Division I Football Championship: James Madison vs North Dakota State Saturday, January 6, 2018 needed to hit the home run. Not many teams hit a home run on those guys. We hit the home run, and that was critical for us to get that thing to 14-3.

Marquise Bridges I knew at 17-6 it was still going to be a heck of a battle. I said to the guys we have to have the best 30 minutes of our life. And the other thing we talk about all the time is leaving a legacy. How are you going to be Lance Dunn remembered? And the 2017 Bison are going to be remembered by a group of guys who had great resolve, smacked adversity right in the face when Murphy hit Nick Deluca us, and lo and behold, became National Champions for North Dakota State Bison the sixth time in seven years.

North Dakota State University - 17, James Madison Pretty special feeling, and I'm pinching myself because University - 13 I'm so blessed to be the head coach with a great administration in Matt Larsen and unbelievable kids. THE MODERATOR: While we're waiting for Nick, let's Great character. Character wins games, guys, and our go ahead. Chris, congratulations. Another day at the guys have unbelievable character, and they've plant. displayed that all year long. So we're excited.

CHRIS KLIEMAN: That was a great football game THE MODERATOR: We're going to open it up for between two great teams, and more importantly, great questions to the student-athletes. programs. A lot of institutions can have a great team here and there, but those are two great programs. And Q. Lance, can you describe your health leading up what a difference between having a great team and to the title game, when you started to get back in having a great program. the fold and when you thought you could go. LANCE DUNN: I'm going to be honest. I didn't know if Congratulations to Coach Houston and their football I was going to be back right after the injury. I had faith team. Battled all the way. Great team, explosive in the guys, and I knew we were going to keep pushing offensively, phenomenal defense. There were some to the championship game, and they gave me athletes on display out there, both sides of the ball. opportunities to play. I just took advantage of that. It's They made a great call on the fake punt to get them just a blessing to be here and to be the National another possession, and we found a way to play red Champion again. zone defense, which is a staple for us. Q. This is for Nick. Just talk about the defense I say this all the time, field goals aren't going to beat responding on some -- first on the turnover and you, especially in the style of play that some of the punt returns, holding them to three has become. points. Why do you think you guys were able to do so in some of those situations? We were able to limit some of the possessions to either NICK DELUCA: Just remain focused and calm. field goals, gave up one touchdown, but to limit that Whenever you let up an explosive play, obviously the offense to 13 points is pretty remarkable. next thing is how you're going to respond to it. I thought our defense did a great job of responding to And then the other thing we talked about was getting adversity all season long and really especially today. an explosive play in. My man got a We knew we were going to go up against a great touchdown, how about that? Great time to get the first. offense. Just being able to stay focused and remain calm was a big focus for us. What a great throw by Easton, great protection, and we

Rev #1 by #206 at 2018-01-06 21:40:00 GMT page 1 of 6 Q. This is for Marquise. Marquise, after that fake special. It's not just the past six, seven years. It's been punt, you guys had to come back out on defense. going on a long time. We're all really fortunate to be at Just take us through the emotions. And once you this place. And to go out on top for the seniors, like knew Bryan Schor's last pass was incomplete, Marquise said, that was the goal. So happy for those what was going through your mind? guys. MARQUISE BRIDGES: Most important thing to us is don't flinch. We're going to go out there and do the Q. Lance, walk me through the process of coming same thing we've done all game. Just compete. That's back this week. How did that kind of come about? all we had to do. When that ball hit the ground, it felt When did you know this was going to happen? great. LANCE DUNN: I'd say around playoffs, first round. I started moving around, running and stuff. I knew then Q. Marquise, did you feel a little more on your it was feeling pretty good. I knew I was going to have a shoulders knowing that maybe the Jalens weren't chance. Then just when I got back after break, I going to go today? started practicing, and it felt good. They gave me the MARQUISE BRIDGES: No, I was trying to prepare the go. I came out here and did whatever I could to help exact same way I was preparing all year. Same thing, the team win the game. working all year to get to this opportunity I got. I'm just blessed to be here. Everything we did is for the Q. Did you know this whole week you were playing seniors, and I'm just glad we went out on a win. obviously? LANCE DUNN: Yeah, I knew. Q. Marquise or Nick, was there a bit of a moment of a freak-out when the fake punt happened? Q. Two quick ones, if you don't mind. Easton, can NICK DELUCA: Like we said, we know there's going to you kind of break down that touchdown pass to be adversity. Just how you respond is a big thing. Darrius. Obviously, we knew we had to get back out there and EASTON STICK: Yeah, really good scheme by Coach make a stop. Just fortunate enough to do that. Messingham. It was something we put in right away when we were looking at stuff. Got the coverage that MARQUISE BRIDGES: Like he said. Like I said, we we wanted, and really it was all on Darrius running didn't flinch, man. Just doing what we did all game. away from that back side safety. Offensive line We know we're going to hit adversity. All we've got to protected really well. Lance sold the fake well. Darrius do is attack it. was able to run underneath and get us in the end zone, and that was a huge play for us. Q. Easton, would you talk about their defensive front. It looked like the speed of their pass rush Q. And maybe Nick, just speaking as a senior, had you scrambling around a little bit today. you've been talking about the legacy in this Compare this group to other defensive fronts program. There's a responsibility to that, maybe you've played against this year. some pressure. How do you balance that? EASTON STICK: That's a really good group. They NICK DELUCA: I wouldn't really call it pressure. I think were able to do some things today. Offensive line it's more of -- it's almost a good problem to have, but continued to battle. That's a resilient group. Gave me it's an expectation to get back to this game and to get some time, and I was able to hit a couple of big ones, back to the National Championship. So we take that and that was crucial. But credit to those guys. That's a on as a responsibility, and it's something that we have good team. set as a goal every year. So we're really excited we were able to get it done this year. Q. This is for Nick and Easton. Six championships in seven years, just talk about that Q. Is this the most physical game you think you've accomplishment. played in this year? As a , what's the NICK DELUCA: Yeah, it's a legacy. That's everything challenge of not cracking when they're pressuring that we worked for, and all those workouts, all that you and making you try to throw it away? What extra stuff we do in the off-season, it's for this moment was that like? and this stage. Like the guys that came before us, set EASTON STICK: That's a really good team. They the foundation and the tradition for us. So just happy to were able to do some things against us today. Credit get back here. to our offensive line because they kept battling and moving guys and doing a good job protecting. EASTON STICK: It's really special. To be out there yesterday at our walk-through and see 200, 300 former When you play good people, they're going to make players be around, that's what makes this place so their plays. That's what they did today. You've just got

Rev #1 by #206 at 2018-01-06 21:40:00 GMT page 2 of 6 to stand in there and trust everybody, and my job is to Q. Easton, what went through your mind this week get the ball to the play makers. Offensive line did a about how you stepped aside two years ago with good job, and I got the ball out, and those guys made Carson playing, this opportunity? plays with it. Feels really good going out on top. EASTON STICK: If I'm honest, I haven't really thought about it too much. This is about this group of seniors Q. Easton, what's going through your head when and their opportunity to finish it the way they've always there's four seconds left to make sure the clock is wanted to. completely gone? EASTON STICK: We're trying to figure out the best So coaches put together an unbelievable plan. We way to get lined up and keep it protected. Coach and I trust them. They've been through this. So we trusted were going back and forth, what our best possible them through the process and let the seniors lead us. scheme was there. I just made sure, number one, It feels really good to go out on top for them. catch the snap, and I found the clock right away and wanted to get down as soon as it was hitting zero. Q. Nick, apologies if you already answered this, but That was a special feeling. Seeing all our guys run out what did you guys do as a defense to shut down there and knowing we finished the right way for the JMU's running game? seniors. That was a good feeling. NICK DELUCA: We really had a focus to make them one dimensional. We put a lot of pressure on the D Q. I was just wondering what it's like to have fans line, and they took it upon themselves to give a big travel, not just from Fargo, but across the country, push and limit their run game and force them to go into and what effect does that have on you? I know at the passing game. That's what we executed, so it was the Fargodome it's amazing, but here in an open-air a successful game plan. stadium, what's it like? I'll ask Nick. NICK DELUCA: Yeah, it's unbelievable. When you look Q. This is for Marquise and Nick. Just on out in those stands and you see all the green and gold, Tanguay's or what you saw on that it's just a test to our fan base and the tradition and play. everything that this university stands for. Obviously, in MARQUISE BRIDGES: I don't even know what the Fargodome, it's an unbelievable experience when happened. Next thing I know, I saw Tanguay trying to those fans are cheering loud, and they do it down here step on somebody. Every time we needed a big play, in Frisco too. It's unbelievable. he got one. He did it right there.

Q. Marquise, could you take us through exactly NICK DELUCA: Any time you see that 300-pound guy what went through your head on that interception. running the ball, you want to get out of his way MARQUISE BRIDGES: Well, I know they had beat me probably. It was a cool, exciting moment for him in the on that play like a couple plays ago. I was just trying to last game. No better way than to go out on top. play it. To be honest, I understand the coaches are what make all this happen, man. Without them, I THE MODERATOR: Guys, congratulations. Go wouldn't have done half the things I did today. The celebrate. coach is always coaching us up. That's all I could think about. Q. Coach Klieman, when you were going into this game, what did you think was going to be the Q. Easton, was there more of a game plan for you difference maker, and did that flesh out today? to be more mobile? There were a lot of QB draws CHRIS KLIEMAN: I think we needed to hold the in this one. football and control the clock. We held it for 37-plus EASTON STICK: It's always part of our plan. But we minutes. That's Bison football. We rushed it 48 times. knew coming into it this was the last one, so we were Even though we didn't have a bunch of big plays in the going to do everything we could to put us in a position run game, we were able to hold on to the football. to win. So, yeah, it was a big part of the plan. And then the explosive play battle was going to be key. And guys did a really good job getting people moved We had one huge play with Shep for 50 yards and a and just finding ways to convert on third downs and touchdown. And then red zone success. We talk second and long, stuff like that. Just trying to get back about it all the time. Field goals won't beat you, and it into a manageable situation. didn't today.

Credit to the offensive line, tight ends. Those guys Q. Can you describe an aspect to your team that continued to bust their butts today. gets overlooked. CHRIS KLIEMAN: Our resolve, character -- something

Rev #1 by #206 at 2018-01-06 21:40:00 GMT page 3 of 6 you can't quantify as far as statistics on things. That's Marquise Bridges thought he was going to be here on the neat thing about being in that locker room with a podium with his name in front of there? He was a those guys, is they're going to battle for each other. wide receiver last year at this time. And now he's They're going to battle for the guy next to them. starting in a National Championship Game. They're going to battle for the 250 alums that came out and watched them and came out and cheered them on Josh Hayes is a true freshman that never started a on Friday. game, and he started a National Championship Game as a true freshman. We hold those guys to 13 points, Resolve and character is hard to beat. It's a credit to that's North Dakota State. That's Bison pride. our institution. That's what President Bresciani brings. That's what Matt Larsen brings. Q. Going off that, you held those guys to 13 points. What can you say about what you saw from Bryan Bison pride and NDSU, we always talk, we're different. Schor? How do you feel about him as a competitor If I could tell you why, I'd retire and make a million and a football player? dollars selling it, but I can't tell you. It's hard. CHRIS KLIEMAN: He's a great player. He's an unbelievable competitor. He's very much like our guy, But it's just different, and it's special. I'm fortunate. I'm Easton. Neither one of them get enough credit for the the one that's fortunate to get to coach these guys and amount of games that they win. He beat you with his have the opportunity to lead this program. Shoot, I feet. He beat you with his arm. He scrambles. He pinch myself every day. does everything. We forced a couple -- we forced a couple of big turnovers. Q. Coach, you guys make your money on defense. What did you say to the defense before the game? They don't ever lose the turnover battle. They just don't And what did you see out of that defense that lose the turnover battle. I think it was 3-1 there. We allowed you guys to shut down JMU's offense the were plus two. They did a great job on a strip sack. way you did? The two turnovers that I know about, Marquise's CHRIS KLIEMAN: Before the game, we talked about interception and Nate's interception, happened at such the same things. Make them one dimensional, like critical times because they were in the red zone. Nick said. Have a great pass rush. Keep Schor in the pocket. He's a great football player. And leave your Q. Coach, no Allison today, no Wimbush today, but legacy. your secondary really held a good quarterback in check. What did you see out of those guys? Once we started the fourth quarter, it was, hey, finish. CHRIS KLIEMAN: Great job by Coach Shep and Finish what you started. This was the fifth pattern that Coach Klanderman. I think Coach Klanderman does a Kramer's taken you through in July, and it's 95 degrees, great job week in and week out with our defensive and it's hot. You finish what you started on July 30th. backs. We have the two best safeties in FCS, period. We have the two best safeties in FCS in Robbie Those guys never flinched, like Marquise said. We talk Grimsley and Tre Dempsey. Those guys are great about it all the time. They made a great call and had a leaders, great football players. They're a calming fake punt. We went out there and stopped them. Until influence on everybody. When you have those two they cross the goal line, there's no points. We said, if upperclassmen that have played a lot of football with they don't score, they can't beat us. two young freshmen, they keep them calm.

Q. Just you brought up six National I thought Marquise battled and competed. Stapleton is Championships at the FCS level, tying Georgia a great player. He went up and (indiscernible) the Southern. Can you put into words how difficult football. But I thought our guys did a great job of that is. battling the whole game. CHRIS KLIEMAN: I really -- it's unbelievably hard, especially when you think of -- I don't know. I think Q. Coach, you mentioned resolve. One thing that seven, eight, nine ACLs this year. 20 to 25 guys are stood out to me after the semifinal was that Tre going to have or have had season-ending surgery. Dempsey said hours after graduating, that he We're going to have another six or seven probably go wouldn't have a degree if it wasn't for this tradition in next week for surgery. Everybody else faces that and this program. What does it mean on top of adversity too, so I understand that. you're producing those guys to graduate and then also National Championships with it? But just next man up. That's an issue. The next man CHRIS KLIEMAN: Tre Dempsey is like a son of mine. up has an opportunity -- like Marquise. Do you think Brought him in here as a true freshman, coached him

Rev #1 by #206 at 2018-01-06 21:40:00 GMT page 4 of 6 as a true freshman. My family has gotten a chance to boy, when are we going to catch a break on that? know him really well. He's an unbelievable person, Then you look at it and say, everything happens for a absolutely love him. He's done everything for me reason. You know, everything happens for a reason. individually as well as my family, and I'm so excited for Tre to have his degree, like a number of other guys, Greg went down just like -- I said to Nick after the and have a chance to play championship football. game. He was injured last year, missed the season. That happened for a reason. And he had an It just goes to show you you can go through a playoff opportunity to come back and finish it as a fifth year system, still get a degree, and play in a National senior and gained his National Championship. Championship Game like we're doing here at FCS. Q. Coach, you talked and talked and talked about Q. Chris, what do you think of getting your old Easton finally getting to start this game. Now he buddy a title finally? not only started it, he won it and was the MVP. CHRIS KLIEMAN: I'll tell you what. I love Mess. Mess How happy are you for him? and I played Little League baseball together. You can't CHRIS KLIEMAN: I absolutely love that young man. believe all the people in our circle, Mess and I, of Easton is an absolute stud. He's 34-3. Is that right? people we grew up with. Some of them were in the He's 34-3 with an National Championship. He's still back of the room to be able to say, hey, Mess, they've going to be compared to his best buddy Carson. won five in a row. Don't screw it up. He was like, yeah, Carson sent both of us a text this morning. I know he's thanks. Don't worry about it. Everybody was heckling so jacked for him. him and stuff. But he deserved the opportunity to play in this game. But they brought you there, now don't screw this thing He played like a veteran. And he's right. He and I up. What a great job he did all season long. He went back and forth on what to do with that four continued to evolve the offense with Coach Riley as our seconds. He just goes, Coach, don't worry. There will run game coordinator, to keep adding things and be no time left on the clock. Trust me. There will be no adding his own twist. We designed that play, and Mess time left on the clock. did a great job of designing that with Shep because that was a big-time play, and we needed that at a When you have a young man like that that just gets the critical time for a big touchdown. To share that with game, and the amount of time I spend with him -- I Courtney -- and I'm friends with a lot of our staff know we talked about this. The amount of time I spend members, just like I am with Coach Entz and stuff. with him during the week -- and I know there's a 20- hour limit. But we spend a lot of time just visiting. It's To share that with a childhood friend is pretty special. cool to be able to see him take all that preparation and fulfill that dream of being a National Championship Q. Chris, I wanted to ask you about NDSU tied quarterback. Georgia Southern for the most FCS championships with six. I didn't get a chance to ask you about Q. I know you hate it every time I ask you, but with that. What goes through your mind with that? all the injuries, can you finally give us some CHRIS KLIEMAN: I do. I pinch myself. It's amazing. I enlightenment on who's going to play and who's came here in 2011 and didn't know what to expect, but not during this week? everybody that I talked to, the people that I'm close to CHRIS KLIEMAN: Well, Lance I knew was going to that played -- Ardell Wiegandt played here in the '60s. play. I really didn't know on Wimbush. He tried to go. I Ardell coached me, and everybody told me how special think he played a few plays and just couldn't go. Jalen, this place was. To be here for all six of those FCS we were trying to go all the way through this week championships, it's a lifetime dream. To be the head hoping he'd have an opportunity, and he warmed up coach of three of them, boy, that's special. and just couldn't do it. Ty had surgery a couple weeks ago. I can't believe you didn't call Sanford Hospital and Q. Chris, what are you going to take away most figure that out, but that's on you. Ty had surgery two from this team this year? What's one or two things weeks ago, I think before Christmas. that stand out to your mind? CHRIS KLIEMAN: Just the amount of adversity we But you have to hold your cards. I didn't want to say faced. Greg Menard went down. He's an All-American anything about Ty because Ty is one of the most defensive end. He went down in the second practice electric players in FCS. If you have to prepare for Ty with a torn ACL, and it's like, oh, boy, not again. Every Brooks, holy mackerel. If you knew Ty Brooks was out year we've had an All-American get hurt or a guy like -- Mike knows that. Mike gets it. Carson or Nick or Nathan goes down, and we think,

Rev #1 by #206 at 2018-01-06 21:40:00 GMT page 5 of 6 I'm excited about the guys that were able to have the do is enjoy it today and enjoy those seniors. We talk a opportunity to play. It was great we were able to get lot about family, and we're a tight-knit group as a Lance Dunn back. football team. We have a really tight-knit group, a family. I'm excited because I have my wife here -- hi, Q. Chris, it's not just that you've won six national Rhonda. All my three kids. Devin was MVP of the titles, but you've done it in seven years. There's Friday game. I've got my parents here, got my brother something about this team's ability to close when here, got my niece here -- family. We have a tight-knit you get here to this spot. I know you've talked group family. We have an extended family. Every one about the toughness and the resilience and all that, of these guys here is an extended family, and it's but is there something to the execution of how you awesome. go about this business of coming down here and winning championships that's worked out for you? THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. CHRIS KLIEMAN: Yeah, you guys don't be shocked about this, but I'm going to credit on that. In 2011, it was my first attempt at it. I didn't know. I was just a defensive back coach, and Craig got us all together and said, you don't go to this game to compete in it. You go to the game to win it. If not, you're never going to be remembered.

I'll never forget that staff meeting and him talking to us as a staff and saying, you do not go and just be a participant. We all know that. But you go and win it.

We grinded those guys. You ask our players, we grind those guys through that three weeks. But we have the benefit of Matt Larsen and Dean Bresciani that provide us resources to keep those guys around so they can stay around.

We gave them a little bit of a break, but, boy, to have those guys a full week after we played that semifinal game. We practiced Monday, Tuesday, signing day Wednesday, practice Thursday, practice Friday. Everybody else is back home. But that's because we have an administration that allows us to do that.

So our guys, I think, are better prepared, and that's something that each year we go into it. Those guys, we talk about winter camp all the time. When we get through the semifinal game, we go, okay, winter camp. Here we go. Those guys know it's going to be walk- through after walk-through after walk-through and meeting after meeting after meeting, but we are going to know. That's how you hold JMU to 30 rushes for 93 yards and 14 of 32 in the throwing game, is because those guys were tired of Coach Entz going through rep after rep after rep, walk-through after walk-through after walk-through. We knew what they were going to do.

Q. Throughout the season, we've heard a lot about turning, flipping the script, turning the next page. Obviously, there's going to be a bit more down time between now and next year, but what's the next step to sustain this level of success? CHRIS KLIEMAN: Enjoying it today. That's all I want to

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