THIS WEEK: No. 4-ranked North Dakota State (6-2, 4-1 MVFC) is on the road for its next two Missouri Valley Football Conference games beginning this Saturday, Nov. 5, at Western Illinois (0-8, 0-5 MVFC). Game time is set for 1 p.m. at Hanson Field (16,368) in Macomb, Ill.
TELEVISION: This is the Missouri Valley Football Conference Game of the Week and is an ESPN+ exclusive available only to subscribers on ESPN.com and the ESPN app. Scott Warmann (play-by-play) and Danan Hughes (analyst) will describe the action.
RADIO: Statewide coverage begins at 12 p.m. on the Pioneer Seeds Bison Radio Network including Bison 1660 and 107.9 The Fox in Fargo with Rob Hipp (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 12th meeting between North Dakota State and Western Illinois. NDSU has won seven straight to take a 9-2 lead in the series dating back to 2007. The teams have not met since 2019 when the Bison won 57-21 in Fargo. NDSU is 6-0 at Hanson Field in Macomb.
BISON TOP ILLINOIS STATE: North Dakota State got back in the win column with a 24-7 victory over Illinois State last week. It was NDSU’s 38th straight win after an open week and its 16th straight win after a regular-season loss. Nine different receivers caught passes from quarterback Cam Miller, who completed 20 of a career-high 30 passing attempts for 174 yards with one passing touchdown and one rushing TD. Safety Dawson Weber made a team-high eight tackles, linebacker Logan Kopp had a career-high seven tackles including one tackle for loss in his first career start, and Destin Talbert had an interception. NDSU held Illinois State to one first down in four possessions after halftime and limited the Redbirds to 45 total yards in the second half.
PASSING GAME ON POINT: North Dakota State’s passing game has been efficient the past four games with quarterback Cam Miller completing 73 percent of his passes (71-for-97) including a streak of 14 consecutive completions that ranks third-longest in school history. Miller has not thrown an interception in his past 112 attempts since throwing his only pick of the year in the first quarter at South Dakota. He has attempted at least 20 passes in each of the last three games, which hasn’t been done since 2018 by Easton Stick.
MILLER RANKED: Quarterback Cam Miller‘s ranks fifth in the FCS this week with a conference-best 69.8 completion percentage and is ahead of his own school-record 67.8 percent last year. Miller is eighth nationally in passing efficiency (164.0) and 17th in yards per passing attempt (8.68). He ranks third among all active FCS passers with a career 155.2 efficiency rating.
SPREADING THE BALL AROUND: The Bison have had seven, eight, eight and nine different receivers catch passes in the last four contests. Tight end Joe Stoffel had a career-best four catches for 52 yards against Youngstown State, receiver Zach Mathis had a career-high five catches and 86 yards at Indiana State, receiver DJ Hart had a career-best four receptions and 59 yards against South Dakota State, and receiver Braylon Henderson made a career-high four catches for 67 yards against Illinois State.
CROSA CONNECTS: Placekicker Griffin Crosa has made eight straight field goals dating back to March 2021 and he’s made 56 consecutive PAT kicks dating back to 2019. Crosa ranks 10th in NDSU career history for FGs made (19) and PATs made (100). His 99.0 career PAT percentage (100-for-101) ranks second behind Jake Reinholz (87-for-87). Crosa’s 82.6 career FG percentage is third-best among active FCS kickers.
PRICE ON THE RETURN: Punt returner Jayden Price ranks 10th in FCS with 11.4 yards per punt return and is fourth in NDSU career history with 13.83 yards per punt return, which is third best among FCS active players. Price’s three career punt return TDs is tied for second in school history behind Richard Lewis, who had four punt return TDs from 2000 to 2001.
TUTSIE MOVING UP: Sixth-year safety Michael Tutsie is quickly rising the NDSU career list for unassisted tackles with 153, which ranks eighth in school history. Tutsie needs only seven more solo tackles to move into second place behind safety Colten Heagle, who made a school-record 191 solo stops from 2010 to 2014.
NDSU Career Unassisted Tackles
191 – Colten Heagle, 2010-14
159 – Joe Mays, 2004-07
159 – Robbie Grimsley, 2015-18
158 – Jabril Cox, 2017-19
156 – Nick DeLuca, 2013-17
155 – Carlton Littlejohn, 2011-14
154 – Christian Dudzik, 2011-14
153 – Michael Tutsie, 2018-22
WINNING UP FRONT: North Dakota State’s offensive line is not only getting the job done in the running game, but the “Rams” have also been solid in the passing game. NDSU ranks fifth in the FCS with 239.2 rushing yards per game and fifth with 0.75 sacks allowed per game. The Bison are No. 2 nationally with only 2.88 tackles for loss allowed per game.
LUEPKE FOR SIX: Fifteen different players have scored touchdowns in the first seven games for North Dakota State, but Hunter Luepke is doing it more often than almost everybody in the FCS. Luepke leads the league and ranks eighth nationally with 12 total TDs including a team-leading four touchdown receptions. Luepke has 20 total TDs in his past 15 games played.
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 three players combine to earn four 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.
— Will Mostaert, Special Teams (10/9)…Blocked a 30-yard FG attempt to preserve a four-point NDSU lead late in the third quarter at Indiana State…Also had a sack and QB hurry in the 31-26 win.
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 and left tackle Cody Mauch are on the 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 are on 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 180-28 record in the Fargodome, 31-6 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.
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 15 former players with NFL clubs including 12 on active rosters and three 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), Vikings TE Ben Ellefson (3rd), Ravens practice squad OL Zack Johnson (3rd), Chargers 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 Packers practice squad TE Josh Babicz (1st). Former Broncos practice squad WR Darrius Shepherd (4th) is a free agent.
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