NDSU Football Motivated to win Dakota Marker Back

The Bison have lost their last two regular-season games against rival South Dakota State

FARGO, N.D. — North Dakota State football says the goal every year is to win the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

They have captured at least a share of that title in each of the last seven seasons.

Step one in making it eight in a row comes on Saturday. The top-ranked Bison open conference play against No. 3 South Dakota State.

NDSU has won 28 of its last 30 regular-season games.

Both losses have come against SDSU.

It is a heated rivalry, and the only trophy game the Bison have as both squads vie for the Dakota Marker.

Linebacker Dan Marlette is from Sioux falls, so he knows the history of the rivalry.

The emphasis is always to treat every game the same, but that is a little tougher given NDSU’s recent struggles in the regular-season against the Jacks.

“It’s almost impossible not to think about that,” Marlette said. “I think that’s one of our driving factors for this week. Even though we like to treat it as another Missouri Valley game, it’s still the rock, and we have to keep that in the back of our minds.”

Running back Bruce Anderson is also a senior, and knows how great it would be for his group to end their careers with the Marker in tow.

“It means a little more to the seniors, especially losing the Dakota Marker two years in a row,” Anderson said. “So, I think we know what we’re getting into, but we keep preaching to the young guys to take it game by game. Don’t make this game mean more than any other game, so that’s what we’re preaching to the young guys.”

The Bison and Jackrabbits are set for kickoff at 2:30 Saturday afternoon.