2016 North Dakota State Bison football team

The 2016 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Chris Klieman. The team played their 24th season in the Fargodome, entering the season as the five-time defending national champions and five-time Missouri Valley Football Conference Champions. The Bison have been members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference since the 2008 season.

2016 North Dakota State Bison football
MVFC co-champion
NCAA Division I Semifinal, L 17–27 vs. James Madison
Conference	Missouri Valley Football Conference
Ranking
STATS	No. 3
FCS Coaches	No. 3
Record	12–2 (7–1 MVFC)
Head coach	Chris Klieman (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Tim Polasek (3rd season)
Defensive coordinator	Matt Entz (3rd season)
Home stadium	Fargodome
Seasons ← 2015 2017 →

2016 Missouri Valley Football Conference standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 3 North Dakota State +^		7	–	1					12	–	2
No. 6 South Dakota State +^		7	–	1					9	–	4
No. 2 Youngstown State ^		6	–	2					12	–	4
Illinois State ^		4	–	4					6	–	6
Northern Iowa		4	–	4					5	–	6
Western Illinois		3	–	5					6	–	5
South Dakota		3	–	5					4	–	7
Indiana State		2	–	6					4	–	7
Missouri State		2	–	6					4	–	7
Southern Illinois		2	–	6					4	–	7
+ – Conference co-champions ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS Poll

They were one of very few FCS teams who ever beat a highly ranked FBS team (in this case, No. 13 Iowa). After that win, for four weeks they received votes in the AP's poll of the best football teams in the country (including FBS teams). Their 74 votes in week 3 (barely missing out on a Top 25 ranking) were the most votes ever earned by an FCS program in the AP Poll.^[1]

The Bison went 12–2 on the season and won their sixth straight conference title with their lone loss coming on a last-second touchdown versus rival SDSU. The Bison received an at-large bid to the FCS Playoffs where they defeated San Diego and South Dakota State in the second round and quarterfinals before losing to James Madison in the semifinals, ending their five-year championship run.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 27	6:30 pm	No. 7 Charleston Southern^[2]*	No. 1	Fargodome Fargo, North Dakota (FCS Kickoff)	ESPN	W 24–17 ^OT	18,881
September 10	2:30 pm	No. 8 Eastern Washington*	No. 1	Fargodome Fargo, North Dakota	NBC ND ESPN3	W 50–44 ^OT	18,906
September 17	11:00 am	at No. 13 (FBS) Iowa*	No. 1	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, Iowa	ESPN2	W 23–21	70,585
October 1	1:00 pm	No. 18 Illinois State	No. 1	Fargodome Fargo, North Dakota	NBC ND ESPN3	W 31–10	18,907
October 8	2:00 pm	at Missouri State	No. 1	Plaster Stadium Springfield, Missouri	NBC ND ESPN3	W 27–3	10,462
October 15	2:30 pm	No. 11 South Dakota State	No. 1	Fargodome Fargo, North Dakota (Dakota Marker)	NBC ND ESPN3	L 17–19	18,828
October 22	6:00 pm	at No. 12 Western Illinois	No. 4	Hanson Field Macomb, Illinois	NBC ND ESPN3	W 21–13	5,329
October 29	6:00 pm	at Northern Iowa	No. 4	UNI-Dome Cedar Falls, Iowa	NBC ND ESPN3	W 24–20	12,032
November 5	2:30 pm	No. 15 Youngstown State	No. 4	Fargodome Fargo, North Dakota (Harvest Bowl)	NBC ND ESPN3	W 24–3	18,332
November 12	2:30 pm	Indiana State	No. 4	Fargodome Fargo, North Dakota	NBC ND ESPN3	W 41–17	18,276
November 19	2:00 pm	at South Dakota	No. 4	DakotaDome Vermillion, South Dakota	NBC ND ESPN3 Midco SN	W 28–21	10,011
December 3	2:30 pm	No. 24 San Diego*	No. 4	Fargodome Fargo, North Dakota (FCS Playoffs Second Round)	ESPN3	W 45–7	18,305
December 10	11:00 am	No. 7 South Dakota State*	No. 4	Fargodome Fargo, North Dakota (FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals)	ESPN	W 36–10**	18,285
December 16	7:00 pm	No. 5 James Madison*	No. 4	Fargodome Fargo, North Dakota (FCS Playoffs Semifinals)	ESPN2	L 17–27	18,282
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

• Source: STATS Poll [1]
• ** Second-most watched FCS Game of all time – 1.98m viewers on ESPN ^[3]

Roster

^[4]

2016 North Dakota State Bison Football
Quarterback  6 James Hendricks –   Freshman  7 Cole Davis – Junior 12 Easton Stick –   Sophomore 14 Henry Van Delle – Freshman Tailback  8 Bruce Anderson – Sophomore 10 Lance Dunn –   Sophomore 22 King Frazier – Senior 24 Demaris Purifoy –   Freshman 25 Chase Morlock – Senior 28 Ty Brooks –   Freshman 30 Adam Cofield – Freshman Fullback 34 Brock Robbins –   Freshman 39 Garrett Malstrom –   Freshman 40 Dan Sargeant – Junior 41 Zak Kuntz – Freshman Wide receiver  1 Cole Jacob – Freshman  2 Kiwanne Durant – Freshman  4 Dimitri Williams – Sophomore  9 Marquise Bridges –   Freshman 13 Eric Perkins – Senior 15 Daniel Polanski – Junior 16 RJ Urzendowski – Junior 18 Khayvon Hawkins –   Sophomore 20 Darrius Shepherd –   Sophomore 31 Bennett RIndy –   Freshman 80 Sean Engel – Freshman 81 Isaiah Frandsen – Junior 83 Dallas Freeman –   Sophomore 84 Trevor Heit – Freshman Tight end 45 Beau Pauly – Freshman 46 Braydon Lund – Freshman 49 Matt Biegler – Freshman 82 Ben Ellefson –   Freshman 85 Nate Jenson –   Sophomore 86 Jeff Illies – Junior 87 Connor Wentz – Junior 88 Matt Anderson –   Freshman 89 Isaac Lashua –   Sophomore		Offensive lineman 54 Dillon Radunz – OT – Freshman 58 Josh Howieson – OT – Freshman 59 Karson Schoening – C – Freshman 60 Max Polson – C – Junior 63 Zach Kubas – OL – Freshman 64 Colin Conner – OT –   Sophomore 65 Jack Albrecht – OG –   Freshman 66 Zack Johnson – OG –   Senior 67 Cordell Volson – OT – Freshman 68 Zack Johnson – OT –   Freshman 70 Jack Plankers – OL – Senior 71 Luke Bacon – OG –   Sophomore 72 Erik Olson – OT – Junior 73 Zack Ziemer – OG – Junior 74 Tanner Volson – C –   Sophomore 75 Austin Kuhnert – C – Junior 76 Ben Hecht – OG – Freshman 77 Christian Triplett – C –   Sophomore 78 Landon Lechler – OT – Senior Defensive tackle 57 Bryan Carlton –   Freshman 61 Cameron Hackl – Freshman 62 Bryce Messner – Junior 63 Aaron Steidl –   Sophomore 66 Quinn Alo – Freshman 69 Blake Williams –   Sophomore 90 Grant Morgan – Junior 92 Jack Darnell –   Freshman 95 Connor Hubbs –   Freshman 99 Nate Tanguay – Junior Defensive end 53 Cole Karcz –   Freshman 91 Derrek Tuszka –   Freshman 93 Jarrod Tuszka – Junior 94 Stanley Jones –   Sophomore 95 Caleb Butler –   Sophomore 96 Greg Menard – Junior 97 Brad Ambrosius – Senior		Linebacker  1 Chris Board – Junior 41 MJ Stumpf – Senior 42 Jabril Cox – Freshman 43 Kurt Mattox – Junior 44 Matt Plank – Junior 45 Levi Jordheim –   Sophomore 47 Pierre Gee-Tucker – Senior 48 Dan Marlette –   Sophomore 49 Nick DeLuca – Senior 50 Ross Kennelly – Freshman 52 Jake Brinkman –   Freshman 55 Aaron Mercadel –   Freshman Defensive backs  2 Quinten McCoy – CB – Senior  3 Tre Dempsey – FS – Junior  5 Robbie Grimsley – SS – Sophomore 11 Darren Kelley – SS – Junior 13 Ross Godfrey – CB – Freshman 17 Felix Dixon – CB – Freshman 21 Jalen Allison – CB –   Sophomore 23 Jaylaan Wimbush – CB –   Sophomore 26 Keenan Hodenfield – CB – Junior 27 Isaac Cenescar – SS –   Sophomore 29 Eric Bachmeier – FS –   Sophomore 30 Bryce Bennot – CB –   Sophomore 31 Victor Kizewski – FS – Freshman 32 Dakota Reid – CB –   Sophomore 33 Moses Nyangacha – SS- Freshman 35 Dom Davis – CB –   Freshman 37 Tre Fort – CB –   Freshman 38 Jaxon Brown – SS –   Freshman 42 Ross Effertz – CB –   Freshman Placekicker 21 Garret Wegner – Freshman 36 Cam Pedersen – Sophomore Punter 19 Jackson Koonce – Junior Long snappers 51 James Fisher – Junior 56 Peder Olson –   Sophomore (+LB)
* : 2015 NDSU Bison Football Commits (02/04/2015)

Recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for 2016 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Henry Van Dellen QB	Plymouth, Minnesota	Providence Academy	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals: N/A   247Sports:
Adam Cofield TB	Lee's Summit, Missouri	Blue Springs South High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Zak Kuntz FB	Grand Forks, North Dakota	Red River High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	251 lb (114 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Sean Engel WR	Chaska, Minnesota	Chaska High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	200 lb (91 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals: N/A   247Sports:
Trevor Heit WR	Pepin, Wisconsin	Pepin High School	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Cole Jacob WR	Medina, Minnesota	Medina High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	177 lb (80 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Matt Biegler TE	Underwood, Minnesota	Underwood High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	256 lb (116 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Braydon Lund TE	Minot, North Dakota	Minot High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	246 lb (112 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals: N/A   247Sports:
Quinn Alo OL	LaMoure, North Dakota	LaMoure High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	336 lb (152 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Ben Hecht OL	Shawnee, Kansas	Mill Valley High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	255 lb (116 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals: N/A   247Sports:
Josh Howieson OL	Baxter, Minnesota	Brainerd High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	275 lb (125 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Zach Kubas OL	Dickinson, North Dakota	Trinity High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	260 lb (120 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Dillon Radunz OL	Becker, Minnesota	Becker High School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	260 lb (120 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals: N/A   247Sports:
Karson Schoening OL	Rolla, North Dakota	Mt. Pleasant High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	320 lb (150 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals: N/A   247Sports:
Cordell Volson OL	Balfour, North Dakota	Drake High School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	250 lb (110 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals: N/A   247Sports:
Cameron Hackl DT	Green Bay, Wisconsin	Bay Port High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	260 lb (120 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals: N/A   247Sports:
Jabril Cox LB	Raytown, Missouri	Raytown South High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Ross Kennelly LB	Superior, Wisconsin	Superior High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals: N/A   247Sports:
Moses Nyangacha LB	Robbinsdale, Minnesota	Robbinsdale Cooper High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals: N/A   247Sports:
Beau Pauly LB	Becker, Minnesota	Becker High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	207 lb (94 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Felix Dixon DB	Clearwater, Florida	Countryside High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Ross Godfrey DB	Sioux City, Iowa	Sioux City East High School	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	150 lb (68 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Victor Kizewski DB	Stevens Point, Wisconsin	Stevens Point High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Garret Wegner P	Lodi, Wisconsin	Lodi High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	177 lb (80 kg)	February 03, 2016 (Signed)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Darren Kelley DB	Baltimore, Maryland	North Dakota State College of Science	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	192 lb (87 kg)	February 03, 2015 (Transfer)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:    Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Jackson Koonce P	Oceanside, California	Southern Methodist University	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	178 lb (81 kg)	February 03, 2015 (Transfer)
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: #-   247Sports: #-  ESPN: #-
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 1, 2016.

Coaching staff

Name	Position	Year at North Dakota State	Alma mater (Year)
Chris Klieman	Head coach	6th	Northern Iowa (1990)
Matt Entz	Defensive coordinator Linebackers	3rd	Wayne State (NE) (1995)
Tim Polasek	Offensive coordinator Running backs	10th	Concordia (WI) (2002)
Atif Austin	Special teams coordinator Wide receiver coach	3rd	Iowa State (2003)
Jamar Cain	Defensive ends coach	3rd	New Mexico State (2002)
Nick Goeser	Defensive tackles coach	7th	Wisconsin–Eau Claire (2003)
Randy Hedberg	Quarterbacks coach	3rd	Minot State (1977)
Joe Klanderman	Defensive backs coach	3rd	Minnesota State Mankato (2001)
Conor Riley	Offensive line coach	4th	Nebraska–Omaha (2002)
Tyler Roehl	Tight ends Fullbacks	3rd	North Dakota State (2009)
Bryan Shepherd	Defensive assistant	1st	North Dakota State (2013)
Jake Otten	Video coordinator	3rd	Cal Poly (2013)

Game summaries

Polls are based on the FCS STATS Poll

Charleston Southern

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
#7 Buccaneers	0	3	7	7	0	17
#1 Bison	0	3	7	7	7	24

See also: 2016 Charleston Southern Buccaneers football team

• (Q2, 9:44) CSU – Jacob Smoak 46 yard field goal – CSU 3–0
• (Q2, 0:00) NDSU – #36 Cam Pedersen 52 yard field goal – TIED 3–3
• (Q3, 13:07) CSU – Mike Holloway 47 yard run (Tyler Tekac kick) – CSU 10–3
• (Q3, 10:02) NDSU – #20 Darrius Shepherd 23 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – TIED 10–10
• (Q4, 10:34) NDSU – #16 RJ Urzendowski 47 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 17–10
• (Q4, 2:59) CSU – Mike Holloway 6 yard run (Tyler Tekac kick) – TIED 17–17
• (OT) NDSU – #22 King Frazier 25 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 24–17

Eastern Washington

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
#8 Eagles	0	14	10	20	0	44
#1 Bison	7	14	7	16	6	50

See also: 2016 Eastern Washington Eagles football team

• (Q1, 6:19) NDSU – #22 King Frazier 8 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 7–0
• (Q2, 12:54) EWU – Cooper Kupp 20 yard pass from Gage Gubrud (Roldan Alcobendas kick) – TIED 7–7
• (Q2, 11:01) NDSU – #12 Easton Stick 1 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 14–7
• (Q2, 6:12) NDSU – #86 Jeff Illies 33 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 21–7
• (Q2, 5:05) EWU – Cooper Kupp 8 yard pass from Gage Gubrud (Roldan Alcobendas kick) – NDSU 21–14
• (Q3, 10:58) EWU – Roldan Alcobendas 37 yard field goal – NDSU 21–17
• (Q3, 7:05) NDSU – #20 Darrius Shepherd 37 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 28–17
• (Q3, 4:06) EWU – Gage Gubrud 13 yard run (Roldan Alcobendas kick) – NDSU 28–24
• (Q4, 14:53) NDSU – #10 Lance Dunn 41 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 35–24
• (Q4, 12:05) EWU – Nsimba Webster 35 yard pass from Gage Gubrud (Roldan Alcobendas kick) – NDSU 35–31
• (Q4, 9:29) NDSU – #49 Nick DeLuca 40 yard interception return – NDSU 41–31
• (Q4, 7:49) EWU – Stu Stiles 34 yard pass from Gage Gubrud – NDSU 41–37
• (Q3, 4:32) EWU – Tamarick Pierce 1 yard run (Roldan Alcobendas kick) – EWU 44–41
• (Q4, 0:42) NDSU – #36 Cam Pedersen 28 yard field goal – TIED 44–44
• (OT) NDSU – #10 Lance Dunn 25 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 50–44

At Iowa

	1	2	3	4	Total
#1 Bison	7	0	7	9	23
#13 (FBS) Hawkeyes	0	14	7	0	21

See also: 2016 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

• (Q1, 2:26) NDSU – #41 MJ Stumpf 21 yard interception return (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 7–0
• (Q2, 13:03) IOWA – Riley McCarron 30 yard pass from C. J. Beathard (Keith Duncan kick) – TIED 7–7
• (Q2, 8:05) IOWA – Matt VandeBerg 14 yard pass from C.J. Beathard (Keith Duncan kick) – IOWA 14–7
• (Q3, 8:06) NDSU – #22 King Frazier 1 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – TIED 14–14
• (Q3, 2:12) IOWA – Matt VandeBerg 9 yard pass from C.J. Beathard (Keith Duncan kick) – IOWA 21–14
• (Q4, 3:41) NDSU – #25 Chase Morlock 7 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick – IOWA 21–20
• (Q4, 0:00) NDSU – #36 Cam Pedersen 37 yard field goal – NDSU 23–21

Illinois State

	1	2	3	4	Total
#18 Redbirds	3	7	0	0	10
#1 Bison	7	21	3	0	31

See also: 2016 Illinois State Redbirds football team

• (Q1, 8:12) ILST – Sean Slattery 23 yard field goal – ILST 3–0
• (Q1, 1:14) NDSU – #20 Darrius Shepherd 31 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 7–3
• (Q2, 13:06) ILST – Anthony Fowler 18 yard pass from Jake Kolbe (Sean Slattery kick) – ILST 10–7
• (Q2, 12:48) NDSU – #16 RJ Urzendowski 65 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 14–10
• (Q2, 8:43) NDSU – #10 Lance Dunn 38 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 21–10
• (Q2, 0:27) NDSU – #85 Nate Jenson 35 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 28–10
• (Q3, 0:39) NDSU – #36 Cam Pedersen 47 yard field goal – NDSU 31–10

At Missouri State

	1	2	3	4	Total
#1 Bison	0	13	0	14	27
Bears	3	0	0	0	3

See also: 2016 Missouri State Bears football team

• (Q1, 9:43) MOST – Zach Drake 50 yard field goal – MOST 3–0
• (Q2, 8:14) NDSU – #36 Cam Pedersen 38 yard field goal – TIED 3–3
• (Q2, 5:45) NDSU – #20 Darrius Shepherd 21 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 10–3
• (Q2, 0:27) NDSU – #36 Cam Pedersen 21 yard field goal – NDSU 13–3
• (Q4, 13:08) NDSU – #22 King Frazier 22 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 20–3
• (Q4, 4:51) NDSU – #22 King Frazier 4 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 27–3

South Dakota State

	1	2	3	4	Total
#11 Jackrabbits	0	3	7	9	19
#1 Bison	0	10	7	0	17

See also: 2016 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team and Dakota Marker

• (Q2, 13:49) NDSU – #12 Easton Stick 1 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 7–0
• (Q2, 2:13) SDSU – Chase Vinatieri 38 yard field goal – NDSU 7–3
• (Q2, 0:00) NDSU – #36 Cam Pedersen 49 yard field goal – NDSU 10–3
• (Q3, 10:16) NDSU – #12 Easton Stick 26 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 17–3
• (Q3, 5:26) SDSU – Dallas Goedert 12 yard pass from Taryn Christion (Chase Vinatieri kick) – NDSU 17–10
• (Q4, 11:04) SDSU – Chase Vinatieri 42 yard field goal – NDSU 17–13
• (Q4, 0:01) SDSU – Jake Wieneke 2 yard pass from Taryn Christion – SDSU 19–17

At Western Illinois

	1	2	3	4	Total
#4 Bison	7	14	0	0	21
#12 Leathernecks	3	3	7	0	13

See also: 2016 Western Illinois Leathernecks football team

• (Q1, 10:00) NDSU – #22 King Frazier 3 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 7–0
• (Q1, 0:19) WIU – Nathan Knuffman 29 yard field goal – NDSU 7–3
• (Q2, 11:16) WIU – Nathan Knuffman 28 yard field goal – NDSU 7–6
• (Q2, 3:25) NDSU – #22 King Frazier 1 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 14–6
• (Q2, 0:45) NDSU – #86 Jeff Illies 17 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 21–6
• (Q3, 8:56) WIU – Jamie Gilmore 3 yard run (Nathan Knuffman kick) – NDSU 21–13

At Northern Iowa

	1	2	3	4	Total
#4 Bison	7	7	7	3	24
Panthers	0	3	7	10	20

See also: 2016 Northern Iowa Panthers football team

• (Q1, 4:42) NDSU – #22 King Frazier 1 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 7–0
• (Q2, 13:12) UNI – Austin Errthum 30 yard field goal – NDSU 7–3
• (Q2, 1:22) NDSU – #86 Jeff Illies 31 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 14–3
• (Q2, 0:00) UNI – Austin Errthum 25 yard field goal – NDSU 14–6
• (Q3, 7:19) NDSU – #25 Chase Morlock 8 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 21–6
• (Q3, 2:52) UNI – Jaylin James 17 yard pass from Eli Dunne (Austin Errthum kick) – NDSU 21–13
• (Q4, 14:53) NDSU – #36 Cam Pedersen 25 yard field goal – NDSU 24–13
• (Q4, 12:10) UNI – Briley Moore 4 yard pass from Eli Dunne (Austin Errthum kick) – NDSU 24–20

Youngstown State

	1	2	3	4	Total
#15 Penguins	0	3	0	0	3
#4 Bison	17	0	0	7	24

See also: 2016 Youngstown State Penguins football team

• (Q1, 7:34) NDSU – #25 Chase Morlock 71 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 7–0
• (Q1, 3:54) NDSU – #36 Cam Pedersen 36 yard field goal – NDSU 10–0
• (Q1, 1:51) NDSU – #86 Jeff Illies 15 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 17–0
• (Q2, 8:28) YSU – Zak Kennedy 32 yard field goal – NDSU 17–3
• (Q4, 12:39) NDSU – #10 Lance Dunn 7 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 24–3

Indiana State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Sycamores	0	7	0	10	17
#4 Bison	21	13	7	0	41

See also: 2016 Indiana State Sycamores football team

• (Q1, 12:03) NDSU – #20 Darrius Shepherd 84 yard punt return (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 7–0
• (Q1, 6:42) NDSU – #12 Easton Stick 16 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 14–0
• (Q1, 2:04) NDSU – #12 Easton Stick 42 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 21–0
• (Q2, 8:23) NDSU – #36 Cam Pedersen 29 yard field goal – NDSU 24–0
• (Q2, 5:09) NDSU – #22 King Frazier 2 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 31–0
• (Q2, 1:47) ISU – Kelvin Cook 2 yard run (Jerry Nunez kick) – NDSU 31–7
• (Q2, 0:00) NDSU – #36 Cam Pedersen 45 yard field goal – NDSU 34–7
• (Q3, 11:07) NDSU – #10 Lance Dunn 14 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 41–7
• (Q4, 12:43) ISU – Jerry Nunez 41 yard field goal – NDSU 41–10
• (Q4, 4:52) ISU – Roland Genesy 2 yard run (Jerry Nunez kick) – NDSU 41–17

At South Dakota

	1	2	3	4	Total
#4 Bison	7	14	7	0	28
Coyotes	7	7	0	7	21

See also: 2016 South Dakota Coyotes football team

• (Q1, 7:29) NDSU – #22 King Frazier 1 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 7–0
• (Q1, 3:58) SD – Tacari Carpenter 36 yard pass from Chris Streveler (Miles Bergner kick) – TIED 7–7
• (Q2, 8:42) NDSU – #20 Darrius Shepherd 40 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 14–7
• (Q2, 4:01) SD – Chris Streveler 1 yard run (Miles Bergner kick) – TIED 14–14
• (Q2, 1:01) NDSU – #86 Jeff Illies 13 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 21–14
• (Q3, 11:30) NDSU – #87 Connor Wentz 6 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 28–14
• (Q4, 9:30) SD – Alonge Brooks 12 yard pass from Chris Streveler (Miles Bergner kick) – NDSU 28–21

FCS Playoffs

Second Round–San Diego

	1	2	3	4	Total
#24 Toreros	0	0	7	0	7
#4 Bison	7	14	7	17	45

See also: 2016 San Diego Toreros football team

• (Q1, 10:49) NDSU – #41 MJ Stumpf 40 yard interception return (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 7–0
• (Q2, 7:11) NDSU – #25 Chase Morlock 16 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 14–0
• (Q2, 0:39) NDSU – #16 RJ Urzendowski 11 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 21–0
• (Q3, 6:56) USD – Ross Dwelley 1 yard pass from Anthony Lawrence (Patrick Murray kick) – NDSU 21–7
• (Q3, 4:48) NDSU – #25 Chase Morlock 49 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 28–7
• (Q4, 10:13) NDSU – #36 Cam Pedersen 31 yard field goal – NDSU 31–7
• (Q4, 11:30) NDSU – #10 Lance Dunn 56 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 38–7
• (Q4, 9:30) NDSU – #8 Bruce Anderson 61 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 45–7

Quarterfinals–South Dakota State

	1	2	3	4	Total
#7 Jackrabbits	10	0	0	0	10
#4 Bison	7	7	8	14	36

• (Q1, 11:16) SDSU – Brady Mengarelli 5 yard run (Chase Vinatieri kick) – SDSU 7–0
• (Q1, 4:33) SDSU – Chase Vinatieri 34 yard field goal – SDSU 10–0
• (Q1, 1:29) NDSU – #10 Lance Dunn 49 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – SDSU 10–7
• (Q2, 1:48) NDSU – #12 Easton Stick 3 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 14–10
• (Q3, 9:13) NDSU – #90 Grant Morgan Safety – NDSU 16–10
• (Q3, 5:27) NDSU – #36 Cam Pedersen 35 yard field goal – NDSU 19–10
• (Q3, 1:29) NDSU – #36 Cam Pedersen 45 yard field goal – NDSU 22–10
• (Q4, 9:57) NDSU – #12 Easton Stick 14 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 29–10
• (Q4, 7:14) NDSU – #20 Darrius Shepherd 67 yard pass from #12 Easton Stick (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – NDSU 36–10

Semifinals–James Madison

	1	2	3	4	Total
#5 Dukes	7	10	0	10	27
#4 Bison	0	7	10	0	17

See also: 2016 James Madison Dukes football team

• (Q1, 1:18) JMU – Jonathan Kloosterman 14 yard pass from Bryan Schor (Tyler Gray kick) – JMU 7–0
• (Q2, 11:59) JMU – Tyler Gray 23 yard field goal – JMU 10–0
• (Q2, 6:51) JMU – Khalid Abdullah 10 yard pass from Bryan Schor (Tyler Gray kick) – JMU 17–0
• (Q2, 1:36) NDSU – #25 Chase Morlock 3 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – JMU 17–7
• (Q3, 11:24) NDSU – #36 Cam Pedersen 45 yard field goal – JMU 17–10
• (Q3, 5:53) NDSU – #22 King Frazier 16 yard run (#36 Cam Pedersen kick) – TIED 17–17
• (Q4, 11:46) JMU – Tyler Gray 45 yard field goal – JMU 20–17
• (Q4, 6:59) JMU – John Miller 25 yard pass from Bryan Schor (Tyler Gray kick) – JMU 27–17

Ranking movements

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
— = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. ( ) = First place votes.

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Final
STATS FCS	1 (152)	1 (137)	1 (151)	1 (167)	1 (164)	1 (164)	1 (160)	4 (11)	4 (6)	4 (4)	4 (4)	4 (7)	4 (10)	3
Coaches	1 (25)	1 (23)	1 (24)	1 (26)	1 (26)	1 (26)	1 (26)	4 (1)	4	4 (1)	4 (1)	4 (1)	3 (1)	3
AP Top 25 (FBS)	—	—	—	RV	RV	RV	RV	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
FCS Playoffs	Not released									4	3	1	Not released

References

1. "FCS wins vs. FBS teams: All-time victories, upsets, wins vs. ranked teams | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com.
2. "NDSU to Open Season on ESPN for Second Straight Year". North Dakota State Bison Athletics. March 15, 2016.
3. "Bison vs. James Madison title tilt draws record television numbers for FCS game". Inforum. January 14, 2020. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
4. "2016 NDSU Bison Spring Football Roster". The Official Athletics Site of North Dakota State Athletics. Retrieved August 1, 2016.