FRISCO, Texas — From a fake punt against Sam Houston State that led the way to North Dakota State's first NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision national title, to a picture-perfect deep ball that helped push the Bison past Eastern Washington for their most recent championship, early January trips to this Dallas suburb have been filled with unforgettable moments.

It's likely this season's FCS championship game between NDSU and James Madison will provide a few more.

The Bison are scheduled to play the Dukes on Saturday, Jan. 11, at Toyota Stadium, the eighth time in nine seasons NDSU is playing for a national title.

Forum sportswriter Eric Peterson compiled 10 of the most indelible moments from NDSU's previous seven title game appearances in Frisco, all victories.

There is at least one moment selected from each of the previous seven Bison FCS national championship victories in no particular order:

Small-town North Dakota kid plays hero

North Dakota State freshman linebacker Travis Beck, who went to high school in Munich, N.D., and played football for Langdon-Munich, had a 63-yard interception return in the fourth quarter against Sam Houston State to help seal the 2011 title game.

Beck’s interception return set up the clinching touchdown in a 17-6 victory against the Bearkats as the Bison won their first FCS crown. Beck was named the game’s most valuable player.

“A freshman from North Dakota is the MVP of the national championship game, isn’t that something?” North Dakota U.S. Sen. John Hoeven said. “That’s a great story.”

Once Beck raced inside the 10-yard line, he launched himself toward the end zone, but came up a yard short. Bison quarterback Brock Jensen powered in from the 1-yard line on the next play to give NDSU a 17-6 lead with 8 minutes, 45 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

“I’m sure it will sink in maybe on the plane ride or maybe this week,” Beck said after the game. “I hope it will sink in, not now.”

In the postgame press conference, Beck apologized to his grandpa, Norman Wirth, for falling a yard short of the end zone on his interception return.

“And, Grandpa Wirth, if you’re watching,” Beck said with a laugh, “I’m sorry I didn’t get that touchdown like you said. But maybe next year.”

Stick-to-Shepherd combo helps cap perfect season

NDSU senior quarterback Easton Stick tossed two critical touchdowns to senior wide receiver Darrius Shepherd to help the Bison earn a 38-24 victory over Eastern Washington for the 2018 FCS title, the program's seventh national championship in eight seasons.

"How do you not trust a guy that you know is more prepared than anyone that he could possibly go against?" Stick said of Shepherd. "He's one of the hardest working guys I've been around."

On a third down-and-8 play, Stick scrambled and found Shepherd for a 25-yard touchdown pass that gave the Bison a 24-10 lead early in the third quarter.

Eastern Washington running back Sam McPherson countered with a 75-yard touchdown run that cut the Bison lead to 24-17.

Stick answered with a 78-yard touchdown pass to Shepherd that gave the Bison a 31-17 lead with 10 minutes, 44 seconds to play in the third.

Shepherd finished with five catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns and was named the game's most valuable player.

"It's been like a movie and there's no better way to go out on top with these guys, these seniors, I love these guys," Shepherd said. "I'm going to miss this place."

Bridges helps save the day against James Madison

North Dakota State entered the 2017 title game with two cornerbacks making their first career starts due to injury. Redshirt sophomore Marquise Bridges started at one corner spot opposite true freshman Josh Hayes.

Bridges delivered with a critical interception that kept the Dukes out of the end zone with James Madison threatening to take the lead in the third quarter. On a second-and-10 play from the Bison 20-yard line, Bridges picked off Dukes quarterback Bryan Schor near the goal line with 5 minutes, 26 seconds to play in the third and the Bison clinging to a 17-13 lead, which ended up being the final score.

"They made plays and we made too many mistakes," said James Madison head coach Mike Houston, whose team had a 26-game winning streak snapped. "I think both teams would say this is the most physical game they've played in all year."

The Bison limited a high-powered James Madison offense to 241 yards on 62 plays. The Dukes rushed for 93 yards on 30 attempts with 24 of those coming on a fake punt in the third quarter.

Bridges and Hayes helped the Bison limit Schor to 14 of 32 completions for 148 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions as NDSU won its sixth national championship in seven seasons.

"I thought our defense did a good job of responding to adversity all season long," Bison senior linebacker Nick DeLuca said.

Thorton gets redemption against Redbirds

North Dakota State senior linebacker Esley Thorton, from Bismarck, sealed a 29-27 victory against Illinois State to cap a dramatic finish and win the championship. The play served as redemption for Thorton, who dropped a would-be interception earlier in the fourth quarter.

"To redeem myself like that was a storybook ending," Thorton said of his interception with eight seconds remaining in the game.

The Bison held a 23-14 lead in the fourth quarter when Thorton jumped in front of a pass from Illinois State quarterback Tre Roberson. Thorton had the ball in his hands, but could not secure it. Four plays later, the Redbirds found the end zone, starting their comeback. Illinois State took a lead with less than two minutes to play, before the Bison countered with the winning touchdown with 37 seconds remaining.

"I knew if I would have gotten that first interception, we would have been set up pretty good," Thorton said. "That was on my shoulders if we would have lost that. ... I would have never forgiven myself if we would have lost that game."

Seniors like Thorton finished their careers with four consecutive national titles and a 58-3 record.

"I would have never dreamed of every year of eligibility winning a championship," Thorton said.

'No time to be nervous'

After a false start penalty, North Dakota State was 83 yards from the end zone trailing by four points with 1 minute, 38 seconds to play in the fourth quarter of the 2014 championship game. What followed was possibly the biggest drive in Bison football history.

NDSU junior quarterback Carson Wentz and true freshman receiver RJ Urzendowski both delivered. Urzendowski hauled in passes from Wentz that covered 32, 13 and 33 yards. The final reception got the Bison to the Illinois State 5-yard line.

On the next play, Wentz sliced into the end zone for a 5-yard touchdown run that gave the Bison a 29-27 lead with 37 seconds remaining. That proved to be the winning score as NDSU became the first team to win four consecutive titles.

"When the clock hit zero, I had so many emotions," Wentz said. "To be part of this program, growing up in the state and seeing what it became coming from Division II to Division I, it really was a no-brainer for me to come here and, as you can see, I think I made the right choice."

The game-winning drive covered 78 yards in six plays and took 61 seconds. Urzendowski finished with five catches for 100 yards.

"For a true freshman to come into this environment, the kid is something special," Wentz said.

"In that two-minute situation, you're going really fast so there is no time to be nervous," Urzendowski said. "It's pretty easy to stay calm, because you don't really think about it."

Heagle blocked field goal dooms Towson

North Dakota State junior Colten Heagle changed the game's momentum with a special teams play with around five minutes to play in the first half of the 2013 FCS championship game against Towson (Md.) University.

With the game tied at 7-7, Heagle blocked a 41-yard field goal attempt that Bison defensive end Kyle Emanuel returned 59 yards to the Towson 5-yard line. One play later, receiver Ryan Smith scored on a 5-yard touchdown run that gave NDSU a 14-7 lead with 4 minutes, 43 seconds to play in the first half.

"I saw the gap and I hit it," Heagle said of the block. "It was so fast I didn't even know what to do."

Smith's scoring run started a string of 28 unanswered Bison points as NDSU cruised to a 35-7 victory.

"The margin for error is small," Towson head coach Rob Ambrose said. "We made an error. They made us pay for it."

The Bison (15-0) capped a perfect season for a three-peat in Craig Bohl's final game as NDSU head coach.

"I think we stamped our mark in history," Heagle said. "Our goals this year were very simple. We were going to go undefeated and win it all again and win three in a row."

Wentz returns from injury to cap his career with historic title

After missing the previous eight games with a wrist injury, North Dakota State senior quarterback Carson Wentz was named the starter on the eve of the 2015 championship game. His return to the lineup was triumphant against Jacksonville State.

Wentz completed 16 of 29 passes for 197 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. He also rushed for 79 yards and two touchdowns on nine attempts to help lead his team to a 37-10 victory. The Bison became the first team in the modern era of college football to win five consecutive national crowns. Yale won an unofficial six straight titles from 1879 to 1884.

"Sleeping last night was a pain in the butt, but I love this game so much, and I'm just thankful I got another opportunity with these guys and go out the right way," Wentz said.

The Bison went 8-0 when Wentz was sidelined with redshirt freshman quarterback Easton Stick taking over as the starter.

Wentz scored on an 11-yard touchdown run that gave the Bison a 17-0 lead against the Gamecocks with 11 minutes, 13 seconds to play in the second quarter. On the play, Wentz shook a JSU defender in the open field and dove inside the front pylon for the score. NDSU scored the game's first 24 points and limited the Gamecocks to 94 yards in the first half.

"You can tell he totally cares about this program," Bison receiver Zach Vraa said. "Now to see him come out in this game just showed the team and everybody else what we can overcome."

Hardie catches improvised two-point conversion

North Dakota State defensive end Mike Hardie turned into an offensive contributor during the 2012 FCS championship game against Sam Houston State. A mishandled snap on an extra-point turned into a Hardie catch for a two-point conversion late in the third quarter.

"It looked like a disaster waiting to happen," Bison head coach Craig Bohl said. "We do work on a two-point play when there is an errant snap, but quite frankly, it was not drawn up how we practiced it. I thought it was pretty resourceful by Adam Keller to take the ball."

After a botched snap and hold, holder Ben LeCompte lateraled the ball to Keller, the kicker. Keller then heaved the ball into the end zone, where Hardie made a contested catch. The two-point conversion gave the Bison a 25-10 lead with 2 minutes, 8 seconds to play in the third quarter. The Bison cruised to a 39-13 victory to repeat as FCS champions.

"Sometimes there's a play in a game when you think, 'You know what? This is probably going to be our day,'" Bohl said.

The Bison rushed for 300 yards. Sam Ojuri led the way with 14 carries for 92 yards and two touchdowns. NDSU quarterback Brock Jensen rushed for 44 yards and three scores on eight attempts.

Shepherd hits rare 'home run' against stingy Dukes defense

North Dakota State junior wide receiver Darrius Shepherd helped deliver in a game in which points and yards were at a premium in the 2017 Division I FCS championship game against James Madison.

Shepherd caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Easton Stick that gave the Bison a 14-3 lead with 4 minutes, 14 seconds to play in the first half. That play helped fuel a 17-13 victory.

"We needed to hit a home run," Bison head coach Chris Klieman said. "Not many teams hit a home run on those guys."

Shepherd had six catches for 74 yards to lead the Bison as both teams were limited to less than 300 yards from scrimmage. He entered the title game with 35 catches for 485 yards with no touchdowns. His lone TD catch on the season proved paramount.

"You have to keep waiting for that moment and keep believing that you are going to make that play," Shepherd said. "We kept our heads down and kept pushing. We knew that the defense had our back."

'It was wide open'

In a game dominated by defense, North Dakota State shifted momentum during the 2011 FCS championship game with a special teams play that was followed by a big pass play.

Bison punter Matt Voigtlander, who started his NDSU career at running back, ran for 27 yards and a first down on a fake punt. The game-changing play came on a fourth-and-4 play early in the second half. It started a sequence that helped spark the Bison to a 17-6 victory and the program's first FCS championship.

"It was wide open," Voigtlander said after the game. "My eyes were wide open."

On the next play after the fake, NDSU running back D.J. McNorton scored on a 39-yard screen pass from quarterback Brock Jensen to give the Bison a 10-6 lead with 12 minutes, 47 seconds to play in the third quarter. That gave NDSU the lead for good.

"We work all the time on sudden change," Sam Houston State head coach Willie Fritz said. "It was a good play call, running a little middle screen to the back and caught us in a zone. It was the right call at the right time."

The Bison finished with 235 yards, while limiting the Bearkats to 210.