This week, No. 2 North Dakota State (7-0, 4-0 MVFC) is scheduled to host Indiana State (4-4, 2-3 MVFC) in the annual Trees Bowl game sponsored by the North Dakota Forest Service. Game time is 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.

North Dakota State has a 27-3 record in the Trees Bowl and the Bison have won 12 straight including a 21-13 victory over Illinois State last March. This is the first time the Indiana State Sycamores have been the opponent for the game, which originated in 1990 and has never before featured an opponent with a tree for a nickname.

This is the 11th meeting between North Dakota State and Indiana State. NDSU has won five straight to take a 9-1 lead in the series. The teams haven’t played since 2017 due to the conference scheduling rotation in 2018 and 2019, and Indiana State opted out of the 2020-21 spring season. The Sycamores are 1-4 in the Fargodome with a 17-14 win in 2012 and are making their first trip to Fargo since 2016.

Only two players on North Dakota State’s current roster have played in a football game against Indiana State. Defensive end Logan McCormick was credited with a quarterback hurry in the 2017 road game and was a regular on the Bison kickoff return team that year playing in 13 of 15 games as a true freshman. Sixth-year offensive tackle Cordell Volson was a backup lineman and played nine games on the PAT and field goal unit as a redshirt freshman in 2017.

In the last meeting between these two teams, North Dakota State rushed for 246 yards and Easton Stick passed for four touchdowns as the Bison won 52-0 at Indiana State in the last meeting between the two teams on Oct. 7, 2017. Darrius Shepherd caught six passes for 94 yards, Connor Wentz had two touchdown receptions, and Ben Ellefson and Dallas Freeman each caught TDs. Lance Dunn led seven NDSU ball carriers with 16 carries for 74 yards and two scores. NDSU also scored 24 points off six Indiana State turnovers.

Meanwhile in last week’s game, Bison sophomore quarterback Cam Miller came off the bench to lead two fourth-quarter scoring drives as NDSU came from behind to beat Missouri State 27-20. Miller completed his last seven passing attempts and finished 7 of 9 for 122 yards with a 29-yard TD to Phoenix Sproles and a 24-yard TD to Christian Watson, who had his fourth career 100-yard receiving game with four catches for 106 yards. It was the second time Miller has come off the bench to spark NDSU to a victory.

NDSU’s defense registered five sacks for the third straight game last week while holding Missouri State to season lows of 321 yards of total offense and 3 of 13 on third down, and MSU’s fewest points against an FCS opponent this year (20). Michael Tutsie and Cole Wisniewski had eight tackles apiece, Brayden Thomas came back from injury to record 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, and Jasir Cox had a sack and snared his third interception in two games. NDSU ranks fifth in the FCS with a conference-best 3.86 sacks per game.

North Dakota State moved up one spot to second in this week’s Stats Perform FCS media poll and AFCA FCS coaches poll following a 35-34 loss by former No. 2 Eastern Washington at home to previously unranked Weber State. This is NDSU’s highest ranking in the polls since moving into the No. 2 spot for four weeks after last spring’s win over North Dakota.

North Dakota State has allowed an FCS-low seven touchdowns this year and leads the FCS in scoring defense allowing 9.0 points per game. That is the best scoring defense in NDSU’s 18 seasons as a Division I program, topping the 11.3 ppg by the 2013 national championship team. Only Georgia is allowing fewer points (6.6 ppg) this year in Division I.

North Dakota State ranks third in the FCS in red-zone defense (.545) allowing four rushing touchdowns and two field goal in 11 opportunities inside the 20-yard line. NDSU opponents have three turnovers on downs, one interception and one fumble in the red zone. Only James Madison has allowed fewer trips inside the red zone this season (9).