2016 North Dakota State Bison football | |
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MVFC co-champion | |
NCAA Division I Semifinal, L 17–27 vs. James Madison | |
Conference | Missouri Valley Football Conference |
Ranking | |
STATS | No. 3 |
FCS Coaches | No. 3 |
Record | 12–2 (7–1 MVFC) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Tim Polasek (3rd season) |
Offensive scheme | West Coast |
Defensive coordinator | Matt Entz (3rd season) |
Base defense | 3–4 |
Home stadium | Fargodome |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 3 North Dakota State +^ | 7 | – | 1 | 12 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 6 South Dakota State +^ | 7 | – | 1 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 2 Youngstown State ^ | 6 | – | 2 | 12 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Illinois State ^ | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Iowa | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Western Illinois | 3 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
South Dakota | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indiana State | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Missouri State | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Southern Illinois | 2 | – | 6 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2016 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Chris Klieman. The team played their 24th season in the Fargodome, entering the season as the five-time defending national champions and five-time Missouri Valley Football Conference Champions. The Bison have been members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference since the 2008 season.
They were one of very few FCS teams who ever beat a highly ranked FBS team (in this case, No. 13 Iowa). After that win, for four weeks they received votes in the AP's poll of the best football teams in the country (including FBS teams). Their 74 votes in week 3 (barely missing out on a Top 25 ranking) were the most votes ever earned by an FCS program in the AP Poll. [1]
The Bison went 12–2 on the season and won their sixth straight conference title with their lone loss coming on a last-second touchdown versus rival SDSU. The Bison received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs where they defeated San Diego and South Dakota State in the second round and quarterfinals before losing to James Madison in the semifinals, ending their five-year championship run.
Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
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August 27 | 6:30 pm | No. 7 Charleston Southern [2] * | No. 1 | ESPN | W 24–17 OT | 18,881 | |
September 10 | 2:30 pm | No. 8 Eastern Washington * | No. 1 |
| NBC ND ESPN3 | W 50–44 OT | 18,906 |
September 17 | 11:00 am | at No. 13 (FBS) Iowa * | No. 1 | ESPN2 | W 23–21 | 70,585 | |
October 1 | 1:00 pm | No. 18 Illinois State ![]() | No. 1 |
| NBC ND ESPN3 | W 31–10 | 18,907 |
October 8 | 2:00 pm | at Missouri State | No. 1 | NBC ND ESPN3 | W 27–3 | 10,462 | |
October 15 | 2:30 pm | No. 11 South Dakota State | No. 1 |
| NBC ND ESPN3 | L 17–19 | 18,828 |
October 22 | 6:00 pm | at No. 12 Western Illinois | No. 4 | NBC ND ESPN3 | W 21–13 | 5,329 | |
October 29 | 6:00 pm | at Northern Iowa | No. 4 | NBC ND ESPN3 | W 24–20 | 12,032 | |
November 5 | 2:30 pm | No. 15 Youngstown State | No. 4 |
| NBC ND ESPN3 | W 24–3 | 18,332 |
November 12 | 2:30 pm | Indiana State | No. 4 |
| NBC ND ESPN3 | W 41–17 | 18,276 |
November 19 | 2:00 pm | at South Dakota | No. 4 | NBC ND ESPN3 Midco SN | W 28–21 | 10,011 | |
December 3 | 2:30 pm | No. 24 San Diego * | No. 4 |
| ESPN3 | W 45–7 | 18,305 |
December 10 | 11:00 am | No. 7 South Dakota State* | No. 4 |
| ESPN | W 36–10** | 18,285 |
December 16 | 7:00 pm | No. 5 James Madison * | No. 4 |
| ESPN2 | L 17–27 | 18,282 |
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2016 North Dakota State Bison Football | ||||||||||
Quarterback
Tailback
Fullback
Wide receiver
Tight end
| Offensive lineman
Defensive tackle
Defensive end
| Linebacker
Defensive backs
Placekicker
Punter
Long snappers | ||||||||
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US college sports recruiting information for 2016 recruits | ||||||
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Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
Henry Van Dellen QB | Plymouth, Minnesota | Providence Academy | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Adam Cofield TB | Lee's Summit, Missouri | Blue Springs South High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
Zak Kuntz FB | Grand Forks, North Dakota | Red River High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 251 lb (114 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
Sean Engel WR | Chaska, Minnesota | Chaska High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Trevor Heit WR | Pepin, Wisconsin | Pepin High School | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
Cole Jacob WR | Medina, Minnesota | Medina High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 177 lb (80 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
Matt Biegler TE | Underwood, Minnesota | Underwood High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 256 lb (116 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
Braydon Lund TE | Minot, North Dakota | Minot High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 246 lb (112 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Quinn Alo OL | LaMoure, North Dakota | LaMoure High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 336 lb (152 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
Ben Hecht OL | Shawnee, Kansas | Mill Valley High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 255 lb (116 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Josh Howieson OL | Baxter, Minnesota | Brainerd High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 275 lb (125 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
Zach Kubas OL | Dickinson, North Dakota | Trinity High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 260 lb (120 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
Dillon Radunz OL | Becker, Minnesota | Becker High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 260 lb (120 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Karson Schoening OL | Rolla, North Dakota | Mt. Pleasant High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 320 lb (150 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Cordell Volson OL | Balfour, North Dakota | Drake High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 250 lb (110 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Cameron Hackl DT | Green Bay, Wisconsin | Bay Port High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 260 lb (120 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Jabril Cox LB | Raytown, Missouri | Raytown South High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
Ross Kennelly LB | Superior, Wisconsin | Superior High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Moses Nyangacha LB | Robbinsdale, Minnesota | Robbinsdale Cooper High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Beau Pauly LB | Becker, Minnesota | Becker High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 207 lb (94 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
Felix Dixon DB | Clearwater, Florida | Countryside High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 165 lb (75 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: ![]() | ||||||
Ross Godfrey DB | Sioux City, Iowa | Sioux City East High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 150 lb (68 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
Victor Kizewski DB | Stevens Point, Wisconsin | Stevens Point High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
Garret Wegner P | Lodi, Wisconsin | Lodi High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 177 lb (80 kg) | February 03, 2016 (Signed) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
Darren Kelley DB | Baltimore, Maryland | North Dakota State College of Science | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | February 03, 2015 (Transfer) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: ![]() | ||||||
Jackson Koonce P | Oceanside, California | Southern Methodist University | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 178 lb (81 kg) | February 03, 2015 (Transfer) | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A | ||||||
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: #- 247Sports: #- ESPN: #- | ||||||
Sources:
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Name | Position | Year at North Dakota State | Alma mater (Year) |
---|---|---|---|
Chris Klieman | Head coach | 6th | Northern Iowa (1990) |
Matt Entz | Defensive coordinator Linebackers | 3rd | Wayne State (NE) (1995) |
Tim Polasek | Offensive coordinator Running backs | 10th | Concordia (WI) (2002) |
Atif Austin | Special teams coordinator Wide receiver coach | 3rd | Iowa State (2003) |
Jamar Cain | Defensive ends coach | 3rd | New Mexico State (2002) |
Nick Goeser | Defensive tackles coach | 7th | Wisconsin–Eau Claire (2003) |
Randy Hedberg | Quarterbacks coach | 3rd | Minot State (1977) |
Joe Klanderman | Defensive backs coach | 3rd | Minnesota State Mankato (2001) |
Conor Riley | Offensive line coach | 4th | Nebraska–Omaha (2002) |
Tyler Roehl | Tight ends Fullbacks | 3rd | North Dakota State (2009) |
Bryan Shepherd | Defensive assistant | 1st | North Dakota State (2013) |
Jake Otten | Video coordinator | 3rd | Cal Poly (2013) |
Polls are based on the FCS STATS Poll
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#7 Buccaneers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
#1 Bison | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
#8 Eagles | 0 | 14 | 10 | 20 | 0 | 44 |
#1 Bison | 7 | 14 | 7 | 16 | 6 | 50 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 Bison | 7 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 23 |
#13 (FBS) Hawkeyes | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#18 Redbirds | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
#1 Bison | 7 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 31 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#1 Bison | 0 | 13 | 0 | 14 | 27 |
Bears | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#11 Jackrabbits | 0 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 19 |
#1 Bison | 0 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#4 Bison | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
#12 Leathernecks | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#4 Bison | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
Panthers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 20 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#15 Penguins | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
#4 Bison | 17 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sycamores | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
#4 Bison | 21 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 41 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#4 Bison | 7 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
Coyotes | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#24 Toreros | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
#4 Bison | 7 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 45 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#7 Jackrabbits | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
#4 Bison | 7 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 36 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
#5 Dukes | 7 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 27 |
#4 Bison | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 17 |
Week | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
STATS FCS | 1 (152) | 1 (137) | 1 (151) | 1 (167) | 1 (164) | 1 (164) | 1 (160) | 4 (11) | 4 (6) | 4 (4) | 4 (4) | 4 (7) | 4 (10) | 3 |
Coaches | 1 (25) | 1 (23) | 1 (24) | 1 (26) | 1 (26) | 1 (26) | 1 (26) | 4 (1) | 4 | 4 (1) | 4 (1) | 4 (1) | 3 (1) | 3 |
AP Top 25 (FBS) | — | — | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
FCS Playoffs | Not released | 4 | 3 | 1 | Not released |
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