The most formidable dynasty in FCS football faces a tough test as No. 2 seed North Dakota State plays No. 8 seed Montana State with a national championship on the line this weekend. The Bison have won eight national titles since 2011 and earned a trip to Frisco, Texas, after beating No. 3 James Madison, No. 7 East Tennessee State and Southern Illinois along the way. Bison coach Matt Entz is chasing his second national championship in three seasons.
Montana State earned trips to the playoffs in each of the past two seasons and posted consecutive years of playoff wins for the first time in program history; however, the Bobcats have not played for a championship since a 19-6 victory over Louisiana Tech in 1984. Running back Isaiah Ifanse has been the star of the team, rushing for 1,539 yards and 10 touchdowns to earn unanimous All-Big Sky honors.
North Dakota State actually ended the Bobcats’ last run in the playoffs in 2019 in the national semifinals with a 42-14 victory behind five touchdowns from eventual first-round pick Trey Lance. Will the result be different this time around? Here is how you can watch the FCS championship game along with storylines to know.
Montana vs. North Dakota State: Need to know
All-time dynasty: Before Sam Houston knocked NDSU off its perch during last year’s abbreviated spring season, the Bison had won an unprecedented eight championships in nine years under the direction of Craig Bohl, Chris Klieman and now Entz. NDSU has also produced eight NFL Draft picks since 2014, including two first-round quarterbacks in Lance and Carson Wentz.
Coaching change: The Bobcats lost former coach Jeff Choate before the 2021 season after he was hired as co-defensive coordinator at Texas. Brent Vigen has…
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