Bison, Jacks prepare for season finale

FARGO (AP) — The last two football seasons ended with North Dakota State and South Dakota State playing each other for conference championships. This year’s matchup is a reality check.

The jump from the Great West Conference to the Missouri Valley Football Conference has been a roller coaster ride for both teams, but one that wasn’t completely unexpected.

Neither the Jackrabbits (6-5, 5-2 MVFC) nor the Bison (6-4, 4-3) are under consideration for postseason play in the first year they have been eligible for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois will represent the Missouri Valley in the 16-team playoff field, the conference commissioner said.

The grind of the conference has made SDSU head coach John Stiegelmeier question the wisdom of his team’s nonconference schedule. He wishes the Jackrabbits would have scheduled a total of 11 games instead of 12, or three nonconference games instead of four.

Bison head coach Craig Bohl said his captains talked about the difficulty of the league in a meeting with coaches earlier this week. “All our guys to a man said they felt the competition was much improved (from last year),” the coach said.

Saturday’s game at the Fargodome will decide the owner of the Dakota Marker Trophy.

Tags: south dakota state, ndsu, football, bison, jackrabbits