Wyoming game predictions

[LITTLEGUYSINGREEN]

NDSU 31
Wyoming 14

Our injuries won't be that big of a factor. Even if Roehl misses the game, (which is highly unlikely) we have three other backs that can step up without much of a let down. Roehl has 174 yards rushing for the season, Paschall; 126, Voigtlander; 107, and we all know McNorton is always a threat whenever he gets the ball. There will be no let down in the RB department. Lemon will be back, and his backup (Purcell) is more than capable of stepping up with no noticable let down.

Wyomings offense is downright terrible and our defense is awesome. They are a one dimensional offense. They have proven in the first two games they cannot throw the ball. Stop their run and the game is over. I don't see Wyoming moving the ball against us with any type of consistensy.

Wyomings defense in their strong suit. But they don't have the personal to cover our entire offense. If (and thats a big IF) they stop our ground game, they won't be able to contain our pass attack.

All in all, I think it will a long day for Wyoming. This game isn't going to be as close as some on this board think. I see more of a Central Mich. type game. We have too many weapons on offense, and our defense is just to solid for the Cowboys to be effective.

[BigBison]

Herd 24
Pokes 13

[BisonNeil]

If the Bison are going to score 31, Mertens is going to have to pass a hell of a lot better than he did against CCSU. His down field passes, except for the one Holloway dropped, were off, very off.

He also will not be able to lock onto his receivers as he has the last two games. If he does against the WY defense they will have a field day with interceptions. The little out and dink patterns won't work very long against Breske's defense.

If we can't pass, we will struggle against WY. Their D is as good against the run as advertised, so I agree, NDSU will have to pass to open up the run game and that means Mertens has to be sharp. I don't think he was sharp against a very mediocre CCSU defense and that concerns me.

Our defense will have to keep NDSU in the game, and that is very likely what will happen. WY will likely change their QBs for this game and it will see how last years starter does against us. I predict a very low scoring game and very close, too close to call.

[99Bison]

If the Bison are going to score 31, Mertens is going to have to pass a hell of a lot better than he did against CCSU. His down field passes, except for the one Holloway dropped, were off, very off.

He also will not be able to lock onto his receivers as he has the last two games. If he does against the WY defense they will have a field day with interceptions. The little out and dink patterns won't work very long against Breske's defense.

If we can't pass, we will struggle against WY. Their D is as good against the run as advertised, so I agree, NDSU will have to pass to open up the run game and that means Mertens has to be sharp. I don't think he was sharp against a very mediocre CCSU defense and that concerns me.

Our defense will have to keep NDSU in the game, and that is very likely what will happen. WY will likely change their QBs for this game and it will see how last years starter does against us. I predict a very low scoring game and very close, too close to call.

Mertens was just fine and sharp until it was like 40-0...

[Mr. Burgundy]

I am shocked BisonNeil was negative toward a QB!!! Seriously, Mertins has been better than anyone predicted. He has been ROCK solid. 6 TD's in two games. Umm....1 Int....and a dropped BOMB TD last night. Not a bad start for him. Has the talent we have faced been perfect? No. But, he has looked really solid, and is a great leader in the huddle. We need to keep the balance offensively. Our D has been fantastic.

Can people please jump on the Voitlander bandwagon? He has been fantastic.

[NDSU1980]

I'll weigh in at 20-17 Herd

[79FCourt]

NDSU 24
Wyo 14

WYO coaches are saying the right things after a bad loss, especially that their offense isn't as bad as they were yesterday. I expect them to play better, but doubt they have the talent to turn it up too much. If the Bison defense plays well, their offense will struggle. If our offense brings their "A" game, this could be a large blowout.

On a side note, the crowd will not be a factor. After this bad loss and playing a 1-AA team, the cowboy fans will stay home next saturday. Expect 12-15k with 2-3k in Green/Gold.

[Bison101]

23-14.

Bison start out with a field goal- so far so good.

Then, Wyo comes and has a big kickoff return followed by a series of passes by a backup QB with a chip on his shoulder. 3-7.

Then, we have a series of big runs capped by a McNorton 8 to 12 yard run. Wyoming then fumbles on the next snap, and that is recovered by Big Joe. Mertens has a big TD pass to Heckendorf, and it is 10-7. That caps the first half.

The Bison get a Paschall TD in the third quarter, and WYO gets a 15 yard pass.

In the 4th our defense comes up big and gets an interception, and we settle for a field goal with a minute to go.


Medium-sized win for our program. This is good.

[Tatanka]

20-16 Herd. 11-hour car ride back on Sunday, Tatanka's voice recovering by the time we get back into ND.

[1bizon1]

I am shocked BisonNeil was negative toward a QB!!! Seriously, Mertins has been better than anyone predicted. He has been ROCK solid. 6 TD's in two games. Umm....1 Int....and a dropped BOMB TD last night. Not a bad start for him. Has the talent we have faced been perfect? No. But, he has looked really solid, and is a great leader in the huddle. We need to keep the balance offensively. Our D has been fantastic.

Can people please jump on the Voitlander bandwagon? He has been fantastic.

He's been better against two low FCS teams. Nothing against either school but they are not in NDSU or Wyomings class of f.b.
Defense will be the difference in this one, I agree. Of course this goes by only what I've read about Wyoming and as they say, believe what you read!?
A speedy/healthy recovery to all of our players with nicks and injuries and best of luck Bison!!!

[jimmyjack]

NDSU 24
Wyo 10

I just cannot see Wyoming beating NDSU. No way. My wife is a Wyo graduate. I've seen them play this year. They're not good.

[Gully]

27-23 NDSU. NDSU passes early, gets a lead, and then pounds with the stable of running backs to hang on to the win.

[ndsubison1]

NDSU 23 Wyoming 13

[Mr. Burgundy]

In typical fashion....we will be prepared. I also think we control the line of scrimage and set the tone with a heavy dose of the run. I think Werz has a huge game after we pound the middle all day long with our FLEET of running backs. Impressive to say the least. Statement game. Yeah...we are #1.

[1bizon1]

The thin air did not affect the Falcons too much and let's hope the same for our Bison.......

[Bisonguy]

The thin air did not affect the Falcons too much and let's hope the same for our Bison.......

Air Force's stadium is located at 6600 ft., not much of a difference.

Fargo is around 1,000ft.

[BisonNeil]

Here is an interesting article on WY coach Joe Glenn. A reference to the upcoming game with NDSU about 2/3 way through.

http://www.denverpost.com/colleges/ci_10400315

[BisonNeil]

I am shocked BisonNeil was negative toward a QB!!! Seriously, Mertins has been better than anyone predicted. He has been ROCK solid. 6 TD's in two games. Umm....1 Int....and a dropped BOMB TD last night. Not a bad start for him. Has the talent we have faced been perfect? No. But, he has looked really solid, and is a great leader in the huddle. We need to keep the balance offensively. Our D has been fantastic.

Can people please jump on the Voitlander bandwagon? He has been fantastic.

Those comments about Mertens weren't negative, they were observations. WY isn't AP or CCSU, he has to play better if NDSU is going to win. Those open receivers have to have the pass delivered and he will have less time. If you think we can win while Mertens misses wide open receivers, your nuts, plain and simple.

[1bizon1]

Air Force's stadium is located at 6600 ft., not much of a difference.

Fargo is around 1,000ft.

LOL....me bad and file me under the "Well Duh!" file.
signed,
King of the Idiots

[A1pigskin]

17 Wy
24 NDSU

[BisonNeil]

Another interesting article about WY and their coach Joe Glenn:

http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2008/09/07/sports/20sports_09-07-08.txt

The most interesting point perhaps:

The Cowboys will have their hands full with the top-ranked team in the Football Championship Subdivision (formally I-AA) in North Dakota State next week.

Glenn isn't going to let the naysayers get to him this early in the season.

"But you know what, I'm going to put (this loss) behind me, be positive with the kids and the coaches and go forward and get ready to play a really good football team next week."

[d3boys]

Those comments about Mertens weren't negative, they were observations. WY isn't AP or CCSU, he has to play better if NDSU is going to win. Those open receivers have to have the pass delivered and he will have less time. If you think we can win while Mertens misses wide open receivers, your nuts, plain and simple.

he did miss a couple but all in all in the first half was very competent
besides the holloway drop the pass to wurzbacher (long ball) in the first half should have been caught

[A Poke]

First off, elevation is not factor if your team is well conditioned. Do your guys work out hard all the time? Like most teams the answer is mostly. So your guys will feel it in the later part of the 3rd quarter. No big deal. That is almost 3 complete quarters your shouldn't be dragging... Second part no crowd for this game. After a near loss and ripped to shreds loss at home by mediocre teams, no one likes to drive 600 mile plus round trip and see the same thing happen again after watching this for the past 5 years... Third part, your rock solid for your tier and conference. Anyone that is solid can easily beat our team. If you had a weak defense I would have to say it would be close since our defense has been ranked among the top 25. Our D line is brutal so your QB will need to hussle on the passes. However, you can only leave a defense out on the field for so long when the offense turns it over or it isn't being productive. The key is the run and I am guessing that is where our coaches will think they can beat you, so once that is shut that down and you are able to stop our two talented RBs and keep them contained you got us. Our recievers can't catch a cold and our two top QBs are not coached well at all so they suck something awfull. IMHO They are both good QB except for the coaching part. :( My prediction Bison 17 Cowboys 14.

I hope your team plays to the best of the abilities and will not have a bad day so we can really see where we are still weak .*cough* coaches

I hope all of the Bison fans will have safe travels to Laramie and let this be an injury free game!

~A Poke

[TheBisonator]

I'm finally making a prediction after months of sandbagging and hemming and hawwing.

This will be a low-scoring affair with an inept WYO offense and a Bison offense that keeps being stopped by Wyo's D. Lots of field goals in this one.

Final:

NDSU 16
WYO 13

Shawn Bibeau kicks a 37-yard game winner with the clock expiring.

[Mr. Burgundy]

Hopefully we can dominate the game, you get a new coach, and your program can turn around. That plan is working pretty good in Minneapolis! We won't have a shot unless our QB stops missing wide open receivers.......

[fargocyclone]

My prediction is close to the Bisonators, but
Bison - 17
Pokes - 14

[CarringtonBison]

Good guys 17
Cowpokes 10

[4mcruenomore]

Fargo 28
wyo 17

But we are nervous to start, and get scared 10-0 1st quarter, then we kick ass after that.

[BisoninNWMN]

Bison 24
WYO 20

Boot-leg pass to Jangula should work if their d-line rushes hard all day. I think the fb position is going to be important this game...blocking rush and leading for rb, esp if Roehl doesn't play!

Our o-line needs to play very well for us to win. Had some missed ass during CCSU game and kicking game needs to improve.

Close game but Bison win

:D :D :D :D

[UTH]

We Win.:bow:

[BisBison]

Our chance of winning just dropped a bit.

http://www.in-forum.com/articles/index.cfm?id=214047&section=breaking%20news

maybe he'll be able to come back. If anyone can he can. :praying: :praying:

[roadwarrior]

That article doesn't sound any different than what Bohl said on his show this morning. Guess we'll all have to wait and see.

[No_Skill]

NDSU blows out WYO - 10%
NDSU wins close game - 50%
Wyo wins a close game - 30%
Wyo blows out NDSU - 10%

[THEsocalledfan]

Have they put fieldturf in the Dome yet? Or, are they still playing on that dam$ astroturf which tends to blow out knees and ankles?

[Gully]

NDSU blows out WYO - 10%
NDSU wins close game - 50%
Wyo wins a close game - 30%
Wyo blows out NDSU - 10%

I love it...not just an exact score prediction...a probability distribution! Could we get a graph next time? Is this a continuous function or are those the only discrete possibilities?:D :D

[NDSUstudent]

NDSU 31
Wyoming 20

This Bison team is on a mission and I think a game against better competition will really push them to have a great game(like CMU last year).

[stevdock]

I personally didn't think Mertens played too bad a game this last week. His decisions were very good. I think though that the timing for whatever reason was just off this last game. I think we win a very low scoring game unless Mertens has the game of his life.

[onbison09]

These injuries aren't exactly boosting my confidence. Withholding prediction until more is known.

[IBleedYellow]

Victory Bison. That's all I'm saying.

[BraxtonT]

We all know McNorton is always a threat whenever he gets the ball.


Sorry, but I haven't seen anything YET to convince me of that. With all the hype on him from last year and leading up to this year, I hope he isn't feeling the pressure to live up to it. I believe he will eventually be a very productive back, but to read all the posts, you'd swear he's bound for Canton right now.

With DJ and Matt playing as redshirt freshman, the future at running back is quite bright, though.

[BisonNeil]

First off, elevation is not factor if your team is well conditioned. Do your guys work out hard all the time? Like most teams the answer is mostly. So your guys will feel it in the later part of the 3rd quarter. No big deal. That is almost 3 complete quarters your shouldn't be dragging... Second part no crowd for this game. After a near loss and ripped to shreds loss at home by mediocre teams, no one likes to drive 600 mile plus round trip and see the same thing happen again after watching this for the past 5 years... Third part, your rock solid for your tier and conference. Anyone that is solid can easily beat our team. If you had a weak defense I would have to say it would be close since our defense has been ranked among the top 25. Our D line is brutal so your QB will need to hussle on the passes. However, you can only leave a defense out on the field for so long when the offense turns it over or it isn't being productive. The key is the run and I am guessing that is where our coaches will think they can beat you, so once that is shut that down and you are able to stop our two talented RBs and keep them contained you got us. Our recievers can't catch a cold and our two top QBs are not coached well at all so they suck something awfull. IMHO They are both good QB except for the coaching part. :( My prediction Bison 17 Cowboys 14.

I hope your team plays to the best of the abilities and will not have a bad day so we can really see where we are still weak .*cough* coaches

I hope all of the Bison fans will have safe travels to Laramie and let this be an injury free game!

~A Poke


I work with a former player who says altitude is a factor. He played twice in Greeley, CO, not as high as Laramie, and said they were dragging by end of third quarter. Conditioned or not, less O2 is less O2 and when you are not used to it you are not used to it and it affects your performance. Again, this is according to a former all conference DII OG for the Bison. I'm just relaying what he told me.

[BisonNeil]

NDSU picked by Wyoming fans to be the game where the anemic offense most likely gets 300 yds, and according to one poster, a victory:

http://www.wyoming.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=2159&tid=117632303&mid=117632303&sid=896&style=2

Another thread says the new WY coach could be "Greg" Bohl:

http://www.wyoming.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=2159&tid=117613448&mid=117613448&sid=896&style=2

[NDFAN2]

NDSU picked by Wyoming fans to be the game where the anemic offense most likely gets 300 yds, and according to one poster, a victory:

http://www.wyoming.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=2159&tid=117632303&mid=117632303&sid=896&style=2

Another thread says the new WY coach could be "Greg" Bohl:

http://www.wyoming.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=2159&tid=117613448&mid=117613448&sid=896&style=2

"Having said that, Greg Bohl at NDSU is 43-12 in five seasons at a remote school. He runs the spread offense and has a lot of connections at Nebraska having been the D-coordinator for some good years. He's from Lincoln. I hope there is no change, but he might be the guy."

NDFAN2: When did the Bison start running a spread offense?

[NDFAN2]

I see BisonNeil already corrected our offense scheme on their board already.

[A Poke]

I work with a former player who says altitude is a factor. He played twice in Greeley, CO, not as high as Laramie, and said they were dragging by end of third quarter. Conditioned or not, less O2 is less O2 and when you are not used to it you are not used to it and it affects your performance. Again, this is according to a former all conference DII OG for the Bison. I'm just relaying what he told me.

You are correct with 3rd quarter. I believe I addressed that in my comments but I didn't make it clear. I apologize. :( When we hosted the WNIT to Wisconsin a couple years ago they felt the elevation difference after a few minutes after the second half but they are lower then you. In my opinion basketball is a fast paced sport where endurance is important and honestly majority of that team did not look like they were in the best of athletic shape. The ones that looked in good physical condition looked much better at the end of the game then some of their teammates. Football is short and high intensity which has more breaks between instead of the constant of basketball. But, all the high elevation does, very simply, is inhibits people ability for taking in enough oxygen. At lower elevations the blood doesn't need that higher capability to take in oxygen because it is so plentiful. When making the jump, the body has a harder time keeping up. The more inshape you are the better off you are since that is one of the basics of being in shape is having the ability to take in oxygen with better efficiency. Studies have shown that the body recognizes the differences of elevations and adjusts automatically but it takes between 2-3 days depending on the person and the adjustment. I personally feel it everytime I go to Laramie. I live at 4000ft and during the summer I am pretty fit because of the work I do so I usually lose the drag after a day at being at Laramie. Around December and January when I drink beer and watch my favourite games in my sports chair and not move to much the trek to Laramie makes me feel laggy for about 3-4 days.

On to my point why it doesn't matter. IMHO if your defense plays hard and keeps UW contained or keep such pressure to force turnovers and such so your offense and our defense plays, you should wear down the defense so that UWs D will be in the same condition. Playing defense all the time is not easy at all no matter what team you are. :( It all depends on how UW's offense plays. If it plays horrible and your guys keep grinding on UW's defense, you will break them down. Morale and physical exhaustion of the entire defense running and trying to catch a certain guy all the time is harder then having a few guys block and one guy running. To be fair, if UW is able to keep at the same pace as you guys it would definetly be a disadvantage of coming up all this way in elevation. The way they have played though recently I am not exactly for sure what this game will look like but I am sure you guys will give us everything you got which is what we need.

Those are my observations/opinions. Thank you for letting me post on your board! :)

~ A Poke

[CarringtonBison]

You are correct with 3rd quarter. I believe I addressed that in my comments but I didn't make it clear. I apologize. :( When we hosted the WNIT to Wisconsin a couple years ago they felt the elevation difference after a few minutes after the second half but they are lower then you. In my opinion basketball is a fast paced sport where endurance is important and honestly majority of that team did not look like they were in the best of athletic shape. The ones that looked in good physical condition looked much better at the end of the game then some of their teammates. Football is short and high intensity which has more breaks between instead of the constant of basketball. But, all the high elevation does, very simply, is inhibits people ability for taking in enough oxygen. At lower elevations the blood doesn't need that higher capability to take in oxygen because it is so plentiful. When making the jump, the body has a harder time keeping up. The more inshape you are the better off you are since that is one of the basics of being in shape is having the ability to take in oxygen with better efficiency. Studies have shown that the body recognizes the differences of elevations and adjusts automatically but it takes between 2-3 days depending on the person and the adjustment. I personally feel it everytime I go to Laramie. I live at 4000ft and during the summer I am pretty fit because of the work I do so I usually lose the drag after a day at being at Laramie. Around December and January when I drink beer and watch my favourite games in my sports chair and not move to much the trek to Laramie makes me feel laggy for about 3-4 days.

On to my point why it doesn't matter. IMHO if your defense plays hard and keeps UW contained or keep such pressure to force turnovers and such so your offense and our defense plays, you should wear down the defense so that UWs D will be in the same condition. Playing defense all the time is not easy at all no matter what team you are. :( It all depends on how UW's offense plays. If it plays horrible and your guys keep grinding on UW's defense, you will break them down. Morale and physical exhaustion of the entire defense running and trying to catch a certain guy all the time is harder then having a few guys block and one guy running. To be fair, if UW is able to keep at the same pace as you guys it would definetly be a disadvantage of coming up all this way in elevation. The way they have played though recently I am not exactly for sure what this game will look like but I am sure you guys will give us everything you got which is what we need.

Those are my observations/opinions. Thank you for letting me post on your board! :)

~ A Poke

Thanks for posting and sharing your thoughts. I agree with you wholeheartedly. I live here at about 1100 feet and go elk hunting in CO (at about 10,000 feet) with my brother who lives in Littleton. Even though I run & work out quite a bit and he does not as much, he tends to kick my butt on our excursions through the mountains. However, the tail end of the trip it tends to level out more.

[Bison15]

Bison 20
Pokes 17

Final minute field goal wins it for the herd.

[A Poke]

Thanks for posting and sharing your thoughts. I agree with you wholeheartedly. I live here at about 1100 feet and go elk hunting in CO (at about 10,000 feet) with my brother who lives in Littleton. Even though I run & work out quite a bit and he does not as much, he tends to kick my butt on our excursions through the mountains. However, the tail end of the trip it tends to level out more.

Okay. :) I misread. My apologies. One must love the scientific element to our sports! I find this stuff fascinating. This should be an interesting game from several different angles of the game itself. I just hope if it is injury free for both sides.

Still, Bison will win is my prediction.

[BISONFAN31]

Bison 27 Pokes 9

[CarringtonBison]

Okay. :) I misread. My apologies. One must love the scientific element to our sports! I find this stuff fascinating. This should be an interesting game from several different angles of the game itself. I just hope if it is injury free for both sides.

Still, Bison will win is my prediction.

I forgot to add that I went out one year not in as good of shape and really got my smoked all week long, made for not as pleasant of trip. No need for apologies. I agreed with all your post entirely.

I also agreed that the bison will win ;)

[Fightin' Bison]

Our D has been fantastic.

Our fantastic D gave up 300+ yards to CCSU. How is the D ranked nationally after playing 2 mediocre teams? I am not impressed at all. Until the D shuts down the other team all game long, NDSU should be concerned. Yes, a lot of yards were given up in a meaningless 4th quarter by 2nd & 3rd stringers. So what? I thought NDSU was supposed to be "deep". Even 2nd or 3rd stringers shouldn't be rolling over. With the recent injuries, some of those guys will be playing a lot. This D has a lot to prove to live up to the hype.

[X-Factor]

Our fantastic D gave up 300+ yards to CCSU. How is the D ranked nationally after playing 2 mediocre teams? I am not impressed at all. Until the D shuts down the other team all game long, NDSU should be concerned. Yes, a lot of yards were given up in a meaningless 4th quarter by 2nd & 3rd stringers. So what? I thought NDSU was supposed to be "deep". Even 2nd or 3rd stringers shouldn't be rolling over. With the recent injuries, some of those guys will be playing a lot. This D has a lot to prove to live up to the hype.

Austin Peay put up 292 yards and 20 points on GSU this past saturday. Our starting lineup (that was heavily subbed) limited AP to 20 yards for halftime totals and even with the scrubs playing the second half they only had 90 for the game. I don't know how that can't be considered impressive.

[Bisonguy]

Austin Peay put up 292 yards and 20 points on GSU this past saturday. Our starting lineup (that was heavily subbed) limited AP to 20 yards for halftime totals and even with the scrubs playing the second half they only had 90 for the game. I don't know how that can't be considered impressive.

Negative rushing yards. :nod:

That's why they installed the new stats boards a few years back, after all. :D

[BisonNeil]

You are correct with 3rd quarter. I believe I addressed that in my comments but I didn't make it clear. I apologize. :( When we hosted the WNIT to Wisconsin a couple years ago they felt the elevation difference after a few minutes after the second half but they are lower then you. In my opinion basketball is a fast paced sport where endurance is important and honestly majority of that team did not look like they were in the best of athletic shape. The ones that looked in good physical condition looked much better at the end of the game then some of their teammates. Football is short and high intensity which has more breaks between instead of the constant of basketball. But, all the high elevation does, very simply, is inhibits people ability for taking in enough oxygen. At lower elevations the blood doesn't need that higher capability to take in oxygen because it is so plentiful. When making the jump, the body has a harder time keeping up. The more inshape you are the better off you are since that is one of the basics of being in shape is having the ability to take in oxygen with better efficiency. Studies have shown that the body recognizes the differences of elevations and adjusts automatically but it takes between 2-3 days depending on the person and the adjustment. I personally feel it everytime I go to Laramie. I live at 4000ft and during the summer I am pretty fit because of the work I do so I usually lose the drag after a day at being at Laramie. Around December and January when I drink beer and watch my favourite games in my sports chair and not move to much the trek to Laramie makes me feel laggy for about 3-4 days.

On to my point why it doesn't matter. IMHO if your defense plays hard and keeps UW contained or keep such pressure to force turnovers and such so your offense and our defense plays, you should wear down the defense so that UWs D will be in the same condition. Playing defense all the time is not easy at all no matter what team you are. :( It all depends on how UW's offense plays. If it plays horrible and your guys keep grinding on UW's defense, you will break them down. Morale and physical exhaustion of the entire defense running and trying to catch a certain guy all the time is harder then having a few guys block and one guy running. To be fair, if UW is able to keep at the same pace as you guys it would definetly be a disadvantage of coming up all this way in elevation. The way they have played though recently I am not exactly for sure what this game will look like but I am sure you guys will give us everything you got which is what we need.

Those are my observations/opinions. Thank you for letting me post on your board! :)

~ A Poke

You make some very good points. I am wondering, however, how the new game clock affects this? The games are shorter now, I think our first home game was almost an hour shorter than last years average, the second game about 40 min. With 3/4-1 less blow time, that may also have an effect. I don't know, just wondering.

[Fightin' Bison]

Austin Peay put up 292 yards and 20 points on GSU this past saturday. Our starting lineup (that was heavily subbed) limited AP to 20 yards for halftime totals and even with the scrubs playing the second half they only had 90 for the game. I don't know how that can't be considered impressive.

Rushing D - NDSU # 41
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/stat/1AA-teamrushingdef.htm

Passing efficiency D - NDSU # 13
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/stat/1AA-teampasseffdef.htm

Scoring D - NDSU # 9
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/stat/1AA-teamscoringdef.htm

Total D - NDSU # 8
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/stat/1AA-teamtotaldef.htm

You would ordinarily expect, in blow out games, that the opposing team pick up garbage passing yards and that your pass defense would have the inflated statistics. The Bison have been abused on run D, coming in at #41, against unimpressive competition who have been forced to throw, while the passing D remains respectable. That dog won't hunt when the competition gets fiercer. That dog is going to have to get a lot meaner, starting this Saturday.

[TAILG8R]

There is always talk at the beginning of the year that coach Bohl isn't going to tip his hand in the first few games and show future opponents the entire playbook. Do you think maybe this pertains to the defensive side of the ball as well? I know it's not apples to apples but if there are some formations he doesn't want future opponents to see them in and your up by 31 pts, why tip your hand?

Then again, what do I know?

[No_Skill]

I love it...not just an exact score prediction...a probability distribution! Could we get a graph next time? Is this a continuous function or are those the only discrete possibilities?:D :D

See this way, I'm always right. :D

[LITTLEGUYSINGREEN]

Our fantastic D gave up 300+ yards to CCSU. How is the D ranked nationally after playing 2 mediocre teams? I am not impressed at all. Until the D shuts down the other team all game long, NDSU should be concerned. Yes, a lot of yards were given up in a meaningless 4th quarter by 2nd & 3rd stringers. So what? I thought NDSU was supposed to be "deep". Even 2nd or 3rd stringers shouldn't be rolling over. With the recent injuries, some of those guys will be playing a lot. This D has a lot to prove to live up to the hype.

What games have you been watching? They mustn't have been in the FFD. In the last two games we've given up a total of 395 yards, for an average of 197.5/game. We've given up 20 points for a average of 10/game. Pretty damned solid IMO. Sure we gave up 300 yards to CCSU, but we also gained 524. Its kind of a give and take sort of thing. Just like in a high scoring basketball game, both teams usually score alot even if one isn't that great.

The proof in the scoring, which in the end is all that matters. Outscoring our opponents 91 to 20 in two games usually means your defense in doing the job. Yes, the defense is solid. Much better than last year. It may have bent a little bit, but it hasn't broken.

I'm still sticking with my original prediction:

US 31
Them 14

Give or take 7. :)

[A Poke]

You make some very good points. I am wondering, however, how the new game clock affects this? The games are shorter now, I think our first home game was almost an hour shorter than last years average, the second game about 40 min. With 3/4-1 less blow time, that may also have an effect. I don't know, just wondering.

That is a great point. With our game against Ohio it still played out the same for terms of when teams started to feel effects towards the end of the 3rd quarter. Our guys were a lot more tired with this new clock setup at the end of really phyiscal games. I was really amazed how the clock did change things up for time though. My vote with only one team sample is it still plays out the same for elevation effects.

[Gully]

I hate to say this but I'm feeling uneasy. Hearing Bohl talk about this being the most physical team we've played is pretty scary. I know we have a chance and I'm sure we'll be competitive....but.?

[99Bison]

If Bison come out and play a good solid game, the Bison will win.

If effort or execution is poor then it's a whole different ball game.

[NDSUstudent]

Sports Network prediction.... Wyo 28 NDSU 17
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/news/news.aspx?id=4178997

On scout.com 2 of their 5 writers picked NDSU to win
http://cfn.scout.com/2/789396.html

Still waiting for CSN prediction and Scout.com fearless prediction.

[pwbnd]

My guess:

Bison 20
Wyoming 13

Turnovers galore

[Scooter1]

Ok, so here it is as I see it....

Bison Defense vs. Pokes offense...

A lot has been made of the fact that the pokes are bigger than we are....I'm not seeing it. NDSU has their own 300 ponder in the middle in Fairbairn and he is pretty good. He is backed up by another guy in the 290's range so depth shouldn't be a problem. The Bison understudies have seen a lot of playing time this past few weeks so the gitters should be gone for these guys. Although Henry isn't going to be making the trip, the linebacker spot for the Bison is deep. The Pokes offensive line averages around 305. Big deal, the Bison practice against an offensive line that averages around 303 anyway. The Pokes have a fast Runningback, but these guys have really struggled. If they say that the most improvement is made from week one to week two....the Pokes are in trouble. I think the Bison have a better defense than Air Force does, although the Pokes had five turnovers, they scored only three points. In my book, any time you lose by more than 17 points, you can't use the turnover argument as an excuse. They just aren't hanging on to the ball and this can either be corrected or start to snowball on them. For these reasons, I give the edge to the Bison

Pokes Defense vs Bison Offense. I hate to say it, but we really need Tyler Roehl in this game. This really is a tough defensive front for Wyoming and they have a stud linebacker and safety to back them up. The good news is that Mertens has shown that he can throw the ball, something that Wyoming didn't see at all last week. Air Force passed 4 times last week....that's right, 4 times. It's pretty easy to stack the box when you know that the other team is going to only pass once a quarter. I think the Bison are going to pass more than four times tomorrow. Look for a ballenced attack from the Bison. I expect us to utilize our deepest offesive position a lot...our tight end spot. Also, DJ McNorton is going to make the most of the carries that he gets tomorrow. I like the way he tends to find the end zone. So, who has the advantage...the Pokes are playing at home and have this is the strength of their team. The Bison have their first road game and we will have to see how Mertens plays on the road. Advantage....Pokes....If Roehl plays...EVEN

Special Teams... The Bison seam to have righted the ship on special teams; if they win this category, the Bison will win this game. I think that Shamen is going to have a big game tomorrow.

PREDICTION....BISON 28 WYOMING 17

[d3boys]

Ok, so here it is as I see it....

Bison Defense vs. Pokes offense...

A lot has been made of the fact that the pokes are bigger than we are....I'm not seeing it. NDSU has their own 300 ponder in the middle in Fairbairn and he is pretty good. He is backed up by another guy in the 290's range so depth shouldn't be a problem. The Bison understudies have seen a lot of playing time this past few weeks so the gitters should be gone for these guys. Although Henry isn't going to be making the trip, the linebacker spot for the Bison is deep. The Pokes offensive line averages around 305. Big deal, the Bison practice against an offensive line that averages around 303 anyway. The Pokes have a fast Runningback, but these guys have really struggled. If they say that the most improvement is made from week one to week two....the Pokes are in trouble. I think the Bison have a better defense than Air Force does, although the Pokes had five turnovers, they scored only three points. In my book, any time you lose by more than 17 points, you can't use the turnover argument as an excuse. They just aren't hanging on to the ball and this can either be corrected or start to snowball on them. For these reasons, I give the edge to the Bison

Pokes Defense vs Bison Offense. I hate to say it, but we really need Tyler Roehl in this game. This really is a tough defensive front for Wyoming and they have a stud linebacker and safety to back them up. The good news is that Mertens has shown that he can throw the ball, something that Wyoming didn't see at all last week. Air Force passed 4 times last week....that's right, 4 times. It's pretty easy to stack the box when you know that the other team is going to only pass once a quarter. I think the Bison are going to pass more than four times tomorrow. Look for a ballenced attack from the Bison. I expect us to utilize our deepest offesive position a lot...our tight end spot. Also, DJ McNorton is going to make the most of the carries that he gets tomorrow. I like the way he tends to find the end zone. So, who has the advantage...the Pokes are playing at home and have this is the strength of their team. The Bison have their first road game and we will have to see how Mertens plays on the road. Advantage....Pokes....If Roehl plays...EVEN

Special Teams... The Bison seam to have righted the ship on special teams; if they win this category, the Bison will win this game. I think that Shamen is going to have a big game tomorrow.

PREDICTION....BISON 28 WYOMING 17
wow good job
should be on fox sports

[Hippy Stick]

Like, The Herd gets 30 and the Cowboys get, like, 10 or so.

[IronRanger]

NDSU 38 Wyoming 17
With the thin air up there Mertens will just let the ball sail to his wideouts.

[bisondad]

I really think this is the game where we find out about Mertens. Mertens will have to perform for the Bison to be successful. I think if he can throw the ball, paschall will do fine in the backfield. If he cannot throw the ball, It will not matter if we have Roehl or not. I think the defense will be fine. I'm really excited to hear this game. Wish I could be watching it live!!

[X-Factor]

I am hoping Mertens has a better passing game than against CCSU. The numbers looked good, but truth be told there was quite a few off passes that could potentially be picks against a fast defense like Wyoming. I am confident that Mertens will play up to his competition and make them look like swiss cheese. We have the depth at WR to make those CB's start gasping for breath after halftime. I'm thinking W. Holloway could have a big game. No more dropsies.

[17>1]

26-17 Herd. Line plays solid enough and Mertens has himself a day. And that's another Bison FIRST DOWN !!!!

[HooliganBison]

I had a dream last night and it ended up 31-18 Bison and we score on an interception return.

[HerdBot]

NDSU 31
Wyoming 14

Our injuries won't be that big of a factor. Even if Roehl misses the game, (which is highly unlikely) we have three other backs that can step up without much of a let down. Roehl has 174 yards rushing for the season, Paschall; 126, Voigtlander; 107, and we all know McNorton is always a threat whenever he gets the ball. There will be no let down in the RB department. Lemon will be back, and his backup (Purcell) is more than capable of stepping up with no noticable let down.

Wyomings offense is downright terrible and our defense is awesome. They are a one dimensional offense. They have proven in the first two games they cannot throw the ball. Stop their run and the game is over. I don't see Wyoming moving the ball against us with any type of consistensy.

Wyomings defense in their strong suit. But they don't have the personal to cover our entire offense. If (and thats a big IF) they stop our ground game, they won't be able to contain our pass attack.

All in all, I think it will a long day for Wyoming. This game isn't going to be as close as some on this board think. I see more of a Central Mich. type game. We have too many weapons on offense, and our defense is just to solid for the Cowboys to be effective.

Cowboys 20
Bison 17

First ever start for Mertens and first ever road game. Too many injuries and we fall short in a good game.

[Elephants Dream?]

The elevation at Laramie will be a factor.
It gives an advantage to Wyoming.
I hope the Bison can push thru it.

[Jdubs21]

24-17 Bison Win :)