SPECIAL CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION
CONTENTS
02/2019
18
51
SEVENTH HEAVEN
Returning Players
Chatting with six returning players who will play big roles in the quest for eight.
Just when we assumed North Dakota State football could not achieve any more, 2018 happens. A 15-0 season accompanied by another FCS national championship, the school’s seventh in eight seasons.
70
76
Easton Stick
One last conversation with the Bison quarterback.
Coaches Collection
NDSU’s assistant coaches recall some of their favorite Frisco moments and give us a look into 2019 too.
85
Matt Entz
New head coach Matt Entz begins his tenure on the most momentous of notes.
61
The Senior Roundtable Seniors Tanner Volson, Luke Bacon, Dallas Freeman, Stanley Jones and Levi Jordheim reflect on their time at North Dakota State.
89
Matt Larsen
How does Matt Larsen quantify the great unquantifiable?
WHAT’S INSIDE 10 From The Editor 96 The Bison Bash 98 The Frisco Tailgate 100 Those Who Came Before Us...
93
Dean Bresciani
Is Bresciani the good luck charm for Bison football?
102
Into The Sunset
Chris Klieman leaves Fargo in perfect fashion.
115
Jaylaan Wimbush
Senior defensive back Jaylaan Wimbush logs the events, moments and emotions of his final trip to Frisco.
104 The Walk 106 Media Day 108 Game Photos 110 Team Makers 120 The Ross Report 122 Slaubaugh's Scoop 124 Swany Says
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6
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BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
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If You're Gonna Play In Texas... FROM NOLAN P. SCHMIDT
t
This year, I took my first trip to the state of Texas. Up until now, I was limited to my couch to take in North Dakota State's six other FCS titles. Because of that, I always asked myself a famous line uttered by a certain cartoon starfish to a certain Texan squirrel: What's so great about dumb ol' Texas?
atmosphere and everything that makes the state what it is. In part, it's the food, from the savory barbecue at Rudy's in Frisco to the chicken and waffles at Whiskey Cake in Plano, it touched all the right nerves and made me feel like I was home for some odd reason.
I had friends, family and coworkers returning from the Lone Star state raving about that place. What was so special about it? Why were people returning to Fargo in a state of Southern euphoria? Sure, it helps that the Bison win in Texas, but there has to be more to it. I mean, did people have this same kind of jubilation when returning from Florence, Alabama, in the Division II days? Part of me says no. No offense to the state of Alabama.
Then you have the history. I've never been more enamored with a museum than when I took in the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza in Dallas. I minored in history in college and wrote a term paper on the assassination of John F. Kennedy, so it's easy to understand why I was so interested. Anyway, there I was, standing in the exact spot where JFK was fatally shot or standing right above where Lee Harvey Oswald pulled the trigger (allegedly). That was an indescribable feeling.
Then I got down there for the first time to cover and experience my first national championship. That's when I understood what was so great about Texas. It was the
The weather helps too. Sitting outside on the patio in January to have a beer is alright by me. For as much as I love Fargo, I cannot do that here. Also, Bison Nation,
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BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
FROM THE EDITOR
the next time you're down in Texas, check out the Deep Ellum area of Dallas. An incredible area that reminds me a lot of Downtown Fargo. Lastly, and most importantly, it's the people. Texans are proud of their state and are as polite of folks as I've ever encountered. Almost as polite as the folks here in Fargo. When you ask people why they love Fargo, almost 95 percent of them will say "the people." I firmly believe you could ask a Texan why they love their state and they'll say "the people." Perhaps that is why we refer to the state as "Fargo South" because that's what it is. There's a reason why Fargoans and Bison fans from across the country flock to Frisco, Texas. It's not just for the Bison, it's for the experience. You are not just staying and watching a football game in Texas, you
are EXPERIENCING Texas. For fans of North Dakota State football, a seventh national championship in seven trips to Frisco is just the cherry on top. So, what's so great about dumb ol' Texas, you say? Well, to put it simply, the same things that make Fargo so great: the people, the experiences and the Bison. It was my pleasure and privilege to be down there, covering this game and experience for this magazine. As I said in the beginning, this was my first trip to Frisco and it was one I will never forget. I can only hope I'm gushing about other Texas things at this time next year...
FEBRUARY 2019 | VOLUME 13 ISSUE 6 Bison Illustrated is a free publication distributed monthly (12 times a year). Our mission is to help promote North Dakota State University Athletics, provide a quality and fun reading experience and to improve the way of life in our community. The publication is mailed to homes across the US and has newsstand distribution throughout North Dakota and Minnesota.
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It’s impossible. No way will a team ever match what the 2013 North Dakota State football team did. A 15-0 record on their way to the national championship, their third in a row at the time? There is no way a team could be as good and dominant as that. Then, 2018 happened. Another 15-0 record and another FCS national championship, the school’s
seventh in eight seasons. We can compare and contrast those two teams as much as we’d like, but they are both wholly different, despite the similar end result. The 2018 Bison football team etched their name in not only North Dakota State’s history, but college football history as well. That right there is seventh heaven. BY NOLAN P. SCHMIDT
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BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
HILLARY EHLEN
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01
NDSU 49 CAL POLY 3
To open the 2018 campaign, the Bison faced former Great West foe Cal Poly. Bison fans will recall some of the epic match-ups these two had in the early Division I days. However, this day at the Fargodome would be different. North Dakota State jumped out to a 7-3 lead after one quarter. The game would be broken open thanks to 21 second quarter points from the Bison. Lance Dunn scored two of his three touchdowns in the frame and Bruce Anderson scored one as well. In the second half, the Bison scored 21 more points in convincing fashion. On the defensive end, Code Green limited a run heavy Mustang option offense. They only surrendered a first quarter field goal and were overpowering all day long. details
Date September 1, 2018 Location Fargo, N.D. Attendance 18,483 18
BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
BRUCE CRUMMY
STATS
Rushing Yards
Rushing Touchdowns
First Downs
Bison458 Mustangs82
Bison7 Mustangs0
Bison22 Mustangs10
RECORD 1-0
star of the game
#8 Senior Running Back
bruce anderson
20
11
CARRIES
30
185 YARDS
20
2
TOUCHDOWNS
30
16.8
YARDS PER ATTEMPT 19
star of the game
20
#83Senior Wide Receiver
dallas freeman 20
BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
4
RECEPTIONS
30
117
YARDS
20
30
29.3
YARDS PER CATCH
RECORD 2-0
02
NDSU 38 NORTH ALABAMA 7 North Alabama was a new team to Division I this season after sustained success at the Division II level. They came to the Fargodome with plenty of momentum, defeating defending Big Sky champion Southern Utah in their season opener. While the Lion defense was tough on the run, they could not hang with the Bison. NDSU built a 17-point halftime lead on the ground and through the air. While the score indicated a decent contest, the Bison led 38-0 and surrendered a late touchdown to the Lions. In the end, it was not the most polished performance, but a dominant one none the less.
HILLARY EHLEN
STATS
details
Passing Yards
Red Zone Scoring Percentage
Sacks
Bison174 Lions108
Bison100% (four of four) Lions0% (zero attempts in the red zone)
Bison4 Lions0
Date September 15, 2018 Location Fargo, N.D. Attendance 18,557 21
03 homecoming
NDSU 38 DELAWARE 10 In what was a highly anticipated match-up, the Bison struck early and continued to strike at will against the Blue Hens of Delaware. Easton Stick rushed for a touchdown early in the first quarter, putting the Bison on top. On Delaware's first offensive play, Jabril Cox jumped a pass and intercepted it, running it back for a touchdown. That made it 14-0 NDSU. The Bison would score two more times in the opening frame to make the score 28 to zero. North Dakota State coasted the rest of the way and picked up a solid victory that looked even better as the season wore on. Delaware ended up being an FCS playoff team.
BRUCE CRUMMY
details
Date September 22, 2018 Location Fargo, N.D. Attendance 18,883 22
BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
STATS
Total Yards
Turnovers
First Downs
Bison527 Blue Hens152
Bison1 Blue Hens4
Bison23 Blue Hens11
RECORD 3-0
star of the game
20
#42 Sophomore Linebacker
jabril cox
5
TOTAL TACKLES
1
TACKLE FOR LOSS
1
1
INTERCEPTION TOUCHDOWN 23
04 dakota marker
NDSU 21 SDSU 17
The most anticipated game of the season came early for Bison fans as the Jackrabbits kicked off conference play with NDSU. South Dakota State had won the Dakota Marker trophy last year in Brookings and the Bison looked to reclaim what was rightfully theirs. While it was an extremely competitive game, there were a few game changing plays. Jalen Allison made a crucial interception in the end zone to turn the tide. Easton Stick went on to win the game with his legs alone. The senior picked up several crucial first downs to put the Jackrabbits down. Stick rushed in the game-winning touchdown with 13 minutes remaining in the game. HILLARY EHLEN
details
Date September 29, 2018 Location Fargo, N.D. Attendance 18,846 24
BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
STATS
Total Yards
Turnovers
Third Down Percentage
Bison389 Jackrabbits357
Bison1 Jackrabbits1
Bison50% Jackrabbits25%
RECORD 4-0
star of the game
20
#21 Senior Cornerback
jalen allison
3
TOTAL TACKLES
1
INTERCEPTION
30
31
INTERCEPTION RETURN YARDS 25
star of the game
#12
easton stick 26
BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
20
Senior Quarterback
179
PASSING YARDS
30
35
RUSHING YARDS
6
TOTAL TOUCHDOWNS
RECORD 5-0
05
NDSU 56 NORTHERN IOWA 31 Bison Nation gasped as Northern Iowa punched NDSU in the mouth early, going up 14-0 in the first quarter. However, the Bison on the field did not panic and upped the ante in the second half. Trailing 24-21 at half, the Bison scored 35 second half points thanks to big plays from Bruce Anderson and Easton Stick. Of those 35 points, 28 of them were scored in the fourth quarter, proving that North Dakota State was prepared for a full 60 minutes of football.
TIM SANGER
STATS
details
Total Yards
Sacks
Rushing Yards
Bison523 Panthers466
Bison3 Panthers1
Bison344 Panthers104
Date October 6, 2018 Location Cedar Falls, Iowa Attendance 9,899 27
star of the game
#48 Senior Linebacker
dan marlette 28
BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
4
TOTAL TACKLES
1
FUMBLE RECOVERY
1
TOUCHDOWNS
RECORD 6-0
06
NDSU 34 WESTERN ILLINOIS 7 The Bison needed some game-altering plays to take a substantial lead over the Leathernecks. A forced fumble by Marquise Bridges and returned for a touchdown by Dan Marlette was the game changer. The Bison went into halftime up 17-7, but they shut out Western Illinois in the second half, scoring 17 more points in the third and fourth quarters.
TIM SANGER
STATS
details
Time Of Possession
Turnovers
Rushing Yards
Bison31:39 Leathernecks28:21
Bison0 Leathernecks5
Bison153 Leathernecks9
Date October 13, 2018 Location Macomb, Ill. Attendance 2,709 29
07
NDSU 28 ILLINOIS STATE 14 A fast start paced the Bison to their seventh straight victory over a competitive Illinois State team. Two Lance Dunn touchdowns helped NDSU jump out to a 21-0 halftime lead. While the Redbirds were able to muster up 14 points in the second half, the Bison tacked on a score of their own. By game's end, it really didn't seem like as close of contest as the score may have indicated.
BRUCE CRUMMY
details
Date October 20, 2018 Location Fargo, N.D. Attendance 18,553 30
BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
STATS
Rushing Touchdowns
Third Down Percentage
Average Yards Per Pass Completion
Bison4 Redbirds1
Bison63% Redbirds33%
Bison15.9 Redbirds17.2
RECORD 7-0
star of the game
20
#10 Senior Running Back
lance dunn
19
CARRIES
30
61
RUSHING YARDS
3
TOUCHDOWNS 31
star of the game
20
#12 Senior Quarterback
easton stick 32
BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
176
PASSING YARDS
30
79
RUSHING YARDS
5
TOTAL TOUCHDOWNS
RECORD 8-0
08
NDSU 59 SOUTH DAKOTA 14 What many thought would be a competitive contest turned out to be the exact opposite in Vermillion. The Bison built a 28-0 lead over the course of the first half before South Dakota scored their first touchdown. At half's end, North Dakota State led 35-7. The Bison only continued to pour it on in the second half, scoring 24 more points and allowing one touchdown to the Coyotes.
TIM SANGER
STATS
details
Total Yards
Time Of Possession
Average Yards Per Rush
Bison31:39 Leathernecks28:21
Bison0 Leathernecks5
Bison153 Leathernecks9
Date October 27, 2018 Location Vermillion. S.D. Attendance 9,589 33
09 harvest bowl
NDSU 17 YOUNGTOWN STATE 7 In what was perhaps NDSU's worst performance of the season, they were able to outmuscle a reeling Youngstown State team. The two team's went scoreless in the first quarter before a Lance Dunn touchdown broke the seal in the second quarter. Heading into the fourth quarter, the game was tied. However, the Bison were able to make enough plays, scoring 10 points in the final frame to get the Harvest Bowl victory.
BRUCE CRUMMY
details
Date November 3, 2018 Location Fargo, N.D. Attendance 18,028 34
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STATS
Rushing Touchdowns
Third Down Percentage
Average Yards Per Pass Completion
Bison4 Redbirds1
Bison63% Redbirds33%
Bison15.9 Redbirds17.2
RECORD 9-0
star of the game
#20 Senior Wide Receiver
darrius shepherd
20
8
RECEPTIONS
30
99
YARDS 35
star of the game
20
#18 Sophomore Running Back
adam cofield 36
BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
12
CARRIES
30
85
YARDS
2
TOTAL TOUCHDOWNS
RECORD 10-0
10
NDSU 48 MISSOURI STATE 7
Arguably one of the most dominant performances of the season, the Bison commanded the Bears of Missouri State all afternoon. North Dakota State tacked on 34 points in the first half. Because of the first half performance, the Bison were able to ease off the gas in the second half. Easton Stick threw five touchdowns in the victory.
TIM SANGER
STATS
details
Total Yards
Third Down Percentage
Sack Yards
Bison483 Bears213
Bison50% Bears29%
Bison46 Bears11
Date November 10, 2018 Location Springfield, Mo. Attendance 5,224 37
11
NDSU 65 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 17
Southern Illinois ran back the opening kickoff, taking some Bison fans back a bit. Coming into the contest, the Salukis were the worst team in the Missouri Valley. Needless to say, the Bison responded with 28 first quarter points and 35 points by halftime too. In the end, North Dakota State was too much to handle for a lax Southern Illinois defense.
HILLARY EHLEN
details
Date November 17, 2018 Location Fargo, N.D. Attendance 18,008 38
BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
STATS
Total Yards
Rushing Yards
Third Down Percentage
Bison663 Salukis286
Bison355 Salukis88
Bison73% Salukis20%
RECORD 11-0
star of the game
20
#28 Junior Running Back
ty brooks
19
CARRIES
30
61
RUSHING YARDS
3
TOUCHDOWNS 39
star of the game
20
#10 Senior Running Back
lance dunn 40
BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
11
CARRIES
30
127 YARDS
4
TOTAL TOUCHDOWNS
RECORD 12-0
12 FCS Playoffs: Second Round
NDSU 52 MONTANA STATE 10 Montana State offered some intriguing match-ups coming into this playoff game. The Bobcats also created some storylines, having dropped out of a game with NDSU in 2013. Whether that played into the Bison's psyche is moot in the end. The Bison controlled this game from the opening kick, scoring 21 first quarter points. They tacked on 17 more in the second quarter to put the game away before the half.
HILLARY EHLEN
STATS
details
Average Yards Per Rush
Rushing Yards
First Downs
Bison9.3 Bobcats4.2
Bison407 Bobcats177
Bison24 Bobcats12
Date December 1, 2018 Location Fargo, N.D. Attendance 17,007 41
star of the game
20
#91 Junior Defensive End
derrek tuszka 42
BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
4
TOTAL TACKLES
2.5 SACKS
20
1
QUARTERBACK HURRY
RECORD 13-0
13 FCS Playoffs: Quarterfinal
NDSU 35 COLGATE 0
Colgate offered up the best statistical defense in the FCS when they came to the Fargodome. While they were able to limit the Bison in the first half, only surrendering 14 points, they were unable to create any offense of their own. North Dakota State's defense was relatively impenetrable and physically dominated the Raiders up front. In the end, that paved the way for the Bison offense to slowly chip away at Colgate's defense.
HILLARY EHLEN
STATS
details
Passing Yards
Total Yards
Time Of Possession
Bison205 Raiders68
Bison443 Raiders157
Bison36:16 Raiders23:44
Date December 8, 2018 Location Fargo, N.D. Attendance 16,404 43
14 FCS Playoffs: Semifinal
NDSU 44 SDSU 21
For a chance to go to Frisco, the Bison were met with their rival, South Dakota State. Given the circumstances surrounding the game, the Fargodome was electric, more so than it had been all season. While the score was only 14-7 at halftime, North Dakota State commanded the second half. They scored three times in the third quarter and began to wear down a fatigued South Dakota State defense. The end result was a win as dominating as all the others.
HILLARY EHLEN AND NOLAN P. SCHMIDT
details
Date December 14, 2018 Location Fargo, N.D. Attendance 18,286 44
BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
STATS
Rushing Yards
Total Yards
Average Yards Per Play
Bison439 Jackrabbits175
Bison608 Jackrabbits357
Bison9.5 Jackrabbits6.2
RECORD 14-0
star of the game
20
#12 Senior Quarterback
easton stick
169
PASSING YARDS
30
147
RUSHING YARDS
4
TOUCHDOWNS 45
star of the game
#20 Senior Wide Receiver
darrius shepherd 46
BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
20
5
RECEPTIONS
30
125 YARDS
2
TOUCHDOWNS
RECORD 15-0
15 FCS National Championship
NDSU 38 EASTERN WASHINGTON 24 In what many thoughts would be a decisive victory for the Bison, Eastern Washington stuck with North Dakota State into the fourth quarter. After jumping out to a 10-0 lead in the first quarter, the Bison defense was fooled on a few stellar play calls by the Eagles. At halftime, the Bison led 17-10, but had just surrendered an Eastern Washington score and the Eagles would receive the second half kickoff. The third quarter was one for the books as each team turned the ball over early in the frame. For Eastern Washington, they turned the ball over twice with senior defensive end Stanley Jones forces and recovering a fumble deep in Eagles territory. That play seemed to be the turning point as the Bison outscored Eastern Washington 14-7 in the third.
HILLARY EHLEN
STATS
Despite the comfortable score, Eastern Washington would not go away quietly. They scored late in the fourth quarter to make it a 31-24 contest. Their ensuing onside kick was unsuccessful. Then, Easton Stick scampered 46 yards to the end zone to put the nail in the coffin for the Bison. details
First Downs
Time Of Possession
Total Offense
Third Down Conversion Rate
Bison23 Eagles15
Bison40:05 Eagles19:55
Bison488 Eagles357
Bison65% Eagles25%
Date January 5, 2019 Location Frisco. Texas Attendance 17,802 47
As they say in the football office at the Fargodome, the cupboard is not bare. We spoke with six players who will be vital in NDSU’s quest for eight national championships.
HILLARY EHLEN
49
VITALS
RUNNING BACK LBS Junior | Hometown Fargo, N.D. | Major Psychology
104 737 5 CARRIES
RUSHING YARDS TOUCHDOWNS
Q&A
Your favorite Frisco moment this year was... This time down in Frisco, since we’ve been there before, I just tried to take it all in. That was the last time we were all going to be together. The barbecue bowl that we had, just trying to enjoy that moment with everyone. Coach Roehl was not your position coach, but he is a former running back himself. How jacked are you for him? That’s my guy. I love Coach Roehl. I didn’t really want anybody else to become the offensive coordinator. I’m really glad he got it. People may think just because Bruce and Lance are gone that the running back room might take a step back. However, all the
50
BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
guys coming back have gotten carries. What do you like out of that room next year? Everybody has played, so it’s not going to be like everyone is brighteyed, not knowing what to expect. We know what everyone is capable of, so we’re not really losing anything, I feel like we’re just reloading like we always do at NDSU. Coach Entz has made a concerted effort to reach out to the offensive players. How important is that for you as an offensive guy? Before he became the head coach, we’d talk at practice and not really outside of practice. It’s come full circle now; he’s reached out to all of us and you can tell he’s really made an effort to get to know his people.
VITALS
LINEBACKER LBS Sophomore | Hometown Kansas City, Mo. | Major Psychology
91
9.5
TOTAL TACKLES
TACKLES FOR LOSS
4
4
SACKS
INTERCEPTIONS
Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year
Q&A
Your favorite Frisco moment this year was... My favorite moment was being able to have my whole family there for the three days we were there and getting to enjoy it with them and seeing the city of Frisco. I had some extended family come on their own, so that was also a plus. That was my favorite moment, just having my whole family together. You’ve played a lot of football in only two years in Fargo. How does that give you an advantage moving forward?
It helps me from a physical standpoint because I know when I was a redshirt, I didn’t really have to prepare my body. Now having gone through a 15-game season, I know how to prepare my body for these next years to come. How excited are you to be the leader in the linebackers room next season? The classes we have below me, they’re very athletic and I know the teachings of Nick DeLuca, Chris Board, Dan Marlette and Levi Jordheim will allow me to help the guys that are coming up in the linebacking corp.
51
VITALS
DEFENSIVE END LBS Junior | Hometown Warner, S.D. | Major Crop and Weed Sciences
48 12 7.5
TOTAL TACKLES TACKLES FOR LOSS
Q&A
You were playing your best football down the stretch this season. How do you take that into the offseason and build upon it? We’ll be getting with Coach Kramer and starting our workouts, and we’ll start to run in a few weeks. Carrying that stuff into the offseason, I’ll just have to do individual drills to stay sharp and keep it going that way. We’ll come out August 1 and hit the ground running and hopefully continue to keep picking up my game and making it better. The team loses 24 great seniors. How do you take on a leadership role in what will be your senior season in 2019? It’s very important. We got a lot of
52
SACKS
young guys that will be playing, and hopefully they’ll have some big roles themselves. We graduate 24 seniors, so my leadership will have to step up a whole level just to help replace some of those good leaders that we lost. You have been to Frisco previously, but what were some things that stuck out to you about this year’s trip? Just hanging out with all the guys. Knowing that it was going to be our last ride, our last game together. So everything to being at the hotel to preparing for the game and warming up and hanging out in the locker room one last time. I kind of cherished that, but it was a blast and I’m glad we got to share it one last time as a team in Frisco.
BISON ILLUSTRATED F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 9
VITALS
OFFENSIVE TACKLE LBS Sophomore | Hometown Becker, Minn. | Major Industrial Engineering
Q&A
The offensive line loses a few key pieces, how do you step into a leadership role this winter and spring? That’s a big thing I’m thinking through the spring. Coach Riley said I should take a bigger leadership role, but it’s all around as an offensive line. We all have to take up a leadership role and compete and not assume the next person up is the one that’s going to start. We need the freshman to come up and give their best shot to fight for a starting position so we can create a competitive atmosphere so we can make each other better. Coming off a national title, how do you continue to succeed? We celebrated and had fun and had a week and a half off, but now we need to
come back and grind out. We went 15-0, how much better can we get? Our motto this last year was raise the bar, so we have to figure out how to raise the bar even higher. Your favorite Frisco moment from this time around? I know this was your first time playing in Texas since you were injured last season. The first few steps on the field for warmups is something special. I trained since last spring to get to that point. Eastern Washington was a good team; we had fun playing them. I got a few pancake blocks, which is always fun to do. I somehow managed to go head over heels on that guy at the goal line. It was a pretty special moment to be able to block for a senior quarterback to go into the end zone like that, it was pretty special.
55
VITALS
TIGHT END LBS Junior | Hometown Hawley, Minn. | Major Sports Management
14 194 8
RECEPTIONS
RECEIVING YARDS
Q&A
You took home the Elite 90 award this season. That’s a pretty prestigious award, how did it feel to win that one? I actually didn’t have any idea, so getting that award kind of took me by surprise. When they said my name, it was an eye-opening thing because past winners like Carson Wentz, Esley Thorton, Daniel Polansky, those guys took their academics pretty seriously. To be in the same conversation as them was pretty cool and a good feeling. Your favorite Frisco moment this year was... The alumni practice. It’s just good to see how much history and tradition has
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RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS
been going on for quite awhile that it’s still living. The other thing is the volunteer opportunity we got to do down there. Those kids love people, so being able to help them and impact them in a positive way is pretty special. Coach Roehl has been your position coach, how excited were you when you found out he’d be the offensive coordinator? I see the sacrifices he makes for his family, all the coaches do, but him specifically because I’ve been around him. I’m just extremely excited for him and the opportunity on offense, bringing in a bunch of other really good coaches.
VITALS
FREE SAFETY LBS Junior | Hometown Bemidji, Minn. | Major Management
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TOTAL TACKLES
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FUMBLE RECOVERY
Q&A
Five interceptions for you this season, including one in the title game. Do you think coming in as a quarterback has made your transition to safety more seamless? No matter where you play, you have a better knowledge of the game of football. My first two years with Carson, Cole and Easton, just learning the game of football and learning our offense, which is really complex and then going against our defense all the time, all that helped in my transition to safety to keep succeeding at that position. Your favorite Frisco moment this time around was... This trip was a little different because the older you get, the more relationships
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INTERCEPTIONS
you have with the seniors. I was just trying to take it all in. There’s a lot of seniors on that team that were some of my best friends and will be for life. Knowing that would be the last time allowed us to enjoy it a little more. Obviously, when you’re staying at the Omni and see the Dallas Cowboys walking around, it’s pretty cool, too. Everyone loves Coach Klanderman, so I’m sure it was tough to see him go. However, what gets you excited about Coach Braun? Right away, I was a little hesitant and not really too excited about it because Coach Klanderman meant so much to us. Now that I’m getting to it, I’m really excited to be involved a little bit more with what’s going on.
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THE SENIOR
ROUNDTABLE Seniors Tanner Volson, Luke Bacon, Dallas Freeman, Stanley Jones and Levi Jordheim reflect on their time at North Dakota State.
PHOTO BY Hillary Ehlen
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QA &
After winning the national championship and leaving NDSU on top, what were some of your emotions in Frisco and now as well? Jones: You couldn’t paint a better picture. Coach Klieman leaving and had a whole new staff coming in and us being seniors, finishing the season perfect, winning the championship. It’s a perfect way to go out.
BIO
STANLEY JONES Defensive End | Hometown: Bismarck, N.D. Had a forced and recovered fumble in the national championship game.
ON BISON PRIDE
“THERE’S A SAYING IN OUR LOCKER ROOM THAT YOU CAN’T DESCRIBE BISON PRIDE, YOU CAN’T REALLY PUT IT INTO WORDS, IT’S JUST A FEELING PEOPLE HAVE, THAT TEAMMATES SHARE.” - JONES
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Freeman: You have us all come in during the same summer with the same coaching staff we played with our whole five years. Knowing that we all came in together and leaving together on top, I think every one of us knows that it’s an unreal feeling and it doesn’t feel real. Especially being in the program that’s so successful as ours and being in the senior class that ends up on top, it’s an incredible feeling.
How much pride do you take in being from this area (North Dakota-Minnesota) and playing for NDSU? Bacon: We’re the “professional” team here. North Dakotans, South Dakota, we don’t have a professional team, and I think a lot of fans treat us as that or close to it. Every game, every sporting event that we have here, fans flock to. We have unbelievable fan support from the state of North Dakota and Minnesota, too. To be able to represent this area of the country and do it successfully is a pretty neat deal. Volson: Being from North Dakota and playing at NDSU so that when we go and have a great season like last year and win the championship, it’s not just for the university. It’s for the whole state, I feel like. All the fans come down and everything, and it’s just a prideful thing for the whole state.
Jordheim: It’s cool because I think it gives some younger people hope. When I was younger, I looked up to Nate Moody. He’s from Dickinson, North Dakota, a walk-on. I thought if he could do it, I could, too. That’s a big part of giving kids the goal of it’s not just big time recruits that come here, we get small town kids that can be impactful at this level.
If you had to pick a few words, how would you best define this program?
BIO
LEVI JORDHEIM Linebacker | Hometown: Dickinson, N.D. Logged his first career interception in the national championship game.
ON THE PROGRAM
“A LOT OF PROGRAMS HAVE A CULTURE, BUT NORTH DAKOTA STATE HAS A GREAT CULTURE, A GREAT TRADITION. TO BE ABLE TO DO THINGS CONSISTENTLY YEAR AFTER YEAR, DECADES AFTER DECADES, IT’S REALLY SPECIAL.” - JORDHEIM
Jones: Bison Pride. I mean, we’ve had a lot of quotes, a lot of sayings our whole careers, but I think the one that has stuck through has been Bison Pride. What’s cool about that is that it’s stuck with guys way back in the 60s. Those guys seeing us in Frisco when we have that alumni day and all those guys, you can tell they have a ton of Bison Pride and they still wear it on their shirts. Jordheim: I’d say culture and consistency. A lot of programs have a culture, but North Dakota State has a great culture, a great tradition. To be able to do things consistently year after year, decades after decades, it’s really special. Volson: I’d have to agree with Levi, it’s just a culture of having to put your work in. Whatever work you put in is what you’ll get out of it in the end. The harder you work, the more likely your are to succeed.
How do you define Bison Pride? Jones: It’s tough to define for someone who hasn’t been through NDSU. I think it’s just that brotherhood between everybody. There’s a saying in our locker room that you can’t describe Bison Pride, you can’t really put it into words, it’s just a feeling people have, that teammates share. Bacon: Coach Klieman brought in former players to speak with us. We
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BIO
TANNER VOLSON Center | Hometown: Balfour, N.D. Won the Rimington Award, given to the best center in FCS.
had Ryan Smith come in who played a few years ago to guys who played in the 80s and 90s and earlier than that. They all come in with a different definition, but like Stan said, it’s a feeling you have playing with your brothers and for your brothers. Playing for that guy that wore your number years ago that’s now watching you on TV or in the stands. We play for all those guys, and it’s just something you feel.
Lasting impressions left by Coach Klieman? Jones: I think the coolest thing was whenever Coach Klieman would talk about the team or people asked him questions about himself or about players, it was never an individual thing. It was always a “we” and never “this is my team,” but “this is our team.” That’s just a good life lesson to take. It’s never really about an individual, it’s about a collective group and I think that’s what makes him being here and leaving the
way he did real special. You could see the outpouring of support, and I think people really realized how much he cared about everybody. Jordheim: To go off that, he made sure that football was important, but family came first. That’s where a lot of what Stan said comes full circle, that there’s more to life than football. Just leaning on your teammates and your family, parents, brothers and sisters. When it comes down to it, that’s the most important thing.
What will you miss most about being in this program or even being on campus? Freeman: I just think the family aspect that everyone brings and all the players. You’re with the same guys for five years for your entire life every single day and the coaching staff. They almost turn into your brothers and your family. Now that you’re out of football, you don’t see each other everyday. You don’t have that same look of ‘well, he did the weight room first earlier this morning, let’s ask him what he thinks of this so I can prepare.’ You don’t have that face of wanting to get something with the guy next to you. I think the feeling that a player is not going to walk by and you’re going to have that same grit and passion for the game that you have on the same team. Volson: The things I’m going to miss are the little things that nobody else gets to see, like some of the small locker room stuff. Some of the small bits in the game with other players that nobody else will ever know about or even care about probably. It’s just a memory that stuck with me through all the games, just those small little bits of stuff that make all the memories. Bacon: I’ll miss trash talking on Saturdays, I’m not going to lie. That’ll be one of the things I’m going to miss, you know, cussing somebody out and all those other things I used to do. Like Tanner said with the small things, one of the greatest accomplishments is getting done with a really tough lift or a really
BIO
DALLAS FREEMAN Wide receiver | Hometown: St. Michael, Minn.
Had three receptions in the national championship game
WHAT HE’LL MISS
“I JUST THINK THE FAMILY ASPECT THAT EVERYONE BRINGS AND ALL THE PLAYERS. YOU’RE WITH THE SAME GUYS FOR FIVE YEARS FOR YOUR ENTIRE LIFE EVERY SINGLE DAY AND THE COACHING STAFF. THEY ALMOST TURN INTO YOUR BROTHERS AND YOUR FAMILY. “ -FREEMAN 65
tough run and just kind of sitting down and talking to your guys about how you did it and you overcame how tough it was. Asking if we weighed in that day, so we could go to the dining center and get our weight right for coach Kramer. Those are little things that jump out to me when you ask that question.
What do you want this 2018 senior class to be remembered for?
LUKE BACON
BIO
Offensive guard | Hometown: Granville, N.D.
Started all 15 games at offensive guard this season for the Bison.
DEFINING BISON PRIDE
“PLAYING FOR THAT GUY THAT WORE YOUR NUMBER YEARS AGO THAT’S NOW WATCHING YOU ON TV OR IN THE STANDS. WE PLAY FOR ALL THOSE GUYS, AND IT’S JUST SOMETHING YOU FEEL.” -BACON
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Jones: At the beginning of the year, we sat down at coach Klieman’s house as seniors and we created goals for our team. One of them was to be the best team to ever play at NDSU. Whether we were or we weren’t, I can’t say. Each team was different, how are we going to compare ourselves to the team that won way back in the 80s or 90s? Jordheim: Just the resilience of everyone, collectively. I think the fact that we leaned on each other when we needed to in tough times. When the offense wasn’t clicking, the defense would pick it up. When the defense wasn’t clicking, the offense would pick it up. If those two phases were struggling, special teams would take over. The ability of each phase of the game to lean on each other was pretty cool. Bacon: Like Levi said, you can go through each of our games this year and find certain moments where the defense didn’t look good, moments where the offense looked horrible, things like that. Somehow, someway, we got through those games and were able to go undefeated. We leaned on each other, and that’s something I think that Bison fans don’t even know is how much we came off the field as an offense and the defense would say “we got you guys, we’ll get the ball back for you and you’ll score.” Those little things like that were so impactful to us and it’s something Bison fans would never know.
fter speaking to Easton Stick, it’s clear that he and I agree on one very important thing: wins are not a quarterback stat. Wins are an accomplishment shared by the entire team and shouldn’t be credited to the quarterback any more than they are placed next to the name of the left guard.
A final interview with quarterback Easton Stick before he steps into the professional ranks.
Wins, though, are what will forever be associated with Easton Stick’s name. Easton started for 49 North Dakota State victories. That, of course, is one more than Brock Jensen, NDSU’s QB from 2010-2013, achieved. NDSU even published a graphic on social media commemorating the achievement. “I just feel so fortunate to have been a part of that program. It has been a place that has won championships and won football games for a really long time. You go out to the walkthrough on Friday afternoon before Frisco, and you see 200+ guys that have done it,” Stick said. “They get a chance to address us, and we get a chance to mingle and talk and to tell stories. Just to be a part of it was unbelievable. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.” It is that humility, that selflessness, which should ultimately define Stick’s time with the Bison. No matter how many individual accomplishments were
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stacked one on top of the next, it was always about the team. It was always about what could be done to prepare to put himself and the Bison in a position to win on Saturdays. Stick’s NDSU interest started at a very convenient time for the university. Bison head coach Craig Bohl, at the time, had assembled what many consider to be the greatest FCS team of all time. “For me, it was winning championships in ‘11 and ‘12. I took my first visit up in Fargo [during ‘13] and found out that they’d been winning championships since the ‘60s,” Stick said. “I learned about the unbelievable support that the program gets from the community, and I watched them beat Kansas State on TV. It was just an awesome opportunity for me.” Stick, at the time, and arguably to this day, was NDSU’s greatest recruiting victory of all time. Easton had an offer to play in the Big 10 at Rutgers, and after head coach Craig Bohl accepted the same position at Wyoming of the Mountain West, Stick certainly had an open door to be a Cowboy as well. Stick chose to remain committed to Conor Riley, Randy Hedberg and Chris Klieman and remain loyal to the Bison. “I think the biggest thing was that I got a
BY Ross Uglem PHOTOS BY Hillary Ehlen and J. Alan Paul Photography
Run, Easton, A Run.
chance to know coach Klieman as soon as he got to be the head coach... Once I was around those guys, regardless of what else was going to happen, I wanted to be in Fargo,” he said. “Chase Morlock and Christian Dudzik were guys that showed me around. When I woke up that Sunday morning, I told my parents, ‘We’re good. We don’t need to look anywhere else.’” It was clear early on that not only was this kid from Omaha highly touted, he was as advertised.
The last statement is always part of the deal. Stick is now, and will forever be linked to former number two overall draft pick Carson Wentz. Because of the circus that surrounded Wents’z path to the draft, his winning the starting job and setting Eagles records as a rookie and his charge to MVP consideration as a second year player, there was no discussion or interview of Stick that didn’t in some way involve Wentz. “What did you learn from Carson?”
“He was being recruited my junior year. When the Bohl departure happened, he was a key recruit to keep. He took his official visit, and I was his host,” said former Bison safety and fellow product of Omaha Christian Dudzik. “I remember seeing a sign at one of our playoff games, Easton Stick Picks NDSU – ESPN – and I had never seen that for a recruit. He’s a big time talent. I had a little bit of pressure on me to host him. He played scout team quarterback (his first year). I could tell why he was highly recruited. He ran really well, he cut really well and he had a really good arm. There was a number of occasions that he would tear us up.” His position coach Randy Hedberg could see it, too. “He was with us in the summer, but NCAA rules don’t allow us much contact in the summer,” Hedberg said. “You could see the ball come out of his hand pretty quick, and it had some velocity on it.” North Dakota State did something a little unique with Stick. Despite the clear desire to redshirt him, Easton traveled with the team and was in full uniform for every game as a true freshman. The NCAA didn’t have their “four game” rule during Stick’s first year, and Carson Wentz was never injured. It was a year to learn and a year to get physically ready for college football, nothing more. “It was an unbelievable experience for me. To be on the plane, understand what that mentality is about. My first road trip was to Iowa State. Seeing how Kyle and Carson and Duds and Heags [Colten Heagle] and what you did at the pregame meal, what you did after meetings, going into Saturday morning. Building a routine. My next year came, and I knew what it looked like and I was able to help the other freshman,” said Easton. “Being around Carson was huge for me.”
“What did Carson teach you about preparation?” “Did you talk to Carson this week” “How was Carson’s wedding?” When I asked, Easton couldn’t recall a single interview during his time as a starter at North Dakota State that he did not discuss his predecessor. It’s understandable, certainly. The Bison had never produced the second pick in the draft, much less a starting NFL quarterback. It would have been also understandable if Stick didn’t handle Carson’s shadow very well. For every Aaron Rodgers (Favre) and Steve Young (Montana), there are more than a handful of Bubby Bristers (Elway), Jay Fiedlers (Marino) and Quincy Carters (Aikman). “I’m really fortunate to have played with Carson. It was such a huge blessing for me to play with him and to learn from him. I think we’ll always be tied together, especially with what happened his last year being my first opportunity. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything,” he said. “I’m really fortunate to have played with him and to be able to call him a friend. To see the way he worked and the way that he treated people, I am just fortunate enough to have been around him.” It’s never fun to be the guy after the guy. As much as Easton credits Wentz for his understanding of the game and his progression as a quarterback, Wentz owes Stick just as much. Without the flawless nine-game run that Stick and the Bison went on, there would’ve been no 2015 championship game. People sometimes forget that that team had already lost two games with Wentz as a starter.
Stick led the Bison to five “We went through a Stick is training for straight victories and a season, and for the first the NFL Combine in top three seed in the FCS time for everyone in that Southern California with tournament. Richmond locker room, didn’t win a QB guru Zac Robinson. defeated Illinois State in national championship. Easton has signed with the quarterfinals, which We felt what it was like, Rep1, the same agency meant that NDSU hosted that feeling that your last that represents former all three playoff games. game of the season was Bison QB great Carson Stick and the Thundering a loss. It was at home, Wentz. The NFL Herd took care of and we didn’t send the Combine is February business all three times, seniors out the way 26th through March 4th, winning by an average they deserved to be sent and coverage will be on of more than 22 points out. That feeling really NFL Network. per game. That run, sucked, and we didn’t coupled with the threewant to go through that week break between the semifinals again,” said Stick. and championship game allowed Wentz to return to the Herd. Wentz’s They wouldn’t. performance in the championship game ignited the fire that became the frenzy “Guys were motivated because they surrounding his draft stock. didn’t want to feel that again. That offseason, you could tell. There was a Stick views that freshman season as fire lit under guys, and we had such a huge part of his development and a great senior class going into that ‘17 growth. season. They really led the way and made sure there was no letup.” “It played a huge part in my development. The big thing for me is Stick made a marked improvement from that I was confident in what I could his sophomore year to his junior season. do. When I got my opportunity, I was His yards per attempt jumped from 8.1 going to be ready to go. I saw how to 9.3. Completion percentage jumped Carson prepared, I saw how the seniors from 59 percent to 62. His touchdown prepared. If I followed that process, I to interception ratio rose from 19:9 to would be in the position to go out on 28:8 and his rushing TD output nearly Saturdays to be myself, cut it loose and doubled from 7 to 12. He was a different play,” he said. “The opportunity came a player. lot sooner than I thought, and kind of in crappy circumstances, but I was fired The Bison were a different team, too. up. It helped me a lot going into the next They kicked off that season by scoring offseason, knowing that I was going to 72 points, and followed that up by be the guy now.” obliterating an Eastern Washington team that had taken them to overtime in The following season seemed like it was their own building a season before. The going to script. North Dakota State was a Bison had their customary one loss at one-loss team heading into the playoffs South Dakota State, but that 7-1 league and were cruising right along. James mark was good enough for another Madison was the number five seed, Missouri Valley Football Conference rolling into to town for the semifinals, title. The Bison BLEW through the but that wasn’t anything new. CAA playoffs to set up another shot at James teams had been to the ‘Dome in the Madison. playoffs before, and those games all followed a similar script. Fast forward “To that point, that was the most fun three quarters and 13 minutes, and the that I have had playing. Everyone will Bison were down ten and Stick was tell you that. When you’re a starter, struggling to jump start the two minute it’s a bit different. Being out there on offense. It never happened and NDSU Saturdays is a different feeling. For me, lost. In the playoffs. it wasn’t about revenge or anything like that. It was about what I had to do and The crowd was stunned. The seniors what we had to do as a team to make were devastated. The fans, to their sure we were successful in Frisco that credit, gave the group a standing ovation season,” Stick explained. for all they had accomplished during the “five-peat,” but the streak was over. NDSU would exorcise their purple and gold demons. The Bison defeated James
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Madison in Frisco by a score of 17-13. Stick had a rushing touchdown and a beautiful passing touchdown to his friend and roommate, Darrius Shepherd. The Bison were national champions once again, and Stick was named the game’s Most Outstanding Player. A fitting end to a driven season. “The narrative of it and the feeling of it afterwards was maybe cooler because it was James Madison. Plus, it was my first opportunity to be a starter in that game. Afterwards, as I reflected on it, that feeling was pretty special, but leading up to it, it was just like another game.” It didn’t take long for foolish prognosticators like myself to point out two things. One, that North Dakota State was bringing a lot back, and that with a relatively easy non-conference schedule, they had a real chance at an undefeated season. Two, that NFL scouts were going to start paying attention to the kid from Omaha. “Guys understood even after we won in January. There was a pretty strong feeling that this could be a really special group. There was a ton of guys coming back, a ton of experience, and we had some really talented young guys. If we could get them to work like the other guys have in the past, we’ve got a chance to be really special. It was just such a tight senior class, so we had no problem challenging one another. The relationship with our class and the juniors and sophomores,” said Stick. Stick described the goal ultimately being set at a dinner at Chris Klieman’s house: “We sat there as a senior class, and it was something that coach did every summer. We were going through the goals of our season and what we wanted to accomplish, and it ended on this ‘mic drop’ moment. We said we wanted to be perfect. We want to be a national championship undefeated football team, and we want to be talked about as one of the greatest teams ever. It was cool to voice what a lot of guys had thought since January. The best part about it was that everyone understood that you weren’t just going to show up tomorrow and accomplish that goal,” said Stick. That’s quite the goal to set. Football’s a difficult game, and there had really only been four teams prior to that season that had gone undefeated and claimed the national title. Eastern Kentucky in
1982, 1989’s Georgia Southern, Randy Moss’ 1996 Marshall team and, of course, the legendary 2013 Bison accomplished the feat. Stick and his teammates were attempting to enter very, very rarefied air. As mentioned before, the non-conference slate didn’t offer much of a challenge, and North Dakota State was not challenged by it. They won three home contests by an average of 35 points. It was during that non-conference slate that Stick was named to the AFCA’s Good Works team. Stick was one of 22 recipients of the award, and it was presented to him at the Sanford Children’s hospital. Stick was active in the Student Athlete Advisory Council at North Dakota State, and he spent time with the North Dakota Special Olympics, Make-A-Wish, the YMCA and numerous other charitable causes in the FM area. “He’s tremendous. He’s extremely courteous. He’s extremely honest, he’s very appreciative of what people have done and will do for him and he acknowledges. I’ve mentioned this to his mom and dad: they raised a fine young man. He’s going to be a great contributor to whomever drafts or signs him as a professional athlete. That’s the thing you appreciate about him. It’s not very often you get the opportunity to be on the Good Works team. There’s things that he did that didn’t get publicity. He’s done so many things when the camera wasn’t there,” explained coach Hedberg. The rest of the season was a tour de force for Stick and the Bison. North Dakota State indeed finished with an undefeated record. They reclaimed the Dakota Marker, then defeated South Dakota State again, just for good measure. They were unchallenged Missouri Valley Football Conference champions. NDSU’s eight consecutive conference titles are a league record. “There were very few bad days, if any,” quipped Stick. Stick himself was a Walter Payton Award Finalist. Stick chose to forego the award ceremony to prepare for the national championship game. Though Stick was not chosen as the award’s winner, his head coach Chris Klieman maintained that he was not only the best player in FCS, but in college football. He saw statistical jumps in nearly all categories, and the Bison used his arm
to force the ball vertically down the field when they weren’t jamming it down the opponent’s throat.
had to give back. Those are things that Easton’s left with those three young guys,” said Coach Hedberg.
Despite the lack of individual recognition, Stick finished a career that is unquestionably in the conversation for greatest Bison of all time. In this day and age of social media and televised debate shows, the “GOAT” conversation happens almost daily and is almost always foolish, but there can be no discussion without including Stick. Running, throwing, winning, leading. He did it all.
That’s the type of player Stick was and will continue to be. It wasn’t enough that he played well on Saturdays or that he spent endless hours watching film preparing to win on Saturdays. He needed to make sure that his young teammates were ready to take the ball and run with it after he’d gone. It’s an old North Dakota State mantra, but it’s a good one: “the team, the team, the team.”
As might be expected, Stick not only sharpened his craft, but he imparted everything that he could on his younger teammates in the quarterback room. It didn’t go unnoticed. “This is a charge I gave Easton back in the spring. One role I wanted him to have was to share his knowledge with those three guys. He did that, and he was very up front with them. I told them after the South Dakota State playoff game that you guys have three weeks with this young man, then it’ll come to an end on January 5. When that day comes, he’s not going to be in that room anymore. I thought he did a great job with that role; he took that role and he ran with it. He’d have breakfast with those guys, every day at 7 a.m. It wasn’t just football stuff with him, either. He shared his faith, that’s very important to him. He shared with them that they
It’s not easy to get Easton Stick to talk about himself. When pressed to finally send a message to the NFL teams that might have an interest, Stick summed himself up and his career at North Dakota State quite nicely. “Number one, I’m a winner. I’ve been fortunate to be a part of a lot of winning teams and a lot of winning programs. More importantly, I’ve learned the process of winning. There’s a process to getting there, and there are steps that you’ve got to take every single day. You have to learn to prepare. When game time comes, I’m ready to go. I think our track record in Fargo and as a player myself speaks for itself. I can take what I learned in Fargo and bring it to a team in the NFL. I’ll be a really good teammate and I’m gonna take that opportunity and run with it.” Run, Easton. Run. 73
THE COACHES COLL Tyler Roehl 2018 Role: Tight ends/fullbacks coach 2019 Role: Offensive coordinator
A 15-0 season is difficult to do. How did the team sustain that success all season? Having the mentality of winning each day. That all our focus was not “having” to practice, but “getting” to practice and having the opportunity
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to compete and improve each and every day. What made your unit so special in 2018? They are an extremely close group who enjoy competing together. They are both mentally and physically tough and enjoy the “process” as much as playing in the games. Our goal was to be the most physical group in the nation and be explosive and dynamic in the passing game. What is running through your mind when that clock is ticking down to zero in the national
championship game? This is a once-in-alifetime opportunity, and we need to really enjoy these moments! These are hard to come by - there is a lot that goes in to each day, week, month - and to come out on top is an unbelievable feeling. The march for eight is on. What is one key for you heading into the 2019 season? Keep it simple. Compete and improve with urgency each and every opportunity we have, and hold everyone accountable to the high standard that has been set.
HILLARY EHLEN AND NOLAN P. SCHMIDT
Besides the clock striking zero, your most memorable moment from this championship game was... The practice with all of the former players in attendance. That is something that I look forward to each time we have the opportunity to play in the national championship game.
ECTION
NDSU’s assistant coaches recall some of their favorite Frisco moments and give us a look into 2019, too.
Nick Goeser Defensive tackles coach
Besides the clock striking zero, your most memorable moment from this championship game was... The atmosphere in the stadium was amazing. Bison Nation was in full effect. That was one of the loudest games that we played down there. It was electric! A 15-0 season is difficult to do. How did the team sustain that success all season? Stay humble and hungry. We never talk about our record or stats. All we try to focus on is the next play or the next game. We talk about improving everyday. If we win or lose there are always things we can continue to get better at.
What made your unit so special in 2018? The unselfish attitude... My guys never cared about how many stats they put up or how many games they started. They only cared about winning ball games and helping the team win. Also, it was a group that was fun to be around. They had fun but also understand how to work. I really enjoyed this group. What is running through your mind when that clock is ticking down to zero in the national championship game? How to get on that stage, get a hat and find a new t-shirt. Guys that have been through it before know that you better get out of the way before
you get run over by our player or fans. The last thought is “Did we really just win the National Championship?” No matter how many times it happens, it never gets old. It’s extremely hard to do, and we did it. The march for eight is on. What is one key for you heading into the 2019 season? Work hard every day! Improve on one thing every day. Push each other and be great leaders. The work can never stop.
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Buddha Williams Defensive ends coach
Besides the clock striking zero, your most memorable moment from this championship game was... Our offense trying to run the clock out and Easton Stick busting a long TD run to close the game. A 15-0 season is difficult to do. How did the team sustain that success all season? This team was extremely motivated to do something that’s very hard to do, which is win every game. We didn’t get bored with our preparation and training! We took one game at a time and always tried raise our level of play. What made your unit so special in 2018? The depth at that
position was one but how hard those guys played and competed every single snap! What is running through your mind when that clock is ticking down to zero in the national championship game? Back-to-back national champions! I have been here for two seasons and won two rings! Great feeling! The march for eight is on. What is one key for you heading into the 2019 season? Prepare and train like we have never been to Frisco! Just continue to raise our level of play.
THE COACHES COLLECTION
Kody Morgan Cornerbacks coach
Besides the clock striking zero, your most memorable moment from this championship game was... That feeling of the confetti falling down from the sky and just raining down is one of the best feelings in the world. A 15-0 season is difficult to do. How did the team sustain that success all season? We talk about it every day of just being process oriented and attacking each individual day. Our players have unbelievable resolve, and when the going got tough they leaned on each other. What made your unit so special in 2018? I think what made the Wolfpack so special was how close everybody was. There isn’t a guy in that room that doesn’t love his teammates.
What is running through your mind when that clock is ticking down to zero in the national championship game? When that clock was winding down, the only thing I could think of was how special a place that I am at. It is truly humbling to be a part of such an unbelievable program with such great coaches and support. I am one of the luckiest guys in the world, being able to coach football at NDSU. The march for eight is on. What is one key for you heading into the 2019 season? Nothing is going to change from past years. We need to continue to attack winter workouts and use spring ball as a platform to develop and become a cohesive unit. Our first goal will be to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference, and that is what our focus will be on.
THE COACHES COLLECTION
Randy Hedberg 2018 role: Quarterbacks coach 2019 role: Associate head coach/passing game coordinator
Besides the clock striking zero, your most memorable moment from this championship game was... The play action pass with Easton throwing to Darrius for 78 yards and a TD, Easton took a hard hit after the throw but delivered an accurate pass. A 15-0 season is difficult to do. How did the team sustain that success all season? I know this has been talked about many times during the season, but our team and staff only talked about winning the week and being 1-0 after the weekend game. Our players and staff never talk about records, only about the preparation of being 1-0 for the week.
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What made your unit so special in 2018? Easton Stick’s preparation, attention to detail and competitiveness was what made him the best player in FCS football. Easton’s work habits have made a tremendous impact on our young QBs and his legacy will live on for years in our QB room. What is running through your mind when that clock is ticking down to zero in the national championship game? The things that run through your mind is all the years you have coached and how important family is to our careers. I was thinking of how I could
get to the field and have my family with me and take a picture with the National Championship Trophy. The march for eight is on. What is one key for you heading into the 2019 season? One key is having a GREAT offseason of strength and conditioning with Coach Kramer. I also look forward to working with a young group of QBs that are very eager to learn and continue the outstanding QB play Bison Nation has been accustomed to.
NEXT MAN UP New head coach Matt Entz begins his tenure on the most momentous of notes. Next man up. You’ve heard that one at NDSU before, right? Regardless of how many times you’ve heard that saying, it remains a key mantra in the success of NDSU football. Carson Wentz goes down due to injury, who is there to save the day? Easton Stick. That’s next man up. There are copious amounts of stories like that throughout the history of Bison football. It all comes back to that saying. The same is said for coaches at NDSU. Craig Bohl departs for Wyoming, who is there to step into the head coaching role and go 69-6 in his tenure? Chris Klieman. Now, the role has been reversed as Klieman heads to Kansas State. The next man up? Matt Entz, former commander of Code Green. BY NOLAN P. SCHMIDT HILLARY EHLEN
Entz has been in this type of situation before when he was brought in as
defensive coordinator in 2014. He was thrust into the role of recruiting almost immediately. Not only the incoming class but the current roster as well. Entz faced a similar obstacle shortly after being named the head coach following North Dakota State’s semifinal game against South Dakota State. The Bison had 13 recruits on campus that weekend, and the early signing period was fast approaching. In the end, Entz was able to hold together a class of 25 recruits who signed when the early signing period began. He checked his first box as head coach. For Entz, having that 2014 experience helped him in this recruiting period. “The first moment I had to utilize that experience was the weekend after our South Dakota State game. We had 13 recruits on campus and all of the sudden, we played Friday night and Saturday morning, there was a different person at the front of the room talking 83
and that was me. I immediately reflected on my experience that happened with the Easton Sticks and the Dan Marlettes and the Aaron Steidls of the world. It is a very similar situation that we find ourselves in right now,” Entz said. “We found the right people that bought in five years ago, and I looked at our current set of recruits and told them pretty much the same thing. The face at the front of the room has changed, but the mentality or the process that this program has been built upon and the things that are important at NDSU aren’t going to change because the head coach has a different name now. Those kids bought in, every single one of them committed and signed on the early signing day and I think that’s a tribute to our coaching staff for just being who we are, not changing who we are because of the transition and just selling the university and selling the football program rather than selling ourselves as coaches. That is what ultimately allowed us to keep all these commitments.” While Entz had plenty on his docket after being named the new head coach of Bison football, he still had a game to prepare for. In the three weeks leading up to the national championship game, Entz says he was juggling both head coach and defensive coordinator duties. Because of the circumstances, Entz
found this trip to Frisco to be a little different and special at the same time. Special, thanks to the 24 young men who were playing their final game for NDSU. “The seniors. They’re the same group of kids that when I showed up on campus five years ago, they’re the same ones I was recruiting, home visiting, trying to sell to them because of the transition, nothing was going to change. Those kids through it all, bought into what being a Bison is all about, bought into the new staff in 2014 and there was just a connection with those kids,” he said. “I was just really satisfied with the way they were going to end their career and that was even going into the national championship game. Just getting back there and believing in the staff and Coach Klieman and me as a defensive coordinator, I think that was special.” The difference this time around for Entz was that he had a few more responsibilities on his plate, ones fit for a head coach. “During the three weeks where I was named head coach and the championship game, it was probably unique in the sense that I had some other responsibilities that I had to take ownership of during those three weeks, but at the same time, I had to routinely kind of get back to the game plan because that was the most important
thing,” Entz said. “I felt that I personally owed it to the senior class to make sure they were as well prepared as possible going into the game. It was a little bit of a juggling act, and I’m sure Chris had the same thing, he was trying to juggle NDSU practice plans along with myself and concerned himself with things going on in Manhattan. They’re all special, but those two things made this one different than the others.” However, one could say that Entz begins his first winter as NDSU head coach with a tremendous amount of team momentum. Despite the shake-up in staff, the team still won their final game of the season. Heading into an offseason where workouts are vital, Entz believes that confidence from the national championship game will translate into the rest of 2019. “Any time you win the last game of the year, it helps your momentum going into any offseason. Then you can just exponentially grow, but it was big. Being the newly named head coach and my last game as the defensive coordinator at NDSU, it was important to me to win the game and use this momentum in the hiring of new staff, in the recruiting of the few spots we still have available that we need to clean up before the traditional signing day,” he said. “Also for the recruiting process of our current team. I’ve spent a majority of the last week spending time with the current team. I felt it was best to stay in and recruit those guys a bit, too. There’s a number of offensive guys that we know by name, but I don’t really know them personally and that’s been my point of emphasis.” As the defensive coordinator, Entz has been praised by his defensive players after being named head coach. They knew he was capable and vocalized that through a number of mediums. However, as Entz indicates, he may not know all of the offensive players on a personal level. The same was surely the case when Chris Klieman was elevated from defensive coordinator to head coach in 2014. Nevertheless, Entz has not found it difficult to convince his offensive players of his head coaching ability. In fact, he has noticed that the offense appreciates him reaching out to them.
“I think it’s been seamless. I think they appreciate the fact that I’m reaching out and spending time starting to generate a relationship with them all,” he said. “Part of the seamless transition has been keeping coaching like Randy Hedberg and Tyler Roehl in their expanded roles. That in itself was comforting for our offensive kids because they knew what we were going to be offensively was still intact.” August 31 seems like a distant date on the calendar for NDSU football. However, their first game against Butler at Target Field in Minneapolis will be here before Entz knows it. When asked what he has on his to-do list for the offseason as spring football approaches, he has a few items. Yet, he feels confident in what his “young” team can bring to the table in 2019. “The number one thing that I tried to discuss with them was that we have been in this situation before. We’ve lost an unbelievable senior class every year I’ve been here, we have some of the most special kids come through this program. Ones that know how to win and are still winning out in the real world,” he said. “For our guys, it’s kind of a race to maturity, we need some guys to grow up this spring so they can help us come August 31. At the same time, I know there will be those naysayers who say we lost this or lost that, they have a new quarterback, they have a new staff and my challenge to our team was that it’s okay for us to have a chip on our shoulder. If enough people doubt us, let’s take this chip on the shoulder and questioning of our talent and let’s turn it into a positive and turn it into a great spring, summer and into fall camp.” The staff is filled. The recruiting class is near completion. A new trophy is on the shelf in the football offices inside the Fargodome. Those are a few of the things Matt Entz has already checked off his to-do list as head coach at North Dakota State. He is not done there, though. Now he takes on a far bigger challenge: continuing a legacy and tradition. Given the sample size, he’s beyond prepared and ready to make that happen. Next man up, right?
MATT How does Matt Larsen quantify the great unquantifiable? Seven national titles in eight seasons, that’s a new NCAA record. It took the previous record holder, Georgia Southern, 31 years to win six titles. It’s taken NDSU eight years to beat that record. Can you quantify that at all? It’s hard to quantify. It’s so much more than what the trophy represents; it’s a lot of hard work, dedication, support from players to coaches to administration to the university to the community to the fans to our donors. There is so much that goes into it to compete at such a high level without a fall, without a drop off, without complacency. The saying is “it takes a village” and it has taken a village to not be satisfied with one, to not be satisfied with two or with three, that the expectations don’t change from a fanbase to the coaches to the players to the administration. We want to compete for championships every single year, and to be able to stay focused and grow annually is hard to do, but we’ve found a way to do it. I think that’s the part that make it most remarkable because this is
something you’ve never seen in college athletics or college football before. It’s been great to be a part of.
You’ve been heralded for how you went about this coaching transition both in swiftness and transparency. Coach Entz has now been able to check off his first big to-dos as head coach in holding a recruiting class together and filling out a staff. Now that he has done that so seamlessly, does that give you the peace of mind that you made the right choice? It does. At the core of all our decision making during that process was doing what was best for the student-athletes. To be able to announce who our next head coach would be before the semi-final game I think was really important. You saw a sigh of relief from the team that they knew what the future would be and then on Friday they can go out and play and not have to worry about some of the outside noise. It also says a lot about this program, the 24 seniors, it says a lot about the reputation
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When you look over our history, we’ve had three losing seasons in 65 years. That doesn’t happen by accident, and it’s not because of one player or coach, it’s a program. of NDSU football and Coach Entz to be able to put together a staff as quickly and as seamlessly as he did with what I think is a great group. To be able to do so, I think it speaks to the quality of our program and the relationships that Coach Entz has built.
With all the circumstances surrounding the trip, it seemed like this year in Frisco was a little different compared to past years. Did you feel that, and from an administrative standpoint, what were some of your favorite things to watch unfold in Texas? This one more so than any of the other years was special in a number of different ways. I think just the historical nature, this being the all-time winningest program. I’ve said it before, I think we witnessed the best FCS team of all-time. Certainly being able to live it through the seniors’ eyes and what they’ve meant to this program was really special. The fan support, the passion, the excitement was at a higher level than I’d seen it before, too. I think they recognized that they were witnessing history. 88
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Also, from an administrative standpoint, to make sure with all the transition and change that the goal was still the goal. I got to witness that on a number of different levels from Coach Klieman to Coach Entz to the seniors and the rest of the staff, the goal was still the same. That was special for me on a number of different levels because adversity hits, people respond differently. Collectively, I think our group responded in a really positive way to come out on top in the national championship.
People drew comparisons to this 2018 team and the 2013 team. Now, more people are drawing parallels to this 2019 and the 2014 team. Everyone believed that the 2014 team would regress a bit due to the outgoing senior class. Obviously, they went out and won a national championship. What do you see out of the 2019 Bison? Every year we have those similar conversations as to who is going to become the next household name. Fortunate for me to be at practices and around the team a lot to see those young
guys who maybe haven’t broken into the starting lineup because we’ve been so deep. We’re going to see some of those guys emerge next year and have their opportunity to come out and compete and shine. I’m really confident about the level of talent we have in the program. When you look over our history, we’ve had three losing seasons in 65 years. That doesn’t happen by accident, and it’s not because of one player or coach, it’s a program. This program is built for success, and that starts from the top down. Making sure we do the little things to make sure we’re built for success. Having Jim Kramer stay here was a big piece of the puzzle to make sure we do the same things we’ve done historically to be successful. I’m excited, I think the future continues to be bright. We’re not going away anytime soon, and I’m really excited about the future and the 2019 version of NDSU football.
From an overall athletic administration perspective, what do you want to see on the horizon at NDSU? The
indoor practice facility is one thing, I’m sure, but where do you want NDSU athletics to be in 5, 10 years’ time? We strive every year, and we talk about your goals as a staff. Our goal is to be one of the best athletic programs in the country. Across the board, we are coming off one of our most successful years with eight conference championships, a national championship, our highest GPA ever, but we know we can do better. That’s what’s great about the staff and the student-athletes that we have in place. They want to get better, they want to continue to grow. It doesn’t matter what you did last year; let’s build upon that and grow. We want to continue to build first class, Division I facilities and the indoor practice facility is a big piece of that; we need to re-do the outdoor track, but our thing is to continue to invest and continue to get better every single day, every single semester, every single game, every single week and everything we do. The good thing is we have a great group here that understands that that’s what our goal is.
NDSU President
DEAN BRESCIANI Q A Is Bresciani the good luck charm for Bison football? You came to NDSU in May 2010. The following season, the football team made the FCS quarterfinals. The next year, a national championship. Is President Dean Bresciani that good luck charm for NDSU football?
HILLARY EHLEN AND J. ALAN PAUL PHOTOGRAPHY
I wouldn’t want to suggest that I am detached from the program, but I also wouldn’t want to suggest I’m responsible for its success. I think why it has become so successful and why it’s a modern era dynasty is that everyone involved with NDSU and the football program and the athletic department is absolutely rowing in the same direction and rowing
in synchronization. You don’t usually see that at a major research university. Different priorities and competing perspectives sometimes puts segments of the university at odds with each other. At NDSU, from the president on down, everybody is working towards the common success of NDSU and working towards the success for athletic programs and working towards success for individual sports. Obviously, that’s highlighted by the football program’s success.
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The dynamic between you and Matt Larsen and Matt Entz seems so cohesive. That sometimes isn’t the case at other universities. How have you cultivated those relationships with those two people? I think you’re absolutely right. This is my ninth university, the fourth Division I program I’ve been affiliated with, and you do not see this type of relationship commonly, even infrequently. From early on, I made myself accessible and visible to the athletic department and particularly the football program. I go to their practices, I get to know the coaches individually, I get to know the players individually. I have not missed a home or away game in my nine years at NDSU. When I tell my colleagues around the nation that I go to the away games, they look at me in disbelief and more than once they’ve said, “That’s crazy,” and it probably is, but it results in a relationship where we are colleagues, we are engaged with each other and we know what our shared directions and mission is.
You’ve had experience in Texas working at Texas A&M, so you’ve been a Texas resident in the past. You’re a resident of Fargo now, but what do you think are the similarities between those two communities? There is a passion for the sport and a passion for this team’s success that is all the good things about college sports, but it is not at the obsessive level that we see it in some Division I FBS programs. It is a healthy enthusiasm and support, and it’s what brings the campus community together, even though that campus community comes together halfway across the country. You would see a very similar culture at Texas A&M; it’s certainly a bigger school and a bigger stadium, but the culture and atmosphere of both campuses are very similar. They’re academically very similar, and the orientation of the athletic program is very similar.
From a university standpoint, whether it’s academics or athletics, how does the football program’s success trickle down through the rest of the university? It absolutely sets the tone of success. It sets the tone of high expectations, but
of achievable expectations. It calibrates people as to what NDSU is, it’s a major, top 100 ranked research university. I’m still compelled by the year we beat Colorado State in Fort Collins. The Denver papers referred to us as a “peer institution” of Colorado State. Well, they have two times as many students and do three times as much research, but we became a “peer” of theirs because of the success of the football program against their program. It’s a gauge people use, either rightly or wrongly. The reality is people use athletics as a gauge of major universities and how successful they are. We’re very fortunate to have one of the winningest overall Division I programs in the nation, obviously a history making dominance in football. An incredible record against FBS teams and Power Five teams, it redefines what NDSU is in the eyes of the nation.
How rare is it for a university to have such a high GPA within its athletic department like NDSU does? This athletic program far exceeds any academic profile of the student body at large. There are very few programs at the competitive level we’re at where the student-athletes would identify themselves as students first, athlete second. For the last four years now, every semester we’ve had at least 60 of our 400 student-athletes with perfect 4.0 GPAs. That number was 79 this last semester. I cannot find any Division I league in the nation that has that sort of academic performance, much less that academic performance as an overlap of athletic performance.
FRISCO
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BISON Photos By Hillary Ehlen
The yearly pep fest featured some familiar faces. Bison fans turned out in droves to Legacy Hall in Plano Friday night to fire themselves up for the Saturday game. Doors opened at 3 p.m. with the Bison Bash beginning at 6:15 p.m. By roughly 3:15 there was a line outside the door of Legacy Hall. Throughout the course of the evening, the Plano Fire Marshal was doing sweeps through the area. That’s the true strength of the herd.
A young fan asks Todd Wash how many times his Bison teams defeated UND.
North Dakota State President Dean Bresciani gives a roaring speech to an already raucous Bison crowd.
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Ryan Gellner was the emcee of the event again this year. Gellner is the sideline reporter for the Bison Television Network.
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The Frisco
Bison fans crowd the lot across the street from Toyota Stadium
An NDSU supporter is interviewed by Valley News Live’s Mike Morken for the station’s Bison Pregame Show.
No tailgate is complete without some Texas-style barbecue. 96
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The BBQ Boot Camp team fires up some delectable burgers on their Big Green Egg grill.
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Since the alumni practice began, the number of former players flocking to Frisco grows each year. According to Chris Klieman, there were roughly 200 to 300 former Bison on the Toyota Stadium practice field on this day.
THOSE WHO CAME If you ask current Bison players what their favorite part of Frisco week is, besides playing the game, they'll say the alumni practice, hosted by the Bison Football Players Association.
Photos By Hillary Ehlen
Old friendships are given the opportunity to rekindle as teammates reunite for this weekend in Texas.
All eras of Bison football are represented on this day.
Laughs and smiles are shared as the former players await the conclusion of the team's walkthrough
Alumni look on from inside Toyota Stadium's practice field as the current Bison team prepares for a short walkthrough the day before the game.
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INTO THE
Photos By Hillary Ehlen
69-6 Think about those numbers for a moment. That is Chris Klieman’s head coaching record at North Dakota State. Add to that, four FCS national championships and a 16-1 record in the FCS playoffs. To say Klieman has been anything short of legendary in his time in Fargo is woefully wrong. In only five years at North Dakota State, he has established himself as one of the school’s all-time great coaches. Now, he heads to Kansas State, the big time. By signing on to be the next head coach in Manhattan, Chris Klieman has done something no other NDSU coach
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Chris Klieman leaves Fargo in perfect fashion.
has done and that is the leap to the Power Five ranks. Folks in Fargo know that he will be successful at Kansas State given his body of work here.
Just like anything, there is an element of bittersweetness to Klieman leaving. However, for him to depart Fargo with the 24 seniors he brought to this program, is remarkable. That sort of storyline is what makes for books and movies. As Klieman said, he was technically a senior too. To go undefeated and win a record seventh national championship only heightens the circumstances. Chris Klieman is a winner. He is also an incredible person and he will succeed in Manhattan, Kansas. Congratulations on the win, coach and we wish you the best of luck in the future. You couldn’t have ended your time in Fargo any other way.
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One of the most interesting aspects of Frisco is what has been referred to as "The Walk". Players from both teams descend from their buses and walk to the stadium surrounded by their own fans. The ritual is always one of the loudest and most anticipated moments in the lead up to the game.
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President Dean Bresicani is all smiles on his walk to Toyota Stadium.
Freshman wide receiver Phoenix Sproles enjoys his time on the walk.
Senior defensive end Greg Menard is all business. Photos By Hillary Ehlen
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Defensive backs coach Joe Klanderman waves at the Bison crowd. Klanderman will take up the safeties coach position with Chris Klieman at Kansas State.
Senior defensive end Stanley Jones dawns his best cowboy hat for the walk.
No walk is complete without Thundar.
In anticipation of NDSU's arrival to the stadium, this member of the Bison cheer team runs up and down the walkway with his Bison flag.
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The team takes their official team photo at Toyota Stadium
BISON Fargo media descends upon Frisco to get one final conversation with the Bison before they took the field against Eastern Washington.
Senior Greg Menard smiles while answering a question. Photos By Hillary Ehlen
Easton Stick answers a question at NDSU's press conference.
Senior cornerback Jalen Allison faces the camera of WDAY's Joel Sipper.
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GAME Easton Stick celebrates after his game-sealing touchdown run
Code Green celebrates after Levi Jordheim gets his first career interception.
Junior running back Ty Brooks breaks loose for a 50-yard run.
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Senior Greg Menard prepares to rush the quarterback.
This Bison fan is caught in the middle of bedlam. He doesn't really care.
Photos By Hillary Ehlen and Brent Tehven
Sophomore Michael Tutsie is fired up after making a big play on special teams.
Seniors Jalen Allison and Greg Menard celebrate with the trophy.
Chris Klieman raises the national chapionship trophy one more time as a Bison.
TEAM MAKERS
Revelations Not only did Bison football have a productive trip to Frisco, but so did NDSU Team Makers.
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ometimes, opportunities fall into your lap. There is no greater evidence of that than Team Makers President Chris Haugrud’s Frisco story. The new President and the group as a whole are striving to up their membership. Within that broad goal are more detailed objectives they’d like to accomplish. Mainly, this entails debunking the myth of who can join Team Makers. For several decades, the public perception of Team Maker members has been “rich males.” In fact, that could not be further from reality. Anyone, whether a man or woman, can join Team Makers. Prospective members can be donating as little as $100 to the group and still be considered a member. Those two facts alone do away with the idea that there is an iron clad demographic within Team Makers. Haugrud had a rather unique experience this year while in Frisco, Texas, when he signed up a new Team Maker member. The
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prospective member was a former football player at North Dakota State. He had also started an endowment. Because of those two facts, this prospective member thought he was disqualified from becoming a Team Maker in the first place. So, being mindful of that, Haugrud sprung into action. He was quick to tell the prospective member that neither of those two qualities discounted him from joining Team Makers. With his preconceived notions negated, he was eager to join. The new Team Makers President took this gentleman step by step and signed him up for the group online. Now, he is no longer a prospective member, but a Team Makers member. Incredible things happen in Frisco, Texas, on a yearly basis within the NDSU community. Whether that be the Bison football team winning its seventh national championship in eight seasons or Chris Haugrud disproving the Team Makers stereotypes, NDSU seems to do remarkable things every year in Texas.
(From left to right) Fargo South graduates and North Dakota State attendees Jeremy Cossette, Mike Berreth, Team Makers President Chris Haugrud, Wade Berreth and Jake Schwartz in Frisco.
TEAM MAKERS
Updated Team Makers Benefit Chart Notable updates: • Reduced maximum amount of single game tickets you can request to 10 due to one less home football game. • The Full Scholarship amount has risen to $22,300. This will change the priority point number in the bottom right to 446. • All reserved parking spots (Lot D or Lot R) must be requested for and purchased this year. • Captain Club $500 – Gold Club $4,999 can request a maximum of one parking spot. • Bison Club $5,000+ can request a maximum of two spots. • All spots must be purchased. In past years, $5,000+ donors received one free spot and were able to purchase an additional one.
Team Makers Presents Annual Check On Thursday, Jan. 10, Team Makers Executive Director Pat Simmers, Past President Kris Bakkegard and Team Makers President Chris Haugrud presented a $5.3 million check to NDSU athletics. NDSU President Dean Bresciani and Athletic Director Matt Larsen accepted on the department’s behalf. The $5.3 million number was a large increase compared to last year’s $4.2 million mark. Simmers broke down the change in amount:
(From left) Pat Simmers, Matt Larsen, Dean Bresciani, Kris Bakkegard and Chris Haugrud smile with the Team Makers’ check presented to NDSU Athletics.
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“Before, we only included the scholarship support number. Now, we’ve re-worked our budget a bit. We’ve taken the expense side, scholarships, program support and what we call Team Makers operations,” he said. “It’s an operational thing, ‘program success’ as we call it. That scholarship number has always been there. Team Makers is 80 percent in scholarship. As our programs continue to grow, endowments continue to grow. As we get more endowments and Team Makers revenue, it helps us support other parts of the athletic department. That whole combination really encompasses what Team Makers does. That’s where you get that larger number this year.”
E L A N I F O C S I R F O T O G R A F
By Jaylaan Wimbush
Senior defensive back Jaylaan Wimbush logs the events, moments and emotions of his final trip to Frisco. Photos By Hillary Ehlen and Brent Tehven 113
UNTIL GAMEDAY Wednesday
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Morning Had a good time finishing the final details of our game plan at the dome for practice this morning and just had a blast being with the guys and having another good ol’ country music Wednesday. I don’t really know about everyone else, but I do enjoy these jumpsuits they got us this year. We all look fancy in them. Afternoon I’m writing to you guys right now 33,000 feet in the air without WiFi (ughhhhh, I’m dying here). I’m really excited to get down to land again and get to Omni Hotel, where we will be staying. Another hour-and-a-half or so to go, and we will be in Dallas! On a side note, I can’t express how lucky this team is to have the most dedicated and committed fan base in the nation. We roll strong wherever we go and I’m so fortunate to be a part of this. The strength of the bison is the herd and the strength of the herd is the bison! Early Evening-Night Oh man, this hotel is absolutely amazing. I literally haven’t seen a hotel this nice ever. It honestly resembles its own sort of town like it could be called Jerry’s world. The food is absolutely amazing and the beds...ohhhh the beds are like jumping on clouds. Just amazing.
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We got cut loose a bit early after walkthrough and had a few hours to ourselves where guys could go and check out the mini town by the hotel and that’s what happened. For me, I just went and got some food at Raising Canes and went back to my room, talked with my fiancée for a bit, and watched a little TV. I kept it simple just so that I could keep focus and relax after a day full of traveling. Can’t wait to tell you guys about tomorrow’s adventures! Go Bison!
Thursday
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Morning It is extremely hard to get out of bed and get the day going with how amazing this bed feels. If only you guys could feel it. Other than that it’s an early morning because it is a day filled with stuff. Breakfast seemed like it flew by even though it was absolutely delicious. Next we had position meetings to catch up on seeing our opponent, Eastern Washington. I always enjoy our meetings because they aren’t so uptight like most people would assume. There are times of seriousness but, in order to keep us engaged and attentive, coach will always make a joke or tell us a story about people we don’t know and it always puts a smile on everyone’s face just to hear Coach Klanderman say crazy stuff like that. Mid-Morning We headed to Toyota Stadium after
UNTIL GAMEDAY meetings to take our team picture and have media day before practice. The team photo is always great because there are guys snapping selfies and stuff like that together, checking each other’s hair to make sure it’s OK, and in other cases, checking beards. Media day was also pretty cool because I was able to share my “Dear Football” letter that ended up being a pretty big deal.
Friday
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Afternoon After all of the cameras and lights and things of that nature, and a good practice, we got to chow down for lunch back at the hotel. Not sure if I mentioned the food yet in these two days of journaling but gosh it’s really good. Like any good football program, we ended up having more meetings and more walkthroughs in the time span after lunch until it was time to head to the Miracle League event, which is a wonderful thing that is done for those kids and their families. The amount of smiles and laughs that we are able to help produce for these kids is amazing as well as the excitement they all get from playing football with these players and having the teams cheer them on as they make plays.
Mid-Morning Today was a bit of a different day in that we didn’t have to be up as early for meetings because we had the championship banquet to attend. With guys all dressed to impress and be amazing like we always are, it was good to switch shifts and really enjoy the little things. We were able to see the National Soccer Hall of Fame and enjoy the virtual reality experience and different things they had to offer while we were there. It was also awesome to see Ben Ellefson get awarded the Elite 90 award for his outstanding accomplishments in the classroom. Love that guy!
The Miracle League game ended in a tie, then we headed back to the buses for the Great Texas Barbecue Bowl, where the two teams get to enjoy themselves and have fun. With me being an older guy on the team, I have played many of the games and done all of this stuff, but this year I wanted to just lay back and have a good time watching the other guys do their own thing. I did my fair share of bowling, but other than that I let the young guys enjoy themselves and make those memories.
After eating heaping amounts of bacon and having a side of eggs with biscuits and gravy, we headed back to the hotel to change and get back into football mode with the game being less than 24 hours away. We had our special teams meeting and we also had offense and defense walkthroughs in the hotel before another fantastic meal at the Omni.
Evening We won the BBQ Bowl belt, then loaded up buses yet again and headed to the hotel to end the night. I was feeling a bit sweet, so I went with some of the older O-line to the ice cream shop and had ourselves a sweet treat with the main man himself, Hank Jacobs. It was nice to just relax and be old, I guess you could say. It was a fantastic treat as well, but I was ready for bed. I hit the hay for the night anxious for Friday to come.
Afternoon In the afternoon, we went to Toyota Stadium for our most memorable moments for everyone, the alumni practice. We have our own thing on the field and then after we finish, a plethora of former Bison greats show up and show their love and support for the players
wearing green and gold. I will never forget these moments because you bond and make connections with guys that are 20-plus years older than you are and you just have that genuine compassion in your heart because through everything you speak the same language and you know what it is that you signed up for when you said you wanted to be an NDSU Bison. I’m glad that one day I will be able to be on the other side looking on and supporting and caring for the players just as these former players did for me in my five years here. Evening After all was said and done with the alumni practice we headed back to the hotel for meetings, pregame dinner and captains’ meetings. As we get prepared to go to work in about 12 hours everyone has the look of pure victory on their face and I’m so ready to go to bed and share the field with these guys. But before I do that, my parents, my fiancée and my friend have all just arrived to Texas from Florida and Minnesota so I have to go spend time with them and chat up a storm. Also, it’s pretty cool because the Dallas Cowboys will also be staying in the hotel tonight for their game tomorrow. It’s pretty heavily secured right now, so that’s that. But I am going to bed now and I will be ready for a war tomorrow.
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Pregame I couldn’t sleep, which is pretty normal for me on a game night, but last night was different. Each year I’ve played football here, I have not thought about the next game or the last one of the season, but today is different because this game marks an end to my time here at NDSU. There is no other way I would want to go out than with a win but also as a national champion. I have to do everything in my power to help the team be successful. I’m so ready. We have breakfast and I don’t eat much before a game which at times comes to bite me in the butt, but it’s something I’ve always done. After we eat, Coach Klieman says his words and we feel every word that he is saying as we prepare ourselves mentally. We load up the buses and the police escort to the stadium is just amazing and awesome to have. We pass by hundreds of cars and vans and buses of Bison fans as we prepare for the game and we are all locked in. The stadium walk is still such an awesome thing to experience as well. The band, the fans, your family all there lining the walkway as you prepare for this moment. I listen to so many different genres of music as I prepare for a game. Rap and rock have to be a must as you prepare. The locker room is pretty quiet right before I leave and head to the stairs 116
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to go to the field, and I love it. I have a pregame ritual which I love to do even though it isn’t a must. I walk the sideline around the field walking around the goal post on each end and then I walk the 50 and walk right back into the locker room to get dressed. I have done that every game this season and about half of them last year. I don’t know what got me started with this pregame ritual but I love to do it. The game is about to start, so I’ll talk to you after we celebrate. Postgame Man what a game! I don’t think anything could describe this team better than resilient, hardworking, gritty football. Shoutout to Bryce Bennot for the word and tradition of Grit Week – he lives it in his day-to-day life. I can’t say enough about this game and this group. From the start we wanted to be great and we set out to do that starting in the very beginning of the season with Cal Poly. Though it seemed like forever ago, that was the game that led us to this opportunity. I’m beyond blessed to be part of this team and this program and I have to say that the best fans in the nation have a Bison on their shirt somewhere and wear the green and gold. The fans today were amazing and the energy was electric. I was THUNDERSTRUCK!!
The Flight Home I sit on the plane now heading back to Fargo preparing for my next steps in life and the one thing that is staying constant on my mind is I will for sure miss this. Five years ago I was told by many people that this place is special. I believed it as any young 18-year-old should, but I lived it and now it’s with me forever. I will never forget the memories and moments that I have been able to capture and see because the saying stands true, “Those who stay will be champions.” That goes for the fans too. Those who stay through the ups and downs of a season or the ups and downs of a player’s career or even those who stay through whole games whether they are blowouts or not will be champions with us. I can’t thank NDSU, my family, my fiancée, the coaches, the players, these seniors and the other athletes enough for just being a part of the best decision I have ever made and if I had to do it again... I would do it a thousand times over just to be with everything that it has brought into my life. Thank you all so much for riding along through this journey, and I hope to see everyone from a different perspective as a Bison fan. Thank you and GO BISON!
the ross
Report
Uglem is a native of Northwood, North Dakota, and covers NDSU basketball and football for Bison Report, a division of 247 Sports.
BY ross uglem
Time to Reflect and Appreciate
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here are fourth graders in Bison Nation who know nothing in life but a Missouri Valley Championship. Eight years. No real failure. Sure, the 2016 team didn't win a national championship, but they made it to the semifinals and beat a nationally ranked Iowa team in Kinnick
Stadium. As coach Klieman reminded us down in Frisco, that's pretty dang good. You guys might remember my "Pack the SHAC" column from a couple of months back in this very magazine. I intimated that maybe the success of the football team had spoiled the fan base.
It is indeed possible that coach Bohl and coach Klieman's success skewed expectations for the other sports in the department. I'm starting to realize now, though, that they are skewing reality. The level of success that they've found a way to sustain isn't even incredible, it's borderline impossible. It's something that I wouldn't believe if I hadn't lived here for the duration. Just ask Coach Klieman: "It is the greatest run in the history of college football, I truly believe it." The haters will certainly tell you that it's easy. That NDSU should move up to FBS, or that they're the "JV" of Division I. Because it happens over and over it must not be very difficult, right? Wrong. It's very difficult. Just because it's unprecedented doesn't mean that it isn't hard. The reality is that North Dakota State doesn't really have a ton of intrinsic advantages. Sure, the Fargodome is a nice place but it's more than 20 years old. Very few Bison are choosing North Dakota State because of the friendly confines of the Thunderdome. NDSU also doesn't have an indoor practice facility (yet). UND does. SDSU does. There are schools with better facilities. There are schools with bigger athletic budgets. There are schools in nicer climates where it is easier to recruit. It never seems to matter, though. The Bison win, and they do it over and over and over again. Every school gets 63 scholarships to
PHOTO BY Hillary Ehlen
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be divided up between no more than 85 players. It is an even playing field. It just happens to be an even playing field where one team happens to be the one at the top of the mountain. When Coach Klieman took over the head coaching position from Craig Bohl, it was explained to him very clearly by then-athletic director Gene Taylor that 8-3 and a playoff appearance would not be considered a successful season here. 7-4? People would be calling for your job. Matt Entz faces that exact same challenge right now. The point that I'm slowly approaching here is that while the goals of North Dakota State football will always remain the same, it's important that the results are viewed with realistic perspective. This is indeed, as Coach Klieman pointed out, the greatest run in college football history. It's potentially the greatest run in football history, period. Here are some of the greatest football runs of all time: Green Bay Packers (NFL) - 1961, 62 and 65 NFL Champions followed by Super Bowl Championships in 66 and 67 -ultimately equates to five titles in seven seasons Mount Union (NCAA D3)- titles in 1993, '96, '97, '98, 2000, '01, '02, '05, '06, '08, '12, '15, '17 -- ultimately 13 championships in 24 seasons Alabama (NCAA FBS)- 2009, '11, '12, '15, '17 -- ultimately four championships in seven seasons None of these runs are as successful in as concentrated a period of time. Impressive? Sure. Incredible? Absolutely, but ultimately it's not eight conference championships in eight years with seven national championships in the same time. That is two full classes of players, from freshman year to senior year then from freshman year to senior year again with no more than one playoff loss to the eventual champion. Since the Bison left the field in Cheney, Washington, after losing a national quarterfinal game in overtime on December 11 in 2010 they have a 112-8 record. One hundred twelve and eight. Their all time record in the FCS playoffs is 32-2. That's a winning percentage better than 94 percent.
North Dakota State's success level in football is the kind of success that you had in EA Sports' NCAA Football series when you started the Dynasty Mode and played every game. The Bison get their pick of the FCS recruits and then everyone else fights for the rest. When they actually lose a game it's borderline national news. It certainly seems like I'm hammering home the point here. I just want the general Bison public to truly appreciate how difficult this run has been.It is a truly unrealistic level of success, yet as Bison fans it is our reality. Here's another way to put what NDSU has accomplished into perspective. Take Ohio State for example. The Buckeyes are a Midwest program, and one of the very top football programs in the country. Since 2013 Ohio State is 74-8. Even at that level of winning Urban Meyer's program still "only" has three conference championships and one national title. At North Dakota State that would be considered a train wreck, and that's darn good football. Fan expectations are now that North Dakota State will stand atop the mountain of the 125 FCS programs every season. Not every time that they're able to build up a good group of seniors and juniors, not every time the stars align and they stay healthy. Every. Single. Season. This certainly may come across as me making excuses in advance for the new coaching staff. It isn't. Coach Entz and his crew are going to have the same high standards that were installed by Craig Bohl and were continued and elevated by Chris Klieman. Winning at a national level is still going to be priority one. It's just important that we as a people that follow and appreciate everything that this football team has done take time to reflect on how ridiculously successful this has all been. The Dynasty is in no way over, but at some point a person needs to look back and reflect. We have all in some way, big or small, been a part of the most successful run in college football history. That is pretty cool.
SLAUBAUGH'S
SCOOP
Sunburn Aside, Frisco Once Again Did Not Disappoint
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t would be the last chance for us to watch the Bison as students, and probably the last guys trip we’d take before we eventually spread out across the country after graduation. So, for the second straight year, my buddies and I hopped into a car (literally hopped, we were that excited) and drove 1,074 miles to Frisco, Texas, for the FCS National Championship game. For those who have made the trip down, you know it’s not the most interesting of drives. The thing that keeps you going is the end destination, though. That warm Texas sun, a plethora of things to see and do and of course the game was the juice we needed to drive through the Midwest night. That, and a handful of 5-Hour Energy drinks, which prompted the conversation of whether drinking two 5-Hour Energy drinks gives you ten hours of energy or five hours of double energy. We argued for at least an hour, and I haven’t been able to stop 120
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thinking about it since. We arrived in Denton, Texas, around 1 p.m. Friday and checked into our hotel. We were interested in taking a quick swim in their pool, but it was filled with green mold so we took a nap instead which is never a bad Plan B. That night, we went to Dallas to check out the area where John F. Kennedy was assassinated and learned a few different theories from what seemed to be educated Dallas locals. It was both enjoyable and enriching. After, we headed to the Boardwalk at Granite Park in Plano, Texas, for some appetizers and drinks. It was a really beautiful area, and the experience was made even better when, after the waitress forgot one small appetizer, decided to load us up with free food and beverages for the rest of the evening. If that’s not living proof the Lord looks out for poor college kids, then I don’t know what is. Some 12 hours later, we headed to the main event the title game. Fargo South
BY DAN SLAUBAUGH Slaubaugh is a Bismarck, N.D., native and is currently a senior at North Dakota State University. Slaubaugh has spent time as an intern for NDSU athletics.
was hoppin’. The tailgating once again didn’t disappoint. Per usual, it was a sweet atmosphere outside Toyota Stadium. After catching up with a few former colleagues at NDSU Athletics that I hadn’t seen in a while, we decided to enter Toyota Stadium and snatch up the best area to stand for the game given our standingroom-only tickets. We ended up at the 50-yard line and in the sun. The game really provided everything we could’ve asked for. Trick plays. Easton Stick putting on a clinic in his last game in green and gold. The game coming down to the final few minutes. In the end, North Dakota State’s dynasty continued winning its seventh national championship in eight years and sending Chris Klieman and 24 seniors out on top. I left the stadium with a very red and painful sunburn on the left side of my face, where the hot Texas sun was glaring, and with a developing headache probably from dehydration. I guess that’s what happens when you’re so focused on the game you forget to replenish your fluids. Later that day, headache still
intact and friends napping, I walked across the street from our hotel to a Waffle House to get away for a little. The waitress was so nice and friendly and fully aware the Bison had won the championship earlier that day. I received comments like “We love having you guys down here. Y’all are so friendly every time you visit us” and “Please keep winning so you can keep coming down.” It made me proud to be associated with a culture that’s developed a standup reputation across Texas throughout the decade. On the flip side, I’d be lying if it didn’t make me a little sad that my time in this area is coming to an end. The good thing for you: considering the dearth of young talent that’s been waiting patiently for their turn, I’d bet that’s the only thing that will be coming to an end. The Bison will be back. And that Waffle House waitress will be waiting. I’m Dan Slaubaugh, and this is your Slaubaugh Scoop. Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful February. Go Bison.
SWANY SAYS
BY JOSHUA A. SWANSON *Swanson is a native of Maddock, N.D., a proud NDSU alum and a lifelong Bison fan.
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hat didn’t take very long. Only days removed from North Dakota State vanquishing Eastern Washington to capture the program’s seventh national championship in eight years, and the school’s fifteenth national title overall, the naysayers are circling like vultures around a carcass, all too eager to chronicle NDSU’s demise. Some are already on record proclaiming 2019 as James Madison’s year and that the Dukes will be the team winning it all in Frisco, Texas, come next January. I’m talking to you, Sam Herder. Sam is familiar to most FCS fan bases, players and coaches for his work chronicling the FCS for Hero Sports. Truth be told, Sam does an excellent job, and there are few scribes that have as in-depth knowledge of the subdivision as he does. But there, in bold headlines splashed across Hero Sports’ website, Mr. Herder has JMU as the prohibitive favorite to win the 2019 championship.
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He’s not alone. I have a feeling that other FCS aficionados like Craig Haley at Stats FCS and Athlon Sports, along with Sam’s counterpart at Hero Sports, Brian McLaughlin, will likewise crown the Dukes as favorites. To pile on, don’t be surprised if the Bison barbershop quartet of Dom Izzo, Mike McFeely, Jeff Kolpack and Eric Peterson tap JMU as the preseason No. 1 in August. And why not? Like Churchill said, “You must look at facts because they look at you.” Or, to quote our second president, John Adams, “Facts are stubborn things.” The facts are this. As Haley correctly points out in a recent article titled, “FCS Football: 2019 National Title Contenders,” JMU returns 19 starters, and, as we’ve heard ad nauseam, and will hear ad nauseam, has proven they can beat the Bison in the playoffs. Isn’t that record more played-out than a Justin Bieber song? Anyway, according to Haley, much like this year’s EWU team that made a run to the championship game after missing the playoffs in 2017, the Dukes “are
In fairness, messieurs Herder and Haley have the Bison listed among the teams they think could make a run at the championship – although, they are quick to point out, as Herder does, “Will the Bison be as dominant as 2018? No. The field should level up.” To quote Churchill, once more, “All wisdom is not new wisdom.” Just five years ago, weren’t we having this same discussion? NDSU has one of the best teams in FCS history, dominating the subdivision on its way to winning the FCS championship with an undefeated season. Lo! 2014 beckons, and the headlines say the Bison are a much different team. Or, as Mr. Haley explained back in August 2014: “The (Eastern Washington) Eagles will knock out North Dakota State in the playoff semifinals and then go on to beat Southeastern Louisiana for another national title,” adding, for good measure, “The Bison are a much different team this season, having to replace 24 seniors under a new head coach, Chris Klieman.” So much for that. The Bison won their fourth straight national championship in 2014, going 15 -1. That team had a chip, more like a boulder, on their shoulders. New head coach, graduated a huge senior class with marquee players ranging from Brock Jensen to Marcus Williams and having to hear how there would be a drop-off and a changing of the guard. “With all the naysayers and everyone saying we lost so many, we kind of put a chip on our shoulder, and that was something we needed,” said senior running back John Crockett, following that year’s 35-3 semifinal win over Sam Houston State. “When we heard that, it
PHOTOS BY J. Alan Paul Photography
Chip On Their Shoulder
motivated after an early exit from the playoffs following back-to-back appearances in the title game.”
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was great, it was motivating. I feel that was the driving force of why we’re here in the fourth in a row.” Have we not learned anything from that experience? It appears not. All the better for NDSU and its fans. The facts, indeed Mr. Adams, are stubborn things, and, emphatically Mr. Churchill, this is not new wisdom. For the last decade, NDSU has dealt with these lofty expectations. For a decade, NDSU has had to hear the chorus of doubters saying this can’t, and won’t, go on forever. That one day, like the glory of ancient Rome, this golden age, too, will crumble. The odds are stacked against the Bison, the headline goes. The Bison are on their third head coach in that span, their second athletic director, fourth starting quarterback and have new players across the board hungry to emerge as impact guys. About the only constants are Dean Bresciani sitting in the president’s office at Old Main and Jim Kramer manning the strength and conditioning program at the SHAC. Something has to give, right? Even the great UCLA dynasty under John Wooden had a sunset. Not even the New England Patriots or Alabama Crimson Tide win every year. Maybe. But haven’t the Bison already defied history and the odds? Isn’t that one of the stories on this dynasty, that it’s without equal? That no matter the circumstances, there’s something about this place, this culture, this program, built to defy the odds. What, and who, says this has to come to an end. Certainly, not the 2019 Bison, who, as you read this, are hard at work under the direction of new head coach Matt Entz and grinding in the offseason strength and conditioning program led by Mr. Kramer. The 2014 Bison opened the season as underdogs at Iowa State with a new quarterback under center, a guy named Carson Wentz, and a new head coach in Chris Klieman. The Bison went into Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa, and handed it to the Cyclones 34-14. After that game, the players made clear that anyone who thought NDSU was satisfied with a trifecta of titles was
wrong. Dead wrong. “The tradition is the same. The culture is the same. The preparation is the same,” said Bison free safety and team captain Christian Dudzik following the win. “Same hard-nosed offense, same gang-tackling defense; it’s the way we do things.” Has that changed? From the very first team meeting in January 2014, Klieman made it clear that NDSU expected to be back in Texas for the four-peat. “I remember Coach Klieman said at our first team meeting we fully expected to be back in Frisco,” said Kyle Emanuel, the Buck Buchanan Award winner that season as the best defensive player in the FCS. “We put in a lot of hard work, a lot of hungry guys, a lot of guys that were motivated and here we are.” Has that changed? Do you think Entz said anything different in his first team meeting? The story is this. You don’t rebuild at North Dakota State. You reload. Caveat emptor – you pick against the Bison at your own peril. Much like that 2014 squad, the 2019 Bison will have a chip on their shoulder. Much like the 2014 guys, there are key players returning that have a championship pedigree. Like 2014, the Bison are not starting from scratch with a new coaching staff. There is a culture and continuity in place with coaches like Entz, Randy Hedberg, Tyler Roehl, Nick Goeser, Buddha Williams, Kody Morgan and Jake Otten returning. Oh, and some guy named Grant Olson is coming back to coach linebackers. As for the 2019 media darlings, the JMU Dukes. Their new head coach, Curt Cignetti, says it’s the Dukes year. During his introductory press conference, Cignetti made it clear where he thinks things stand. “There’s no other school at this level like JMU,” said Cignetti, adding, “[T]here’s only one James Madison, there’s only one.” Cignetti went so far as to call JMU the Alabama of the FCS. Well, we’ll see about that. Everybody up for the kickoff, the march is on.