Bison Sports Update: December 19th

Alright, what a week for Bison Athletics!

Football:
NDSU Football hosted #3 seed James Madison on Friday in the FCS Semifinal! It was quite the game in front of a crowd of 16,658 at the Fargodome! NDSU started the game hot out of the gate! While the teams traded punts to start, the Bison got going on their second drive and scored on a Cam Miller to Hunter Luepke TD pass! JMU punted for most of the first half. NDSU picked up where they left off on multiple drives, in the 2nd quarter they kicked a mid range field goal to increase the lead to 10-0. JMU did drive down into redzone territory but threw a short interception and NDSU took over from there. The Bison marched all the way down to the 2 yard line. But couldn't find the endzone so they settled for a field goal. NDSU took a 13-0 lead into halftime. The atmosphere inside was palpable, loud and energetic! The most buzz the dome has seen in almost two years.
To start the second half JMU scored their first touchdown to trim the Bison lead to 13-7. NDSU wasn't able to find anything on their next drive and the teams traded a couple punts. Then towards the end of the 3rd quarter, JMU drove down to take the lead with a touchdown, 14-13. NDSU took the ball back in the closing seconds and into the 4th quarter. The Bison drove down for a drive of their own. This drive was highlighted by multiple plays from Hunter Luepke, including a 33 yard run and a 15 yard TD score from Cam Miller to give the Bison the lead once again, 20-14! JMU got the ball back and was driving, all the way down inside the Bison 10 yard line. But then Destin Talbert had something to say about that. He picked off Cole Johnson in the pack corner of the endzone. This play made it all the way to Sportscenter's Top 10 plays (number 2) and to the "You Got Mossed" segment of the Sunday football show! This gave NDSU the ball back with 3 minutes to go in the game. NDSU wasn't able to capitalize on the interception but took 2 minutes off the clock with JMU only having one timeout remaining. JMU had the ball and tried to drive down but the QB was pressured and the ball fell harmlessly to the turf as the dome lit up!
NDSU Football is going back to Frisco, Texas for another National Championship!!! The stadium was so loud with cheering and eventual playing of the traditional tune "If You're Gonna Play in Texas" by Alabama! 

#8 Seed Montana State beat South Dakota State on the ensuing game on Saturday, so the Bison will meet the Montana State Bobcats in the Frisco. This will be the first time Montana State has been to the National Championship since their victory in 1984. 

The Division I Football National Championship will be held on Saturday, January 8th at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas at 11 AM CT. The game will be broadcast on ABC/ESPN2 for a national audience. Head to Fargo South, Bison Nation!

NDSU Football is 7-1 in MVFC play and 13-1 overall on the season!

Men's Basketball
NDSU MBB had a pretty good week. They began the week on Monday hosting Missouri Valley Indiana State. It was a good game for the Bison, Sam Griesel was the game's MVP and it was clearly hitting him hard. It is well deserved after his scary injury. It is rumored to have been an ulcer in his abdomen that caused him to have emergency surgery during NDSU's West Coast trip earlier this season. All of that is behind him now as he is back and as good as every leading the way for the Bison. NDSU beat Indiana State, 77-70. 
Next NDSU ventured out once more to the West Coast to play Mountain West-Pacific. They beat them 73-61 off of a great night from the Senior Rocky Kreuser. 

That concludes non-conference play for NDSU, they will now enter Summit League play this week. They start off with a early season tilt at home against in-state rival North Dakota. Tipoff is at 7 PM CT in the SHAC. They will finish out 2021 when the host rival South Dakota State on December 30th. 

NDSU Men's Basketball is 8-4 on the season.

Women's Basketball
NDSU WBB only had one game this week. They hosted NAIA Jamestown and handled them 82-36. The Bison have now finished non-conference play as well. They begin Summit League play on Wednesday in Grand Forks against North Dakota.

NDSU Women's Basketball is 4-6 on the season.

​Go Bison!!