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[Pages S252-S253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE NORTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY BISON FOOTBALL TEAM
Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise today to talk about the North
Dakota State University Bison football team, and I am really excited to
be able to do that. Last weekend, the Bison capped another impressive
football season by winning their eighth FCS national title in 9 years.
The Bison broke their own record for the most FCS titles of all time,
eight in the last 9 years--an unbelievable accomplishment.
They have now won 16 NCAA football championships. NDSU just had a
truly impressive team this year, and they just have a tremendous
program, as they have demonstrated year after year.
I had the chance to be in Frisco last weekend with Bison Nation. They
have an incredible following. We call them ``Bison Nation'' because
they go wherever the football team goes, and they make a lot of noise.
I had the opportunity to be there with them and cheer on the team as
they faced off against James Madison University, the Dukes. It was a
hard-fought win for the Bison, and the Dukes should also be
congratulated. They have a great program--a first-class program--and
great fans. I talked to a lot of them. They could not have been not
only more supportive of their team, but they could not have been more
complimentary of the Bison and their great program. Again I just want
to say: James Madison, a real great program and a real class act--their
team, their program, and their fans. Kudos to them as well.
It was just a great effort by our team all around. Just a few stats:
The win by the Bison on Saturday capped off an unbeaten season of 16-0.
That is the first time a Division I team has gone 16-0, unbeaten, since
Yale did it in 1894--pretty remarkable, a pretty amazing
accomplishment.
You also have to realize that that brings their current winning
streak to 37 consecutive games, so they finished the year unbeaten, and
they are now up to a 37-game winning streak.
Next year, the second game of the season, we go to Oregon and play
Oregon at Oregon. That should be a really exciting game. It just shows
the caliber of football this team plays and just how great these
student athletes are. They are great young men as well. I am very
pleased that I was joined by my colleague Senator Cramer in sponsoring
this resolution, so I certainly want to express my appreciation to him
as well.
We recognize and we congratulate the players, including freshman
quarterback Trey Lance, who became the first player in the history of
the North Dakota State Bison football team and the first freshman
player in history--the first freshman player--to win the Walter Payton
Award. It is the first time a freshman has ever done so, which just
shows you what a great player he is and is just indicative of the kind
of athletes we have on that team.
We want to congratulate and honor the whole team. It was truly a team
effort, a great team, led by Coach Matt
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Entz and his staff. This is Matt Entz's first year as head coach--what
a way to start off for Matt and what a great guy and what a great
coach. Also, the athletic director, Matt Larsen, again, just runs a
class program of not only football but all of the athletics at North
Dakota State University, as well as, of course, the fine leadership of
NDSU president Dean Bresciani at the university there, a good friend
and somebody who has done a great job leading the university.
Again, I also want to honor Bison Nation. The game was nationally
televised on Saturday at noon eastern time here on ABC. It wasn't just
our great team; it was Bison Nation, all the fans being there and
showing up in such a great way, too, with not only wearing the green
and yellow and Bison regalia but cheering and just doing a great job
like Bison Nation always does.
We are so proud of the program, so proud of the student athletes, the
coaches, and Bison Nation as a whole. We want to congratulate everybody
on another incredible year and an unbelievable achievement: eight
championships in 9 years.
With that, there is only one other thing to say: Go Bison.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Hoeven). The Senator from North Dakota.
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