# 2020 North Dakota State Bison football team

The 2020 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by second-year head coach Matt Entz. The team played in the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota, for the 28th season as members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). They entered the season as defending national champions, having won eight of the prior nine FCS titles.

## Schedule

NDSU had games scheduled against Oregon (September 5, rescheduled to 2028), Drake (September 12, rescheduled to 2022), and North Carolina A&T (September 19, rescheduled to 2022) that were postponed before the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| October 3 | 2:30 p.m. | Central Arkansas* | No. 1 | FargodomeFargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 39–28 | 471 |
| February 21 | 2:30 p.m. | Youngstown State | No. 1 | FargodomeFargo, ND (Harvest Bowl) | ESPN+ | W 25–7 | 6,578 |
| February 27 | 2:30 p.m. | at Southern Illinois | No. 1 | Saluki StadiumCarbondale, IL | ESPN+ | L 14–38 | 2,400 |
| March 6 | 2:00 p.m. | at Missouri State | No. 6 | Robert W. Plaster StadiumSpringfield, MO | ESPN+ | W 25–0 | 3,147 |
| March 13 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 22 Illinois State | No. 5 | FargodomeFargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 21–13 | 6,145 |
| March 20 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 2 North Dakota | No. 4 | FargodomeFargo, ND | ESPN+ | W 34–13 | 9,121 |
| March 27 | 2:00 p.m. | at South Dakota | No. 2 | DakotaDomeVermillion, SD | ESPN+ | Canceled | |
| April 10 | 4:00 p.m. | at No. 24 Northern Iowa | No. 2 | UNI-DomeCedar Falls, IA | ESPN+ | W 23–20 | 2,037 |
| April 17 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 4 South Dakota State | No. 2 | FargodomeFargo, ND (Dakota Marker) | ESPN+ | L 17–27 | 8,762 |
| April 24 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 9 Eastern Washington | No. 6 | FargodomeFargo, ND (FCS Playoffs First Round) | ESPN3 | W 42–20 | 3,587 |
| May 2 | 2:00 p.m. | at No. 4 Sam Houston State | No. 6 | Bowers StadiumHuntsville, TX (FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals) | ESPN | L 20–24 | 4,984 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### Regular season
#### Central Arkansas

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 11 Bears | 3 | 3 | 14 | 8 | 28 |
| No. 1 Bison | 0 | 10 | 8 | 21 | 39 |
at Fargodome, Fargo, ND
* Date: October 3, 2020
* Game time: 2:30 p.m. (CT)
* Game weather: Indoors; 70 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 471
* TV: ESPN+
| Statistics | Central Arkansas | North Dakota State |
| First downs | 14 | 26 |
| Plays–yards | 63-297 | 76-425 |
| Rushes–yards | 25-71 | 46-276 |
| Passing yards | 226 | 149 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 25-38-2 | 15-30-1 |
| Time of possession | 26:38 | 33:22 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Central Arkansas | Passing | Breylin Smith | 25/38, 226 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT |
| Central Arkansas | Rushing | Breylin Smith | 10 car, 29 yds |
| Central Arkansas | Receiving | Tyler Hudson | 4 rec, 58 yds, TD |
| North Dakota State | Passing | Trey Lance | 15/30, 149 yds, 2 TD, INT |
| North Dakota State | Rushing | Trey Lance | 15 car, 143 yds, 2 TD |
| North Dakota State | Receiving | Braylon Henderson | 3 rec, 36 yds |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | UCA | NDSU |
| 1st | 8:26 | 4 | -1 | 1:39 | UCA | 33-yard field goal by Hayden Ray (#53) | 3 | 0 |
| 2nd | 11:53 | 7 | 23 | 2:11 | UCA | 41-yard field goal by Hayden Ray (#53) | 6 | 0 |
| 2nd | 9:00 | 7 | 75 | 2:53 | NDSU | Josh Babicz (#81) 13-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good | 6 | 7 |
| 2nd | 2:32 | 9 | 50 | 4:23 | NDSU | 27-yard field goal by Jake Reinholz (#37) | 6 | 10 |
| 3rd | 14:13 | 2 | 75 | 0:47 | NDSU | Trey Lance (#5) 54-yard touchdown run, 2-point Rush Good | 6 | 18 |
| 3rd | 12:47 | 5 | 75 | 1:26 | UCA | Tyler Hudson (#1) 22-yard touchdown reception from Breylin Smith (#3), Hayden Ray (#53) kick good | 13 | 18 |
| 3rd | UCA | 5 | 43 | 1:13 | UCA | Lujuan Winningham (#5) 3-yard touchdown reception from Breylin Smith (#3), Hayden Ray (#53) kick good | 20 | 18 |
| 4th | 13:21 | 8 | 56 | 3:53 | NDSU | Trey Lance (#5) 14-yard touchdown run, Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good | 20 | 25 |
| 4th | 10:35 | 7 | 79 | 2:41 | UCA | Lujuan Winningham (#5) 11-yard touchdown reception from Breylin Smith (#3), 2-point rush good | 28 | 25 |
| 4th | 7:35 | 7 | 75 | 3:00 | NDSU | Hunter Luepke (#44) 23-yard touchdown reception from Trey Lance (#5), Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good | 28 | 32 |
| 4th | 1:51 | 9 | 67 | 3:51 | NDSU | Hunter Luepke (#44) 13-yard touchdown run, Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good | 28 | 39 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 28 | 39 |

#### Youngstown State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Penguins | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 1 Bison | 8 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 25 |
at Fargodome, Fargo, ND
* Date: February 21, 2021
* Game time: 2:30 p.m. (CT)
* Game weather: Indoors; 70 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 6,578
* TV: ESPN+
| Statistics | Youngstown State | North Dakota State |
| First downs | 12 | 18 |
| Plays–yards | 56-171 | 58-317 |
| Rushes–yards | 34-51 | 40-243 |
| Passing yards | 120 | 74 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 12-22-0 | 9-18-0 |
| Time of possession | 31:03 | 28:57 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Youngstown State | Passing | Mark Waid | 8/11, 75 yds, TD |
| Youngstown State | Rushing | Mark Waid | 11 car, 26 yds |
| Youngstown State | Receiving | Natavious Payne | 2 rec, 39 yds |
| North Dakota State | Passing | Zeb Noland | 9/18, 74 yds |
| North Dakota State | Rushing | Kobe Johnson | 16 car, 114 yds, TD |
| North Dakota State | Receiving | Cole Jacob | 3 rec, 28 yds |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | YSU | NDSU |
| 1st | 4:20 | 9 | 63 | 5:12 | NDSU | Kobe Johnson (#4) 15-yard touchdown run, 2-point rush good | 0 | 8 |
| 2nd | 9:05 | 7 | 30 | 3:08 | NDSU | 28-yard field goal by Jake Reinholz (#37) | 0 | 11 |
| 3rd | 8:29 | 6 | 89 | 2:38 | NDSU | Jalen Bussey (#21) 22-yard touchdown run, Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good | 0 | 18 |
| 3rd | 0:18 | 15 | 75 | 8:11 | YSU | Jake Coates (#10) 12-yard touchdown reception from Mark Waid (#7), Colt McFadden (#19) kick good | 7 | 18 |
| 4th | 7:10 | 9 | 60 | 4:22 | NDSU | Jalen Bussey (#21) 7-yard touchdown run, Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good | 7 | 25 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 7 | 25 |

#### Southern Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 1 Bison | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Salukis | 3 | 14 | 0 | 21 | 38 |
at Saluki Stadium, Carbondale, IL
* Date: February 27, 2021
* Game time: 2:30 p.m. (CT)
* Game weather: Cloudy; 52 °F (11 °C); Wind: SSE 6 MPH
* Game attendance: 2,400
* TV: ESPN+
| Statistics | North Dakota State | Southern Illinois |
| First downs | 12 | 25 |
| Plays–yards | 45-268 | 73-443 |
| Rushes–yards | 21-109 | 48-170 |
| Passing yards | 159 | 273 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 13-24-1 | 18-25-0 |
| Time of possession | 18:34 | 41:26 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| North Dakota State | Passing | Zeb Noland | 13/24, 159 yds, TD, INT |
| North Dakota State | Rushing | Jalen Bussey | 3 car, 72 yds |
| North Dakota State | Receiving | Jake Lippe | 3 rec, 53 yds, TD |
| Southern Illinois | Passing | Nic Baker | 17/23, 254 yds, TD |
| Southern Illinois | Rushing | Romeir Elliott | 18 car, 89 yds, 2 TD |
| Southern Illinois | Receiving | Avante Cox | 7 rec, 138 yds |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | NDSU | SIU |
| 1st | 0:40 | 12 | 49 | 6:43 | SIU | 39-yard field goal by Nico Gualdoni (#99) | 0 | 3 |
| 2nd | 7:24 | 12 | 93 | 6:50 | SIU | Romeir Elliott (#1) 3-yard touchdown run, Nico Gualdoni (#99) kick good | 0 | 10 |
| 2nd | 0:55 | 7 | 74 | 4:25 | SIU | Javon Williams Jr. (#15) 1-yard touchdown run, Nico Gualdoni (#99) kick good | 0 | 17 |
| 2nd | 0:00 | 6 | 80 | 0:52 | NDSU | Jake Lippe (#19) 37-yard touchdown reception from Zeb Noland (#8), Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good | 7 | 17 |
| 4th | 13:41 | 5 | 51 | 2:32 | SIU | Landon Lenoir (#17) 7-yard touchdown reception from Nic Baker (#8), Nico Gualdoni (#99) kick good | 7 | 24 |
| 4th | 11:42 | 4 | 13 | 1:27 | SIU | Javon Williams Jr. (#15) 3-yard touchdown run, Nico Gualdoni (#99) kick good | 7 | 31 |
| 4th | 3:07 | 11 | 80 | 7:18 | SIU | Romeir Elliott (#1) 20-yard touchdown run, Nico Gualdoni (#99) kick good | 7 | 38 |
| 4th | 2:16 | 3 | 75 | 0:51 | NDSU | Zeb Noland (#8) 5-yard touchdown run, Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good | 14 | 38 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 14 | 38 |

#### Missouri State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 6 Bison | 7 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Plaster Stadium, Springfield, MO
* Date: March 6, 2021
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. (CT)
* Game weather: Sunny; 58 °F (14 °C); WSW 3 MPH
* Game attendance: 3,147
* TV: ESPN+
| Statistics | North Dakota State | Missouri State |
| First downs | 15 | 14 |
| Plays–yards | 63-407 | 63-221 |
| Rushes–yards | 48-272 | 34-63 |
| Passing yards | 135 | 158 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 10-15-1 | 16-29-0 |
| Time of possession | 33:56 | 26:04 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| North Dakota State | Passing | Zeb Noland (#8) | 10/15, 135 yds, 2 TD, INT |
| North Dakota State | Rushing | Jalen Bussey | 10 car, 98 yds, TD |
| North Dakota State | Receiving | Braylon Henderson | 1 rec, 81 yds, TD |
| Missouri State | Passing | Jaden Johnson | 13/21, 132 yds |
| Missouri State | Rushing | Tobias Little | 8 car, 46 yds |
| Missouri State | Receiving | Damoriea Vick | 6 rec, 73 yds |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | NDSU | MOST |
| 1st | 1:49 | 12 | 71 | 5:54 | NDSU | Noah Gindorff (#87) 7-yard touchdown reception from Zeb Noland (#8), Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good | 7 | 0 |
| 2nd | 6:24 | 4 | 65 | 1:53 | NDSU | Jalen Bussey (#21) 53-yard touchdown run, 2-point rush good | 15 | 0 |
| 2nd | 1:25 | 7 | 44 | 3:30 | NDSU | 38-yard field goal by Jake Reinholz (#37) | 18 | 0 |
| 2nd | 0:08 | 2 | 81 | 0:17 | NDSU | Braylon Henderson (#12) 81-yard touchdown reception from Zeb Noland (#8), Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good | 25 | 0 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 25 | 0 |

#### Illinois State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 22 Redbirds | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| No. 5 Bison | 14 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
at Fargodome, Fargo, ND
* Date: March 13, 2021
* Game time: 2:30 p.m. (CT)
* Game weather: Indoors; 70 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 6,145
* TV: ESPN+
| Statistics | Illinois State | North Dakota State |
| First downs | 13 | 15 |
| Plays–yards | 67-257 | 59-287 |
| Rushes–yards | 41-133 | 39-154 |
| Passing yards | 124 | 133 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 9-26-1 | 11-20-2 |
| Time of possession | 29:54 | 30:06 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Illinois State | Passing | Bryce Jefferson | 9/26, 124 yds, TD, INT |
| Illinois State | Rushing | Nigel White | 15 car, 87 yds |
| Illinois State | Receiving | Austin Nagel | 2 rec, 51 yds |
| North Dakota State | Passing | Zeb Noland | 6/13, 72 yds, 2 INT |
| North Dakota State | Rushing | Cam Miller | 11 car, 57 yds, TD |
| North Dakota State | Receiving | Christian Watson | 4 rec, 93 yds |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | ILST | NDSU |
| 1st | 11:20 | | | | NDSU | Punt returned 85 yards for touchdown by Jayden Price (#23), Jake Reinholz (#37) kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 1st | 5:37 | 8 | 67 | 3:37 | NDSU | Kobe Johnson (#4) 15-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#39) kick good | 0 | 14 |
| 3rd | 6:40 | 7 | 47 | 3:01 | ILST | Tanner Taula (#11) 4-yard touchdown reception from Bryce Jefferson (#5), Aidan Bresnahan (#40) kick good | 7 | 14 |
| 4th | 11:59 | 10 | 80 | 4:32 | ILST | Tyler Pennington (#37) 1-yard touchdown run, Aidan Bresnahan (#40) kick blocked | 13 | 14 |
| 4th | 3:39 | 13 | 84 | 8:13 | NDSU | Cam Miller (#7) 6-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#39) kick good | 13 | 21 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 13 | 21 |

#### North Dakota

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 2 Fighting Hawks | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
| No. 4 Bison | 7 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 34 |
at Fargodome, Fargo, ND
* Date: March 20, 2021
* Game time: 2:30 p.m. (CT)
* Game weather: Indoors; 70 °F (21 °C)
* Game attendance: 9,121
* TV: ESPN+
| Statistics | North Dakota | North Dakota State |
| First downs | 14 | 21 |
| Plays–yards | 51-304 | 73-456 |
| Rushes–yards | 24-161 | 54-316 |
| Passing yards | 143 | 140 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 13-27-1 | 8-19-2 |
| Time of possession | 23:23 | 36:37 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| North Dakota | Passing | Tommy Schuster | 13/26, 143 yds, TD, INT |
| North Dakota | Rushing | Otis Weah | 13 car, 129 yds, TD |
| North Dakota | Receiving | Bo Belquist | 3 rec, 39 yds, TD |
| North Dakota State | Passing | Zeb Noland | 5/13, 127 yds, TD, 2 INT |
| North Dakota State | Rushing | Hunter Luepke | 28 car, 190 yds, 3 TD |
| North Dakota State | Receiving | Christian Watson | 2 rec, 83 yds, TD |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | UND | NDSU |
| 1st | 14:10 | 4 | 75 | 0:50 | NDSU | Hunter Luepke (#44) 55-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#39) kick good | 0 | 7 |
| 1st | 4:47 | 1 | 74 | 0:12 | UND | Otis Weah (#26) 74-yard touchdown run, Adam Stage (#45) kick no good | 6 | 7 |
| 2nd | 11:11 | 16 | 82 | 8:31 | NDSU | Hunter Luepke (#44) 8-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#39) kick good | 6 | 14 |
| 2nd | 1:06 | 2 | 72 | 0:29 | NDSU | Christian Watson (#1) 63-yard touchdown reception from Zeb Noland (#8), Griffin Crosa (#39) kick good | 6 | 21 |
| 3rd | 12:01 | 6 | 55 | 2:53 | UND | Bo Belquist (#1) 21-yard touchdown reception from Tommy Schuster (#2), Adam Stage (#45) kick good | 13 | 21 |
| 3rd | 4:38 | 14 | 75 | 7:23 | NDSU | Hunter Luepke (#44) 5-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#39) kick good | 13 | 28 |
| 4th | 14:05 | 6 | 18 | 2:35 | NDSU | 41-yard field goal by Griffin Crosa (#39) | 13 | 31 |
| 4th | 7:57 | 4 | 2 | 2:07 | NDSU | 35-yard field goal by Griffin Crosa (#39) | 13 | 34 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 13 | 34 |

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Final |
| STATS | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Coaches | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 5 |

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL team |
| 1 | 3 | Trey Lance | QB | San Francisco 49ers |
| 2 | 53 | Dillon Radunz | OT | Tennessee Titans |