SETTING THE SCENE
Date: Jan. 10, 2015
Location: Frisco, Texas
Kickoff: 12:05 p.m. CT
Stadium: Toyota Stadium
Stadium Capacity: 20,500
Series: NDSU leads 5-2
Watch: ESPN2
THE GAME
Although the two teams did not play each other during the regular season, both Illinois State and North Dakota State seemed destined to meet at some point in the playoffs. Fortunately for both squads, that meeting will take place with a national championship on the line, as the fifth-seeded Redbirds (13-1) take on the three-time defending FCS champion Bison (14-1) in the 2015 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and WatchESPN.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Redbird quarterback Tre Roberson has been lights out during Illinois State's run to the FCS National Championship Game. The junior from Indianapolis, Indiana, has completed 67 percent of his passes and averaged 288.7 passing yards per game in ISU's three playoff wins and has accounted for eight touchdowns (6 pass, 2 rush). The 2014 MVFC Newcomer of the Year and All-MVFC First-Team selection has averaged 353 yards of total offense per game and has an efficiency rating of 172.21.
THE SERIES
Illinois State and North Dakota State will meet for the eighth time when they square off in the FCS National Championship. NDSU leads the all-time series 5-2, having won the previous three matchups with ISU. The Redbirds' last win over the Bison came in 2010, when ISU came from behind to defeat NDSU, 34-24, at Hancock Stadium.
THE COACHES
Illinois State: Brock Spack (Purdue, 1983) is in his sixth season as the head coach at Illinois State (46-25). Spack was named the 2014 MVFC Coach of the Year and an Eddie Robinson Award finalist, after he led the Redbirds to a school-record 10 wins in the regular season and a share of their first conference title since 1999.
North Dakota State: Chris Klieman (Northern Iowa, 1990) is in his first season as the head coach at North Dakota State (14-1). The 2014 Eddie Robinson Award finalist took the reigns of the program with the departure of Craig Bohl to Wyoming, after having served three years as an assistant coach and two as a defensive coordinator with the Bison.
REDBIRDFOOTBALL IN THE FCSPLAYOFFS
- Fifth playoff appearance, 7-4 overall record (1998, 1999, 2006, 2012, 2014)
- Four-time FCS quarterfinalists (1999, 2006, 2012, 2014)
- Two-time FCS semifinalists (1999, 2014)
- First FCS Championship Game appearance (2014)
THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT
- North Dakota State University is located in Fargo, North Dakota, and has an enrollment of 14,747 students. The Bison are members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) and play their home games at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (18,700).
- The Bison are the three-time defending FCS National Champions and return to Frisco for a fourth-straight time. The last FCS team to play in four-straight title games was Youngstown State (1991-94), doing so as an independent before they joined the MVFC in 1997.
- Buck Buchanan Award-winning defensive end Kyle Emanuel headlined six selections from North Dakota State to the Sports Network FCS All-America Team announced in late December. Emanuel has recorded 93 tackles on the season and leads the conference with 19.5 sacks and 31 tackles-for-loss, while helping the Bison to their fourth-consecutive FCS National Championship game appearance.
- Second-team All-America running back John Crockett leads the balanced offensive attack for the Bison. He's rushed for 1,920 yards and 20 touchdowns for the Bison and dominated in the team's FCS semifinal win over Sam Houston State with 166 yards and three touchdowns.
LAST TIME THEY MET (NOV. 9, 2013)
Despite a staunch defensive effort, Illinois State fell to top-ranked North Dakota State, 28-10, at the Fargodome. The Redbirds fell behind early, 14-0, but kept up with the Bison until the closing minutes of the game when North Dakota State used a 13-play, 71-yard drive, to eat up nearly eight full minutes, before scoring a touchdown to cap the scoring at 28-10 with 1:03 to go in regulation. Running back Marshaun Coprich was held to 59 yards on 21 carries, but scored Illinois State's only touchdown of the day.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
The 2014 football season has already been a historic one for the Redbirds, with several team and individual records broken. ISU will also be making its first-ever appearance in the FCS National Championship, after previously only advancing as far as the semifinals. Should the Redbirds defeat the Bison in Frisco, it will mark just the second national championship in school history, joining the 1969 baseball team's college division national championship.
#ONETRUECHAMPION
It seems only fitting that two teams from the best conference in FCS football will be vying for the national championship in Frisco. Illinois State and North Dakota State ended the regular season tied atop the Missouri Valley Football Conference standings with 7-1 league records, and each team's lone loss came at the hands of nationally-ranked UNI. As neither team played each other in the regular season to break the tie, the Bison earned the league's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs on a tie-breaker. Today's game will settle the discussion once and for all regarding who the best team in the MVFC and FCS football is.
COMEBACK BIRDS
The Redbirds scored 15 unanswered points to come from behind and win at No. 1 New Hampshire in the semifinals of the FCS playoffs (Dec. 20). It marked the fifth time this season in which ISU has had to win the game in the final quarter of play. Nick Aussieker booted game-winning field goals in back-to-back wins over Indiana State (Oct. 11) and Western Illinois (Oct. 18), and Tre Roberson ran for game-winning scores against Missouri State (Oct. 25), Youngstown State (Nov. 8) and New Hampshire (Dec. 20).
CONVERTING WHEN IT COUNTS
Illinois State has been able to convert in key situations all season long, as the Redbirds rank No. 3 in the country in third down conversion percentage at 51 percent (96-for-189) and No. 4 in the in fourth down conversion percentage at 73 percent (8-for-11). As impressive as those numbers are, the team has been better during its playoff run. ISU has converted 26-of-45 attempts on third down (58 percent) in wins over UNI, Eastern Washington and New Hampshire, and the Redbirds have converted 4-of-5 of their fourth down tries, including one that sealed the win in the semifinals at UNH.
FROM COAST TO COAST
Following an impressive 59-46 win on the bright red turf of "The Inferno" at Eastern Washington (Dec. 13), the Redbirds had to fly to the other coast to do battle at "The Dungeon" against top-seeded New Hampshire (Dec. 20). The Redbirds were road warriors once again, using a fourth-quarter comeback to gain a 21-18 win over the Wildcats and advance to the FCS Championship.
PLAYING LIKE SUPERMAN
ISU quarterback Tre Roberson wears a Superman T-shirt under his shoulder pads each game, to remind himself to play like "The Man of Steel." Over the past three playoff games, he has played like a superhero himself while leading the Redbirds to the national championship game. Roberson has completed 67 percent of his passes and thrown for 866 yards and six touchdowns, with no interceptions, while leading the Redbirds to wins over UNI, Eastern Washington and top-seeded New Hampshire. Roberson has averaged 289 passing yards per game and 353 yards of total offense, while compiling a pass efficiency rating of 172.21.
TRIO OF REDBIRDS NAMED ALL-AMERICANS BY THE SPORTS NETWORK
Illinois State senior longsnapper Chris Highland, running back Marshaun Coprich and offensive tackle Jermaine Barton each played large parts in helping the Redbirds advance to the 2015 NCAA Division I Football Championship Game, and each were honored by The Sports Network as All-Americans. Highland and Coprich were named to the first team, while Barton earned third-team honors in the annual list of the best players in FCS football. The Missouri Valley Football conference led all conferences with a total of 18 selections, and secured the most first-team selections with six overall, two of which went to the Redbirds.
MEREDITH TOPS THE 1,000-YARD MARK
In just his second full season as a wide receiver, after moving positions from quarterback, senior Cameron Meredith has developed into perhaps one of the best receivers in school history. With his 67 yards receiving in the semifinal win at New Hampshire (Dec. 20), Meredith moved over 1,000 yards for the season with 1,047 and into the Top 10 all-time with 1,417 yards. He became just the fifth receiver in school history to achieve that feat, but could be joined very shortly by teammate Lechein Neblett, who needs just five yards receiving against the Bison to surpass 1,000 for the season.
KNOCKING OFF NO. 1
In order to advance to its first-ever appearance in the FCS National Championship, Illinois State had to knock off the top seed and No. 1 ranked New Hampshire Wildcats. It was not easy, but the Redbirds pulled out the 21-18 win on the road, marking the program's third win over a team ranked at the top of the polls. The Redbirds previously defeated Southern Illinois in 2005 and Youngstown State in 1993, when both schools were ranked No. 1 in the country.
RECORD-SETTING YEAR
By virtue of their 21-18 win at New Hampshire, the Redbirds earned their 13th win of the season and set a new program wins record. The previous high was 11 wins in 1999, when ISU advanced to the FCS semifinals before falling to eventual national champion Georgia Southern. The Redbirds have also set school single-season records for points scored (547), rushing yards (3,352), rushing touchdowns (40), total offense yards (6,530) and touchdowns scored (72) during the historic 2014 campaign.
THE BULL IS LOOSE
Illinois State junior running back Marshaun Coprich is affectionately known as the "Young Bull" by his coaches and teammates, for his strong stature and tough running style. Although he has been one of the best running backs in the country all season, the red turf of "The Inferno" seemed to really make the bull mad. The Victorville, California, native rushed for a career-high 258 yards and tied a career best with four touchdowns to help lead the Redbirds to the semifinals for just the second time in school history. He also became the first player in school history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season (2,168) and just the third in school history to top the 3,000-yard career rushing plateau.
