FCS

All-Time No. 1 vs. No. 2 Matchups in FCS College Football

Oct 10, 2022

They are rivals that face each other annually, but Saturday’s game between North Dakota State and South Dakota State also is a rarity within FCS college football.

Their matchup inside the Fargodome will mark just the seventh meeting between the No. 1 (NDSU) and 2 (SDSU) ranked teams, and it’s just the second in the regular season after Northern Iowa’s 27-26 win over Idaho on Oct. 24, 1992.

NDSU and SDSU are both 5-1 with only FBS losses, and they’re tied atop the Missouri Valley Football Conference standings with Southern Illinois at 3-0. SDSU has a two-game winning streak against NDSU, although the host Bison lead the series 63-44-5 heading into their 113^th meeting.

The Bison, who are the defending national champions and winners of nine of the last 11 FCS titles, won the two most recent No. 1 vs. 2 matchups in the 2015 and ’19 season finals in Frisco, Texas.

No. 1 North Dakota State (5-1, 3-0) will host No. 2 South Dakota State (5-1, 3-0) in the MVFC on Saturday.

It’s their 113th all-time meeting. NDSU leads 63-44-5, but SDSU has captured the last two games.

NDSU has 10-8 lead in Dakota Marker rivalry games.

📷Dave Eggen/Inertia pic.twitter.com/cwuEy5F87e
— FCS Football (@FCS_STATS) October 10, 2022

FCS No. 1 vs. No. 2 Matchups

Dec. 19, 1981: No. 2 Idaho State 34, No. 1 Eastern Kentucky 23 (FCS Championship)

Oct. 24, 1992: No. 1 Northern Iowa 27, No. 2 Idaho 26 (Regular Season)

Dec. 21, 1996: No. 2 Marshall 49, No. 1 Montana 29 (FCS Championship)

Dec. 18, 2009: No. 2 Villanova 23, No. 1 Montana 21 (FCS Championship)

Jan. 9, 2016 (2015 Season): No. 2 North Dakota State 37, No. 1 Jacksonville State 10 (FCS Championship)

Jan. 11, 2020 (2019 Season): No. 1 North Dakota State 28, No. 2 James Madison 20 (FCS Championship)

FCS No. 1 vs. No. 2 Playoff Seeds

Dec. 19, 1981: No. 2 Idaho State 34, No. 1 Eastern Kentucky 23 (FCS Championship)

Dec. 21, 1996: No. 2 Marshall 49, No. 1 Montana 29 (FCS Championship)

Dec. 18, 2009: No. 2 Villanova 23, No. 1 Montana 21 (FCS Championship)

Jan. 7, 2012 (2011 Season): No. 2 North Dakota State 17, No. 1 Sam Houston State 6 (FCS Championship)

Jan. 6, 2018 (2017 Season): No. 2 North Dakota State 17, No. 1 James Madison 13 (FCS Championship)

Jan. 11, 2020 (2019 Season): No. 1 North Dakota State 28, No. 2 James Madison 20 (FCS Championship)

May 16, 2021 (2020 Season): No. 2 Sam Houston 23, No. 1 South Dakota State 21 (FCS Championship)