Bison confident leading tackler is set

Jan 4, 2013 - 4:17 PM Frisco, TX (Sports Network) - After junior middle linebacker Grant Olson went through a practice on Thursday, the North Dakota State Bison believe he will be ready to play in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game on Saturday.

Olson, the defending national champions' leading tackler, was hospitalized earlier this week in Fargo, N.D., for complications with his appendix.

"Well, we were a little bit concerned," NDSU coach Craig Bohl said. "It was a little bit touch-and-go. The great thing about Grant is nobody is as instinctive or intuitive or has a better understanding as to what we're doing than Grant, so it was good to get him out there at practice."

North Dakota State (13-1) will try to beat Sam Houston State (11-3) for the second straight year in the national championship game on Saturday at FC Dallas Stadium.

Olson has registered 146 tackles this season and set a school record with 29 total tackles in a quarterfinal-round playoff victory versus Wofford.

"We are happy to be back, but we also want to win the championship," Olson said. "There are not too many times where you play the same team back-to-back in the national championship, so to play Sam Houston State makes it all that more interesting. We are familiar with them and they are familiar with us, so it is going to be even more of a tightly contested game."