North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State: FCS Playoffs 2018 TV Info, Time, More

One of the fiercest rivalries in FCS football takes center stage Friday night in the semifinal round of the FCS playoffs. 

North Dakota State has been the more successful side in its rivalry with South Dakota State of late, with its most-recent victory coming in September in Fargo, North Dakota. 

The Jackrabbits gained some traction in the rivalry with regular-season wins in 2016 and 2017, but the Bison have come away with victories in three postseason meetings. 

Friday's showdown at the Fargodome comes with a new wrinkle, as North Dakota State head coach Chris Klieman is headed to Kansas State after the postseason is over. 

The top-seeded Bison are trying to send Klieman off with his fourth national championship since 2014, but the fifth-seeded Jackrabbits have been impressive in their own right during the postseason. 

Game Information

Date: Friday, December 14

Start Time: 8 p.m. ET 

TV: ESPN2

Live Stream: Watch ESPN or ESPN app 

Preview

North Dakota State controlled its portion of the bracket to land a spot in the semifinals, which is a familiar destination for the program. 

The Bison rolled past Montana State in their first playoff game and shutout Colgate in the quarterfinals to land the rematch with their bitter rival. 

In the 35-0 win over Colgate, quarterback Easton Stick completed 14 of his 19 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Bruce Anderson balanced the Bison offense with 124 rushing yards and a score on 12 carries. 

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

While the offense has put up impressive numbers in the postseason, North Dakota State's fourth-ranked FCS defense is contributing its share of big plays as well. 

The Bison rank 10th in passing yards allowed per game and 12th in rushing yards conceded per contest, which makes them one of the most complete units in all of college football. 

On top of being an all-around juggernaut, the Bison are playing with even more motivation, as they want to finish Klieman's time at the school with a national championship, as linebacker Dan Marlette told Matt Zimmer of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader.

"It definitely is [a big motivator]," Marlette said. "The thing about it is Coach Klieman handled it so well. He did it in a way that the whole team is behind him and proud of him. We just want to end this last home game on a win for him."

John Stiegelmeier's Jackrabbits have the opportunity to ruin Klieman's perfect farewell at a stage where they suffered heartbreak a year ago at the hands of James Madison. 

After falling in the semifinals a year ago, the Jackrabbits had to watch North Dakota State win yet another FCS title. 

South Dakota State wants to experience the feeling its rival to the north has on multiple occasions, and last season's run to the semifinals is driving the experienced players on the squad, including linebacker Christian Rozeboom.

With unfinished business still haunting them and wanting to reverse a 0-3 playoff record against the Bison, Rozeboom and his teammates have a wealth of motivation, as he told Dave Kolpack of the Associated Press (h/t NCAA.com).

"Obviously they're a good team. But we're a good team, too, so we'll see how that rolls," Rozeboom said. "We're just trying to take that next step every single time. Obviously we haven't done what we've wanted to yet. Getting to Frisco is the ultimate goal and winning there."

In order to advance to the championship in Frisco, Texas, on January 5, the Jackrabbits need a strong performance out of senior quarterback Taryn Christion, who has 2,840 passing yards, and wide receiver Cade Johnson, who has hauled in 16 touchdown catches to complement his 1,243 receiving yards. 

Cooper Neill/Getty Images

However, the X-factor for South Dakota State will be its rushing game. In the regular-season meeting between the two sides, Isaac Wallace ran for 112 yards and a touchdown for the Jackrabbits. 

In the quarterfinal win over Kennesaw State, the Jackrabbits used 112 yards and a touchdown from Pierre Strong to attack the fourth-seeded Owls with a balanced offense. 

If South Dakota State is able to achieve a similar balance Friday, it'll once again force a close game in Fargo.

Although the Jackrabbits are capable of coming out on top, the Bison have a higher motivation to get the job done Friday, and they'll move on to the FCS final against either Maine or Eastern Washington in the first week of 2019. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90