Post WYO game thoughts.......

[WYOBISONMAN]

All in all it was a tough Saturday in Laramie. While the Bison were up by 10 at the half, the lead should have been closer to 14. Only if that FG could have been a TD!

Mistakes killed the Herd in the second half.

Penalties.....damn penalties. The Bison had a hard time keeping good stuff going and shot themselves in the foot with some foolish penalties.

Failure to adjust and stop the WYO running game.

Mertens made some bad decisions when throwing the ball. Hopefully this will turn around with some more game time experience.

Dropped balls......dropped balls,,,,,,can you say, "DROPPED BALLS!!"

And......I did think the team got fatigued because of 7200 feet of elevation. I have been to many games at War Memorial and have seen it happen to other teams to....most recently was Virginia last season. The Bison flat ran out of gas and started making mistakes. Note......next time have oxygen on the sidelines.....


Oh well. on with the conference.....my plane leaves Salt Lake City at 7:30am on Satuday.

[NorthernBison]

Good thoughts WYO,

Like most Bison fans, I was frustrated by the results of the game. It's pretty hard to listen to a game and not see it in person.

I'm sure there will be some who want to criticize players, coaches, officials, and everybody else they can think of. That really won't change anything. I'm not ready to push the panic button over the results of one game. On the other hand, this should serve as a reality check for those who think we are watching a FBS type team every Saturday.

We have the deepest roster since the move up started. Still, the D in the second half gave up huge chunks of yardage to a mediocre FBS team that has had trouble moving the ball this season.

I'm sure that Nick will hear comments like "Walker wouldn't have thrown that pick". That type of comparison is unfair. He was trying to make something happen and it didn't work out. In addition, yesterday was the first time that Nick took meaningful game snaps in a game that was against a somewhat equal team.

I don't like the fact that Tyler appears to have damaged his ankle more seriously in a meaningless nonconference game with the tough conference schedule coming up. The game yesterday has zero impact on the ultimate goal of reaching the post season. We might be fortunate that YSU hasn't performed this year and we have a bye week following. Time will tell.

I'm trying to see the silver lining in this loss and it probably lies primarily in the fact that everybody on the team now is aware that every play matters. Dropping a catchable pass can eventually lead to defeat. Offsides might seem like only a five yard penalty but it keeps the other team in the game and that can hurt. Missing a block might not get the play blown up but it might lead to a smaller gain. It all matters.

We always hear in sports that it is a team game. Yesterday was the perfect example. That game was lost as a team. Nobody played a perfect game and every mistake helped Wyoming win. Finally, let's give credit to the Wyoming players for getting the job done. They obviously had excellent talent and worked just as hard as the Bison right to the end.

My support for the Bison is the same regardless of the outcome on the scoreboard. Time to get after the Missouri Valley Conference.

[bisoneer]

I had to listen to it on the radio. It was definitely a game we could and should have won. But you have to give the Cowboys credit for making the right adjustments as they moved the ball well on the ground in the 2nd 1/2.

According to our radio man on the field our recievers were being bumped around well before the ball was there but they callled it both ways so that seems fair but maybe something our guys are not used to. Also, Mertens put some balls right on the money that were dropped and these were on key 3rd down plays.

Playing these 1A schools seems to be bad for bringing out the injury bug, our scheduling needs to take this into account. Was there a big purse for us on this one?

[BisoninNWMN]

Listening to the radio...we dominated the 1st half. Those 2 interceptions killed good drives which could have been scores.

Defense is good. Gave up some yards in the 2nd half but we did limit a 85 scholly team to 266 total yards....damn good in my book!!

Dropped balls kill a team and they did yesterday. Wurz's dropped pass in 2nd half killed a much needed drive.

Win as a team and lose as one.

Hopefully injuries are not severe and they can play at YSU...than the bye week which will be benefical.

Good game....one that could have been a Win

GO BISON

[4mcruenomore]

I to am a little disappointed. BUT, I think we played a hell of a game. Our D is top notch, man you gotta remember this is a FBS team with a great running game and some depth. We competed, we have some heart on this team. I think it will only make us better for conference play.

GO BISON!!

[Jdubs21]

I think this loss might actually be a good thing, as long as we learn from our mistakes, and its only gonna fuel the fire to play harder and better the rest of the season, but hey we can still go 10-1 again and then 4-0 in the playoffs for a national title :)

[A1pigskin]

I was really impressed with NDSU having no penalties in the first half. Murphey's Law took over the third quarter. I still think Mertens is a great QB and needs a few more games to get his groove on.

All in all we did ok with a few exceptions that will be fixed going into the conference games. Our team was put to the test and we can compete.

Look at this lost in a positive way. Now our team is hungary to get a win because it sucks to lose.

All I can say for Mertens is "Go Get'em".

GO BISON!!!!!!!:D :D

[A1pigskin]

One more thing. Heckendorf amazes me in every game. Especially the amount of yards he gains after catching the ball. :)

[Bison101]

It just perplexes me- why throw the ball on that last Bison drive, when we could be using Pat, DJ, and Matt to run down the clock and hit a field goal?

[A1pigskin]

It just perplexes me- why throw the ball on that last Bison drive, when we could be using Pat, DJ, and Matt to run down the clock and hit a field goal?

We were running just find there towards the end.

[Bison"FANatic"]

Wow what a tail of two halves. I have to give credit to Wyoming for making the adjustments and I am a little perplexed that we did not make the adjustments. It is tough to give a good recap without seeing the game but our coaching staff always seems to do a great job at making the adjustments they didn't seem to do it in the second half. I am very happy with our depth of players we had a bunch of young guys that played well and hung with the FBS cowboys. The experience they got yesterday will help them tremendously in the future.

[WestDakotaBison]

Agreed...there was a drive in the beginning of the fourth quarter where we came out and threw 3 incomplete passes and had to punt away. It's not like us to rely strictly on our passing game. We were questioning the offensive play calling all day.

[bisonmike2]

I normally have a lot of faith in Bohl and company about how the game is handled but I have a lot of question marks after that game. 2 guys who were questionable going in played and then got hurt, with Roehl possibly reinjuring himself worse than before. And a redshirt gets lifted off of a stud freshman lb so he can cover kickoffs? Now we are pretty beat up going into conference games and it's only the 4th game of the year. I would have rather lost this game 100-0 and let our starters rest than to have a competitive game or even a win. Yesterdays game meant nothing, yet here we are limping into conference play.

[A1pigskin]

I normally have a lot of faith in Bohl and company about how the game is handled but I have a lot of question marks after that game. 2 guys who were questionable going in played and then got hurt, with Roehl possibly reinjuring himself worse than before. And a redshirt gets lifted off of a stud freshman lb so he can cover kickoffs? Now we are pretty beat up going into conference games and it's only the 4th game of the year. I would have rather lost this game 100-0 and let our starters rest than to have a competitive game or even a win. Yesterdays game meant nothing, yet here we are limping into conference play.

It does make you wonder. Did our coaches choke on this one?

[Bison"FANatic"]

Preston must have impressed the heck out of the coaching staff. I am sure that was not a spur of the moment decision. I would be willing to bet that the decision was made in a meeting long before the game ever started.

[A1pigskin]

We definitely dug into our depth.

[extremerouge]

It does make you wonder. Did our coaches choke on this one?
they became fatigued in the fourth quarter due to the high altitude

[A1pigskin]

We now need to start thinking Youngstown and not get ourselves down on this one. We still have good team. Mertens is healthy and I think he'll step his game up.

[extremerouge]

coaches football show is on now in case anyone forgot...

[IBleedYellow]

Here is what my uncle - who was at the game texted me -
"Bison were the better team, played like shit, see ya tomorrow."
If we could play 75% our potential for the game yesterday, we come out with a W.

[A1pigskin]

The last interception reminded me of Walkers interception last year at SDSU. Both last plays of the game.

[Bisonguy]

Yeah, a little air under that ball would have helped.

[WYOBISONMAN]

We did indeed play a FBS school, but don't loose sight of the fact that we were beaten by a very shitty FBS school. I would be almost positive that WYO will be either last or next to last place in the Mountain West (and I am a fan of WYO football). It was NOT a good team that beat the Bison yesterday. Next week WYO traveles to Provo to take on BYU.....and the score will be something like 159 to 0.

To compete in the MoValley, the Bison can't play like they did yesterday.

[NDSUFan_Sav]

I had to listen to it on the radio. It was definitely a game we could and should have won. But you have to give the Cowboys credit for making the right adjustments as they moved the ball well on the ground in the 2nd 1/2.

According to our radio man on the field our recievers were being bumped around well before the ball was there but they callled it both ways so that seems fair but maybe something our guys are not used to. Also, Mertens put some balls right on the money that were dropped and these were on key 3rd down plays.

Playing these 1A schools seems to be bad for bringing out the injury bug, our scheduling needs to take this into account. Was there a big purse for us on this one?

If i heard/remember right i think it was $275,000, someone correct me if this is wrong

[A1pigskin]

We started out well and dominated. Just can't have the same garbage next week and going forward.

[NDSUFan_Sav]

I think this loss might actually be a good thing, as long as we learn from our mistakes, and its only gonna fuel the fire to play harder and better the rest of the season, but hey we can still go 10-1 again and then 4-0 in the playoffs for a national title :)

works for me......hope it goes that way :praying:

[A1pigskin]

works for me......hope it goes that way :praying:

Totally agree. Go Bison.:)

[Bisonfan1]

Just watched the Bohl Show this morning and some of those highlights were painful to watch. Dropped passes, injuries, (bad calls by the refs) (no excuse) very winable game. Watch out next week, Youngstown tough at home, basic things need to get straightened out by next game or it could be a long day in Ohio. Glad to see the bye week after Youngstown game.

[LITTLEGUYSINGREEN]

We did indeed play a FBS school, but don't loose sight of the fact that we were beaten by a very shitty FBS school. I would be almost positive that WYO will be either last or next to last place in the Mountain West (and I am a fan of WYO football). It was NOT a good team that beat the Bison yesterday. Next week WYO traveles to Provo to take on BYU.....and the score will be something like 159 to 0.

To compete in the MoValley, the Bison can't play like they did yesterday.

Exactly, Wyoming didn't see our best yesterday. If we play the whole season like we did yesterday, we'll finish in the middle of the conference. It became pretty obvious yesterday that we need Roehl to soften up the defensive before Paschall can become effective. Alone he isn't much of a threat. With that said, I still don't see why we abandoned the running game so early in the second half. We put way too much pressure on Merten's to carry the load. Our offense became very predictable in the second half.

[A Poke]

I was seriously disappointed you guys did not win. The Bison had the better offense on the field. Your QB is way better then ours. Why didn't you guys do more short passing? That is our defense's biggest weakness. I could definetly tell your depth in the running backs need more experience. Your defense could settle down a little especially on the long cadence. As expected you played much better then us. That is really sad all of the injuries you guys had, I hope they mend quickly and aren't long term. You guys definetly have a lot of heart. Our guys as always looked like they lost another game. In our players mind they have lost every game. We are a broken team before the season started. It will be a long season. Conference play should send Glenn and Co. packing. Thank you to all the Bison fans for coming and listening to the game and best wishes for the rest of the season!

~ A Poke

[BisoninNWMN]

Preston must have impressed the heck out of the coaching staff. I am sure that was not a spur of the moment decision. I would be willing to bet that the decision was made in a meeting long before the game ever started.


I think he is going to give the other 2 middle LBs a run. Anderson let some big run plays go right up by him. Let the best player play even if it is a true freshman. Sounds like Preston is a stud.

[LITTLEGUYSINGREEN]

I was seriously disappointed you guys did not win. The Bison had the better offense on the field. Your QB is way better then ours. Why didn't you guys do more short passing? That is our defense's biggest weakness. I could definetly tell your depth in the running backs need more experience. Your defense could settle down a little especially on the long cadence. As expected you played much better then us. That is really sad all of the injuries you guys had, I hope they mend quickly and aren't long term. You guys definetly have a lot of heart. Our guys as always looked like they lost another game. In our players mind they have lost every game. We are a broken team before the season started. It will be a long season. Conference play should send Glenn and Co. packing. Thank you to all the Bison fans for coming and listening to the game and best wishes for the rest of the season!

~ A Poke


Don't sell your team to short. They showed a hell of a lot of heart coming back in the second half. They could have easily layed down and died, but they didn't. Your defense is tough and you forced us to make many mistakes. Your a class act. It was fun having you on the board this week. Good luck with the rest of the season.

[silkamilkamonico]

Let the best player play even if it is a true freshman. Sounds like Preston is a stud.

Agreed. We are competing for NC's now, and if a true freshmen can come in and help contribute to that, I'm all for it. We were already thin at LB, and Evans can work his way onto the field more as season goes on. Being a freshmen making the transition and the coaching staff already feeling like he has enough talent to play right away, his growth potential as the season goes on is huge.

I would bet money that Evans redshirt coming off was more a product of him being good enough to play rather than desperate measures at a thin position. The coaches aren't going to play someone if they aren't ready.

[CaBisonFan]

I think this loss might actually be a good thing, as long as we learn from our mistakes, and its only gonna fuel the fire to play harder and better the rest of the season, but hey we can still go 10-1 again and then 4-0 in the playoffs for a national title :)

I agree about the silver lining potential. I think that this team might benefit from a wake-up call. Nothing against these guys, they're great...but this is a mental game...and they seemed to lose their focus. No lack of intensity or desire. Focus

They'll be reminded of the little things that make a great team. If we are able to recover rather quickly from the injury problem...this loss could be the beginning of seeing the real potential of the 2008 team.

I hope this is so.

I am with you on the potential for us to run the table into December.

[HerdBot]

It's tough to analyze a game when it's only on the radio but here are my thoughts. With the recent success, Bison fans have become accustomed to beating D1-A (FBS) teams. The expectations are so high we sometimes lose sight just how impressive it is to beat a D1-A team.

Consider this. Wyoming has not lost to a D1-AA team since 1975!! Yeah, that's 33 YEARS! And fans expect us to win?

How is the competition doing against D1-A teams. So far this year, there has been 1 upset. Cal Poly beat a pitiful San Diego State University team. SDSU got smoked by Iowa State. Southern Illinois got smoked by Northwestern. Northern Iowa lost to BYU. Youngstown got throttled. Heck, even the Gophers beat Montana State today! They just don't happen very often.

That being said, we still have a tremendous team and blew a chance to win. We turned the ball over 4 times. Wyoming turned it over once. We out gained them. We could run the ball against one of the best run defenses in football. We dropped 5 key passes. We committed stupid penalties. Our defense held them to under 100 yards passing. All this despite losing your starting running back, middle linebacker, 2 safeties, left tackle, etc... This was our starting QB's first ever road game in front of 20,000 fans. And despite all of this, we had a chance to win on the last drive of the game.

[NDSUFan_Sav]

i agree...lets recover, if roehl is not 85%+ next week do not play him plz, let him rest then got a bye week, have him for homecoming, i know he'll fight the pain but i don't want to see him out for a long period due to re injuring it

[NDSUFan_Sav]

It's tough to analyze a game when it's only on the radio but here are my thoughts. With the recent success, Bison fans have become accustomed to beating D1-A (FBS) teams. The expectations are so high we sometimes lose sight just how impressive it is to beat a D1-A team.

Consider this. Wyoming has not lost to a D1-AA team since 1975!! Yeah, that's 33 YEARS! And fans expect us to win?

How is the competition doing against D1-A teams. So far this year, there has been 1 upset. Cal Poly beat a pitiful San Diego State University team. SDSU got smoked by Iowa State. Southern Illinois got smoked by Northwestern. Northern Iowa lost to BYU. Youngstown got throttled. Heck, even the Gophers beat Montana State today! They just don't happen very often.

That being said, we still have a tremendous team and blew a chance to win. We turned the ball over 4 times. Wyoming turned it over once. We out gained them. We could run the ball against one of the best run defenses in football. We dropped 5 key passes. We committed stupid penalties. Our defense held them to under 100 yards passing. All this despite losing your starting running back, middle linebacker, 2 safeties, left tackle, etc... This was our starting QB's first ever road game in front of 20,000 fans. And despite all of this, we had a chance to win on the last drive of the game.

well said Gabe!!!! Reps to you

[Bisonguy]

DROPS, DROPS, DROPS, and DROPS!!!

I know Bohl was really concerned with the number of drops in fall practice/scrimmages, but it seems it was not corrected. I'm used to seeing a really fast guy with a drop or two per game over the last decade, but it was way too many people yesterday.

[Bison_Pride]

Dropped passes, interceptions, and penalty's all happen when you are a tired team. I agree with Wyobisonman, give an assist to the altitude.

[NDSUstudent]

My thoughts....Besides one long run the defense was as good as you can expect it to be. Offense was soild in the first half and I think we got away from running the football in the second half. I know we had dropped passes but the lack of running game is what hurt, in our offense we can't be stuck in 3rd and longs. All in all, losing this game sucked but if we go into YSU and take care of business we should be all right. Oh and thank God we have a bye week after YSU, that was a stroke of scheduling genius by GT and crew.

[Bisonfan1]

If you want to protect a lead the RUNNING GAME is your friend.

[tjbison]

1 Major bonus I seen with this game, It was the first real test for the underclassmen and listening on the radio I heard alot of good things from the younger Defenseive players, Mertens had 3 Int's, but this was by far the best learning experience he has had so far. First full 4 qtrs playing since taking the helm. Paschall had some nice runs against a tuff D and the O-line sounded sweet in the first half for blocking, special teams sounded good, which was an area of improvement, I would have to say that yes they were a little tired but all in all the conditioning of this team is just fine for the rest of the schedule, this week in practice Run D, and as Bisonguy said DROPPED BALLS!! On to YSU, First game in the new Conference remember the :bunnyb: 's blew out the Penguins by 33 points. FIRE UP GUYS!! SEASON ISN'T OVER!!! GO BISON!!!

[HerdBot]

Conference remember the :bunnyb: 's blew out the Penguins by 33 points. FIRE UP GUYS!! SEASON ISN'T OVER!!! GO BISON!!!


Every team in the Missouri Valley lost their game to the D1-A teams. We were the most competitive out of all of them. I'll be pissed if we lose our #1 ranking. We lost to a team on a last 2nd field goal and one that hadn't lost to a D1AA team in 33 years.

[Bisonguy]

If ASU lost their #1 ranking with a loss to LSU, I can't see NDSU keeping the #1 spot with a loss to Wyoming.

[CarringtonBison]

I will not rehash all your thoughts as they are the same as mine (turnovers, penalities, etc.). That all being said, we went into Wyoming (FBS), controlled the game, took a lead, and played a second half that was very forgettable. But think about it, we outplayed them in every aspect except mistakes. We should hope that the players learn from this and apply it for a run through the conference and the playoffs. Definately not down on the game. Would it have been nice to win-YES, but the team as long as the team learns something from the game, then we can salvage something from this.

BTW, I was with a sioux fan this weekend (I made him listen to the game :)) and he was very complimentary of the team and stated that NDSU has nothing to be ashamed of in losing this game.

[tjbison]

Every team in the Missouri Valley lost their game to the D1-A teams. We were the most competitive out of all of them. I'll be pissed if we lose our #1 ranking. We lost to a team on a last 2nd field goal and one that hadn't lost to a D1AA team in 33 years.


I would say Western Illinois taking Arkansas of the SEC to the final minutes was a pretty good showing, and dang the bunnies beat them too!!! i'm starting to really look forward to NOV. 22:p

[TransAmBison]

A loss like this could actually benefit the Bison. It could give them a chip on their shoulder. Better they deal with adversity now than in the playoffs. Mertens should learn a lot from this game. He made some bad mistakes, but he made some really good plays and he didn't appear to ever get flustered. The defense played very well. They held in there despite the altitude. It is incredibly hard to have a perfect season. Hopefully this loss leaves a bitter taste in their mouth and the have UTH's desire for victory!! :D

[ndsubison1]

If we had to lose a game this season, this is the one... it's only a non-conference game against an FBS opponent... it won't come back to bite us much. Now it's on to conference play and I am ready for our first win in the MVFC next week!

[99Bison]

Not going to re-read this whole thread. In short here's MO...

Defense played fabulous 1st half and definately decent enough to win in the second. Offense started a little slow, but got more comforable in the second quarter and contintued ok until the momentum was tested.

0. Overall execution dropped like a rock in the second half once there was a test of momentum (some pressure that this team hasn't experienced yet).
ie:
1. Critial times dropped passes.
2. Penalties and untimely ones at that.
3. 3 Interceptions.
4. Lots of dancing instead of hitting holes hard first.

BTW, don't buy anthing about being tired/wore out due to altitude being a factor.

The single biggest series of plays...
- Chop block penalty after long reception on drive immediately following WY TD. Followed up by the first drop on yet another long pass play. This was a chance to answer the TD and keep the momentum.

---------

- If we had to lose a game this season, this would be the game of choice :-)
- Hopefully guys can learn from this.
- Execution was Bohls concern early in the week, played out as such on game day.

[WePharm]

Really enjoyed the trip to Laramie. Some thoughts on the game:
Even against a crummy FBS team you can't make that many mistakes at an away game & win. I thought Mertens played well. His first (or second, can't remember) interception was really bad. Wurzbacher was WIDE open and would have run for big yards or a score. The dropped balls were a real major problem as all of them would have led to big yards. Penalties stopped several drives. We also had a couple really lousy punts & we failed to field several punts that put us in poor field position. To me the running game looked weak. The backs need to hit the hole and quit the dancing. Need to get Shamen in the game. We really, really miss Roehl when he's not in there. No one else runs with authority.

The day was gorgeous and the Alumni lunch & get together was great. Their tailgating-party area is super. I will leave that to another thread.

[BisonNeil]

Just back from the game and it was interesting reading everyone's thoughts. I agree with most of them, most importantly, this was a TEAM loss. However, I disagree with those of you who say Mertens played well. No QB who throws three picks plays well. But this loss is NOT on his shoulders, the whole team played a role.

For what it's worth, I think when the Bison went down and got a field goal with their opening drive in the third quarter to go up 13-0, I think they relaxed a bit and lost focus. IMO, that is why there were multiple penalties and dropped passes, missed tackles. Not fatigue.

Play of the game: It appeared Heckendorf had a touchdown but safety Prosinski came out of no where and ran him out of bounds. If Heck scores a TD it is a three score game, the field goal kept it a two score game and within reach. In addition Prosinski had two interceptions and that tackle to basically save the game. He was clearly the best player on the field Saturday.

Final thought: Several of you are hoping the players learned something from this game. I personally hope some of you fans learned something. Many boviated about a big blow out, to hell with FCS, blah, blah, blah, a lot of it very nauseating. The lesson should be that the Bison have to play well EVERY game to win. The conference has two or three teams likely as good as WY and if we make the playoffs there will be a number of teams as good or much better than WY. The Bison are good, just not nearly as good as many of you homers think, and certainly not good enough to play a shitty half of football and win, please keep that in mind.

[56BISON73]

Just back from the game and it was interesting reading everyone's thoughts. I agree with most of them, most importantly, this was a TEAM loss. However, I disagree with those of you who say Mertens played well. No QB who throws three picks plays well. But this loss is NOT on his shoulders, the whole team played a role.

For what it's worth, I think when the Bison went down and got a field goal with their opening drive in the third quarter to go up 13-0, I think they relaxed a bit and lost focus. IMO, that is why there were multiple penalties and dropped passes, missed tackles. Not fatigue.

Play of the game: It appeared Heckendorf had a touchdown but safety Prosinski came out of no where and ran him out of bounds. If Heck scores a TD it is a three score game, the field goal kept it a two score game and within reach. In addition Prosinski had two interceptions and that tackle to basically save the game. He was clearly the best player on the field Saturday.

Final thought: Several of you are hoping the players learned something from this game. I personally hope some of you fans learned something. Many boviated about a big blow out, to hell with FCS, blah, blah, blah, a lot of it very nauseating. The lesson should be that the Bison have to play well EVERY game to win. The conference has two or three teams likely as good as WY and if we make the playoffs there will be a number of teams as good or much better than WY. The Bison are good, just not nearly as good as many of you homers think, and certainly not good enough to play a shitty half of football and win, please keep that in mind.

Well said. PL

[Moonstar]

BisonNeil...I couldn't agree more with your final paragraph. I love to watch and support this team. I really dislike all the silly chest pounding and senseless smack that some Bison fans spew. I was with a group of people last night and some of them were cheering Wyoming's win, yet they couldn't tell me who WY played last week or will play next week. They were just glad the Bison lost "because you have so many obnoxious fans". (They weren't Sioux fans either).

[borderbison]

It was definitely a tale of two halves. The Bison should've been up 14-0 and the defense played outstanding in the first half. After the field goal to start the second half, you had the sense everyone knew we missed a major opportunity. We had 1st and goal from the 2 or 3 and got it called back on an illegal procedure. WYO made some nice adjustments from there. They we able to mix it up a bit more when their QB started to hit some receivers. Our defense was on the field a lot from there on out and combining that with the elevation, it was obvious they were struggling a little. I wish Roehl wouldn't have played as well because their line was unreal and he wouldn't have had a big day either, they were that good. I'm not second guessing our staff and I never will but I was surprised we didn't run out short slants and underneath routs more. For the record, Mertens did have three picks and the last one is on him. The first one was tipped and the second one Heck was being held big time and it was not caught. Dropped balls killed us, four first downs and probably 4 minutes of game time was lost due to those balls. However, don't get down on us, we're the Bison and we'll bounce back.
Overall, nice country out there, nice people, a fun atmosphere to play in and good party! Laramie was very impressed how we traveled and I never heard anything negative about our fans and I mingled with a lot of them. There were a couple WYO students that got under my skin but their in college, their kids having fun rousing the opponent.

[westnodak93bison]

I was at the game. WYO fans were pretty fun and friendly. I would have bet hundreds at half time.
Bad penalties, dropped balls and a couple bad throws.
Thinks about it, 5 key players out-- Roehl, Henry, Ebel, Schommer, Lemon, we throw 3 interceptions and have several key stupid penalties and we get beat by 3 by an FBS team.
On the last interception did our receiver run the wrong route?

[westnodak93bison]

forgot to mention I spoke with one of the OL from WYO after the game, he was damn impressed with Gratzek. Lardinois, and Humber. Said Gratzek is one of the best DT he has ever played against.

[TransAmBison]

It was definitely a tale of two halves. The Bison should've been up 14-0 and the defense played outstanding in the first half. After the field goal to start the second half, you had the sense everyone knew we missed a major opportunity. We had 1st and goal from the 2 or 3 and got it called back on an illegal procedure. WYO made some nice adjustments from there. They we able to mix it up a bit more when their QB started to hit some receivers. Our defense was on the field a lot from there on out and combining that with the elevation, it was obvious they were struggling a little. I wish Roehl wouldn't have played as well because their line was unreal and he wouldn't have had a big day either, they were that good. I'm not second guessing our staff and I never will but I was surprised we didn't run out short slants and underneath routs more. For the record, Mertens did have three picks and the last one is on him. The first one was tipped and the second one Heck was being held big time and it was not caught. Dropped balls killed us, four first downs and probably 4 minutes of game time was lost due to those balls. However, don't get down on us, we're the Bison and we'll bounce back.
Overall, nice country out there, nice people, a fun atmosphere to play in and good party! Laramie was very impressed how we traveled and I never heard anything negative about our fans and I mingled with a lot of them. There were a couple WYO students that got under my skin but their in college, their kids having fun rousing the opponent.

Well said+++ Wish we could have been there with your crew.

[Da_Bison]

I was at the game. WYO fans were pretty fun and friendly. I would have bet hundreds at half time.
Bad penalties, dropped balls and a couple bad throws.
Thinks about it, 5 key players out-- Roehl, Henry, Ebel, Schommer, Lemon, we throw 3 interceptions and have several key stupid penalties and we get beat by 3 by an FBS team.
On the last interception did our receiver run the wrong route?


well put, not to mention the fact that the FBS team had home field advantage and happens to be at 7200 ft

[westnodak93bison]

anyone have an opinion on that last interception, one of my friends thinks Belquist ran the wrong route.

[Civil06]

anyone have an opinion on that last interception, one of my friends thinks Belquist ran the wrong route.

In an interview, Mertens said he read it wrong. If Belquist did run the wrong route, it was pretty classy of Mertens to take the blame.

[56BISON73]

In an interview, Mertens said he read it wrong. If Belquist did run the wrong route, it was pretty classy of Mertens to take the blame.

He said he read it wrong. I will accept that considering the fans dont know what route the receiver was supposed to run . PL

[MHDBisonfan]

Not going to re-read this whole thread. In short here's MO...

Defense played fabulous 1st half and definately decent enough to win in the second. Offense started a little slow, but got more comforable in the second quarter and contintued ok until the momentum was tested.

0. Overall execution dropped like a rock in the second half once there was a test of momentum (some pressure that this team hasn't experienced yet).
ie:
1. Critial times dropped passes.
2. Penalties and untimely ones at that.
3. 3 Interceptions.
4. Lots of dancing instead of hitting holes hard first.

BTW, don't buy anthing about being tired/wore out due to altitude being a factor.

The single biggest series of plays...
- Chop block penalty after long reception on drive immediately following WY TD. Followed up by the first drop on yet another long pass play. This was a chance to answer the TD and keep the momentum.

---------

- If we had to lose a game this season, this would be the game of choice :-)
- Hopefully guys can learn from this.
- Execution was Bohls concern early in the week, played out as such on game day.


On the LONG drive back from Laramie, this is almost the exact conversation my group had as well. It is not a good feeling knowing that a crappy half like that is out there, we have to get better if we expect to make the playoffs. Yes, WYO is 1A, but they were not better than us. At the worst, we were equals, and I believe we were the better team. We will play a number of teams this year that I would consider (at least from their reputations) that are as good or better than WYO. I will credit WYO with a very solid d-line, which was the strength of their team, but as 99Bison stated, way too much dancing around by our running backs and not enough just hitting the holes and getting 4 or 5 yards. We definitely need a power back to soften up the d, because as was mentioned in an earlier post, the juking by itself is not effective. I also agree with the altitude not being an excuse. Maybe the players would say otherwise, I don't know, but I think it was more about our offense having too many 3 and outs and not giving the d any rest. Anyway, I will continue to support and cheer on the Bison, planning our next trip for UNI, just with a little more guarded optimism. We're still an excellent team, we just need to play to our full potential. <-- duh, thanks captain obvious.

[GOB1SON]

In an interview, Mertens said he read it wrong. If Belquist did run the wrong route, it was pretty classy of Mertens to take the blame.

Based on what Coach said this morning and listening to the players after the game, Mertens and Belquist read the defense differently and Belquist was supposed to cut off his route and didn't. That is my interpretation of all the talk. I agree on the class of Nick and I have always appreciated how Bohl and his boys play the blame game and never point fingers.

MY GAME THOUGHTS

We were a better team. We could have won 30-13 if we don't make mistakes. I don't see Wyo beating us much more than 16-13 (or something similar), especially with their quarterback play. That tells me that we had more talent, but didn't execute.

The defense really got winded (thanks in a large part to non-execution of the offense) at the end. They miss Belmont A LOT. I like how Purcell played, but he is learning. And how about 44 running down their back from behind. Anybody else impressed by that? I didn't know Ramon was that FAST.

SPECIAL TEAMS OUCH. Need to improve. All I'm gonna say.

The Wyoming folks were nice, but I got told THREE times on the way back to the car "F*CK NDSU" by smart-ass kids. I just smiled and wished them luck next week against BYU. But everybody has asshole fans, including us, so I can't be too pissed.

[17>1]

Just got back. Great road trip. Game thoughts are pretty much the same as everyone else. Our D is awesome. 16 points on the road to an FBS team, can't ask for much better than that. Having some key starters in there would have been nice for the depth. I thought Mertens played pretty well. Stayed in the pocket nicely on some blitzes. Our running game still needs work....and the diesel back would help that. Too much dancing on some plays....hit the hole. Dropped balls and none bigger than Wurz late in the game. That one really hurt. Thought the WYO fans were pretty good until about 3 seconds left in the game. Then all of a sudden people around me start heckling me. I'm like " Haven't heard you guys all game long and now your piping up with 7 seconds to go, nice." And mind you, I wasn't out of line at all throughout the game. Loud and crazy, yeah, but not rude or insensitive. Oh yeah, had some guy, 1 of the afforementioned that hadn't said a thing the entire game, "You gotta be able to beat the Sioux before you can beat the cowboys." But I was elated to be there and the weather was amazing and the field and atmosphere was great. We were well represented by many Bison fans. Time to get healthy and start whooping up on the MVFC. Go Herd!!!

[bisoneer]

If i heard/remember right i think it was $275,000, someone correct me if this is wrong

Ching Ching, yea I think its right I just saw it on a Mcfeeley blog, he called it Christmas in February as it took Taylor only 24 hrs. to accept the invite. Ok, we cashed and it was a great experience for our players. According to the pregame it sounds like Joe Glenn could be job hunting next year along with Brad Childress.

Man it would be nice to beat Joe Glenn just one more time! Would be kinda like beating Roger Thomas with Pat Sweeney doing the announcing.

[WYOBISONMAN]

I enjoyed the hell out of having the Bison and all the fans in Laramie. NDSU made a great showing....and I think the WYO fans would love to play us again. I have heard great comments about our team and fans from the WYO folks.......

[Stubby]

anyone have an opinion on that last interception, one of my friends thinks Belquist ran the wrong route.

Tough to just listen to the game but the radio said last interception was intended for Voightlander.

[Herd Mentality]

What disappointed me more than anything was the last running play WYO ran before the kick...had we stuffed them there, I don't think the kicker would've hit that fieldgoal.

A great trip overall. I'll always hope for a win, but I'll take a good game any day. Their fans were in awe how many we brought to the game.

[99Bison]

Tough to just listen to the game but the radio said last interception was intended for Voightlander.

That's hilarious... So far from various sources at the game it was Belquist, Wurz, Heck, Voightlander... Unless the throw was off by 30 yards... It was Belquist.

[NDSUFan_Sav]

What disappointed me more than anything was the last running play WYO ran before the kick...had we stuffed them there, I don't think the kicker would've hit that fieldgoal.

A great trip overall. I'll always hope for a win, but I'll take a good game any day. Their fans were in awe how many we brought to the game.

how many were roughly there any clue?

[Stubby]

That's hilarious... So far from various sources at the game it was Belquist, Wurz, Heck, Voightlander... Unless the throw was off by 30 yards... It was Belquist.

Just relaying what they said on the radio. I assume they were there.

[WYOBISONMAN]

how many were roughly there any clue?

Probably around 2,000.

[lakesbison]

Ill post a picture where you can see 2 sections full of NDSU fans on the bottom.. sect A and B. and then AA up top was 50-50 bison fans.

Thats gotta be 1800-2000 easily.

Lots of Denver Alum sprinkled around the stadium.

P.s- West tailgate lot at Fargodome ANYDAY over these clowns in laramie, we had WYO fans wanting to come party with us!!

[Bison15]

how many were roughly there any clue?

Scott Miller said around 1000+ on the radio.

[tony]

Ramon Humber - the guy should be on an NFL roster next year.

[BisManBison]

Probably around 2,000.

I'd agree with that guesstimate. What a great time (right up until we lost anyway). Thanks to all the folks in Wyoming for all their hospitality. Would love to go back down and play the Pokes again.

My only complaint about the trip was the lack of public/mass transit. One taxi cab in the whole town? Does the city council encourage drinking and driving down there as a major source of revenue? Made it a little difficult to enjoy more of the town Saturday evening.

As far as the game goes itself. Just terribly disappointing. I'd agree with it being a total team/coaching loss. They just couldn't get anything going in the second half.

My five key plays to the game:

1. Heckendorf not takin it to the house on the first drive in the 2nd half.
2. The procedure penalty on the first play after the long pass to Heck.
3. The dropped pass by Belquist at the end of the 3rd quarter on 3rd down. That had a big impact on field position as we had to punt into the wind.
4. The dropped pass by Wurzbacher on 3rd down.
5. The last interception.

1 and 2 might be redundant, but if we go up 17-0 to start the 3rd going into the wind, I think the Pokes quit and probably would have had to abandon their plan coming out at halftime to run the ball. I don't think they come back to win if they have to rely on their passing game.

The drops, well, I think everyone else has covered that well enough. I'm still stunned by this though.

The last interception, well, that was just the last mistake of many made throughout the day.

Very tough loss to accept. Lots of Cowboy fans were trying to be complimentary after the game, but they failed to grasp that we actually expected to and should have won that game. Anyway it's over and time to move on to conference play. I think it was a good game for the team and coaches to gage where we are heading into conference play. Obviously we still have quit a bit to work on.

[79FCourt]

Hopefully this will cause us not to be too overconfident. I think it was quite humbling to many players as well as coaches. It should sharpen the focus for the rest of the year and keep the ultimate goal of a national championship in focus.

[DORMIE]

Totally agree with BisMan Bison. Key play in the game was the Illegal Shift on the play that we had a 7-8 yard gain after Heckendorf's long gainer. I listened to the WYO post game show on my way out of town and Joe Glenn said that they had to get their kid up off their backs at halftime as they were defeated. We score that touchdown and it's 17-0, game over. I sat behind Earl Solmonson and Kevin Donnelly. First half Earl mentioned that our lines would be taking over. Just didn't happen. Key stat. In the 4th quarter with the small wind, we had the ball for 3 min., 48 seconds. Our defense was awesome.

[SDbison]

My thoughts:
Wyomings tailgate set up sucks: No drinking tailgate area for fans unless you are a Wyo booster.....give me a break! What a bunch of cowboys!Due to Bison fan resourcefulness a lot was found, a porta-potty rented, and a sofa bought for $10 at a garage sale (thanks to whoever did this). One custom bus found the lot, some flags were set up and several hundred Bison fans were able to enjoy their favorite beverages pre and post game. Even though I bought a ticket to the Alumni tailgate event I never got over there, but heard there were over 1000 Bison fans in that area.
Bison should have won: Altitude had little or no affect on the players. Running game was pathetic (McNorton and Paschall have to stop dancing around before they get through the hole. Would have been nice to see Voitlander get a few carries. The O-line did well. The D-line & LB's were very good (a bunch of tackles for losses and 5 QB sacks) but 3 or 4 times linemen were off sides. Too many INT's and dropped balls. Mertens and the receivers need to get in sync. Special teams not very special.
Wyo fans and players friendly: No issues here with Wyo fans. They were good to talk to and complimentary before and after the game (at hotel, downtown bars, during game, etc.). Talked with some Wyo players after the game on the field. They said NDSU tough and should be I-A.
Road trip long but fun experience: Could have been better if the Bison had won. Drove 10 hours Friday night and 10 hours Sunday but had a great time with the guys in the Crew Cab. Got a ticket for speeding in Nebraska on the drive out, but that was the worst that happened so we were fortunate.
Bison season outlook partly cloudy or mostly sunny. This Bison team has a lot to work on, but they do have potential. Wyoming is an average FBS team at best so it is hard to say much of anything good or bad. One thing for sure, NDSU's performance during the next several weeks will help to form a better forecast of what this team can do. I don't think the Bison can be overconfident after this game. Is that good or bad?

[SDbison]

One additional comment......at this point in the season I bet SDSU has more confidence than the Bison. Sad, because I really believe the Bison are a much better team. NDSU needs a big game against Youngstown. To falter there would raise a lot of questions.

[WYOBISONMAN]

One additional comment......at this point in the season I bet SDSU has more confidence than the Bison. Sad, because I really believe the Bison are a much better team. NDSU needs a big game against Youngstown. To falter there would raise a lot of questions.


Yes.....what he said!

[MontanaBisonFan]

Probably around 2,000.

I counted them.
This is the Official count.
2312 good fans.
15 Sue fans disguised as SU fans.

[Herd Mentality]

I counted them.
This is the Official count.
2312 good fans.
15 Sue fans disguised as SU fans.

I counted at least 12 people wearing UND gear....WTF.

[BisonNeil]

SD point about special teams causes me to reiterate this, I think only the kickoff coverage was bad.

Nearly all of Bibeau's KO were deep, one was a called pooch by Bohl, which was stupid because WY got it on the 40. Can't blame the KO coverage for that one.

SD, were you disappointed in the punt coverage? If so, why?

SD, were you disappointed in the punting? If so, why? Our punters avg was nearly 5 yds further than WY.

SD, were you disappointed in Bibeau's FG kicking?

Again, special teams has four/five facets to it, I think one needs work and therefore don't think it is fair to say that ST were bad or need work that is a complete over statement.

[MN_BISON]

I counted them.
This is the Official count.
2312 good fans.
15 Sue fans disguised as SU fans.

Add one Cobber to that list but he was sportin' green and yellow.

[msvjcpa]

I was struck by the play of our backup DEs. Someone posted on another thread that Garrett Johnson would have a breakout year at DE as a redshirt freshman. Watching the first 3 games I would have to agree. He finished the game Saturday with 3 tackles (one sack) and I saw at least one QB hurry that was close to another sack. All this while playing two plays for every 5 of Compton's. That's less than half the plays the Compton gets. That's serious production from our future right DE. Phil and Bohl made mention of him on the Bohl Show yesterday. It's time to start playing him more and really let him contribute. The kid is flat out talented.

The defense was let down by our offense. Yes, they gave up a few big runs in the second half, but they held them to 16 points. That's big time defense.

[Tatanka]

What I learned this weekend:

* It's a long ass drive to Laramie from Fargo. We tried both ways (through western ND and through Omaha, both about the same drive time but Omaha a lot farther mileage wise). But on the way back we made it with only one stop in Lincoln, NE.

* Fargo, ND folks usually have a big inferiority complex when comparing our town to others. Dude. Laramie is at best a slightly bigger Brookings, SD, minus the big industry (Daktronics, etc) and plus some scenery on the horizon. Nice people there, and friendly town, but damn. The city of Fargo blows this place away. Hell, the city of West Fargo blows this place away.

* The entire city of Laramie seemed to know what was going on on Saturday, who ND State was, etc. Kind of like a class B town with a basketball team in the state finals--signage, flags, etc. everywhere. Business signs with wordage cheering on their team. Would be nice to see Fargo have a little more of that. It was also very clear that there is only one major university in Wyoming--no split loyalties here.

* Gameday presentation at the Fargodome (and the atmosphere at the dome) totally blew away what I saw at Laramie. I love the stadium there (beautiful outdoor stadium) but the constant media timeouts and video commercials and having to wait for their lameass promotions in between plays absolutely sucked. And their team entrance paled in comparison to how the Bison take the field. The relative non-response from teh fan base seemed to confirm this.

* Great showing by the Bison faithful. 2.5 sections of Bison fans made some noise. Big time. Heard lots of positive commentary from the locals about how well we travel. One said most impressive was the way the Bison fans took over the town the night before--something they rarely see, even from Colorado State and other big rivals.

* Great showing by Bisonville. Ran into a ton of folks at both the bar the night before and at tailgating on game day. Had a blast. Met too many folks to name here. you know who you are!

* Can't vouch for the "official" tailgating but can certainly say that from this guy's point of view, the scene at the Dome blows away what I saw at Laramie. You can't keep all the Bison fans from making their own party though and we did the west lot proud. Kudos to the guys who brought the old hammock, the couch, the basketball hoop, and the temporarily relocated port-a-john. Classic.

* Elevation: for the most part, overrated. Bison did show some physical and IMO mental fatigue in the second half but not sure that the elevation alone was to blame for that.

Overall we had a blast! Even with the less than optimal game outcome, we had a lot of fun, met some great folks, and saw a part of the world we hadn't seen before. Great time all around.

[SDbison]

SD point about special teams causes me to reiterate this, I think only the kickoff coverage was bad.

Nearly all of Bibeau's KO were deep, one was a called pooch by Bohl, which was stupid because WY got it on the 40. Can't blame the KO coverage for that one.

SD, were you disappointed in the punt coverage? If so, why?

SD, were you disappointed in the punting? If so, why? Our punters avg was nearly 5 yds further than WY.

SD, were you disappointed in Bibeau's FG kicking?

Again, special teams has four/five facets to it, I think one needs work and therefore don't think it is fair to say that ST were bad or need work that is a complete over statement.
Punt and kick off returns were not anything special. Not bad, but not that good either. Punting was OK, not great or bad. If you have to kick short for fear of covering the returner there is a problem. One for one on extra points is expected and 2 for 2 on short to medium FG is just good. I stand by my special teams overall were only fair, not poor, but not good or very good.

[bisonmike2]

One additional comment......at this point in the season I bet SDSU has more confidence than the Bison. Sad, because I really believe the Bison are a much better team. NDSU needs a big game against Youngstown. To falter there would raise a lot of questions.

I think your right on. But all it takes is a win against Youngstown to bring the confidencel back. SDSU also has alot more experience bouncing back from a loss than what we do. Sounds stupid to say but they're used to losing the first couple games of the year and then finishing strong. They know that they are capable of doing it, our guys don't. We have only experienced 3 losses in 2 years. The MN loss was arguably a win for us given that no one knew what to expect and we won the game on paper. The SDSU game was at the end of the season and we had a long time to forget that one. It's hard to know how you'll bounce back from a loss when you've just plain haven't lost much. It's a good problem to have.

[Tatanka]

Oh, and one more thing:

Closed caption to "Powder River": BUCK THIS.

[90BISON]

Follow along closely now, winning is not always a bad thing, especially against an opponent that has no bearing whatsoever on the rest of our season, exept for injuries. If I'm on the team, and I'm Jangula or Humber or any of the other senior leaders on the team, I'm now really humbled and pissed off going into next weeks game. We won't know until the season is over, but this loss could be the best thing to happen to us this season, depending on how the team learns and reacts to it. Right now if I'm the Bison's next opponent, I don't want to be the next guy that Jangula or Humber or Gratzek or Lardinois hits next week!:nod:

[99Bison]

One additional comment......at this point in the season I bet SDSU has more confidence than the Bison. Sad, because I really believe the Bison are a much better team. NDSU needs a big game against Youngstown. To falter there would raise a lot of questions.

Confidence?? doubtful? IMO You don't typically lose confidence when you make mental mistakes to lose a game. If you get beat down that's when you lose confidence.

Higher hopes for themselves? Possibly yes, if you aren't supposed to be average at best and then you do well, that raises your hopes. If you are supposed to be all world and then stumble, it makes you refocus and kind of ignore hopes in favor of working harder.

[gizmo]

My thoughts: Yeah, I was there...

1. Bison defense had to be extremely tired in the 4th quarter as a result of our offense's ineptness and the altitude. Regardless, the D played well throughout.

2. Other than flashes of brilliance from the underutilized Heckendorf, the Bison offense was rather bland and disappointing. Blown opportunities abounded for both teams. Not having Roehl had to be a major factor. SU had open receivers all over the place....not that it mattered with the dropsies our guys showed. O-line did fine protecting Mertens but didn't open many holes for RB's.

3. Hey receivers and punt returners... CATCH THE BALL! :banghead:

4. The "Pokes" deserved the win but I feel it was an upset for them to beat NDSU. Overall, the Bison have better athletes and a much more dynamic team than WY but, for some reason, we didn't show much of that in Laramie. Was NDSU holding something back? I hope so.

5. Although Laramie is smaller than Minot, (and seems smaller than Jamestown) they support a IA university just fine. Lots of nice, friendly folks there. After last year's 60,000+ in attendance in the Metrodome, having only 19,000 at the game in Laramie was a disappointment.