North Dakota State defeated Montana State 38-10 to win its ninth FCS national title.
Check out some postgame celebration photos along with press conference thoughts from NDSU and MSU head coaches and players.
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NDSU FB Hunter Luepke on his TD run where he sought out the contact
“I got past the first guy and then I saw that second guy, and I like contact, so I just went for it.”
NDSU LB Jackson Hankey on winning the national title
“Obviously, in the spring things didn’t necessarily go our way, but we didn’t panic. We kind of looked in the mirror. We were able to humble ourselves a bit and get back to work, and we were able to come back this fall and to have a really good season, and we did it with the same guys that we had in the spring. It’s been a joy. It’s been a pleasure to be part of this football team. I’m so grateful for how it ended and where we came from and that we were able to get back to this spot with the people we had and with the way we did it. It was really special.”
Hankey on NDSU looking fresh in this game
“I would say the amount of work we put in and the amount of depth that we have. I think Coach Kramer, as has been said many times, is one of the best in the business. He does a fantastic job getting us ready to play a season, making us strong and well-conditioned. And other than that, we have great coaches that develop young players and create a lot of depth. That’s one thing that we had this year. If you look at our D-line, they play eight or nine guys, and it doesn’t seem to be a drop-off. We’ve rotated a few linebackers over the year, and guys step in and do a really good job. I think it’s a combination of what Coach Kramer has done for us and also the depth that we’re able to develop. Yeah, that is a huge part of it. I think that’s what helps us through these long playoff runs is really those two.”
Luepke on winning the game’s Most Outstanding Player honor
“I’m definitely thankful to have received the award, but I’ve got to give all the credit to my teammates because the O-line played great, receivers caught the ball. Cam played fantastic. T defense was lights-out today. It wasn’t just me, it was a team win.”
NDSU head coach Matt Entz on the win
“That was a good win. That was a good football team on the other sideline. Brent does a great job. You can tell his impact in that program. It was going to be hard to beat the Bison today, especially when you have guys like Cordell Volson, Jackson Hankey, Hunter Luepke; Cam Miller continues to get better. My message to him today was, Be the best Cam Miller you can be. So many people want to know who’s going to be the next Carson Wentz or Trey Lance or Easton Stick. I need Cam Miller to be the best Cam Miller he can be; same with Quincy Patterson. And those two young men, the way they share the room, the way they work together, along with Coach Hedberg is unbelievable, and I think it shows the servant leadership and the Bison pride that fills our program.”
Entz on this year’s team
“It’s all about their teammates. This isn’t a spotlight program. You’re not coming here to be the guy and to have gaudy stats. You’re coming here to win and hopefully win championships and get a degree. So I think just the camaraderie that this group had, we’ve had practicing football for a year, so it is a unique group. They’ve probably practiced 200 days in the last year, and we’ve spent a lot of time with them as coaches. They’ve spent a lot of time with us and our families.”
Entz on his o-line
“Winning the line of scrimmage is critical for us in every game, and that’s one of our emphasis that we have going into every game. We have to, again, lead the country in physicality, and we’re going to do that with our O-line and D-line. We’ve got great depth in those two position groups. I think we’re probably one of the few teams in the country that celebrates O-linemen. O-linemen are cult heroes in Fargo, North Dakota. Cordell, everyone knows who 67 is. We celebrate those guys. We lean on those guys”
Entz on winning a ninth title
“To win a ninth championship, I kind of like what we did with our hype video. This was the first championship for this team. Don’t get caught up too much in the numbers. But I am super excited for this group of young men and the fact that they were able to end this season in championship form.”
Montana State head coach Brent Vigen on if he talked to his players about NDSU being the benchmark
“I think our guys know that. This is three consecutive seasons that’s ended at the hands of NDSU. I think our guys didn’t need to be reminded of that. I truly believe that we continue to close it, but they’re not slowing down, either. So I think that’s going to continue to be the message. We made it to a certain point. Our team has changed right now, and we’re going to be on to the ’22 group of Bobcats, and we have to keep getting better every day. That’s in the weight room, that’s as a program in general. I think we’ve got to keep pushing the envelope. That’s what North Dakota State has continued to do in every facet of that program. They’ve continued to push the envelope, and credit to them.”
On his seniors
“Well, if you have a really positive college athletics experience, in this case, football for these guys, I really feel like it can — something you can fall back to on a daily basis, whether that’s in your line of work, with your family. When you have a positive experience like I think our guys have had, the sky’s the limit as far as what that can do for you. Playing the sport of football and being part of the makeup and the fabric of what a team means is something that’s, I think, often misunderstood in our society. It’s unlike anything else. It’s the ultimate team sport. The lessons you learn about perseverance, about teamwork, you can’t get a lot of places. I hope that answers your question, but these guys had an amazing experience while they were at Montana State. I think the bar has been set really high as far as what we’re looking for in our leaders. I think our young guys can follow that direction.”
Montana State DB Ty Okada on his emotions
“I’m thankful and fortunate that God has put me in a position and our team in a position to be here. I also want to take this opportunity to thank August of our seniors that have had a huge impact on our team and turning this thing around and really building what we will as seniors-to-be will continue to do. First Tyrel Thomas, Tre Webb, Amandre Williams, Nate Stewart, Tucker Rovig, Troy Anderson, Taden Gillman, Chase Benson, Daniel Hardy, Ryan Davis, Taylor Tuiasosopo, Dylan Porter, Lewis Kidd, Lance McCutcheon, Kyle Rygg, Byron Rollins. I just want to say thank you to you guys. You’ve had such an impact on my life and an impact on this team. You really set the standard”
Okada on learning from this game
“This just leaves a bad taste in your mouth, and it breathes a little fire in you to take that into the off-season and get back right here and take care of business next time.”
NEXT: FCS Championship Highlights
