2008 North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team

The 2008 football season for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux Football Team was their first in Division 1 FCS as they jumped from Division 2 and competed in the Great West conference. UND faced many challenges in the season with the biggest being new coach Chris Mussman as Dale Lennon left to go coach at Southern Illinois. UND also had to replace their leading rusher Ryan Chappell as he was suspended for academic reasons.

The Sioux started out with four straight wins including their first win over a FCS opponent as they held on to beat the Idaho St. Tigers thirty-eight to thirty-five. The Sioux then went down to face Southeast Louisiana. The Sioux would fight back from down thirty-eight to twenty-one. The comeback was almost completed but kicker Brandon Hellavang missed a forty-nine yard field goal as time expired. Brady Trenbeath also had two hundred one yards receiving for the Sioux. After two weeks off the Sioux had a home game against the Western Washington Vikings. The Sioux went on to win forty-two to thirty-two but the story was Sophomore running back Jash Murray securing the starting job as he rumbled for two hundred twenty-three yards and two scores. The following week the Sioux went to the UC Davis Aggies in their conference opener. The Sioux got blown out but found a positive as true freshman Ismael Bamba showed his speed as he scored on a fifty yard touchdown pass from quarterback Danny Freund. After a blow out loss to Dale Lennon's Southern Illinois Salukis UND had the home finale against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds. After UND took a fourteen to nothing lead at halftime the Thunderbird came within five. With just over a minute left Southern Utah scored on a sixteen yard score and won the game fifteen to fourteen. In the final game of the season the Sioux took on the South Dakota Coyotes, another transition team. In the final game of the season the game was tied at halftime at seventeen. The Sioux took a thirty-one to seventeen lead with eight minutes left. The Coyotes fought back and tied the game with over a minute left to send it into ovvertime. After a UND stop the Sioux would end the season as Hellevang kicked the ball right through the uprights from thirty-three yards out to give UND a six and four record.

Schedule

Leaders

References

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