North Dakota State Bison football statistical leaders

The North Dakota State Bison football statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the North Dakota State Bison football program in various categories, including passing, rushing, receiving, total offense, defensive stats, kicking, and scoring. Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. The Bison represent North Dakota State University in the NCAA Division I FBS Mountain West Conference.

Although North Dakota State began competing in intercollegiate football in 1894, the school's official record book considers the "modern era" to have begun in 1949. Records from before this year are often incomplete and inconsistent, and they are generally not included in these lists.

These lists are dominated by more recent players for several reasons: Since 1949, seasons have increased from 10 games to 11 and then 12 games in length. The NCAA didn't allow freshmen to play varsity football until 1972 (with the exception of the World War II years), allowing players to have four-year careers. North Dakota State played in the second level of Division I football, known before 2006 as Division I-AA and since then as Division I FCS, from 2004 to 2025. While regular seasons at that level would not expand to the FBS limit of 12 games until the 2026 season, normally being restricted to 11, two aspects of FCS rules have allowed for more games. Prior to 2004, North Dakota State played Division II football from 1964–2003. The NCAA organizes an FCS championship tournament, currently called the NCAA Division I Football Championship. The NCAA did not count I-AA/FCS playoff games toward official season statistics until 2002 (the same season that it first counted FBS bowl games toward official season statistics), and most programs that played at this level follow this practice. Additionally, pre-2026 NCAA rules allowed FCS teams to schedule 12 regular-season games in years when the period starting with the Thursday before Labor Day and ending with the final Saturday in November contains 14 Saturdays. From 2018 through 2025, players in both FBS and FCS were allowed to participate in as many as four games in a redshirt season; previously, playing in even one game "burned" the redshirt. In 2024 and 2025, postseason games did not count against the four-game limit. These changes to redshirt rules have given very recent players several extra games to accumulate statistics. A more recent change that will have a major effect on future career leaderboards was introduced in 2026 with full implementation starting with the 2027 freshman class. Going forward, redshirting will be prohibited, but players will have five years of full athletic eligibility, provided that they are no older than 19 when they first enroll in a postsecondary institution. Players who had remaining eligibility under previous rules at the end of the 2025 season will benefit from the new rule. Due to COVID-19 issues, the NCAA ruled that the 2020 season would not count against the athletic eligibility of any football player, giving everyone who played in that season the opportunity for five years of eligibility instead of the normal four.

These lists are updated through Week 0 of the 2026 season.

Passing

Passing yards

+ Career1Cam Miller9721 2020 2021 2022 2023 20242Easton Stick8693 2015 2016 2017 20183Brock Jensen8598 2010 2011 2012 20134Steve Walker7033 2004 2005 2006 20075Carson Wentz5115 2012 2013 2014 20156Kevin Feeney4757 1995 1996 1997 19987Ryan Johnson3806 1997 1998 1999 20008Mark Speral3721 1977 1978 1979 19809Graig Gorder3564 1998 1999 2000 2001 200210Nick Mertens3496 2006 2007 2008 2009

+ Single season1Cam Miller325120242Carson Wentz311120143Brock Jensen279320134Trey Lance2786 20195Easton Stick275220186Cole Payton2719 20257Cam Miller268820238Brock Jensen252420119Easton Stick2466201710Brock Jensen23312012 Easton Stick23312016

+ Single game1Steve Walker4512006Ball State2Graig Gorder4162002Nebraska-Omaha3Cole Payton348 2025SE Missouri State4Steve Walker3422007Cal Poly5Ryan Johnson3411999Northern Colorado6Carson Wentz3352015Northern Iowa7Brian Owen324 1988Northern Colorado8Tony Stauss317 2003Concordia-St. Paul9Brock Jensen3132013Missouri State Trey Lance3132019Western Illinois

Passing touchdowns

+ Career1Easton Stick88 2015 2016 2017 20182Cam Miller81 2020 2021 2022 2023 20243Brock Jensen72 2010 2011 2012 20134Steve Walker60 2004 2005 2006 20075Carson Wentz45 2012 2013 2014 20156Kevin Feeney37 1995 1996 1997 19987Ryan Johnson31 1997 1998 1999 20008Trey Lance30 2018 2019 20209Terry Hanson27 1965 1966 196710Tony Stauss26 2003 2004 Nick Mertens26 2006 2007 2008 2009

+ Single season1Brock Jensen3420132Cam Miller3320243Trey Lance282019 Easton Stick282018 Easton Stick2820176Carson Wentz2520147Steve Walker2020078Easton Stick192016 Cam Miller192023 10Ryan Johnson181999

+ Single game1Carson Wentz52014Missouri State Easton Stick52018Missouri State Steve Walker52007Sam Houston State Tony Stauss5 2003South Dakota5Brock Jensen42013Youngstown State Brock Jensen42013Indiana State Cam Miller42024Missouri State Carson Wentz42015Northern Iowa Carson Wentz42015North Dakota Chris Simdorn4 1990St. Cloud State Cole Payton4 2025SE Missouri State Don Siverson4 1972Northern Iowa Easton Stick42017Sam Houston State Easton Stick42015Western Illinois Easton Stick42015Missouri State Easton Stick42018Northern Iowa Easton Stick42017Indiana State Graig Gorder42002Nebraska-Omaha Kevin Feeney41997Morningside Rob Hyland4 1993St. Cloud State Trey Lance42019Butler

Rushing

Rushing yards

+ Career1Lamar Gordon4696 1998 1999 2000 20012John Crockett4309 2012 2013 20143Kyle Steffes3952 2003 2004 2005 20064Sam Ojuri3694 2009 2011 2012 20135Jake Morris3688 1994 1995 1996 19976Chris Simdorn3313 1987 1988 1989 19907Tony Satter3212 1987 1988 1989 19908Lance Dunn3028 2015 2016 2017 20189DJ McNorton2985 2008 2009 2010 201110Jeff Bentrim2945 1983 1984 1985 1986

+ Single season1John Crockett199420142Lamar Gordon172320003Jake Morris171019974DJ McNorton155920105Lamar Gordon149519996Tyler Roehl1431 20077Sam Ojuri139820138Pat Paschall1397 20099John Crockett1277201310Rod Malone1251 2003

+ Single game1Tyler Roehl263 2007 Minnesota2Lamar Gordon2602000 South Dakota3Tyler Roehl257 2007 Illinois State4Jake Morris2511997 South Dakota State5DJ McNorton2502010 South Dakota6Jake Morris2461997 Minn. St. Mankato7Doug Lloyd239 1988 South Dakota8Tyler Roehl238 2007 Stephen F. Austin9Tyler Roehl229 2008 Illinois State10John Crockett2272014 Coastal Carolina

Rushing touchdowns

+ Career1Jeff Bentrim64 1983 1984 1985 19862Lamar Gordon62 1998 1999 2000 20013Chris Simdorn53 1987 1988 1989 19904Cam Miller48 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 Kevin Feeney48 1995 1996 1997 19986Kyle Steffes43 2003 2004 2005 20067Easton Stick41 2015 2016 2017 2018 John Crockett41 2012 2013 20149Mark Speral38 1977 1978 1979 198010Sam Ojuri35 2009 2011 2012 2013 Paul Hatchett35 1967 1968 1969 Brock Jensen35 2010 2011 2012 2013 Tyler Roehl35 2004 2006 2007 2008

+ Single season1Jeff Bentrim2319862Lamar Gordon222000 Lamar Gordon2219994Tyler Roehl212007 John Crockett2120146Kevin Feeney201996 Barika Kpeenu20 20258Chris Simdorn181988 Jeff Bentrim18198510Chris Simdorn171990 Rod Malone17 2003 Easton Stick172018 Paul Hatchett171968

+ Single game1Cam Miller52022 North Dakota Kevin Feeney51996 Minn. St. Mankato Mark Speral51977 North Dakota Paul Hatchett51968 Minn. St. Mankato Paul Hatchett5 1969 Nebraska-Omaha6Brian Owen4 1987 North Dakota Chris Simdorn41988Morningside Cole Payton4 2025South Dakota State DJ McNorton42010Montana State Don Fougner4 1953Augustana (S.D.) Jeff Bentrim41985 Northern Colorado Jeff Bentrim41985 Cal Poly Ken Rota4 1965 Wisconsin-Milwaukee Kevin Feeney41996 South Dakota Kevin Feeney41995 Minn. St. Mankato Kyle Steffes42004 Valparaiso Lamar Gordon41999 Ferris State Lamar Gordon42000 South Dakota Lance Dunn42018 Montana State Pat Paschall4 2009 Indiana State Paul Hatchett4 1968 Augustana (S.D.) Rob Hyland4 1994 South Dakota State Rod Malone4 2003 Augustana (S.D.) Tony Satter41988 South Dakota State Tyler Roehl42007 Illinois State Wayne Stevenson4 1970 Minn. St. Mankato

Receiving

Receptions

+ Career1Zach Vraa195 2011 2012 2013 2014 20152Darrius Shepherd188 2015 2016 2017 20183Kole Heckendorf178 2005 2006 2007 20084Travis White163 2002 2003 2004 20065Warren Holloway161 2008 2009 2010 20116RJ Urzendowski149 2014 2015 2016 20177Ryan Smith147 2010 2011 2012 20138TR McDonald134 1990 1991 1992 19939Bryce Lance127 2021 2022 2023 2024 202510Tim Strehlow121 1996 1997 1998 1999

+ Single season1Warren Holloway77 20112Bryce Lance75 20243TR McDonald6919934Zach Vraa6720135Darrius Shepherd6220186Travis White5720047Allen Burrell56 20038Ryan Smith5420139Kole Heckendorf52200610Bryce Lance51 2025

+ Single game1Charles Wiest13 2001Minn. State Mankato Chuck Wald13 1968Northern Illinois3TR McDonald111993South Dakota State TR McDonald111993St. Cloud State5Lowell Linderman10 1966St. Thomas (Minn.) Travis White102004Northern Colorado7Bryce Lance9 2024Montana State Chuck Wald9 1969Morningside Kole Heckendorf92008Youngstown State Mike McTague9 1978Nebraska-Omaha Mike Wieser9 2003St. Cloud State Steve Sponberg9 1980Morningside

Receiving yards

+ Career1Zach Vraa2957 2011 2012 2013 2014 20152Darrius Shepherd2841 2015 2016 2017 20183Kole Heckendorf2732 2005 2006 2007 20084TR McDonald2544 1990 1991 1992 19935RJ Urzendowski2435 2014 2015 2016 20176Tim Strehlow2332 1996 1997 1998 19997Warren Holloway2232 2008 2009 2010 20118Bryce Lance2157 2021 2022 2023 2024 20259Christian Watson2140 2018 2019 2020 202110Len Kretchman1915 1985 1986 1987 1988

+ Single season1Zach Vraa119120132TR McDonald118119933Bryce Lance107920254Bryce Lance107120245Darrius Shepherd106520186Warren Holloway100320117Eli Green877 20238Tim Strehlow82819999Christian Watson801202110Travis White7762004

+ Single game1Len Kretchman2321988 Northern Colorado2TR McDonald2061993 St. Cloud State3Tim Strehlow2061999 Northern Colorado4TR McDonald1881993 South Dakota5Warren Holloway1842010 Western Illinois6Stacy Robinson183 1983 Augustana (S.D.)7Marques Johnson180 2002 Nebraska-Omaha8Kole Heckendorf1792008 Austin Peay Zach Vraa1792013 Missouri State10TR McDonald1711993 South Dakota State

Receiving touchdowns

+ Career1Zach Vraa28 2011 2012 2013 2014 20152Tim Strehlow26 1996 1997 1998 19993Bryce Lance25 2021 2022 2023 2024 20254Len Kretchman24 1985 1986 1987 19885TR McDonald22 1990 1991 1992 1993 RJ Urzendowski22 2014 2015 2016 20177Darrius Shepherd20 2015 2016 2017 20188Eric Nelson18 1997 1998 1999 20009Kole Heckendorf17 2005 2006 2007 200810Ben Ellefson16 2016 2017 2018 2019

+ Single season1Bryce Lance1720242Zach Vraa1520133TR McDonald1119934Tim Strehlow91999 Darrius Shepherd92018 Travis White920047Stacy Robinson8 1984 Tim Strehlow81997 Kevin Vaadeland8 2013 Warren Holloway82011 Bryce Lance82025 Len Kretchman81987 Ben Ellefson82018 RJ Urzendowski82017