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(STATS) -- Itd be easy to keep listing accolades involving the two opponents in Saturdays biggest FCS showdown:- North Dakota States top-ranked FCS dynasty hosting a No. 8 Eastern Washington squad that just took down a Pac-12 opponent.- The two most recent national championship programs -- EWU in 2010 and NDSU the last five seasons.- NDSU facing the only program to hand it a loss in its FCS playoff history (a 22-1 record).- The most dominating defense in the FCS (NDSU) trying to stop a wide receiver (EWU senior Cooper Kupp) who is on pace to being the most dominant wideout ever in the subdivision.Oh, did we mention Big Sky versus Missouri Valley in an intersectional matchup that some FCS power programs never get close to playing in the regular season?Saturday at the Fargodome, it will be that and much more in one of the most anticipated games of the season.Weve got obviously the premier program at our level, and were playing them at their place, Eastern Washington coach Beau Baldwin said, so its been a fun week already to prepare for that challenge. And it will definitely be that -- a challenge come Saturday.In the only previous meeting, EWU slipped past NDSU 38-31 in overtime in the 2010 national quarterfinals in Cheney, Washington. Quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell led the Eagles to two more wins and the national title, then the Bison started their unprecedented dominance the next season. Theyve gone 72-5 since 2011.A case can be made that NDSU and EWU have the toughest non-conference schedules in the FCS this season, and both started with wins. The Bison edged No. 7 Charleston Southern 24-17 in overtime in the FCS Kickoff on Aug. 27 and the Eagles flew past Washington State 45-42 last Saturday, when Kupp left yet another Pac-12 defense in his wake with 12 receptions for 206 yards and three touchdowns.Kupps final touchdown reception was the 59th of his career, setting the FCS record. He will likely surpass 5,000 career yards against the Bison, and his 4,970 are only 280 from the all-time record. His 323 career receptions are 72 from the standard.Hes as good as anybody, NDSU coach Chris Klieman said. Different because hes going to be in the slot a fair amount; theyre going to work him outside. You know (against Washington State), he played some quarterback, they gave it to him on the jet sweep. Just a phenomenal football player that is really fun to watch. Not excited about defending him, but what a great challenge for our defense that you have the most prolific receiver in FCS history coming into Gate City Field.Eastern Washington, which had won four of the five Big Sky titles before going 6-5 a year ago, may be even better than advertised because redshirt sophomore quarterback Gage Gabrud settled in quickly in his first career start. He set the school record for total yards (551) and had six total touchdowns.Add in that NDSU has two first-year starters at cornerback in sophomores Jalen Allison and Jaylaan Wimbush, and Gabrud figures to spread the wealth to Kupp and two other highly productive wide receivers, Shaq Hill and Kendrick Bourne.NDSU will counter with a lot of nickel coverage in the secondary. Middle linebacker Nick DeLuca is expected to return from a left shoulder separation to help make the defense complete again.The challenge we have is there are so many other weapons around (Kupp) that are so good and if you just try to take away one guy ... for starters, its hard to do anyway, Klieman said. Were just going to try to contain him a little bit, and thats going to be difficult in itself. But they have so many other weapons that can beat you.EWU and NDSU are helping to put their conferences in the spotlight Saturday as the biggest of four games between Big Sky and Missouri Valley teams. Two of the other games come from within the STATS FCS Top 25 -- No. 14 Montana at No. 3 Northern Iowa and No. 19 Northern Arizona at No. 18 Western Illinois.But EWU-NDSU says it all, filled with the most subplots and national ramifications. Theyll meet again at EWU on Sept. 16, 2017.I like playing these games also, Baldwin said, just because I think it does well for just our whole FCS nationally. Just like Montana playing them last year, we played Sam Houston (State in 2013 and 14). Those early games, being involved in these big-time non-conference games ... I think it helps our level of football from a national standpoint and I think it makes people realize, Man, theres something more here than we may have thought.Wholesale Nike MLB Jerseys . In the lead up - which seemed to begin the moment Mike Geiger blew the whistle in Houston last Thursday night - the Impact rumour mill went into overdrive. The speculation went into meltdown mode, of the golden nugget variety. 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But he said he did nothing improper when he sold those shares over the next two days.RIO DE JANEIRO -- The night began with Carmelo Anthony?--?while all 11 of his teammates were still on the floor finishing their pregame warm-ups -- sitting alone on the Team USA bench with his arms stretched widely and casually.The night was winding down when Anthony leapt off that bench before anyone else in red, white and blue and headed straight for DeMarcus Cousins, determined to console Cousins, who had just fouled out.Im not really a hugger, Melo confessed afterward.But on this occasion?Sometimes you just gotta give [Cousins] a hug, man, and tell him everythings gonna be all right.Thats Anthony. He always believes its going to work out.Yes: Even with the Knicks.Hes a Hall of Fame optimist.Hes an uncertain hugger but definitely not a worrier. Hes not going to sweat a slow start against Venezuela at the Olympics, hes not going to fret about the foul trouble Cousins and DeAndre Jordan endured against the Venezuelans and presume that even bigger problems on that front loom Wednesday night against Australia, and hes most certainly not going to listen to the naysayers who say hes a better player in FIBA competitions than the NBA.I havent heard that one, Melo said.And thats, of course, because hes not listening to the judgy pundits whove been batting that one around for the past five or six years.Hed prefer to listen to peers such as Team USA point guard Kyrie Irving, who asserted the other day that an NBA championship and a gold medal are pretty much the same.I believe so, Anthony said in support of Irvings proclamation, insisting he finds tremendous satisfaction in his status as the only four-time Olympian in U.S. mens basketball history ... with a record third gold medal now just six wins away.I believe so.It obviously behooves Anthony to take that stance, with no championship in sight back home for Melo and his beloved New York Knickerbockers. Yet he seems so at peace these days in this incarnation as Team USAs elder statesman, in addition to his leading role in the world of athlete-driven social activism, that you tend to believe three gold medals will be enough for him if thats how it plays out.If theres ultimately no NBA ring in his future.I enjoy it, I enjoy it, Anthony told ESPNs Hannah Storm in a SportsCenter interview that aired this week, explainiing the pull of representing his country for a fourth time when three big names from what he calls our brotherhood -- LeBron James, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade -- either passed on the chance to do the same or (in CP3s case) were sidelined by injury.ddddddddddddI like it. I enjoy learning about different players personalities, not just as basketball players, but as people. I feel like Im that bridge, that gap, between the veterans and the young guys.Me and Draymond [Green] instantly clicked, Anthony said, because its like we just sit back and we just talk trash all day. ... This whole team, man. ... [On] the first day, we put together a group text, and its like nonstop trash-talking. I know people wish they could see these group texts, these team chats.On this night, folks had to settle for seeing Melo, as Team USAs older leader, stepping up in the second quarter when little else was working. The Americans finally stopped fouling Venezuela in that quarter and watched happily as Melo scored 10 of his 14 points in the period to restore some much-needed order.Really what changed this game was the steal by Melo, Team USAs Paul George said after finishing with a team-high 20 points. Kyrie?came down and kicked it out for a 3. That really ignited us on the bench. That ignited Melo, it ignited that group out there on the court. That was really the turn of events in this game.Not that Anthony was terribly impressed with himself. He has now played in 25 of these Olympic basketball games, more than any other American man, and he just passed Michael Jordan to become the United States third all-time leading scorer in the Olympics -- but predictably, he wasnt aware of the milestones until a reporter informed him postgame.I never even knew that, Anthony said.Why would he?Tuning out the noise and wanting what youve got, Sheryl Crow-style, is working well for a thirtysomething whose NBA legacy remains a matter of fierce debate but whos destined to go down as one of the most versatile and impactful players in the history of the international game.Its all basketball, Melo said. Its all the game of basketball.Perhaps we should be listening more to him. ' ' '