2019 North Dakota State Bison football team

2019 North Dakota State Bison football
NCAA Division I champion MVFC champion
NCAA Division I Championship Game, W 28–20 vs. James Madison
Conference	Missouri Valley Football Conference
Ranking
STATS	No. 1
FCS Coaches	No. 1
Record	16–0 (8–0 MVFC)
Head coach	Matt Entz (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Tyler Roehl (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	David Braun (1st season)
Base defense	Multiple 4–3
Home stadium	Fargodome
Seasons ←  2018 2020  →

2019 Missouri Valley Football Conference standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 1 North Dakota State $^		8	–	0					16	–	0
No. 5 Northern Iowa ^		6	–	2					10	–	5
No. 7 Illinois State ^		5	–	3					10	–	5
No. 10 South Dakota State ^		5	–	3					8	–	5
Southern Illinois		5	–	3					7	–	5
South Dakota		4	–	4					5	–	7
Indiana State		3	–	5					5	–	7
Youngstown State		2	–	6					6	–	6
Missouri State		1	–	7					1	–	10
Western Illinois		1	–	7					1	–	11
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2019 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by first-year head coach Matt Entz. The team played in the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota, for the 27th season as members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). They entered the season as defending national champions, having won seven of the prior eight FCS titles. In 2019, the Bison finished the regular season 12–0, the second consecutive undefeated Bison season, and won their ninth consecutive MVFC title. They received an automatic qualifying bid to the FCS playoff tournament and were seeded as the No. 1 team. The Bison then went 4–0 in the FCS playoffs to finish 16–0 as FCS champions, becoming the first team at any level of college football to finish a season 16–0 since Yale in 1894. They also extended their FCS-record winning streak to 37 games. ^[1]

Preseason

MVFC poll

In the MVFC preseason poll released on July 29, 2019, the Bison were predicted to finish in first place. ^[2]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	North Dakota State	392 (32)
2	South Dakota State	348 (4)
3	Illinois State	289 (3)
4	Indiana State	279 (1)
5	Northern Iowa	266
6	South Dakota	176
7	Youngstown State	153
8	Western Illinois	128
9	Southern Illinois	89
10	Missouri State	80

Preseason All–MVFC team

The Bison had six players selected to the preseason all-MVFC team. ^[3]

Offense Zack Johnson – OL Dillon Radunz – OL

Defense Derrek Tuszka – DL Jabril Cox – LB James Hendricks – DB Garret Wegner – P

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	3:00 p.m.	vs. Butler *	No. 1	Target Field Minneapolis, MN	NBC ND/ESPN+	W 57–10	34,544
September 7	2:30 p.m.	North Dakota *	No. 1	Fargodome Fargo, ND (Nickel Trophy)	NBC ND/ESPN+	W 38–7	18,923
September 14	12:00 p.m.	at No. 18 Delaware *	No. 1	Delaware Stadium Newark, DE	NBC ND/FloSports	W 47–22	14,489
September 21	2:30 p.m.	No. 4 UC Davis *	No. 1	Fargodome Fargo, ND	NBC ND/ESPN+	W 27–16	18,425
October 5	12:00 p.m.	at No. 10 Illinois State	No. 1	Hancock Stadium Normal, IL	NBC ND/ESPN+	W 37–3	13,391
October 12	1:00 p.m.	No. 10 Northern Iowa	No. 1	Fargodome Fargo, ND	NBC ND/ESPN+	W 46–14	18,178
October 19	2:30 p.m.	Missouri State	No. 1	Fargodome Fargo, ND	NBC ND/ESPN+	W 22–0	18,252
October 26	2:00 p.m.	at No. 3 South Dakota State	No. 1	Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium Brookings, SD (Dakota Marker / College GameDay )	NBC ND/ESPN+/Midco	W 23–16	19,371
November 2	5:00 p.m.	at Youngstown State	No. 1	Stambaugh Stadium Youngstown, OH	NBC ND/ESPN+	W 56–17	11,102
November 9	2:30 p.m.	Western Illinois	No. 1	Fargodome Fargo, ND	NBC ND/ESPN+	W 57–21	17,411
November 16	2:30 p.m.	South Dakota	No. 1	Fargodome Fargo, ND	NBC ND/ESPN+/Midco	W 49–14	17,844
November 23	2:00 p.m.	at Southern Illinois	No. 1	Saluki Stadium Carbondale, IL	NBC ND/ESPN+	W 21–7	5,423
December 7	2:00 p.m.	No. 19 Nicholls *	No. 1	Fargodome Fargo, ND (FCS Playoffs Second Round)	ESPN3	W 37–13	15,690
December 14	11:00 a.m.	No. 13 Illinois State *	No. 1	Fargodome Fargo, ND (FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals)	ESPN	W 9–3	14,132
December 21	1:00 p.m.	No. 5 Montana State *	No. 1	Fargodome Fargo, ND (FCS Playoffs Semifinals)	ESPN2	W 42–14	18,077
January 11	11:00 a.m.	vs. No. 2 James Madison *	No. 1	Toyota Stadium Frisco, TX (FCS Championship Game)	ABC	W 28–20	17,866
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

^{[4] [5]}

Game summaries

Regular season

Butler

See also: 2019 Butler Bulldogs football team

Butler Bulldogs (0–0) vs. North Dakota State Bison (0–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	0	0	10	0	10
No. 1 Bison	15	21	14	7	57

at Target Field, Minneapolis, MN

• Date: August 31, 2019
• Game time: 3:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Mostly cloudy; 70 °F (21 °C); Wind: Calm
• Game attendance: 34,544
• Referee: Matt Gallagher
• TV: ESPN+

Statistics	Butler	North Dakota State
First downs	14	25
Plays–yards	60–198	59–605
Rushes–yards	30–88	45–388
Passing yards	110	217
Passing: comp–att–int	16–30–1	12–14–0
Time of possession	30:49	29:11

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Butler	Passing	Sam Brown	12/26, 85 yds, INT
	Rushing	Brad Sznajder	14 car, 58 yds
	Receiving	John Turley	3 rec, 39 yds
North Dakota State	Passing	Trey Lance	10/11, 185 yds, 4 TD
	Rushing	Trey Lance	5 car, 116 yds, 2 TD
	Receiving	Phoenix Sproles	2 rec, 71 yds, TD

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP BUTL NDSU 1st 10:20 8 90 4:30 NDSU Trey Lance (#5) 33-yard touchdown run, 2-point run good 0 8 1st 7:58 2 68 0:40 NDSU Phoenix Sproles (#11) 47-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 15 2nd 11:02 5 40 1:36 NDSU Josh Babicz (#81) 15-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 22 2nd 5:24 4 57 2:00 NDSU Noah Gindorff (#87) 26-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 29 2nd 0:45 6 31 3:13 NDSU Josh Babicz (#81) 3-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 36 3rd 9:47 13 63 5:13 BUTL 29-yard field goal by Drew Bevelhimer (#36) 3 36 3rd 9:33 BUTL Fumble recovery returned 29 yards for touchdown by Dan DelGrosso (#49), Drew Bevelhimer (#36) kick good 10 36 3rd 7:45 5 80 1:45 NDSU Ty Brooks (#28) 36-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 10 43 3rd 6:14 1 61 0:11 NDSU Trey Lance (#5) 61-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 10 50 4th 9:25 7 72 3:32 NDSU Saybein Clark (#30) 7-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 10 57 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 10 57

North Dakota

See also: 2019 North Dakota Fighting Hawks football team and Nickel Trophy

North Dakota Fighting Hawks (1–0) vs. North Dakota State Bison (1–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Fighting Hawks	0	7	0	0	7
No. 1 Bison	14	7	10	7	38

at Fargodome, Fargo, ND

• Date: September 7, 2019
• Game time: 2:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Indoors; 70 °F (21 °C)
• Game attendance: 18,923
• Referee: Jeremy Valentine
• TV: ESPN+

Statistics	North Dakota	North Dakota State
First downs	14	20
Plays–yards	55–230	65–428
Rushes–yards	26–68	50–266
Passing yards	162	162
Passing: comp–att–int	18–29–2	11–15–0
Time of possession	24:54	35:06

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
North Dakota	Passing	Andrew Zimmerman	16/27, 150 yds, 2 INT
	Rushing	James Johannesson	7 car, 21 yds, TD
	Receiving	Garett Maag	6 rec, 76 yds
North Dakota State	Passing	Trey Lance	11/15, 162 yds, 2 TD
	Rushing	Trey Lance	16 car, 95 yds, 2 TD
	Receiving	Zach Mathis	1 rec, 41 yds

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP UND NDSU 1st 11:14 9 68 3:40 NDSU Dimitri Williams (#4) 3-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 7 1st 0:34 10 80 5:35 NDSU Trey Lance (#5) 8-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 14 2nd 9:20 13 75 6:14 UND James Johannesson (#33) 3-yard touchdown run, Brady Leach (#27) kick good 7 14 2nd 4:44 8 73 4:30 NDSU Ben Ellefson (#82) 2-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 7 21 3rd 10:38 7 19 3:36 NDSU 27-yard field goal by Griffin Crosa (#36) 7 24 3rd 4:56 7 78 3:39 NDSU Noah Gindorff (#87) 34-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 7 31 4th 9:23 14 80 7:06 NDSU Trey Lance (#5) 14-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 7 38 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 7 38

Delaware

See also: 2019 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team

North Dakota State Bison (2–0) vs. Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens (2–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 1 Bison	10	17	6	14	47
No. 18 Fightin' Blue Hens	5	0	3	14	22

at Delaware Stadium, Newark, DE

• Date: September 14, 2019
• Game time: 12:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Overcast; 77 °F (25 °C); Wind: S 8 MPH
• Game attendance: 14,489
• Referee: Matt Overton
• TV: FloSports

Statistics	North Dakota State	Delaware
First downs	26	14
Plays–yards	65–490	57–261
Rushes–yards	41–295	36–125
Passing yards	195	136
Passing: comp–att–int	18–24–0	11–21–1
Time of possession	31:56	28:04

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
North Dakota State	Passing	Trey Lance	18/23, 195 yds, 3 TD
	Rushing	Kobe Johnson	11 car, 101 yds, TD
	Receiving	Phoenix Sproles	3 rec, 72 yds
Delaware	Passing	Nolan Henderson	9/12, 125 yds, 2 TD
	Rushing	Will Knight	8 car, 115 yds
	Receiving	Will Knight	3 rec, 46 yds

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP NDSU DELA 1st 13:14 DELA NDSU Punt blocked by Luke Frederick and recovered for a safety 0 2 1st 10:12 4 35 1:36 NDSU Kobe Johnson (#24) 1-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 7 2 1st 5:45 5 26 2:09 NDSU 46-yard field goal by Griffin Crosa (#36) 10 2 1st 2:17 8 14 3:19 DELA 36-yard field goal by Jake Roth (#36) 10 5 2nd 14:11 8 75 3:06 NDSU Adam Cofield (#18) 24-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 17 5 2nd 6:57 9 42 4:12 NDSU 23-yard field goal by Griffin Crosa (#36) 20 5 2nd 0:30 7 80 2:36 NDSU Ben Ellefson (#82) 5-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 27 5 3rd 8:47 9 50 4:53 NDSU Noah Gindorff (#87) 4-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick no good 33 5 3rd 3:29 11 84 4:35 DELA 23-yard field goal by Jake Roth (#36) 33 8 4th 12:01 8 81 2:50 DELA Gene Coleman II (#5) 7-yard touchdown reception from Nolan Henderson (#14), 2-point pass good 33 16 4th 9:40 5 75 2:21 NDSU Adam Cofield (#18) 10-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 40 16 4th 6:00 7 80 3:35 DELA Chichi Amachi (#2) 44-yard touchdown reception from Nolan Henderson (#14), 2-point rush failed 40 22 4th 1:46 9 75 4:14 NDSU Saybein Clark (#30) 20-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 47 22 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 47 22

UC Davis

See also: 2019 UC Davis Aggies football team

UC Davis Aggies (2–1) vs. North Dakota State Bison (3–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 4 Aggies	7	6	3	0	16
No. 1 Bison	7	10	3	7	27

at Fargodome, Fargo, ND

• Date: September 21, 2019
• Game time: 2:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Indoors; 70 °F (21 °C)
• Game attendance: 18,425
• Referee: Matt Packowski
• TV: ESPN+

Statistics	UC Davis	North Dakota State
First downs	19	16
Plays–yards	80–422	67–354
Rushes–yards	32–110	44–198
Passing yards	312	156
Passing: comp–att–int	29–48–3	13–23–0
Time of possession	29:33	30:27

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
UC Davis	Passing	Jake Maier	29/48, 312 yds, TD, 3 INT
	Rushing	Ulonzo Gilliam Jr.	19 car, 73 yds
	Receiving	Jared Harrell	12 rec, 102 yds
North Dakota State	Passing	Trey Lance	13/23, 156 yds
	Rushing	Ty Brooks	11 car, 104 yds
	Receiving	Christian Watson	4 rec, 56 yds

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP UCD NDSU 1st 11:58 6 33 2:27 NDSU Adam Cofield (#18) 2-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 7 1st 4:59 5 44 2:31 UCD Wes Preece (#87) 17-yard touchdown reception from Jake Maier (#15), Max O'Rourke (#43) kick good 7 7 2nd 10:28 8 49 3:39 UCD 48-yard field goal by Max O'Rourke (#43) 10 7 2nd 7:24 6 69 2:56 NDSU Trey Lance (#5) 1-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 10 14 2nd 0:54 10 66 2:23 UCD 44-yard field goal by Max O'Rourke (#43) 13 14 2nd 0:00 6 39 0:47 NDSU 42-yard field goal by Griffin Crosa (#36) 13 17 3rd 7:32 11 61 5:36 NDSU 26-yard field goal by Griffin Crosa (#36) 13 20 3rd 4:07 10 57 3:23 UCD 40-yard field goal by Max O'Rourke (#43) 16 20 4th 2:50 3 18 0:53 NDSU Trey Lance (#5) 10-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 16 27 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 16 27

Illinois State

See also: 2019 Illinois State Redbirds football team

North Dakota State Bison (4–0) vs. Illinois State Redbirds (3–1)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 1 Bison	16	7	7	7	37
No. 10 Redbirds	3	0	0	0	3

at Hancock Stadium, Normal, IL

• Date: October 5, 2019
• Game time: 12:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Indoors; 70 °F (21 °C)
• Game attendance: 13,391
• Referee: David Siegle
• TV: ESPN+

Statistics	North Dakota State	Illinois State
First downs	22	11
Plays–yards	70–482	51–200
Rushes–yards	55–293	31–79
Passing yards	189	121
Passing: comp–att–int	12–15–0	8–20–0
Time of possession	35:57	24:03

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
North Dakota State	Passing	Trey Lance	12/15, 189 yds, 3 TD
	Rushing	Ty Brooks	9 car, 106 yds, TD
	Receiving	Christian Watson	3 rec, 57 yds, TD
Illinois State	Passing	Brady Davis	8/20, 121 yds
	Rushing	James Robinson	20 car, 94 yds
	Receiving	Kacper Rutkiewicz	3 rec, 83 yds

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP NDSU ILL ST 1st 11:11 5 56 1:59 NDSU Noah Gindorff (#87) 35-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 7 0 1st 8:20 3 63 1:13 NDSU Ty Brooks (#28) 53-yard touchdown run, 2-point rush failed 13 0 1st 2:03 12 56 6:17 ILL ST 25-yard field goal by Sam Fenlason (#36) 13 3 1st 0:07 4 -3 1:44 NDSU 38-yard field goal by Griffin Crosa (#36) 16 3 2nd 2:17 9 80 4:56 NDSU Adam Cofield (#18) 4-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 23 3 3rd 2:43 11 80 5:51 NDSU Christian Watson (#1) 42-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 30 3 4th 7:32 15 92 7:47 NDSU Ben Ellefson (#82) 7-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 37 3 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 37 3

Northern Iowa

See also: 2019 Northern Iowa Panthers football team

Northern Iowa Panthers (3–2) vs. North Dakota State Bison (5–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 10 Panthers	0	14	0	0	14
No. 1 Bison	15	3	7	21	46

at Fargodome, Fargo, ND

• Date: October 12, 2019
• Game time: 1:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Indoors; 70 °F (21 °C)
• Game attendance: 18,178
• Referee: Art Brown
• TV: ESPN+

Statistics	Northern Iowa	North Dakota State
First downs	14	24
Plays–yards	63–339	69–492
Rushes–yards	33–106	51–347
Passing yards	233	145
Passing: comp–att–int	15–30–1	10–18–0
Time of possession	28:20	31:40

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Northern Iowa	Passing	Will McElvain	15/29, 233 yds, TD
	Rushing	Tyler Hoosman	12 car, 54 yds, TD
	Receiving	Isaiah Weston	5 rec, 129 yds, TD
North Dakota State	Passing	Trey Lance	10/18, 145 yds, 3 TD
	Rushing	Adam Cofield	15 car, 104 yds, 2 TD
	Receiving	Phoenix Sproles	3 rec, 59 yds, TD

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP UNI NDSU 1st 10:57 8 77 3:57 NDSU Phoenix Sproles (#11) 36-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), 2-point rush good 0 8 1st 2:12 6 44 2:58 NDSU Christian Watson (#1) 19-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 15 2nd 13:13 2 11 0:44 UNI Isaiah Weston 17-yard touchdown reception from Will McElvain, Matthew Cook kick good 7 15 2nd 6:29 14 64 6:38 NDSU 25-yard field goal by Griffin Crosa (#36) 7 18 2nd 2:40 8 65 3:49 UNI Tyler Hoosman 6-yard touchdown run, Matthew Cook kick good 14 18 3rd 13:02 2 35 0:42 NDSU Noah Gindorff (#87) 30-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 14 25 4th 12:53 11 68 4:51 NDSU Adam Cofield (#18) 1-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 14 32 4th 9:05 4 54 1:51 NDSU Adam Cofield (#18) 37-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 14 39 4th 2:05 5 65 2:52 NDSU Kobe Johnson (#24) 50-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 14 46 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 14 46

Missouri State

See also: 2019 Missouri State Bears football team

Missouri State Bears (1–4) vs. North Dakota State Bison (6–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	0	0	0	0
No. 1 Bison	8	7	0	7	22

at Fargodome, Fargo, ND

• Date: October 19, 2019
• Game time: 2:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Indoors; 70 °F (21 °C)
• Game attendance: 18,252
• Referee: Andy Speciale
• TV: ESPN+

Statistics	Missouri State	North Dakota State
First downs	12	22
Plays–yards	57–185	74–447
Rushes–yards	20–21	43–222
Passing yards	164	225
Passing: comp–att–int	20–37–0	21–31–0
Time of possession	25:08	34:52

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Missouri State	Passing	Peyton Huslig	20/37, 164 yds
	Rushing	Myron Mason	4 car, 15 yds
	Receiving	Damoriea Vick	6 rec, 72 yds
North Dakota State	Passing	Trey Lance	21/31, 225 yds
	Rushing	Adam Cofield	12 car, 93 yds, 2 TD
	Receiving	Phoenix Sproles	6 rec, 52 yds

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP MOST NDSU 1st 7:40 6 65 3:35 NDSU Trey Lance (#5) 21-yard touchdown run, 2-point rush good 0 8 2nd 9:44 9 87 4:22 NDSU Adam Cofield (#18) 1-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 15 4th 5:48 8 54 3:26 NDSU Adam Cofield (#18) 1-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 22 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 0 22

South Dakota State

See also: 2019 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team and Dakota Marker

North Dakota State Bison (7–0) vs. South Dakota State Jackrabbits (6–1)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 1 Bison	0	3	13	7	23
No. 3 Jackrabbits	6	0	3	7	16

at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium, Brookings, SD

• Date: October 26, 2019
• Game time: 2:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Sunny; 62 °F (17 °C); Wind: S 15-20 MPH
• Game attendance: 19,371
• Referee: David Siegle
• TV: ESPN+

Statistics	North Dakota State	South Dakota State
First downs	18	19
Plays–yards	59–394	60–330
Rushes–yards	44–332	43–220
Passing yards	62	110
Passing: comp–att–int	7–15–1	7–17–1
Time of possession	30:57	29:03

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
North Dakota State	Passing	Trey Lance	7/14, 62 yds, TD
	Rushing	Ty Brooks	9 car, 97 yds, TD
	Receiving	Phoenix Sproles	1 rec, 24 yds
South Dakota State	Passing	J'Bore Gibbs	3/5, 70 yds
	Rushing	Pierre Strong Jr.	19 car, 120 yds
	Receiving	Cade Johnson	4 rec, 76 yds

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP NDSU SDSU 1st 12:39 6 64 2:21 SDSU 29-yard field goal by Chase Vinatieri (#4) 0 3 1st 2:11 12 72 5:14 SDSU 25-yard field goal by Chase Vinatieri (#4) 0 6 2nd 5:53 15 85 8:15 NDSU 22-yard field goal by Griffin Crosa (#36) 3 6 3rd 8:15 6 80 2:38 NDSU Ty Brooks (#28) 59-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 10 6 3rd 5:57 5 14 2:07 NDSU Ben Ellefson (#82) 6-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), 2-point rush good 16 6 3rd 0:56 9 52 5:01 SDSU 40-yard field goal by Chase Vinatieri (#4) 16 9 4th 7:22 9 80 4:54 SDSU Keaton Heide (#13) 3-yard touchdown run, Chase Vinatieri (#4) kick good 16 16 4th 2:32 4 80 2:24 NDSU Adam Cofield (#18) 71-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 23 16 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 23 16

Youngstown State

See also: 2019 Youngstown State Penguins football team

North Dakota State Bison (8–0) vs. Youngstown State Penguins (5–3)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 1 Bison	21	21	7	7	56
Penguins	0	7	3	7	17

at Stambaugh Stadium, Youngstown, OH

• Date: November 2, 2019
• Game time: 5:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Cloudy; 44 °F (7 °C); Wind: WSW 12 MPH
• Game attendance: 11,102
• Referee: Art Brown
• TV: ESPN+

Statistics	North Dakota State	Youngstown State
First downs	12	16
Plays–yards	45–447	65–279
Rushes–yards	34–251	43–173
Passing yards	196	106
Passing: comp–att–int	9–11–0	11–22–0
Time of possession	24:11	35:49

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
North Dakota State	Passing	Trey Lance	7/9, 160 yds, 3 TD
	Rushing	Kobe Johnson	6 car, 103 yds, TD
	Receiving	Christian Watson Phoenix Sproles	1 rec, 69 yds, TD 3 rec, 69 yds
Youngstown State	Passing	Mark Waid	5/10, 52 yds
	Rushing	Mark Waid	8 car, 79 yds, TD
	Receiving	Miles Joiner	3 rec, 37 yds, TD

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP NDSU YSU 1st 10:42 4 25 2:05 NDSU Trey Lance (#5) 9-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 7 0 1st 5:22 4 88 1:27 NDSU Christian Watson (#1) 69-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 14 0 1st 1:09 5 62 2:24 NDSU Josh Babicz (#81) 6-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 21 0 2nd 9:17 3 41 1:16 NDSU Josh Babicz (#81) 6-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 28 0 2nd 2:35 5 43 2:35 NDSU Dimitri Williams (#4) 4-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 35 0 2nd 0:55 5 33 1:28 YSU Miles Joiner 23-yard touchdown reception from Joe Craycraft, Colten McFadden kick good 35 7 2nd 0:42 NDSU Kickoff returned 94 yards for touchdown by Kobe Johnson (#24), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 42 7 3rd 7:53 14 77 7:02 YSU 27-yard field goal by Colten McFadden 42 10 3rd 6:20 3 83 1:27 NDSU Kobe Johnson (#24) 75-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 49 10 4th 13:49 7 74 3:27 NDSU Dimitri Williams (#4) 30-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 56 10 4th 8:17 10 66 5:27 YSU Mark Waid 27-yard touchdown run, Colten McFadden kick good 56 17 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 56 17

Western Illinois

See also: 2019 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team

Western Illinois Leathernecks (1–8) vs. North Dakota State Bison (9–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Leathernecks	0	0	7	14	21
No. 1 Bison	13	14	13	17	57

at Fargodome, Fargo, ND

• Date: November 9, 2019
• Game time: 2:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Indoors; 70 °F (21 °C)
• Game attendance: 17,441
• Referee: Aaron Adams
• TV: ESPN+

Statistics	Western Illinois	North Dakota State
First downs	18	27
Plays–yards	63–308	78–690
Rushes–yards	36–169	49–352
Passing yards	139	338
Passing: comp–att–int	17–27–2	20–29–0
Time of possession	21:10	38:50

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Western Illinois	Passing	Kevin Johnson	9/12, 84 yds, 2 TD
	Rushing	Tony Tate	6 car, 51 yds
	Receiving	Dennis Houston	3 rec, 40 yds
North Dakota State	Passing	Trey Lance	17/22, 313 yds, 2 TD
	Rushing	Jalen Bussey	6 car, 123 yds, 2 TD
	Receiving	Christian Watson	4 rec, 121 yds, TD

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP WIU NDSU 1st 11:19 5 50 2:27 NDSU Adam Cofield (#18) 1-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 7 1st 7:48 3 46 1:35 NDSU Dimitri Williams (#4) 10-yard touchdown run, 2-point rush good 0 13 2nd 13:33 13 80 6:54 NDSU Trey Lance (#5) 23-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 20 2nd 1:41 3 86 0:35 NDSU Josh Babicz (#81) 88-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 27 3rd 11:58 7 75 3:02 NDSU Christian Watson (#1) 51-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick no good 0 33 3rd 9:21 8 72 2:31 WIU Clint Ratkovich (#25) 9-yard touchdown reception from Kevin Johnson, Nathan Erickson (#33) kick good 7 33 3rd 5:42 8 75 3:39 NDSU Dimitri Williams (#4) 1-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 7 40 4th 12:26 5 65 1:41 WIU George Wahee (#11) 17-yard touchdown reception from Kevin Johnson (#19), Nathan Erickson (#33) kick good 14 40 4th 12:15 1 65 0:17 NDSU Jalen Bussey (#21) 65-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 14 47 4th 11:21 4 1 0:48 NDSU 32-yard field goal by Will Cardinal (#15) 14 50 4th 9:04 7 60 2:06 WIU George Wahee (#11) 28-yard touchdown run, Nathan Erickson (#19) kick good 21 50 4th 8:47 1 45 0:09 NDSU Jalen Bussey (#21) 45-yard touchdown run, Will Cardinal (#15) kick good 21 57 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 21 57

South Dakota

See also: 2019 South Dakota Coyotes football team

South Dakota Coyotes (4–6) vs. North Dakota State Bison (10–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Coyotes	0	7	0	7	14
No. 1 Bison	14	14	14	7	49

at Fargodome, Fargo, ND

• Date: November 16, 2019
• Game time: 2:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Indoors; 70 °F (21 °C)
• Game attendance: 17,844
• Referee: David Siegle
• TV: ESPN+

Statistics	South Dakota	North Dakota State
First downs	16	33
Plays–yards	64–245	70–700
Rushes–yards	45–172	52–419
Passing yards	73	281
Passing: comp–att–int	11–19–0	15–18–0
Time of possession	27:40	32:20

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
South Dakota	Passing	Austin Simmons	11/19, 73 yds
	Rushing	Kai Henry	8 car, 58 yds, TD
	Receiving	Carter Bell	3 rec, 46 yds
North Dakota State	Passing	Trey Lance	12/15, 249 yds, 2 TD
	Rushing	Ty Brooks	11 car, 128 yds, 2 TD
	Receiving	Christian Watson	3 rec, 94 yds, TD

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP USD NDSU 1st 9:22 8 84 3:02 NDSU Ty Brooks (#28) 2-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 7 1st 4:33 6 58 2:11 NDSU Adam Cofield (#18) 7-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 14 2nd 14:53 5 90 2:02 NDSU Ben Ellefson (#82) 32-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#36), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 21 2nd 7:50 9 90 4:33 NDSU Christian Watson (#1) 43-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 28 2nd 5:01 7 65 2:49 USD Kai Henry (#2) 1-yard touchdown run, Mason Lorber (#31) kick good 7 28 3rd 12:13 5 68 2:39 NDSU Hunter Luepke (#44) 7-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 7 35 3rd 6:58 8 60 3:18 NDSU Ty Brooks (#28) 4-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 7 42 4th 14:56 10 66 4:59 NDSU Hunter Luepke (#44) 3-yard touchdown reception from Zeb Noland (#8), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 7 49 4th 7:03 19 74 7:46 USD Canaan Brooks (#25) 2-yard touchdown run, Mason Lorber (#31) kick good 14 49 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 14 49

Southern Illinois

See also: 2019 Southern Illinois Salukis football team

North Dakota State Bison (11–0) vs. Southern Illinois Salukis (7–4)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 1 Bison	7	0	7	7	21
Salukis	0	7	0	0	7

at Saluki Stadium, Carbondale, IL

• Date: November 23, 2019
• Game time: 2:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Overcast; 39 °F (4 °C); NW 11 MPH
• Game attendance: 5,423
• Referee: Matt Gallagher
• TV: ESPN+

Statistics	North Dakota State	Southern Illinois
First downs	22	14
Plays–yards	68–392	52–276
Rushes–yards	45–246	42–206
Passing yards	146	70
Passing: comp–att–int	13–23–0	6–10–1
Time of possession	31:14	28:46

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
North Dakota State	Passing	Trey Lance	13/23, 146 yds
	Rushing	Adam Cofield	15 car, 87 yds, TD
	Receiving	Jimmy Kepouros	6 rec, 80 yds
Southern Illinois	Passing	Kare Lyles	6/10, 70 yds, INT
	Rushing	Javon Williams Jr.	23 car, 117 yds, TD
	Receiving	Avante Cox	2 rec, 25 yds

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP NDSU SIU 1st 9:59 10 91 5:01 NDSU Kobe Johnson (#24) 44-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 7 0 2nd 9:35 10 60 5:40 SIU Javon Williams (#15) 28-yard touchdown run, Nico Gualdoni (#99) kick good 7 7 3rd 5:15 10 74 5:34 NDSU Adam Cofield (#18) 8-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 14 7 4th 11:36 13 86 6:50 NDSU Trey Lance 34-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 21 7 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 21 7

FCS Playoffs

The Bison entered the postseason tournament as the number one seed, with a first-round bye. ^[6]

Nicholls

See also: 2019 Nicholls Colonels football team

Nicholls Colonels (9–4) vs. North Dakota State Bison (12–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 19 Colonels	3	7	3	0	13
No. 1 (1) Bison	7	7	10	13	37

at Fargodome, Fargo, ND

• Date: December 7, 2019
• Game time: 2:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Indoors; 70 °F (21 °C)
• Game attendance: 15,690
• Referee: Bob Johnson
• TV announcers (ESPN3): Jim Barbar, John Gregory

Statistics	Nicholls	North Dakota State
First downs	18	21
Plays–yards	56–265	57–434
Rushes–yards	41–171	41–265
Passing yards	94	169
Passing: comp–att–int	11–15–2	10–16–0
Time of possession	26:31	33:29

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Nicholls	Passing	Chase Fourcade	11/15, 94 yds, TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Julien Gums	15 car, 77 yds
	Receiving	Dai'Jean Dixon	4 rec, 66 yds, TD
North Dakota State	Passing	Trey Lance	10/16, 169 yds, 2 TD
	Rushing	Trey Lance	11 car, 88 yds, TD
	Receiving	Jimmy Kepouros	2 rec, 62 yds, TD

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP NICH NDSU 1st 3:03 9 62 3:17 NICH 35-yard field goal by Gavin Lasseigne (#46) 3 0 1st 0:00 6 6 84 NDSU Phoenix Sproles (#11) 55-yard touchdown run, Will Cardinal (#15) kick good 3 7 2nd 12:53 12 82 2:03 NICH Dai'Jean Dixon (#5) 25-yard touchdown reception from Chase Fourcade (#9), Gavin Lasseigne (#46) kick good 10 7 2nd 4:13 6 80 3:36 NDSU Jimmy Kepouros (#19) 43-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Will Cardinal (#15) kick good 10 14 3rd 10:36 8 69 4:24 NICH 23-yard field goal by Gavin Lasseigne (#46) 13 14 3rd 6:26 4 2 1:26 NDSU 32-yard field goal by Will Cardinal (#15) 13 17 3rd 2:58 4 13 1:55 NDSU Noah Gindorff (#87) 3-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Will Cardinal (#15) kick good 13 24 4th 8:21 12 85 6:30 NDSU Trey Lance (#5) 6-yard touchdown run, Will Cardinal (#15) kick good 13 31 4th 3:12 5 44 2:58 NDSU Dimitri Williams (#4) 3-yard touchdown run, Will Cardinal (#15) kick no good 13 37 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 13 37

Illinois State

See also: 2019 Illinois State Redbirds football team

Illinois State Redbirds (10–4) vs. North Dakota State Bison (13–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 13 Redbirds	0	0	3	0	3
No. 1 (1) Bison	0	9	0	0	9

at Fargodome, Fargo, ND

• Date: December 14, 2019
• Game time: 11:00 a.m.
• Game weather: Indoors; 70 °F (21 °C)
• Game attendance: 14,132
• Referee: Matt Overton
• TV announcers (ESPN): Jay Alter, Ray Bentley

Statistics	Illinois State	North Dakota State
First downs	9	15
Plays–yards	48–194	64–263
Rushes–yards	40–160	43–128
Passing yards	34	135
Passing: comp–att–int	3–8–1	10–21–0
Time of possession	27:33	32:27

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Illinois State	Passing	Bryce Jefferson	3/8, 34 yds, INT
	Rushing	James Robinson	24 car, 94 yds
	Receiving	James Robinson	1 rec, 16 yds
North Dakota State	Passing	Trey Lance	10/21, 135 yds
	Rushing	Ty Brooks	8 car, 49 yds
	Receiving	Christian Watson	7 rec, 107 yds

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP ILL ST NDSU 2nd 14:23 9 40 3:51 NDSU 38-yard field goal by Griffin Crosa (#36) 0 3 2nd 10:00 5 50 2:18 NDSU 33-yard field goal by Griffin Crosa (#36) 0 6 2nd 0:27 17 69 7:23 NDSU 22-yard field goal by Griffin Crosa (#36) 0 9 3rd 2:02 12 70 6:27 ILL ST 27-yard field goal by Sam Fenlason (#36) 3 9 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 3 9

Montana State

See also: 2019 Montana State Bobcats football team

Montana State Bobcats (11–3) vs. North Dakota State Bison (14–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 5 (5) Bobcats	0	7	7	0	14
No. 1 (1) Bison	7	22	7	6	42

at Fargodome, Fargo, ND

• Date: December 21, 2019
• Game time: 1:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Indoors; 70 °F (21 °C)
• Game attendance: 18,077
• Referee: Steve Hazle
• TV: ESPN2

Statistics	Montana State	North Dakota State
First downs	13	21
Plays–yards	61–298	58–541
Rushes–yards	39–148	37–318
Passing yards	150	223
Passing: comp–att–int	13–22–1	15–21–0
Time of possession	30:34	29:26

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Montana State	Passing	Tucker Rovig	13/22, 150 yds, TD, INT
	Rushing	Isaiah Ifanse	11 car, 60 yds
	Receiving	Kevin Kassis	2 rec, 45 yds, TD
North Dakota State	Passing	Trey Lance	15/21, 223 yds, 3 TD
	Rushing	Christian Watson	3 car, 86 yds, TD
	Receiving	Christian Watson	2 rec, 88 yds, TD

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP MON ST NDSU 1st 7:35 12 73 6:39 NDSU Trey Lance (#5) 8-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 0 7 2nd 12:44 8 78 4:08 MON ST Travis Jonsen (#10) 1-yard touchdown run, Tristan Bailey (#23) kick good 7 7 2nd 12:34 1 75 0:10 NDSU Christian Watson (#1) 75-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 7 14 2nd 10:51 1 70 0:10 NDSU Christian Watson (#1) 70-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass good 7 22 2nd 0:24 15 75 8:20 NDSU Jimmy Kepouros (#19) 6-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 7 29 3rd 6:27 2 45 0:41 MON ST Kevin Kassis (#85) 41-yard touchdown reception from Tucker Rovig (#12), Tristan Bailey (#23) kick good 14 29 3rd 4:46 3 78 1:37 NDSU Dimitri Williams (#4) 73-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Griffin Crosa (#36) kick good 14 36 4th 13:23 2 50 0:45 NDSU Trey Lance (#5) 6-yard touchdown run, 2-point pass failed 14 42 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 14 42

James Madison

See also: 2019 James Madison Dukes football team

James Madison Dukes (14–1) vs. North Dakota State Bison (15–0)

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 2 (2) Dukes	7	3	3	7	20
No. 1 (1) Bison	7	14	0	7	28

at Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX

• Date: January 11, 2020
• Game time: 11:00 a.m.
• Game weather: Cloudy; 30 °F (−1 °C); Wind: WNW 16 MPH
• Game attendance: 17,866
• Referee: Kelly Holman
• TV announcers (ESPN2): Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek, Olivia Dekker

Statistics	James Madison	North Dakota State
First downs	24	20
Plays–yards	78–365	55–353
Rushes–yards	45–161	45–281
Passing yards	204	72
Passing: comp–att–int	22–33–1	6–10–0
Time of possession	31:43	28:17

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
James Madison	Passing	Ben DiNucci	22/33, 204 yds, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Percy Agyei-Obese	18 car, 73 yds
	Receiving	Riley Stapleton	10 rec, 100 yds, 2 TD
North Dakota State	Passing	Trey Lance	6/10, 72 yds
	Rushing	Trey Lance	30 car, 166 yds, TD
	Receiving	Noah Gindorff	1 rec, 22 yds

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP JMU NDSU 1st 7:27 17 86 7:33 JMU Riley Stapleton (#10) 5-yard touchdown reception from Ben DiNucci (#6), Ethan Ratke (#91) kick good 7 0 1st 3:30 8 70 3:54 NDSU Adam Cofield (#18) 1-yard touchdown run, Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good 7 7 2nd 14:50 4 69 2:13 NDSU Phoenix Sproles (#11) 38-yard touchdown run, Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good 7 14 2nd 9:37 11 56 5:13 JMU 26-yard field goal by Ethan Ratke (#91) 10 14 2nd 3:47 12 81 5:46 NDSU James Hendricks (#6) 20-yard touchdown run, Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good 10 21 3rd 8:45 10 50 4:02 JMU 27-yard field goal by Ethan Ratke (#91) 13 21 4th 14:50 6 65 2:50 NDSU Trey Lance (#5) 44-yard touchdown run, Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good 13 28 4th 6:55 11 46 4:29 JMU Riley Stapleton (#10) 5-yard touchdown reception from Ben DiNucci (#6), Ethan Ratke kick good 20 28 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 20 28

Ranking movements

AP Poll

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Final
AP	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	RV	RV	RV	—

FCS polls

Ranking movements
Legend: ( ) = First-place votes

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	Final
STATS FCS	1 (142)	1 (148)	1 (149)	1 (150)	1 (153)	1 (152)	1 (155)	1 (155)	1 (156)	1 (154)	1 (155)	1 (153)	1 (156)	1 (152)	1 (153)

Players drafted into the NFL

See also: 2020 NFL draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL team
7	254	Derrek Tuszka	OLB	Denver Broncos

References

1. "North Dakota State beats James Madison, wins eighth FCS title". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 11, 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
2. "North Dakota State Picked to Win Missouri Valley Football Crown". www.valleynewslive.com. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
3. "MVFC Announces Preseason All-Conference Team". valley-football.org. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
4. "2019 North Dakota State Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved July 31, 2019.
5. "North Dakota State University Athletics - 2019 Football Schedule". gobison.com. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
6. "FCS bracket revealed for 2019 Division I football championship". ncaa.com. November 24, 2019. Retrieved November 24, 2019.