.
LAST YEAR: Kobe Johnson rushed for a career-high 155 yards including a school-record 97-yard touchdown run in North Dakota State’s 44-2 win over Indiana State last year. Six different players found the end zone as the Bison rolled up 477 yards of total offense. Michael Tutsie made a team-high eight tackles and Marques Sigle got his first collegiate interception on defense for the Bison. ISU scored its only points when Hunter Lunsford blocked an NDSU punt out of the end zone.
IT’S BEEN A WHILE: NDSU’s 2020 trip to Indiana State was canceled due to COVID-19 and the teams did not meet that year after the Sycamores opted out of the spring 2021 season. So, five years and one day since NDSU last played in Terre Haute, this will be the first game at Memorial Stadium for the entire Bison roster. Fourth-year NFL quarterback Easton Stick was a junior on that 2017 team that won 52-0. Stick went 18 of 23 passing for 191 yards and four touchdowns, Lance Dunn rushed for 74 yards and two scores, and tight end Connor Wentz caught two TDs. Linebacker Aaron Mercadel made a team-high six tackles and defensive backs Tre Dempsey, Jalen Allison and James Hendricks each had interceptions.
HOMECOMING WIN: North Dakota State won its 11th straight homecoming game and 13th straight home game 27-14 over Youngstown State last week. Hunter Luepke accounted for 106 total yards and two touchdowns, Kobe Johnson added a touchdown run and Griffin Crosa connected on two field goals for the second straight game. Nick Kubitz had a team-high seven tackles, Michael Tutsie made his 11th career interception, and Spencer Waege had 2.5 tackles for loss including 1.5 sacks to lead the Bison defense.
STUFFING THE STAT SHEET: Tight end Joe Stoffel had a career-high four receptions and 52 yards in last week’s win over Youngstown State. It was his second straight game as the No. 1 tight end in place of injured starter Noah Gindorff. Including two catches for 28 yards at South Dakota two weeks ago and one grab in the season-opener against Drake, Stoffel has moved into a tie for the team lead with seven receptions and is third on the Bison with 85 yards through the air.
CROSA CONNECTS: Placekicker Griffin Crosa converted two field goals for the second straight week last week against Youngstown State. Crosa connected from 39 and 38 yards after making kicks from 26 and 25 at South Dakota. He has made six straight field goals dating back to March 2021 with two against North Dakota, and he’s made 46 consecutive PAT kicks dating back to 2019.
NO TURNOVERS: One week after an uncharacteristic three turnovers in the win at South Dakota, North Dakota State committed zero turnovers against Youngstown State, the third time in five games this year the Bison have not turned the ball over. Turnovers have been a key part of the series with Indiana State, which got its only win in the series 17-14 in 2012 thanks to two pick-sixes from Johnny Towalid at the Fargodome. NDSU’s largest win in the series, 52-0 in 2017, included 24 points off six Indiana State turnovers — three fumbles and three interceptions.
BOUNCING BACK: North Dakota State has not lost back-to-back football games since a five-game losing streak in the middle of the 2009 season. The Bison rebounded from a 27-19 loss at South Dakota State last year with a 49-17 road win over Youngstown State. NDSU has not lost back-to-back road trips since its 0-2 start in 2009 with losses at Iowa State (34-17) and Sam Houston State (48-45).
EXPERIENCE UP FRONT: With a combined 207 career games of experience among five starters, North Dakota State’s offensive line is a big part of a Bison offense that ranks No. 2 in the FCS this week allowing just 3.00 tackles for loss per game and is No. 6 in sacks allowed with 0.80 per game. NDSU is fifth nationally in rushing offense with 257.8 yards per game and seventh nationally in third-down conversions at 53 percent. The Bison are No. 7 in FCS averaging 5.9 yards per carry.
LUEPKE FOR SIX: Thirteen different players have scored touchdowns in the first four games for North Dakota State, but Hunter Luepke is doing it more often than almost everybody in the FCS. Luepke leads the MVFC and ranks fourth nationally with eight rushing TDs. He also leads the league and ranks third nationally with 10 total TDs including two touchdown receptions. Luepke has scored in eight consecutive games and has 18 total TDs in his past 12 games played.
PRICE AMONG LEADERS: NDSU’s Jayden Price is seventh in the FCS in punt returns this week with a conference-best 16.2 yards per return. Price is the FCS active career leader with a punt return average of 14.9, which ranks second in school history behind Travis White‘s 16.0 average from 2002 to 2006. Price moved into a tie for second place all-time at NDSU with his third career punt return touchdown in the win over Drake. He is tied with Ryan Smith (2010-13) and Keith Krebsbach (1972-73) behind Richard Lewis, who had four punt return TDs over the 2000 and 2001 seasons.
SCHOOL-RECORD RETURN: Safety Dawson Weber‘s 79-yard fumble return touchdown against North Carolina A&T tied the NDSU school record set by Claudie Miller on Oct. 31, 1925, at North Dakota. After going nearly four years without a defensive touchdown, North Dakota State’s defense scored in back-to-back games. Weber’s strip sack against Drake led to a 5-yard fumble return touchdown for defensive tackle Will Mostaert.
LATE WEEK OFF: This year is only the fourth time NDSU has gone straight from non-conference to Missouri Valley Football Conference play without an off week and the first time since 2010. NDSU has a bye in week 8 this season, the third latest off week for the Bison behind 2009 (week 10) and 2010 (week 9).
GOOD WORKS TEAM: Linebacker James Kaczor was named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which recognizes 11 FBS players and 11 players from FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA for outstanding contributions to their communities. Kaczor’s activities include Feed My Starving Children, Charism, River City Church and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He is the ninth NDSU player named to the Good Works Team since 2004 and the third in the past five years. Fans can vote for the 2022 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team captain once a day through Nov. 22 at ESPN.com/Allstate.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: North Dakota State has had two players combine to earn three weekly awards in the Missouri Valley Football Conference this season:
— Cody Mauch, Offensive Line (9/5, 9/26)…Played 33 snaps against Drake with no sacks, quarterback pressures or tackles for loss allowed…Graded with 12 physicality points and helped the Bison rush for 274 yards and 7.4 yards per carry…Graded 93% with 25 physicality points in a 356-yard rushing performance at South Dakota.
— Griffin Crosa, Special Teams (9/25)…Converted two field goals and four extra points in the win at South Dakota…Made a 26-yard FG and his 25-yard FG with 8:27 left in the game gave NDSU its first two-possession lead.
BISON PICKED TO WIN: North Dakota State received 39 of 41 first-place votes to claim the top spot in a preseason poll of the Missouri Valley Football Conference head coaches, media and sports information directors. South Dakota State had the remaining two votes in second place followed by Missouri State third, Southern Illinois fourth, Northern Iowa fifth, South Dakota sixth and North Dakota seventh. Illinois State, Youngstown State, Indiana State and Western Illinois rounded out the poll in order eighth through 11th.
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE: Twelve NDSU players were named to the Preseason All-MVFC Team including four on the first team: fullback Hunter Luepke, left tackle Cody Mauch, defensive tackle Eli Mostaert and safety Michael Tutsie. NDSU’s eight preseason second-team honorees were running back Kobe Johnson, tight end Noah Gindorff, left guard Nash Jensen, defensive end Spencer Waege, linebacker James Kaczor, cornerback Destin Talbert, safety Dawson Weber and return specialist Jayden Price.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS: North Dakota State had nine players named to preseason All-America teams. Fullback Hunter Luepke, tight end Noah Gindorff, left tackle Cody Mauch and safety Michael Tutsie, left guard Nash Jensen and defensive tackle Eli Mostaert were recognized by HERO Sports. Luepke, Mauch, Tutsie, defensive end Spencer Waege, linebacker James Kaczor and punt returner Jayden Price were recognized by Stats Perform.
SENIOR BOWL WATCH LIST: North Dakota State fullback Hunter Luepke, tight end Noah Gindorff and left tackle Cody Mauch were among the NFL prospects on the preseason watch list for the Reese’s Senior Bowl, widely regarded as the top college football all-star game. The Bison have had 11 players selected including wide receiver Christian Watson last year.
AWARD WATCH LISTS: Fullback Hunter Luepke was named to the preseason watch list for the Walter Payton Award presented to the FCS Offensive Player of the Year, and defensive end Spencer Waege, linebacker James Kaczor and safety Michael Tutsie were named to the watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award presented to the FCS Defensive Player of the Year. Additionally, NDSU’s Kaedin Steindorf was named to the FCS Punter of the Year watch list.
BISON AT HOME: The Bison have a 179-27 record in the Fargodome, 31-5 at home against FCS Top 10 ranked teams, and winners of 76 of the last 78 home games over non-conference opponents. North Dakota State has a 31-1 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 in the Fargodome from September 2017 through April 2021 was the fourth longest in NCAA FCS history.
ON THE ROAD: North Dakota State has a 48-7 record in true road games since 2011, and that record is 58-7 including 11 neutral site games over the same span. NDSU’s 2-2 road record in the spring season of 2020-21 was the first time since 2010 the Bison have lost multiple road games.
BISON RETURNING TO TWIN CITIES: North Dakota State will host Eastern Washington on the opening weekend of the 2023 season at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings. NDSU drew a crowd of 34,544 fans to the 2019 season opener against Butler at Target Field, home of the Minnesota Twins.
#PROBISON: North Dakota State has 16 former players with NFL clubs including 12 on active rosters and four on practice squads. The list includes Broncos OL Billy Turner (9th year), Commanders QB Carson Wentz (7th), Browns OL Joe Haeg (7th), Lions LB Chris Board (5th), Chargers QB Easton Stick (4th), Broncos practice squad WR Darrius Shepherd (4th), Vikings TE Ben Ellefson (3rd), Ravens practice squad OL Zach Johnson (3rd), Titans LB Derrek Tuszka (3rd), 49ers QB Trey Lance (2nd), Titans OL Dillon Radunz (2nd), Cowboys LB Jabril Cox (2nd), Packers WR Christian Watson (1st), Bengals OL Cordell Volson (1st), Rams practice squad LB Brayden Thomas (1st) and Panthers practice squad TE Josh Babicz (1st).
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