fourthandshort
Well-known member
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- Jul 17, 2017
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since we have a bye week, as do the Bison .. they already started their game thread, so we might as well get started.
I think in general, this is a game of two teams with similar strengths ... they just have a few more titles than us
We both like to run and play defense, and try not to depend too much on pass game. Though they certainly run better as a team and pass more efficiently than we do historically .. same for this year at this point.
The biggest variable in this matchup is certainly our pass game and QB Davis ... did he find himself and his pocket sense against NAU ? Because if he did, he's clearly a different QB then we saw the first 3 games this year and the last 8 games last season.
What do each have returning from a year ago ... I will just point out NDSU lost the 2nd most starters from last year in all of FCS according to keeper site: http://www.keepratings.net/#.
We were pretty high up until we lost 2 defensive Grad Transfers ... but I think we have more than adequately filled those 2 spots .. so that hurt our 2 deep more than our starters.
But they are the 7 time champs and reloaded just fine again, including at QB ... a dual threat guy that is probably better than Stick at same point in their careers. But they haven't been tested much in OOC games to this point other than the UCD game.
They are pretty young and small on defense. So going to assume they play very fast and smart on defense. Their DTs run 285 lbs or less, DEs run 230-250, LBers run 215 to 225 except for stud LB Cox at 230, their safeties are nice size at 200 lbs, but their corners run 174-185. So they are going to play fast and smart. Most of their leading tacklers are listed as safeties and LBers, and are largely SOs and JRs. So they will be even better next year ... so let's knock them off this year !!!
Offensively, their RS FR QB is very good athlete and throws pretty good so far .. though like most of their QBs, they aren't asked to do a lot as passing QBs .. but this guy should be a good one .. possibly better than Stick by time he is done. At RB, they have a committee .. nothing off the charts, but several solid options. They brag a lot about their OL .. they think it is best group ever. Maybe they mean "potentially" the best group ever because they lost 3 of 5 starters, so still unproven 4 games into season ... but they like what hey have this year on OL.
No prediction yet ... except there will be a lot of good hits bewteen 2 very good defensive teams. Our size will be notable again this year and we held them in check for most part last year .. except for frickin QB Stick, he killed us last year on 3rd down with his legs and partly his arm ... and their new guy runs just as well !!
Tough break for us losing our top 2 receivers last week. Hoping Davis can bring the other guys along ... he's got 2 weeks to get more familiar.
I think in general, this is a game of two teams with similar strengths ... they just have a few more titles than us
We both like to run and play defense, and try not to depend too much on pass game. Though they certainly run better as a team and pass more efficiently than we do historically .. same for this year at this point.
The biggest variable in this matchup is certainly our pass game and QB Davis ... did he find himself and his pocket sense against NAU ? Because if he did, he's clearly a different QB then we saw the first 3 games this year and the last 8 games last season.
What do each have returning from a year ago ... I will just point out NDSU lost the 2nd most starters from last year in all of FCS according to keeper site: http://www.keepratings.net/#.
We were pretty high up until we lost 2 defensive Grad Transfers ... but I think we have more than adequately filled those 2 spots .. so that hurt our 2 deep more than our starters.
But they are the 7 time champs and reloaded just fine again, including at QB ... a dual threat guy that is probably better than Stick at same point in their careers. But they haven't been tested much in OOC games to this point other than the UCD game.
They are pretty young and small on defense. So going to assume they play very fast and smart on defense. Their DTs run 285 lbs or less, DEs run 230-250, LBers run 215 to 225 except for stud LB Cox at 230, their safeties are nice size at 200 lbs, but their corners run 174-185. So they are going to play fast and smart. Most of their leading tacklers are listed as safeties and LBers, and are largely SOs and JRs. So they will be even better next year ... so let's knock them off this year !!!
Offensively, their RS FR QB is very good athlete and throws pretty good so far .. though like most of their QBs, they aren't asked to do a lot as passing QBs .. but this guy should be a good one .. possibly better than Stick by time he is done. At RB, they have a committee .. nothing off the charts, but several solid options. They brag a lot about their OL .. they think it is best group ever. Maybe they mean "potentially" the best group ever because they lost 3 of 5 starters, so still unproven 4 games into season ... but they like what hey have this year on OL.
No prediction yet ... except there will be a lot of good hits bewteen 2 very good defensive teams. Our size will be notable again this year and we held them in check for most part last year .. except for frickin QB Stick, he killed us last year on 3rd down with his legs and partly his arm ... and their new guy runs just as well !!
Tough break for us losing our top 2 receivers last week. Hoping Davis can bring the other guys along ... he's got 2 weeks to get more familiar.
