Bison. Fighting Hawks. North Dakota. The Nickel Trophy.
A rivalry is renewed Saturday, Sept. 7 when the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks head down I-29 to take on FCS No. 1, the North Dakota State Bison. These teams haven’t met since 2015, but there’s 111 games of history here between the two sides, who typically face off in either Fargo or Grand Forks.
Here’s everything you need to know about the game, the 112th matchup.
North Dakota State vs. North Dakota: Preview, how to watch
The Basics
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. EST | Live Stats
Where: Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota
Watch: NBC North Dakota will carry the game with Brian Shaw, Lee Timmerman and Ryan Gellner on the call. Football fans outside of the state can also catch it on ESPN+.
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#UNDFB125 Moments: UND is 4-2 inside the Fargodome in its history, and the first one was oh so sweet pic.twitter.com/BIF8eXCJ31
— North Dakota Football (@UNDfootball) September 4, 2019
Last meeting
Sept. 19, 2015 marked the first meeting between the two rivals when both were playing at the Division I level. In Fargo, North Dakota State came away with an easy victory, winning 34-9. The Fighting Hawks were held to 61 total offensive yards. Carson Wentz (you might be familiar with his work in the NFL) threw for 262 yards and four touchdowns while completing 18-of-27 attempts. Before this game, North Dakota had won three straight against NDSU from 2001 to 2003.
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The match-up
North Dakota |
North Dakota State |
|
|---|---|---|
| NR | Rankings | No. 1 (Coaches, FCS STATS) |
| 47-7 win over Drake | Last week | 57-10 win over Butler |
| 6-5 | 2018 Record | 15-0, won FCS championship |
|
Bubba Schweigert |
Coach (record; season) |
Matt Entz (1-0; first season) |
| 1 | FCS playoff appearances | 9 |
| 0 | FCS national championships | 7 |
75 miles apart. 112th match up. #GoBison pic.twitter.com/EDSZghzm7v
— NDSU Football (@NDSUfootball) September 5, 2019
Extras
- NDSU and North Dakota first met in football on Nov. 3, 1894, a game that NDSU won 20-4.
- North Dakota leads the all-time series record with 62 wins. The teams have also tied three times.
- The two sides did not meet between 2004 and 2014, with each athletic department making the jump from Division II to Division I FCS along different timelines.
- Both schools have 12-game winning streaks against each other, with the Fighting Hawks winning 12 straight between 1953 and 1964, and the Bison winning 12 in a row between 1981 and 1992.
- This will be the first time North Dakota has faced the FCS No. 1 since joining Division I in 2008. The Fighting Hawks are 8-24 against ranked opponents but have won two of the last three.
- North Dakota has 28 wins in Fargo and is 4-2 in the Fargodome.
- NDSU hasn't lost a game since Nov. 4, 2017, when South Dakota State bested the Bison 33-21.
- NDSU is 74-6 at home since 2010.
- NDSU returns three offensive starters and four defensive starters from its 2018 national championship team.
- North Dakota will end its FCS independence after this season and join the Missouri Valley Football Conference in 2020.
- NDSU linebacker Jabril Cox is on the watch-list for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in FCS. The junior had 91 tackles, four sacks and four interceptions last season.
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