Getty Easton Stick and the North Dakota State Bisons will host the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits will visit the rival North Dakota Bison at the Fargodome on Friday in the first semifinal of the NCAA FCS football playoffs.
The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can still watch a live stream of the game (or DVR it) on your computer, phone, or streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
In addition to a Netflix-like on-demand streaming library, Hulu also offers a bundle of 50-plus live TV channels, including ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet, or streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” also comes with 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
ESPN and ESPN2 are included in the “Sling Orange” channel bundle. You can sign up for a free seven-day trial right here, and you can then watch a live stream of the game on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet, or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
If you can’t watch live, you can get 50 hours of cloud DVR storage as an additional add-on.
ESPN Platforms
Additionally, you can watch a live stream of the game on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet, or streaming device via the ESPN app. You’ll need to log in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can still sign up for one of the above options and then use your Hulu or Sling TV credentials to sign in and watch on the ESPN digital platforms.
North Dakota State vs South Dakota State Preview
The No. 5 Jackrabbits and No. 1 Bison have already met this season, a 21-17 NDSU victory back on September 29 in the teams’ annual battle for the Dakota Marker. The Jacks claimed the trophy in 2017, just their second win in the the previous 11 border war matchups.
“It feels good to get (the Dakota Marker) back,” Bison quarterback Easton Stick said, according to the Argus Leader. “That’s a really good football team, and it’s always a battle no matter where it’s at or what year it is. It feels good to come away with a hard-fought win and most importantly we’re 1-0 in the Valley.”
The senior threw for 182 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He also rushed 15 times for 63 yards and a score.
“(Stick’s) an overall great player,” SDSU defensive end Ryan Earith said, per the Leader. “He makes a lot of good reads and he’s a quick kid. We were trying to do our job to slow him down, he just found the lanes.” Earith sacked Stick twice.
The quarterback’s rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter stood as the game-winner.
“We knew it was gonna be a four-quarter fight,” Bison coach Chris Klieman told the Leader. “Both teams took the punches and counter-punches. I knew it’d come down to a possession or two. We made a couple more plays and were finally able to get a stop. I’m proud of our guys for showing the resolve we did.”
The defeat dropped the Jacks to 2-1.
“I’m proud of our team and our program,” SDSU coach John Stiegelmeier said, according to the paper. “We had a chance to win the football game. What this says is that the joke’s over. This is the path set for us. This is what we have to do to accomplish what we want to accomplish.”
Klieman’s served as NDSU’s head coach since 2014. He’s leaving this coming offseason to stalk the sidelines at Kansas State next year.
“Emotions run high, especially for coach Klieman, it’s his last one in there,” Bison wide receiver Dallas Freeman told NCAA.com. “So I could just imagine the dome being electric, especially against SDSU, our biggest rivalry. You wouldn’t want anything else in the world.”
Since the teams joined Division I in 2004, the Bison are 9-6 against the Jacks in the regular season. But they’ve swept the sides’ three playoff meetings.
“Obviously they’re a good team,” SDSU linebacker Christian Rozeboom said, per NCAA.com. “But we’re a good team too so we’ll see how that rolls. We’re just trying to take that next step every single time. Obviously we haven’t done what we’ve wanted to yet. Getting to Frisco is the ultimate goal and winning there.”