Nov. 11, 2006

Elmhurst, Ill. - The 2006 Great West Football Conference will come down to a battle between border rivals South Dakota State and North Dakota State next week in Fargo.

North Dakota State spotted Cal Poly a 14-point lead, but the Bison scored the next 51 points on their way to a win Saturday afternoon in Fargo, while South Dakota State led 21-0 at the half and were never threatened in a road victory at Southern Utah.

With those wins, both teams head into next week's showdown in Fargo with 3-0 league records and gunning for the Great West Football Conference title. The winner of the 93rd meeting between the border schools would not only determine the Great West champion, but it would also decide which school would hold the "Dakota Marker" trophy for the year. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. from the Fargodome.

The loss stopped Cal Poly's quest for a third straight Great West title. The Mustangs won the league title outright in 2004, the first year of the league, and shared the title last year with UC Davis.