Bison Rewind 2022

BISON REWIND

A game-by-game look back at NDSU’s journey to the FCS national championship game

By Eric Peterson

The Forum Fargo

North Dakota State

needed a clutch defensive play from senior safety Dawson Weber in the national semifinals to earn a return trip to

Frisco, Texas, and the NCAA Division I FCS national championship game for an unprecedented 10th time in the past 12 seasons.

The Bison rallied for a 35-32 victory against Incarnate Word in the FCS semifinals after falling behind by 16 points in the

Game 1: Bison 56, Drake 14

Saturday, Sept. 3, Fargodome

Attendance: 15,951

North Dakota State scored two special teams touchdowns to spark a 42-point first half against the Bulldogs.

Bison cornerback Destin Talbert returned a blocked field goal 56 yards for a touchdown and Jayden Price added a 66-yard punt return that gave NDSU a 21-7 lead with 14 minutes, 43 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

“Special teams are for special players,” said Bison defensive end Jake Kava, who blocked the field goal that led to Talbert’s touchdown.

Bison fullback Hunter

Luepke rushed for 53 yards on three attempts, including a 47-yard touchdown run for a 28-7 lead in the second quarter. NDSU tight end Noah Gindorff had three catches for 44 yards, including a 20-yard TD reception for a 35-7 lead with 3:19 remaining in the first half.

Bison defensive tackle Will Mostaert added a 5-yard fumble return for a touchdown for a 49-7 lead with 12:04 to play in the third quarter.

“We scored about every imaginable way that there is,” said Bison head coach Matt Entz. “We’re going to try to get this thing moving and we can get better day by day.”

Game 2: Bison 43, North Carolina A&T 3

Saturday, Sept. 10,

Fargodome

Attendance: 16,269

North Dakota State wide receiver Zach Mathis caught a 40-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and fullback Hunter Luepke added two more first-half TDs and the Bison had 36 points at halftime.

That brisk started helped NDSU cruise to a 40-point victory.

“I liked our mentality,” said Bison head coach Matt Entz. “The sideline was excited. The people on the field were excited.”

Bison quarterback Cam Miller completed 7 of 12 passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns. Luepke had a 15-yard touchdown catch and a 1-yard TD run in the second

quarter to help NDSU build a 36-3 halftime lead.

“I think we’re making strides in the right direction,” said Bison defensive end Spencer Waege, who had two sacks. “I think we’re going in on a positive note.”

The Bison suffered a key loss against the Aggies.

Defensive tackle Eli Mostaert had a serious leg injury that kept him out for the remainder of the regular season and at least through the FCS semifinals.

“When you pull out the air cast on the field, usually not a good sign,” Entz said after the game

There is a chance Mostaert could return for the championship game against South Dakota State.

opening quarter. NDSU (12-2) has won its previous nine trips to the FCS title game, including a 38-10 victory against Montana State in the championship last season. The nine national crowns are an FCS record. The Bison are set to face

rival South Dakota State (13-1) for the championship Jan. 8 at Toyota Stadium. The Jackrabbits rallied for a 23-21 victory against NDSU at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome during the regular season. The Bison are 4-0 against SDSU in the postseason.

NDSU heads into the championship with 44 FCS playoff victories, one behind Georgia Southern — now an FBS program — for the most in subdivision history. Below is a game-by-game glance at NDSU’s road to Frisco:

Saturday, Sept. 17, Tucson, Ariz.

Attendance: 41,211

NDSU fullback Hunter

Luepke rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns on 18 attempts and also caught three passes for 65 yards and a TD, but that wasn’t enough as the Wildcats scored the game-winning TD with less than five minutes to play in the fourth quarter.

“Always disappointing when you get beat,” said Bison head coach Matt Entz. “Arizona played really well. ... Frustrated for our kids, we

Saturday, Sept. 24, Vermillion, S.D.

Attendance: 6,530

played really hard, and I don’t think you can ever question how hard our kids play.”

Arizona receiver Jacob Cowing caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jayden de Laura for a 31-28 lead with 4 minutes, 53 seconds to play in the fourth.

Luepke scored on a 38-yard touchdown run that gave the Bison a 28-24 lead with 2:07 remaining in the third quarter, but NDSU was unable to protect that lead.

The Bison had won six consecutive games against

FBS competition.

“We came here to win. We came expecting to win,” said Bison senior safety Michael Tutsie. “We knew it was gonna be a dogfight. We didn’t expect to come here and do anything crazy, but we expect to come in and do what we do. Yeah, it felt like it slipped away.”

Game 4: Bison 34, South Dakota 17

“We got tired of getting in our own way and started playing Bison football,” said NDSU head coach Matt Entz.

NDSU fullback Hunter Luepke rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns on 20 attempts as the Bison rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit.

Luepke scored both his TDs in the second half as NDSU outscored the Coyotes 24-0 over the final two quarters.

USD took advantage of a Bison fumble and scored 14 points in the final minute of the first half to take a 17-10 lead into halftime. NDSU had three turnovers in the opening 30 minutes.

“I thought we were playing a little tense,” Luepke said of

the first half. “I think people were just trying to do a little too much.”

The Bison rushed for 356 yards and four touchdowns on 61 attempts to overcome the turnovers and miscues. NDSU also had five penalties for 64 yards.

“We just needed to get out of our own heads,” Luepke said. “We needed to step up and play football.”

Bison tight end Noah Gindorff had three catches for 30 yards in what proved to be his final game this season due to an ankle injury that never fully healed. North Dakota State’s Cam Miller slips a South Dakota tackle during their football game Sept. 24 in Vermillion, South Dakota.

Michael Vosburg / The Forum

David Samson / The Forum

North Dakota State’s Hunter Luepke celebrates his third-quarter touchdown against Arizona at Arizona Stadium in Tucson on Sept. 17.

Game 3: Arizona 31, Bison 28

Saturday, Oct. 1, Fargodome

Attendance: 18,055

NDSU fullback Hunter

Luepke scored two firstquarter touchdowns to spark the Bison to a homecoming victory. The Bison built a 21-3 lead after a Kobe Johnson 17-yard run late in the second quarter.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player like him,” said Bison safety Michael Tutsie, who had an interception against the Penguins.

The 6-foot-1, 236-pound Luepke rushed for 72 yards and two touchdowns on 13 attempts and also caught two passes for 34 yards.

“This is the standard,” said Youngstown State head coach Doug Phillips, “who we want to be and what kind of program we want to be.”

YSU running back Jaleel McLaughlin also had a stellar game, rushing for 150 yards on 17 attempts to go with three catches for 43

Game

Saturday, Oct. 8, Terre

Haute, Ind.

Attendance: 4,185

NDSU running back

TaMerik Williams rushed for 145 yards and three touchdowns on 13 attempts to help the Bison rally from an early 10-point deficit at Memorial Stadium.

“We found ways to win,” said Bison head coach Matt Entz.

The 6-foot-1, 229-pound Williams rushed for a 27-yard touchdown that gave

North Dakota State’s TaMerik Williams breaks away from Indiana State’s Kaleal Davis on a 27-yard touchdown run at Memorial Stadium in Terra Haute, Indiana, on Oct. 8.

David Samson / The Forum

North Dakota State’s Hunter Luepke breaks away on a touchdown run against Youngstown State during their football game Oct. 1 in Fargo.

yards, including 35-yard TD reception that cut the Bison lead to 24-14 with less than five minutes to play in the fourth quarter.

“When you face guys like that, you have to have

outstanding tackling,” Tutsie said.

Bison defensive end Spencer Waege had 2 1/2 sacks. NDSU defensive end Jake Kava left the game with what proved to be a season-ending injury.

Bison 31, Indiana State 26

NDSU a 24-20 lead with 6 minutes, 14 seconds to play in the third quarter. Wide receiver Zach Mathis added a 10-yard TD catch for a 31-20 lead with 5:49 to play in the fourth quarter.

“It’s probably been building since I started the season honestly,” Williams said of his breakout performance. “I just knew my opportunity will come somewhere down the stretch in the season so it was just all about being prepared for

it.”

Bison quarterback Cam Miller completed 21 of 27 passes for 210 yards and one touchdown and NDSU rushed for 306 yards and three TDs on 48 attempts. The Bison, however, lost three fumbles to the Sycamores.

“I just know we can get better,” Mathis said. “We’ve got to take care of the ball. ... It’s frustrating because drives get killed and that’s the quickest way to lose game is turnovers.”

Saturday, Oct. 15,

Fargodome

Attendance: 18,603

South Dakota State scored 16 unanswered points after halftime to rally from a 14-point first-half deficit to retain the Dakota Marker trophy.

Jackrabbits kicker Hunter

Dustman booted an 18-yard field goal for a 23-21 lead with 3 minutes, 49 seconds to play in the fourth quarter. Dustman kicked three field goals in the second half and running back Amar Johnson scored on a 16-yard touchdown run that cut the Bison lead to 21-17 with 3:03 remaining in the third quarter.

“I learned something about our team in the second half and that I really love what I learned,” said SDSU head coach John Stiegelmeier.

The Bison took a 21-7 lead after fullback Hunter Luepke

caught a 30-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cam Miller with 11:08 to play in the second quarter. NDSU had a chance to extend that lead, but backup quarterback Cole Payton was intercepted on a second-and-9 play with the ball at the SDSU 20-yard line.

Miller had a stellar first half, completing 12 of 12 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns.

“Doesn’t matter,” Miller said. “We didn’t win.”

The Bison offense, however, went stagnant in the second half, gaining 74 yards on 22 plays after halftime.

“The only thing I do know how to do is work hard and so we’re going to get back to work,” said Bison head coach Matt Entz said. “I’m excited about it because we’re gonna find out who really wants to get down to work, get their hands dirty and get better.”

Illinois State 7

Saturday, Oct. 29,

Fargodome

Attendance: 16,172

NDSU quarterback Cam Miller completed 20 of 30 passes for 174 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 40 yards and a TD on 10 attempts. The Bison scored the game’s final 24 points and outscored the Redbirds 14-0 in the second half.

“We couldn’t do anything in the second half on either side of the football,” said Illinois State head coach Brock Spack. “We didn’t match their intensity.”

The Bison limited Illinois

State to 219 yards on 50 plays, including 76 rushing yards on 28 attempts.

NDSU rushed for 192 yards on 37 attempts, including a 12-yard touchdown run from backup quarterback Cole Payton in the third quarter. Miller completed 67% of his passes.

“The quarterback beat us running the ball and throwing it. He had a good game, I thought,” Spack said of Miller. “They’ve been complaining about him a little bit up here, I guess. We saw him in high school and really liked him. He’s a good player.”

Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum

North Dakota State’s Joe Stoffel gets some air as he’s tackled by South Dakota State’s Dalys Beanum during their football game on Oct. 15 at the Fargodome.

6:

Game 7: South Dakota State 23, Bison 21

Game 8: Bison 24,

Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum

North Dakota State’s Cam Miller gets tackled by Illinois State’s Deandre Lamont (3) and Zeke Vandenburgh (5) during their football game on Oct. 29 at the Fargodome.

Michael Vosburg / The Forum

Game 5: Bison 27, Youngstown State 14

Game 9: Bison 56, Western Illinois 17

Saturday, Nov. 5, Macomb, Ill.

Attendance: 2,534

NDSU running back TaMerik Williams rushed for 120 yards and two touchdowns on 12 attempts and TK Marshall added 118 rushing yards and two TDs on six carries as the Bison cruised to victory.

NDSU rushed for 453 yards and seven touchdowns on 55 attempts and attempted five passes on a windy afternoon at Hanson Field. Kobe Johnson had 91 rushing yards and a TD on 13 attempts.

“I think Mother Nature played a part in it for sure,” Williams said of NDSU sticking to the ground game. “We’d like to be as balanced as possible, but if we’ve got to run the ball we’ve got plenty of running backs that can do it.”

Saturday, Nov. 12, Carbondale, Ill.

Attendance: 4,575

The Bison scored 21 points in the third quarter and built a 49-10 lead after a Marshall 1-yard TD run with 43

seconds to play in the third.

“We knew we were going to run the ball a lot,” Williams said.

Game 10: Bison 21, Southern Illinois 18

North Dakota State scored 14 unanswered points to start the fourth quarter and rallied for victory at Saluki Stadium.

Bison quarterback Cam Miller scored on a 5-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to give NDSU the lead for good.

Running back TaMerik Williams added a 3-yard TD run to give the Bison a 21-10 lead with 4 minutes, 40 seconds remaining in the

fourth quarter. “They’re all big at this point of the year,” said Bison head coach Matt Entz. “You’re just trying to finish the year out right. I think we’ve seen some glimpses of steady improvement over the last two, three weeks. I’m excited about that. ... We’re not by far a finished product.”

The previous time NDSU played in Carbondale the Salukis cruised to a 38-14 victory in February 2021, ending a 39-game Bison winning streak, an FCS record.

“Yeah, it definitely added another edge to the game,” said Bison linebacker James Kaczor. “We talked about it and we didn’t want that same feeling to happen so I’m glad we took care of business today and it didn’t happen again.”

The game proved costly from an injury standpoint. Bison do-everything fullback Hunter Luepke and starting right tackle Mason Miller both suffered season-ending injuries.

Game 11: Bison 42, North Dakota 21

Saturday, Nov. 19, Fargodome

Attendance: 18,806

NDSU quarterback Cam

Miller rushed for 93 yards and five touchdowns on 16 attempts as the Bison powered their way to victory against their in-state rival.

Miller also completed 8 of 12 passes for 159 yards. The Bison rushed for 363 yards and six touchdowns on 55 attempts, averaging 6.6 yards per carry, and scored the game’s first 21 points.

Miller tied a program record for rushing TDs in a game.

“I’m more locked in when I can run the ball more and kind of take hits that kind of helps me ooze into the game a little bit more,”

Miller said.

The Bison took a 21-0

FCS

lead after Miller scored on a 7-yard TD run with 14 minutes, 8 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

“It came down to you’ve got to stay in the game otherwise they’re just going to run the football and then it becomes a tough situation,” said UND head coach Bubba Schweigert.

Miller capped his day with a 30-yard touchdown run that gave NDSU a 42-21 lead with 1:22 remaining in the third quarter.

“I don’t know if we have played our best football yet, but we’re sure excited to go try and keep getting better,” said Bison head coach Matt Entz . “This team can.”

second round:

Bison 49, Montana 26

Saturday, Dec. 3, Fargodome

Attendance: 12,929

NDSU had four rushing touchdowns of at least 68 yards to power past the Grizzlies. Bison running back Kobe Johnson rushed for a career-high 206 yards and two touchdowns on 12 attempts. TaMerik Williams rushed for 101 yards and a TD on 11 attempts.

Johnson had touchdown runs of 75 and 73 yards as NDSU rushed for 453 yards and six touchdowns on 42 attempts, averaging 10.8 yards per carry.

“We had some big-time plays,” said Bison head coach Matt Entz.

Montana cut the Bison lead to 21-20 after Corbin Walker’s 58-yard interception return for a touchdown with 10 minutes, 58 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Johnson scored on a 75-yard TD run on the next play from scrimmage that built a 28-20 lead and started a run of 28 unanswered NDSU points.

“That was a critical play at a huge time,” Entz said. Bison linebacker Cole Wisniewski covered a fumble in the end zone to give the Bison a 21-10 lead with less than a minute to play in the first half.

Michael Vosburg / The Forum

North Dakota State’s Dawson Weber intercepts a Southern Illinois pass during their football game Nov. 12 in Carbondale, Illinois.

Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum

North Dakota State’s Cam Miller and his teammates celebrate his fifth rushing touchdown of their game against North Dakota on Nov. 19 at the Fargodome.

David Samson / The Forum

North Dakota State’s Cole Wisniewski dives to recover a fumble by Montana quarterback Lucas Johnson for a touchdown during the NCAA FCS playoffs at the Fargodome on Dec. 3.

Michael Vosburg / The Forum

North Dakota State’s TaMerik Williams drags Western Illinois’ Jalen McKie during their football game Nov. 5 in Macomb, Illinois.

FCS quarterfinals: Bison 27, Samford 9

Friday, Dec. 9, Fargodome

Attendance: 11,825

North Dakota State shutout a high-scoring Samford offense for three quarters and scored the game’s first 21 points. Bison quarterback Cam Miller completed 15 of 18 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown. He also added a 1-yard TD run.

“We played a great football team,” said Samford head coach Chris Hatcher.

Bison cornerback Courtney Eubanks had a team-high 10 tackles, while defensive tackle Javier Derritt had two sacks.

“I didn’t see (anything) new in us,” said Bison cornerback Courtney Eubanks. “It’s just the game that ‘Code Green’ plays and we’re going to keep doing it.”

Samford finished with 336 yards on 71 plays. The Bulldogs gained 227 of those yards on 31 plays in the fourth quarter after NDSU built a 24-0 cushion late in the third quarter.

“They lived up to their reputation,” Hatcher said. “There’s no question about it.”

Friday, Dec. 16, Fargodome

Attendance: 12,569 fans

NDSU senior safety Dawson Weber intercepted a pass with less than 90 seconds to seal a victory in a game filled with dramatics and twists and turns. Incarnate Word built a 16-0 lead in the first quarter before the Bison rallied to earn a 10th trip to the FCS national title game in the past 12 seasons.

“The ball seemed like it was in the air for 30 minutes,” said Weber, who finished with two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Weber’s interception came

FCS semifinals: Bison 35, Incarnate Word 32

with 1 minute, 13 seconds to play in the fourth quarter.

The Bison took a 35-32 lead after Kobe Johnson’s 31-yard touchdown run with 8 minutes, 11 seconds to play in the fourth.

“Unbelievable resolve by our football team,” said Bison head coach Matt Entz.

“Two powerhouses throwing blows back and forth,” added Incarnate Word head coach G.J. Kinne.

Johnson rushed for 136 yards and three touchdowns on 15 attempts, while Bison quarterback Cam Miller rushed for 132 yards and a

TD on 18 carries. The Bison finished with 328 yards on the ground on 48 attempts. Miller completed 1 of 12 passes for five yards.

Incarnate Word quarterback Lindsey Scott Jr. completed 30 of 46 passes for 282 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions. He also rushed for 80 yards and two TDs on 21 attempts. The Bison defense found a way to slow down the Cardinals enough in the final three quarters after UIW’s 16-point first quarter.

“That is as good a team offensively as I’ve seen,” Entz said.

North Dakota State’s Dawson Weber intercepts an Incarnate Word pass in the final moments of their FCS semifinal championship football game Dec. 16 in the Fargodome.

Photos by Michael Vosburg / The Forum

North Dakota State’s Jake Rock watches a field goal against Samford during their FCS quarterfinal championship football game Dec. 9 in the Fargodome.