# 2015 North Dakota State Bison football team

The 2015 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Chris Klieman. The team, which played its 23rd season in the Fargodome, entered the season as the four-time defending national champions. The Bison have been members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) since the 2008 season.
The Bison went 13–2 on the season, won their fifth straight MVFC title, and their fifth consecutive NCAA Division I Football Championship, becoming the first-ever NCAA football team to win five straight championships at any level. Yale won six straight college football national championships from 1879 to 1884, before the NCAA was formed.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 29 | 2:30 pm | at No. 13 Montana* | No. 1 | Washington–Grizzly StadiumMissoula, MT (FCS Kickoff) | ESPN | L 35–38 | 26,472 (R) |
| September 12 | 2:30 pm | Weber State* | No. 2 | FargodomeFargo, ND | NBC ND/ESPN3 | W 41–14 | 18,801 |
| September 19 | 2:30 pm | North Dakota* | No. 4 | FargodomeFargo, ND (Rivalry) | NBC ND/ESPN3 | W 34–9 | 19,044 |
| October 3 | 6:00 pm | at No. 5 South Dakota State | No. 3 | Coughlin–Alumni StadiumBrookings, SD (Dakota Marker) | Midco/NBC ND/ESPN3 | W 28–7 | 17,348 (R) |
| October 10 | 6:00 pm | No. 10 Northern Iowa | No. 3 | FargodomeFargo, ND | NBC ND/ESPN3 | W 31–28 | 18,954 |
| October 17 | 2:30 pm | South Dakota | No. 2 | FargodomeFargo, ND | Midco/NBC ND/ESPN3 | L 21–24 | 18,420 |
| October 24 | 12:00 pm | at No. 18 Indiana State | No. 8 | Memorial StadiumTerre Haute, IN | MVC TV/ESPN3 | W 28–14 | 6,524 |
| October 31 | 2:00 pm | at Southern Illinois | No. 7 | Saluki StadiumCarbondale, IL | NBC ND/ESPN3 | W 35–29 | 6,508 |
| November 7 | 2:30 pm | Western Illinois | No. 6 | FargodomeFargo, ND (Harvest Bowl) | NBC ND/ESPN3 | W 59–7 | 18,251 |
| November 14 | 1:00 pm | at No. 20 Youngstown State | No. 2 | Stambaugh StadiumYoungstown, OH | NBC ND/ESPN3 | W 27–24 | 11,309 |
| November 21 | 2:00 pm | Missouri State | No. 2 | FargodomeFargo, ND | NBC ND/ESPN3 | W 55–0 | 18,624 |
| December 5 | 2:30 pm | No. 16 Montana* | No. 2 | FargodomeFargo, ND (FCS playoffs second round) | ESPN3 | W 37–6 | 18,232 |
| December 12 | 11:00 am | No. 15 Northern Iowa* | No. 2 | FargodomeFargo, ND (FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals) | ESPN2 | W 23–13 | 18,041 |
| December 18 | 7:00 pm | No. 12 Richmond* | No. 2 | FargodomeFargo, ND (FCS Playoffs Semifinals) | ESPN2 | W 33–7 | 18,105 |
| January 9, 2016 | 11:00 am | vs. No. 1 Jacksonville State* | No. 2 | Toyota StadiumFrisco, TX (FCS National Championship Game) | ESPN2 | W 37–10 | 21,836 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||
* Source: (R) indicates record attendance.

## Coaching staff

| Name | Position | Year at North Dakota State | Alma mater (Year) |
| Chris Klieman | Head coach | 5th | Northern Iowa (1990) |
| Matt Entz | Defensive coordinator Linebackers | 2nd | Wayne State (NE) (1995) |
| Tim Polasek | Offensive coordinator Running backs | 9th | Concordia (WI) (2002) |
| Atif Austin | Special teams coordinator Wide receiver coach | 2nd | Iowa State (2003) |
| Jamar Cain | Defensive ends coach | 2nd | New Mexico State (2002) |
| Nick Goeser | Defensive tackles coach | 6th | Wisconsin–Eau Claire (2003) |
| Randy Hedberg | Quarterbacks coach | 2nd | Minot State (1977) |
| Joe Klanderman | Defensive backs coach | 2nd | Minnesota State Mankato (2001) |
| Tyler Roehl | Tight ends Fullbacks | 2nd | North Dakota State (2009) |
| Brian Gordon | Director of football operations Equipment services | 2nd | South Florida (2002) |
| Jake Otten | Video coordinator | 2nd | Cal Poly (2013) |

## Recruiting class

College recruiting information (2015) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Ben Ellefson #76 TE | Hawley, MN | Hawley Secondary | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 243 lb (110 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Aaron Mercadel #113 MLB | Oakland, CA | Saint Mary's College High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Jack Darnell #190 DT | Champlin, MN | Champlin Park High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 277 lb (126 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Bryan Carlton #145 DE | Chanhassen, MN | Minnetonka High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 246 lb (112 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Derrek Tuszka #136 DE | Warner, SD | Warner High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 226 lb (103 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Matt Anderson #133 TE | Lakeland, MN | Stillwater High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 228 lb (103 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Trent Mooney #226 OT | Lamar, MO | Lamar High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 269 lb (122 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Robbie Grimsley #221 ATH (S) | Hutchinson, MN | Hutchinson High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 181 lb (82 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Connor Hubbs #201 DT | White Bear Lake, MN | White Bear Lake High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 283 lb (128 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Braden Sikes #230 ATH (S) | Excelsior, MN | Minnetonka High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 192 lb (87 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Dimitri Williams #232 ATH (WR) | Lakeville, MN | Rosemount High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 174 lb (79 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| James Hendricks #243 ATH (QB) | Laporte, MN | Bemidji High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 189 lb (86 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Marquise Bridges #327 WR | Brooklyn Park, MN | DeLaSalle High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Zack Johnson #324 OT | Blaine, MN | Spring Lake Park High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 276 lb (125 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: |||||||
| Ty Brooks CB | Fargo, ND | Fargo South High School | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 161 lb (73 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Jaxon Brown S | Eau Claire, WI | Regis High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 189 lb (86 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Demaris Purifoy RB | Wauwatosa, WI | Wauwatosa West High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 188 lb (85 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Brock Robbins FB | Cavalier, ND | Cavalier High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Cole Karcz TE -> DE | Germantown, MN | Germantown High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 233 lb (106 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Bruce Anderson RB | Ruskin, FL | Newsome High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 202 lb (92 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Jake Brinkman OLB | North Liberty, IA | Regina High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Dominic Davis ATH (CB) | Belleville, IL | Belleville West High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Jack Albrecht OG | Rolling Meadows, IL | Fremd High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 276 lb (125 kg) | February 04, 2015 (Signed) |
| Star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: - 247Sports: #131 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: "2015 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved September 1, 2016. |||||||

## Game summaries
### At Montana

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #1 Bison | 7 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
| #13 Grizzlies | 10 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 38 |

### Weber State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| #2 Bison | 7 | 21 | 3 | 10 | 41 |

### North Dakota

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| North Dakota | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| #4 Bison | 3 | 21 | 10 | 0 | 34 |

### At South Dakota State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #3 Bison | 7 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| #5 Jackrabbits | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |

### Northern Iowa

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #10 Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| #3 Bison | 3 | 7 | 0 | 21 | 31 |

### South Dakota

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Coyotes | 0 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
| #2 Bison | 14 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 21 |

### At Indiana State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #8 Bison | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 28 |
| #18 Sycamores | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |

### At Southern Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #7 Bison | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
| Salukis | 3 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 29 |

### Western Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Leathernecks | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| #6 Bison | 17 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 59 |

### At Youngstown State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #2 Bison | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 | 27 |
| #20 Penguins | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 24 |

### Missouri State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| #2 Bison | 14 | 27 | 14 | 0 | 55 |

## FCS playoffs
### Second round – Montana

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #16 Grizzlies | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| #2 Bison | 7 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 37 |

### Quarterfinals–Northern Iowa

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #15 Panthers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| #2 Bison | 7 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 23 |

### Semifinals–Richmond

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #12 Spiders | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| #2 Bison | 13 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 33 |

### Championship–Jacksonville State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #2 Bison | 3 | 21 | 3 | 10 | 37 |
| #1 Gamecocks | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking т = Tied with team above or below ( ) = First-place votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS FCS | 1 (144) | 2 (22) | 4 (23) | 3 (17) | 3 (16) | 3 (20) | 2 (27) | 8 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 (2) | 1 (150) |
| Coaches | 1 (24) | 2–T (6) | 2 | 2 (4) | 2 (4) | 2 (6) | 2 (5) | 8 | 6 | 5–T | 3 | 3 | 3 (5) | 1 (24) |

## 2016 NFL draftees

| Player | Round | Pick | Position | NFL Club |
| Carson Wentz | 1 | 2 | Quarterback | Philadelphia Eagles |
| Joe Haeg | 5 | 155 | Guard | Indianapolis Colts |