(STATS) – The way South Dakota State has come to play against North Dakota State has changed dramatically during the Bison dynasty this decade.
The Jackrabbits are confident they can pull an upset of North Dakota State in the FCS semifinals Friday night. The defending national champion Bison bring a 19-game winning streak into a matchup of the Missouri Valley Football Conference rivals.
“What they’ve accomplished in the history of their run here is unbelievable,” SDSU coach John Stiegelmeier said, “but we need to do our part to change that.”
A Jackrabbits win would be their third in five meetings.
NDSU won eight straight meetings from 2010, the year before it won the first of six FCS titles in seven years, but in a setup to the dynasty with a run to the playoff quarterfinals, through 2015. Included were five wins by at least 20 points and two in the second round of the playoffs.
It’s gotten a lot closer.
SDSU ended its losing streak in October 2016 with a last-second, 19-17 win at the Fargodome. It led into a rematch in the quarterfinals two months later, and the Jackrabbits jumped to a 10-0 lead before losing 36-10.
Last year, SDSU handed NDSU a 33-21 loss, becoming the first team to beat the Bison twice since their first national championship season in 2011. The Bison are 110-8 in that time.
In this year’s matchup on Sept. 29, SDSU led in the fourth quarter at the Fargodome before falling 21-17. It’s the unbeaten Bison’s closest game of the season.
The Jackrabbits are well-equipped for an upset They’re accustomed to the raucous environment at the Fargodome. Senior quarterback Taryn Christion has a strong history against the Bison, set to make his fifth start in a series that turns 109. Plus, unlike many other opponents, the Jackrabbits have the size and speed to match the Bison.
Also, NDSU has dealt with its coach, Chris Klieman, being named the next coach at Kansas State.
“They know us so well. I think we know them well,” Klieman said. “But it’s still those little details – who can execute those little details – that’s what it’s going to come down to on both sides of the ball.”
The winner will advance to play Maine or Eastern Washington in the FCS championship game Jan. 5 in Frisco, Texas.
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