FARGO — All four Dakota schools have a chance to earn NCAA Division Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) victories this fall with each having a Power Four opponent on their schedules.
North Dakota State is first up in the FCS vs. FBS matchups opening its season Thursday at the University of Colorado, a Big 12 Conference member. South Dakota State plays Oklahoma State on Saturday, Aug. 31, while North Dakota plays Iowa State on that same day. Both Oklahoma State and Iowa State are also Big 12 Conference members.
The Jackrabbits are the two-time defending FCS national champions.
South Dakota waits until Week 2 for its marquee matchup, playing Sept. 7 at Wisconsin, which is in the Big Ten Conference.
All four Missouri Valley Football Conference programs have previous wins against FBS opponents. The FCS already has one victory against the FBS this season with Montana State rallying for a 35-31 victory at New Mexico this past weekend. An FBS victory has value for all of the Dakota schools, particularly when it comes to seeding and/or earning a spot in the FCS playoffs.
NDSU, SDSU and USD all return veteran quarterbacks heading into their FBS matchups, while UND has a new QB under center.
Below are closer looks at the four FBS matchups for the Dakota schools:
North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller and the Bison start the regular season against the University of Colorado.
David Samson/The Forum
7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, Boulder, Colorado
The Bison have a 9-4 record against FBS opponents, but had a six-game winning streak against FBS foes before a 31-28 loss at the University of Arizona on Sept. 18, 2022, in Tucson.
The game against Colorado, however, could be the highest-profile game for the Bison due to the star power of Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders.
Colorado is led by quarterback Shedeur Sanders and receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter. Both could be first-round draft picks in the upcoming NFL Draft and the most talented tandem NDSU has ever faced. Hunter had 57 catches for 721 yards and five touchdowns in nine games last season.
Shedeur Sanders completed 69% of his passes for 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns with three interceptions in 11 games last season.
“He’s the best player that NDSU has played yet,” said Bison head coach Tim Polasek. “I really believe that. This guy is process-oriented, he’s progression-based. He’s aware of footwork and timing and rhythm.”
The Bison are also experienced at quarterback, returning senior Cam Miller, who made the start against Arizona. NDSU also has a strong No. 2 QB option in Cole Payton, who is a home-run threat in the run game. The Bison are going to have to lean on their ground game to keep a high-powered Colorado offense on the sidelines.
South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski is the top returning offensive player in the FCS as the Jackrabbits open their season against Oklahoma State.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, Stillwater, Oklahoma
The top-ranked team in the FCS, South Dakota State opens its season against a top-20 ranked FBS team. The Jackrabbits enter the game on a 29-game winning streak, which has caught the attention of Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy.
“They’ve won a bunch of games in a row,” Gundy said. “The point being is that this is a really good game for us. … Essentially, we’re playing a high-level nonconference schedule and this team can compete with the Power Four schools, which they’re proven to do that.”
This could be a signature FBS victory for SDSU if it is able to beat a top-20 opponent. The Jackrabbits last FBS win was a 42-23 victory at Colorado State in 2021. OSU is ranked No. 17.
The Jackrabbits return the top offensive player in the FCS in quarterback Mark Gronowski, who won the Walter Payton Award last season. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Gronowski completed 68% of his passes for 3,058 yards and 29 touchdowns with five interceptions in 15 games last fall.
Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II is one of the most dynamic playmakers in college football, rushing for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns in 14 games last season. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound Gordon also caught 39 passes for 330 yards and one touchdown.
SDSU linebacker Adam Bock is going to be a key figure if the Jackrabbits are to contain Gordon II.
2:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, Ames, Iowa
UND junior quarterback Simon Romfo is slated to make his first college start against the Cyclones. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Romfo, from Calvin, North Dakota, has attempted three passes during his UND career.
The Fighting Hawks are playing against Iowa State for the first time in program history. UND has one FBS win against Wyoming in 2015 and a victory against the Cyclones would be the program’s first against a Power Four opponent.
Cyclones sophomore quarterback Rocco Becht is coming off a strong redshirt freshman season in which he completed 63% of his passes for 3,120 yards and 23 touchdowns with eight interceptions last season. Becht also returns his top target in receiver Jayden Higgins. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Higgins had 53 catches for 983 yards and six touchdowns.
The game also has some familiar faces on the sidelines. Iowa State assistant head coach Tyler Roehl and wide receivers coach Noah Pauley are both former NDSU assistants. Former Bison receiver Eli Green also plays for the Cyclones.
South Dakota quarterback Aidan Bouman has 17 career starts for the Coyotes heading into the regular season.
David Samson/The Forum
South Dakota vs. Wisconsin
2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, Madison, Wisconsin
The Coyotes have experience at quarterback in redshirt junior Aidan Bouman, who has 17 career starts for USD heading into the regular season. Bouman, who started his career at Iowa State, completed 67% of his passes for 2,551 yards and 15 touchdowns with six interceptions a season ago.
The Coyotes open their regular season against Division II Northern State before they play Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium.
The Badgers are coming off a 7-6 season, while the Coyotes were 10-3 last fall. Those 10 wins were an FCS record total for USD. The Coyotes have previous FBS victories against Bowling Green in 2017 and Minnesota in 2010.
Wisconsin senior quarterback Tyler Van Dyke is in his first season with the Badgers after starting his college career at the University of Miami in Florida.
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Publish date : 2024-08-26 13:00:00
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