GDT: NDSU vs WIU

[NoDak 4 Ever]

Win is a win. I'll sleep like a baby tonight.

[Cleets]

I can honestly say I've never seen the BISON get out played for 3 quarters...
But I've only been watching them play for about 4 years

[FargoBison]

I can honestly say I've never seen the BISON get out played for 3 quarters...
But I've only been watching them play for about 4 years

It happened at SIU a few years ago. We pulled a rabbit out of our ass to win with a flee-flicker.

[Drblankstare]

I'm absolutely convinced the Bison will lose at least 1 conference game. This is not last years team. The D is still great, but the offense is timid and schizo for long periods.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

I can honestly say I've never seen the BISON get out played for 3 quarters...
But I've only been watching them play for about 4 years


UNI out played the Bison for 3 quarters last year also.....thank goodness games have 4 quarters

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

I'm absolutely convinced the Bison will lose at least 1 conference game. This is not last years team. The D is still great, but the offense is timid and schizo for long periods.



I think the offense will come around....they have the talent. Polasek just needs to take what he gets from the defense. WIU was determined to stop the run.....short passes in the 3rd and 4th quarter really helped. He will get better with his play calling......I hope...xnodx

[Cleets]

UNI out played the Bison for 3 quarters last year also.....thank goodness games have 4 quarters

The BISON are an amazing 4th quarter team... I mean like - for the record books amazing - in the 4th Quarter

[Drblankstare]

UNI out played the Bison for 3 quarters last year also.....thank goodness games have 4 quarters
Totally agree but even a cat has only 9 lives

[FargoBison]

I think the offense will come around....they have the talent. Polasek just needs to take what he gets from the defense. WIU was determined to stop the run.....short passes in the 3rd and 4th quarter really helped. He will get better with his play calling......I hope...xnodx

His last two series were great. Loved how he used the jets sweeps to counter WIU trying to go all out against our power running game.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

His last two series were great. Loved how he used the jets sweeps to counter WIU trying to go all out against our power running game.


Yes, those were good calls.

He has said he is learning to call a game and needs to improve. It is making my blood pressure go way up....:D

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

The BISON are an amazing 4th quarter team... I mean like - for the record books amazing - in the 4th Quarter


Our OC is new to play calling. He is bringing some of his Northern Illinois spread influence to this west coast system. I'm still on the fence about it. I would prefer he call more runs and play action instead of using that spread crap. Our QB is in shot-gun formation a lot more this year and it isn't working a lot but then it works sometimes.

He is learning but us 'spoiled' Bison fans are having blood pressure problems.

[Bisonator]

Yes, those were good calls.

He has said he is learning to call a game and needs to improve. It is making my blood pressure go way up....:D

Here's the thing though, IMO his play calling is getting worse not better. I was hoping last week he learned to not be so conservative in the red zone but today we seemed to be more conservative the whole game. If not for the trick play for the TD I think we lose this game.

[Drblankstare]

I think the offense will come around....they have the talent. Polasek just needs to take what he gets from the defense. WIU was determined to stop the run.....short passes in the 3rd and 4th quarter really helped. He will get better with his play calling......I hope...xnodx

My biggest concern is when the opposing team absolutely stacks the line, we have no Ryan Smith playing slot to turn a quick slant into 20 yards. Or run a fast fly sweep. The reciving core this year doesn't seem to have that separation speed, other than Vraa.

[Bisonator]

Speaking of Vraa did he ever return after that ankle sprain?

[IBleedYellow]

Speaking of Vraa did he ever return after that ankle sprain?

I was of the belief that it was broken.

[aces1180]

I was of the belief that it was broken.

Serious? If so, he'll be back next year, because he has a medical hardship if he needs it.

[Twentysix]

Serious? If so, he'll be back next year, because he has a medical hardship if he needs it.

Because it's a 12 game season he should be eligible. Unless playing a few minutes of this game counts as 5 games. I'm pretty sure medical hardship requires playing in less than 33% of the regular seasons games.

[IBleedYellow]

Serious? If so, he'll be back next year, because he has a medical hardship if he needs it.

No one said anything, but from what I saw it looked like it. He was planted coming down with all of his weight on that foot and the defender basically put his entire body on his leg.

I don't know how it couldn't be broken.

[Professor Chaos]

Serious? If so, he'll be back next year, because he has a medical hardship if he needs it.


Because it's a 12 game season he should be eligible. Unless playing a few minutes of this game counts as 5 games. I'm pretty sure medical hardship requires playing in less than 33% of the regular seasons games.
If he is out for the rest of the year and applies for medical redshirt I'm sure he'd get it for the 2011 season (his redshirt freshman year). That year he played the season opener against Lafayette, broke his collarbone, tried to come back for the start of the playoffs, broke it again in practice, and never played the rest of that year.

[Bisonator]

Because it's a 12 game season he should be eligible. Unless playing a few minutes of this game counts as 5 games. I'm pretty sure medical hardship requires playing in less than 33% of the regular seasons games.

I believe he would have been eligible either way because of the 2 broken collar bone years. I hope it's not broken and just a sprain. He is going to be tough to replace.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

My biggest concern is when the opposing team absolutely stacks the line, we have no Ryan Smith playing slot to turn a quick slant into 20 yards. Or run a fast fly sweep. The reciving core this year doesn't seem to have that separation speed, other than Vraa.


This here. That is why RJ is playing as a true freshman. The WR corp is not very good outside of Vraa. Woods dropped a huge 3rd down pass and it hit him in the hands. Bison need some WRs to step up, I'm sure that will be addressed in the recruiting class.

#8 Anderson has looked decent on the jet sweeps, he had a couple today. But outside of Vraa and RJ, the WRs are not too good.

[Professor Chaos]

As far as the game goes the Bison are VERY fortunate to come away with a win. Nothing against WIU because they played their hearts out, but if the Bison put this effort up against the top half of the MVFC teams they won't come away with a W. The silver lining is that the coaches should be ecstatic. They'll have the players' attention completely this week and if they ever get thinking to good about themselves the rest of the year it'll be easy to throw in the tape for this game and get them grounded in a hurry.

This game had the same feel as the UNI game last year. The big difference is last years team was much better because their worst game came against a much better team. In order to put together a double digit win season you have to have a win or two like this. Hopefully, this was just a bad effort but I wouldn't hold it against the critics who'll use it to say that this year's NDSU team isn't as good as they've been made out to be. Unless they improve that's an argument that can be made.

[aces1180]

If he is out for the rest of the year and applies for medical redshirt I'm sure he'd get it for the 2011 season (his redshirt freshman year). That year he played the season opener against Lafayette, broke his collarbone, tried to come back for the start of the playoffs, broke it again in practice, and never played the rest of that year.

This is what I was referring too...I actually expect him back next year regardless.

[centennial]

So.. Went to a wedding and forgot my gift home. At least the Bison won..

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

As far as the game goes the Bison are VERY fortunate to come away with a win. Nothing against WIU because they played their hearts out, but if the Bison put this effort up against the top half of the MVFC teams they won't come away with a W. The silver lining is that the coaches should be ecstatic. They'll have the players' attention completely this week and if they ever get thinking to good about themselves the rest of the year it'll be easy to throw in the tape for this game and get them grounded in a hurry.

This game had the same feel as the UNI game last year. The big difference is last years team was much better because their worst game came against a much better team. In order to put together a double digit win season you have to have a win or two like this. Hopefully, this was just a bad effort but I wouldn't hold it against the critics who'll use it to say that this year's NDSU team isn't as good as they've been made out to be. Unless they improve that's an argument that can be made.


Western's defense played really well. Give credit where it is due. That said, the Bison killed themselves with 3 turnovers and too many penalties that killed drives.

[NoDak 4 Ever]

One thing's for sure, I'm REALLY glad the next 2 are at home.

[IBleedYellow]

https://twitter.com/DomIzzoWDAY/status/518544069514260480

#NDSU (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NDSU?src=hash) HC Chris Klieman says Zach Vraa has a foot injury and "will be out a couple of weeks."

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

https://twitter.com/DomIzzoWDAY/status/518544069514260480

#NDSU (https://twitter.com/hashtag/NDSU?src=hash) HC Chris Klieman says Zach Vraa has a foot injury and "will be out a couple of weeks."


Vraa is a loss for sure.

The other WRs need to step up now.......Woods.....Gebhart.

I bet RJ will be Wentz's main WR target. Maybe the TEs get some more looks.

[semobison]

Good road win, overcame some adversity! I told everyone that the necks can just flat out stop the run and this was going to be a low scoring defensive battle. What did surprise me is our defense giving up the long runs by Baker. This is not last years Bison, there are going to be some lessons along the way in a very tough conference for this years team. In the Valley AGS....Just ask UNI!

[Professor Chaos]

Western's defense played really well. Give credit where it is due. That said, the Bison killed themselves with 3 turnovers and too many penalties that killed drives.
I think they had a good scheme, which was (more or less) have 9 guys swarm to the RB. I thought play action was open the whole game and could've been utilized more. The problem with that is it doesn't work as well in the red zone when the field gets compressed so the Bison still had issues trying to convert red zone trips to TDs. I think they'll see much better defenses in the Valley this year than the one they saw today. I'll throw out UNI, SIU, and YSU as a start and there may be more.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

I think they had a good scheme, which was (more or less) have 9 guys swarm to the RB. I thought play action was open the whole game and could've been utilized more. The problem with that is it doesn't work as well in the red zone when the field gets compressed so the Bison still had issues trying to convert red zone trips to TDs. I think they'll see much better defenses in the Valley this year than the one they saw today. I'll throw out UNI, SIU, and YSU as a start and there may be more.


Agree with this but I don't know if too many defenses are much better than Westerns.....I guess we'll find out.

If the Bison play error free on offense, they can beat anyone.....trouble is they are still making a lot of mistakes.

[IBleedYellow]

Woods needs to not be on the field if all he is going to do is miss wide open passes.

[frozennorth]

The fact we have to use a damn trick play to score a touchdown REALLY worries me.
how many times did we use the flee flicker in 2011 and 2012?

[FargoBison]

how many times did we use the flee flicker in 2011 and 2012?

People have been brainwashed a bit by last year's team I think. We won some ugly games in those seasons you mentioned.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

People have been brainwashed a bit by last year's team I think. We won some ugly games in those seasons you mentioned.


Ya, this year's team reminds of the '11 team...win ugly at times.

Agree that we are spoiled by last year's team destroying almost everyone.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

Woods needs to not be on the field if all he is going to do is miss wide open passes.


This here. That 3rd down drop that hit him the hands...:(...was a huge mistake....

[Professor Chaos]

Ya, this year's team reminds of the '11 team...win ugly at times.

Agree that we are spoiled by last year's team destroying almost everyone.
Case in point: October 8th, 2011 (Carbondale, IL): NDSU 9, SIU 3 (http://espn.go.com/ncf/boxscore?gameId=312810079)