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Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - They didn't face each other during the regular season, but Missouri Valley Football Conference co-champions North Dakota State and Illinois State learned a lot about each other long before they meet Saturday in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game.

"The thing that (Illinois State coach) Brock (Spack) and I would both see is we saw each other so much on crossover film," NDSU coach Chris Klieman said Monday on an NCAA championship game conference call, "and we'd say, 'Boy, Illinois State is really good at that position,' or, 'Boy, that's a really tough play that Illinois State ran,' or what a great defensive scheme that they would run. But you weren't game planning for it. But we did see each other so often on film that you kind of marveled at the talent and how good that they were.

"I couldn't be happier that we're getting an opportunity," Klieman added, "just like I'm sure Brock is excited about having the opportunity ... to play each other, and that it's an All-Valley final."

"We wanted to play a Missouri Valley team," Spack echoed. "And we didn't play each other, we tied for the championship. This is the way to settle, I guess."

Significant FCS history will be made for regardless of the outcome at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The championship game matches two programs from the same conference - the Missouri Valley, of course - for the first time since the FCS went to a playoff system in 1978.

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - The seniors in North Dakota State's championship-winning football program are on the verge of finishing with more national titles than losses during their playing careers.

It's an astounding prospect considering most of the seniors take a 57-3 record over the last four seasons into the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game on Saturday. With a win over Illinois State in Frisco, Texas, the Bison would become the first FCS team to win four straight national titles.

"Yeah, it's obviously a tremendous group," said first-year head coach Chris Klieman, who was a part of the 2011-13 titles as an assistant coach. "They (were recruited) during the 3-8 season (in 2009), and many of those guys were able to play early on in their career, and several of them played obviously in the national championship games.

"Unique group in the fact that we lost so many guys from the year before, 25, 26 guys, plus a number of the coaching staff, that I felt bad for those guys because I really thought people kind of wrote them off before the season even started, that most likely we may have a pretty good season, but 8-4, 7-5 may be a stretch for these guys with all the young guys that we were going to have to play, and losing a bunch of coaches, great coaches, good friends of mine. But those guys weren't going to be denied to at least put their best foot forward and be great leaders, great teammates, be people that were going to at least go out fighting."

The 17-member senior class has done even more than that, combining on 174 starts while guiding a 14-1 season. Three of the players earned All-American honors from The Sports Network - Buck Buchanan Award-winning defensive end Kyle Emanuel; running back John Crockett, who is 80 shy of 2,000 rushing yards; and strong safety Colten Heagle, a Buchanan Award finalist - and another six - center Jesse Hinz, linebackers Carlton Littlejohn and Travis Beck, free safety Christian Dudzik, wide receiver Zach Vraa and place-kicker Adam Keller - joined the trio in gaining All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors.

By Craig Haley, The Sports Network FCS Executive Director

North Dakota State (14-1) vs. Illinois State (13-1)

Kickoff: Saturday, Jan. 10, 1 p.m. ET

Site: Toyota Stadium (20,086) - Frisco, Texas

Surface: Bermuda Grass (Tifway 419)

Television: ESPN2 (announcers Anish Shroff, Kelly Stouffer and Cara Capuano)

Conference: North Dakota State - Missouri Valley; Illinois State - Missouri Valley

Nicknames: North Dakota State Bison; Illinois State Redbirds

FCS Playoff Seeds: North Dakota State, No. 2; Illinois State, No. 5

The Sports Network's Final Regular-Season Ranking: North Dakota State, No. 2; Illinois State, No. 7

Series Record: North Dakota State leads, 5-2

Last Meeting: Nov. 9, 2013 (North Dakota State won, 28-10, in Fargo, North Dakota)

Series Streak: North Dakota State has won the last three meetings

Head Coaches: North Dakota State - Chris Klieman (first season, 14-1 at North Dakota State; second season, 17-8 overall); Illinois State - Brock Spack (sixth year, 46-25 at Illinois State and overall).

All-Time School Record: North Dakota State, 670-366-34; Illinois State, 467-517-63

All-Time FCS Playoff Records: North Dakota State, 17-1; Illinois State, 7-4

Previous FCS Playoff Appearances: Illinois State 4 (1998-99, 2006, 2012); North Dakota State 4 (2010-13, National Champions in 2011-13)

What to Know: For the first time since the FCS playoffs began in 1978, this is a championship game meeting between two teams from the same conference, although, ironically, they didn't play each other during the regular season. North Dakota State, which is seeking an unprecedented fourth straight national title, and Illinois State were declared co-champions in the 10-team Missouri Valley Football Conference, both with 7-1 records.

But the two teams know each other well and come out of a conference that tied the FCS single-season record with five playoff qualifiers and will add a record 10th win in the postseason on Saturday. Each team has lost only to Northern Iowa, and Illinois State avenged its defeat in the second round of the playoffs.

Quarterbacks Tre Roberson (156.37) of Illinois State and Carson Wentz (152.9) of North Dakota State lead the Missouri Valley in passing efficiency and rank in the top 10 nationally. Roberson can spot his passes well downfield to a physical unit of receivers led by 6-foot-3 Cameron Meredith, Lechein Neblett and James O'Shaughnessy, a 6-4 tight end. Roberson has thrown for 3,064 yards and 27 touchdowns against only nine interceptions, and beats defenses with the run (868 yards, 10 touchdowns) when he seeks gaps in them.

Wentz isn't as explosive as Roberson as North Dakota State relies more on its power run game. But Wentz has given the Bison their best run option at quarterback since their days of the veer option in the 1980s and '90s. Terrific on draws, Wentz has gained 555 yards and four touchdowns on the ground while completing over 63 percent of his passes (213-of-336) for 2,874 yards and 24 touchdowns with 10 interceptions.

A hamstring injury to leading receiver Zach Vraa during the postseason has brought freshman wideout RJ Urzendowski and tight end Kevin Vaadeland to the forefront of the passing game. But the three-week break leading up to the championship game gives Vraa the chance to be back in action.

The run game is immense for both teams. Illinois State junior Marshaun Coprich leads the FCS in rushing yards (2,168) and North Dakota State senior John Crockett (1,920) is third in the nation and has been a game-breaker in the postseason, averaging 229.5 yards from scrimmage with five touchdowns over the last two games. A bigger game by either All-American could be decisive as the two teams seek to control the game clock.

Should one team control the line of scrimmage from either side also is a potential difference maker. North Dakota State will try to free defensive end Kyle Emanuel, the 2014 Buck Buchanan Award winner who has the most sacks (19.5) and tackles for loss (31) in the FCS, to put pressure on Roberson and disrupt the Redbirds' rhythm.

The efficient play of who's behind Emanuel plays into how the Bison's stingy defense ranks second nationally in scoring defense (13.2 ppg) and third in total defense (270.8 ypg), and a plus-12 turnover margin underscores how they don't beat themselves.

Like Emanuel, linebacker Carlton Littlejohn (the team's leading tackler for a second consecutive season) and strong safety Colten Heagle will start in the national final for the third time, while free safety Christian Dudzik will achieve it for the fourth time. Starting linebacker Esley Thornton and cornerback C.J. Smith also started in last year's final.

Illinois State, appearing in the national final for the first time, boasts defensive balance as well. It's particularly evident in the fact four Redbirds have between 6.5 and eight sacks and 10.5 and 12.5 tackles for loss. Head coach Brock Spack handed the defensive coordinator reins to sixth-year assistant Spence Nowinsky this season, and the move of former running back/linebacker Collin Keoshian to the four-man front has brought added speed inside and opened lanes for ends Teddy Corwin and David "Boom" Perkins to be dominant from the edge.

Linebacker Pat Meehan has been steady all season and the secondary is highly experienced, including cornerback Mike Banks making his 49th career start.

On special teams, North Dakota State features place-kicker Adam Keller, who is 26-for-31 on field goals and has made 115 straight PAT attempts, and punter Ben LeCompte, who was a second-team All-American. Nick Aussieker, Illinois State's all-time leading scorer, has specialized in clutch field goals this season and is 14-for-19 overall.

Frisco, hosting the final for the fifth straight season, has become Fargo South with the way North Dakota State's passionate fan base has traveled in droves to recent championship games. The Bison figure to have the advantage in crowd size again and can couple that with their championship game experience.

Prediction - North Dakota State's more experienced team might be the more relaxed team early in the game, but Illinois State has done well to rally to wins in the fourth quarter. On just another Saturday afternoon in the Missouri Valley Conference, a down-to-the-wire finish would be sensational. The Bison keep their historical run going. North Dakota State, 24-20.

Cap'n Cat wrote:Crimson Crows 34
Prairie Poopers 20

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - North Dakota State's national championship-winning defense has been the standard across the FCS throughout the decade.

The best in show, if you will.

In contrast, Illinois State likes to claim it unleashes a pack of mutts on game day.

But the Missouri Valley Football Conference co-champions will bring both bark and bite to the national dog show, er, NCAA Division I Football Championship Game Saturday at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas (ESPN2, 1 p.m. ET).

Yes, beware of defense. The championship game is expected to be a bruising matchup of stopping the run and pounding the other into mission. North Dakota State is seeking an unprecedented fourth straight FCS title while Illinois State will try to end the Bison dynasty in its first championship game appearance.

The two defenses might have different pedigrees, but both 4-3 systems are linked by having new defensive coordinators and mixing in new contributors with veteran standouts.

North Dakota State led the FCS in scoring defense in each of its championship years and this season the team ranks second nationally behind Harvard in allowing 13.2 points per game. The Bison (14-1), who feature the national defensive player of the year in Buck Buchanan Award-winning defensive end Kyle Emanuel, also rank third in total defense, allowing opponents just 270.8 yards per game.

Illinois State's more balanced defense has allowed 20.9 points and 337.6 yards per game - not the NDSU standard, of course, but still impressive numbers while playing in the nation's top FCS conference.

FCS championship statistical breakdown
Frisco, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - North Dakota State and Illinois State are likely seeing a lot of similarities in the other as they prepare for the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game on Saturday.

The co-champions of the Missouri Valley Football Conference figure to make the championship game at Toyota Stadium a physical affair. Both will try to win the line of scrimmage and force the other into mistakes.

North Dakota State is seeking an unprecedented fourth straight FCS national title. Illinois State will appear in the final for the first time.

The season statistics of the two finalists:
NORTH DAKOTA STATE (14-1) ILLINOIS STATE (13-1)

TEAM STATISTICS TEAM STATISTICS

(NDSU, OPPONENTS) (ISU, OPPONENTS)

SCORING: 498, 198 SCORING: 547, 293

Points Per Game: 33.2, 13.2 Points Per Game: 39.1, 20.9

Points Off Turnovers: 110, 23 Points Off Turnovers: 246, 165

FIRST DOWNS: 321, 222 FIRST DOWNS: 321, 243

Rushing: 165, 102 Rushing: 161, 96

Passing: 136, 104 Passing; 137, 125

Penalty: 20, 16 Penalty: 23, 22

RUSHING YARDAGE: 3,549, 1,739 RUSHING YARDAGE: 3,352, 1,581

Yards Gained Rushing: 3,736, 2,119 Yards Gained Rushing: 3,624, 1,969

Yards Lost Rushing: 187, 380 Yards Lost Rushing: 272, 388

Rushing Attempts: 669, 493 Rushing Attempts: 608, 486

Average Per Rush: 5.3, 3.5 Average Per Rush: 5.5, 3.3

Average Per Game: 236.6, 115.9 Average Per Game: 239.4, 112.9

TDs Rushing: 33, 13 TDs Rushing: 40, 17

PASSING YARDAGE: 2,915, 2,323 PASSING YARDAGE: 3,178, 3,118

Comp-Att-Int: 216-342-10, 226-423-18 Comp-Att-Int: 204-349-10, 247-461-18

Average Per Pass: 8.5, 5.5 Average Per Pass: 9.1, 6.8

Average Per Catch: 13.5, 10.3 Average Per Catch: 15.6, 12.6

Average Per Game: 194.3, 154.9 Average Per Game: 227.0, 222.7

TDs Passing: 25, 8 TDs Passing: 29, 18

TOTAL OFFENSE: 6,464, 4,062 TOTAL OFFENSE: 6,530, 4,699

Total Plays: 1,011, 916 Total Plays: 957, 947

Average Per Play: 6.4, 4.4 Average Per Play: 6.8, 5.0

Average Per Game: 430.9, 270.8 Average Per Game: 466.4, 335.6

KICK RETURNS: Number-Yards: 31-601, 50-1,006 KICK RETURNS: Number-Yards: 46-986, 66-1,270

PUNT RETURNS: Number-Yards: 26-250, 17-180 PUNT RETURNS: Number-Yards: 23-112, 21-182

INT RETURNS: Number-Yards: 18-242, 10-80 INT RETURNS: Number-Yards: 18-221, 10-88

KICK RETURN AVERAGE: 19.4, 20.1 KICK RETURN AVERAGE: 21.4, 19.2

PUNT RETURN AVERAGE: 9.6, 10.6 PUNT RETURN AVERAGE: 4.9, 8.7

INT RETURN AVERAGE: 13.4, 8.0 INT RETURN AVERAGE: 12.3, 8.8

FUMBLES-LOST: 14-5, 24-9 FUMBLES-LOST: 21-13, 16-8

PENALTIES-Yards: 91-746, 72-598 PENALTIES-Yards: 70-610, 81-781

Average Per Game: 49.7, 39.9 Average Per Game: 43.6, 55.8

PUNTS-Yards: 57-2,558, 86-3,660 PUNTS-Yards: 59-2,386, 85-3,257

Average Per Punt: 44.9, 42.6 Average Per Punt: 40.4, 38.3

Net Punt Average: 38.6, 38.7 Net Punt Average: 35.3, 35.4

KICKOFFS-Yards: 98-6,086, 48-2,900 KICKOFFS-Yards: 99-5,579, 60-3,190

Average Per Kick: 62.1, 60.4 Average Per Kick: 56.4, 53.2

Net Kick Average: 41.6, 40.1 Net Kick Average: 37.7, 34.2

TIME OF POSSESSION/Game: 33:51, 26:09 TIME OF POSSESSION/Game: 31:58, 28:02

3RD-DOWN Conversions: 97/198, 66/211 3RD-DOWN Conversions: 96/189, 73/210

3rd-Down Pct: .490, .313 3rd-Down Pct: .508, .348

4TH-DOWN Conversions: 5/9, 15/32 4TH-DOWN Conversions: 8/11, 9/24

4th-Down Pct: .555, .469 4th-Down Pct: .727, .375

SACKS BY-Yards: 42-272, 16-88 SACKS BY-Yards: 40-215, 21-130

MISC YARDS: 0, -1 MISC YARDS: 0, 12

TOUCHDOWNS SCORED: 60, 23 TOUCHDOWNS SCORED: 72, 38

FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS: 26-31, 13-18 FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS: 14-19, 10-14

ON-SIDE KICKS: 0-0, 0-2 ON-SIDE KICKS: 0-0, 1-3

RED-ZONE SCORES: 55-63 (.873), 26-31 (.838) RED-ZONE SCORES: 47-60 (.783), 31-40 (.775)

RED-ZONE TOUCHDOWNS: 39-63 (.619), 16-31 (.516) RED-ZONE TOUCHDOWNS: 36-60 (.600), 21-40 (.525)

PAT-ATTEMPTS: 58-59 (.983), 21-21 (1.000) PAT-ATTEMPTS: 67-70 (.957), 27-29 (.931)

Bronco wrote:Watching the outside set this AM of ESPN talking heads I was hoping to see large fan support of both our Championship teams holding signs letting the country know there is a better playoff system with more than 4 teams playing

I heard Urban Meyer on Dan Patrick earlier this week saying he was totally against more than a 4 team playoff
Said at this level is is too hard on the players.

Must have heard that from Herbstreit

HI54UNI wrote:Congrats to the Bizon on the 4 peat.

Did you think that frosh wr pushed off to make that grab??

BDKJMU wrote:What's great game. Congrats to NDSU. ISU chokes it away. Even through I love NDSU's old school smash mouth style of NDSU's play, I was pulling for ISU to see someone else win it for a change.

NDSU's offense looks like something out of 30-40 years ago. A combination of things you don't see much of anymore:
-mostly white team
-hardly any transfers (they did have the backup TB from Nebraska, last year an NDSU poster said none).
-with usually a huddle, non hurry up, QB under center, usally FB in power I and/or 2 TE, smash mouth, not this new age no huddle, hurry up, shotgun spread (I see NDSU does that a little now, but still mostly smash mouth).
-not a million uniform combos, wearing black when it's not one of your school colors. I've only seen 3 different ones on them.
They've certainly proved all of it to be a winning formula.

So when in the fall is the rematch?