The National Champion Bison Are Unanimously No. 1 At The End The FCS Season

     The NDSU Bison secured a ninth national championship in the past 11 years over this past weekend. They dominated the Montana State Bobcats 38-10 to bring another championship back to Fargo. Early in the game Bobcats quarterback Tommy Mellott left the game after rolling his right ankle trying to make a cut on the field. After that injury NDSU seized momentum and never lost it.

     The Bison took an FCS championship game record 28 point lead into the half at 28-0 thanks to four rushing touchdowns. Three of which were complimentary of the games Most Outstanding Player award winner Hunter Luepke. The fourth was via a Kobe Johnson 76 yard breakout touchdown run. Luepke finished the game with 82 yards rushing on 14 carries.

     In the second half both squads each scored 10 points with NDSU’s touchdown through the air as Cam Miller connected with Josh Babicz for a 35 yard touchdown pass. Starting quarterback Cam Miller completed nine of his 13 passes for 126 yards and one touchdown including 41 yards on the ground. Backup quarterback Quincy Patterson also had a solid game with 98 rushing yards on 11 carries.

     The national champion Bison ended the season with a 14-1 overall record earning all 50 first-place votes in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 media poll. They also received all 24 first-place votes in the American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches Poll.

     There were six teams from the Missouri Valley Football Conference that finished the season ranked in both polls.

Final 2021 Stats Perform FCS Top 25

Team (First-Place Votes)     W-L     Pts     Prev

1. North Dakota St. (50)        14-1    1250      3

2. Montana St.                       12-3    1173      7

3. James Madison                 12-2    1165      2

4. South Dakota St.               11-4    1051     11

5. Sam Houston                    11-1    1046      1

6. Montana                            10-3    1008     5

7. Eastern Washington          10-3     924      4

8. Villanova                            10-3     919      6

9. East Tennessee St.            11-2     879      9

10. Sacramento St.                 9-3      745      8

11. Kennesaw St.                   11-2     740     10

12. Incarnate Word                10-3     682     13

13. Tennessee-Martin            10-3     654     16

14. Missouri St.                       8-4      531     12

15. Southeastern Louisiana    9-4      522     18

16. Southern Illinois                8-5      504      21

17. UC Davis                          8-4      439      14

18. South Dakota                   7-5      326       17

19. Holy Cross                      10-3     319       24

20. Dartmouth                        9-1      281       19

21. Stephen F. Austin             8-4     268        20

22. Jackson St.                     11-2     259        15

23. Northern Iowa                  6-6      132       NR

24. Princeton                         9-1      116         23

25. Florida A&M                    9-3       114        22

Final 2021 AFCA FCS Coaches Poll

Team (First-Place Votes)     W-L     Pts     Prev

1. North Dakota St. (24)       14-1    600       3

2. Montana St.                       12-3    571       9

3. James Madison                 12-2    548       2

4. Sam Houston                    11-1     520       1

5. South Dakota St.               11-4     471      11

6. Montana                            10-3     470       5

7. East Tennessee St.           11-2     438       8

8. Villanova                           10-3     435       7

9. Eastern Washington         10-3     416       6

10. Kennesaw St.                 11-2     399       4

11. Sacramento St.                9-3     358       12

12. Tennessee-Martin           10-3    307       13

13. Incarnate Word               10-3    297       15

14. Missouri St.                      8-4     276       10

15. Southeastern Louisiana   9-4     248       17

16. UC Davis                          8-4     205       16

17. Southern Illinois                8-5     203       23

18. Stephen F. Austin             8-4     188       19

19. Jackson St.                     11-2     136       14

20. South Dakota                   7-5      133      T20

21. Princeton                          9-1      130      18

22. Holy Cross                      10-3      117      24

23. Dartmouth                         9-1       89      T20

24. Florida A&M                      9-3       88       22

25. Northern Iowa                   6-6       62       25