Top 4 Outstanding Plays of 2011 Season

[OrygunBison]

Okay, so pardon the interruption of the Spring Ball analysis. I'm still just not ready to move on from such a great season as what we had in 2011. A few rainy days ago, my son and I watched the GSU and SHSU games again. I'm not sure that those are ever going to get old. So to keep the glory of what was 2011 going, I'm starting this thread. Just ignore if you've had too much.

So....

What were the 4 plays that stand out in your mind for the season? What plays stand apart as game-changers or mark the good things to come in the season that was. My picks are very biased, considering that I was effected more by games that I attended in person, of which all but one of the plays I chose count in this way. In chronological order, mine are the following:

1. Gophers - Last play in the first half. Heagle INT, pitch/fumble picked up by MWill and taken to the house as time expired. The whole lead up to the play was fraught with disorganization from the Goofs camp. Messy timeouts, odd play selections and a seeming blinded and determined effort to take a chance on the last play of the half. All of the Gopher fans around me were yelling for them to take a knee. Something didn't feel right. As a Bison fan, I felt it as well.

2. UNI - Sack/forced fumble/recover for TD. I don't know the players involved because it was hard for me to hear considering where I was at the time of the game. My memory is that this was a significant game-changer. I wasn't there but it stands out to me regardless. Someone please fill in on the situation leading up to the play, please.

3. GSU - Brock runs 55 yards down the left sideline for paydirt. The game was still pretty tight at this point. The Bison D was playing a monsterous game but the offense wasn't exactly putting the game away yet. The playcalling for the GSU offense had to change to play catchup, something it was not designed to do. They never recovered.

4. SHSU - the fake punt. Not much to say other than that it was something that we'd been waiting all year for. The coaches had restraint for 14 previous games knowing full well the potential of the play. When they finally brought it out, it made the difference.

Honorable Mention (because I just can't stop):

1. Gophers - MWill pick six late in the game. He wrapped a bow around his homecoming present.
2. GSU - 93 tackles by Heagle in spite of wearing the club.
3. SHSU - INT by Beck and almost to the house. There were also two monster blocks on that play that really helped on the return.

Thanks for humoring me.

[HerdBot]

Good list...

Travis Beck pick beats fake punt IMO

Brocks completion on 3rd and long as he was falling down at Southern Illinois .
How about Brocks perfect 1st half vs Missouri State
Carlton Littlejohns insane passrush vs Lehigh that forced an incompletion on 3rd and long

[KSBisonFan]

Good list. I agree on your #1. I'd move Beck's INT to #3 on the list in place of Brock's run. Honorable mention list would probably include 1 or more of the 4th down stops our defense made against SHSU. Last season will never get old!

[tjbison]

1. SHSU Beck with the INT to seal the game
2. SHSU Fake Punt
3. GSU Brock and his 50yd TD run
4. UM "the pitch II" at th half
5. GSU Jemison 4th down Goaline stand

[CaBisonFan]

I could list so many it's ridiculous...but I keep coming back to Marcus Williams' tackle for a loss in the early stages of the championship game. A real statement tackle..."you're not coming this way."

So many great plays. No argument with your list at all.

Good post...and still extremely relevant. Feels like the board has been in deep-space 9 the past couple of months. This helps.

[OrygunBison]

In a couple of the highlight videos, there's a great shot of an MWill INT where he catches the ball at/near the goal line then the frame fills up with him running behind 3 or 4 defenders-turned-blockers. That play has always given me goosebumps. Anyone know what play that is?

[tony]

Chad Willson jumped about four feet into the air to make GSU's QB pull the ball down - then, as soon as Willson landed, he tackled him. That was about as athletic a play as you'll ever see. And the inside screen in the championship game? Teams don't execute plays any better than that.

[JSUBison]

In a couple of the highlight videos, there's a great shot of an MWill INT where he catches the ball at/near the goal line then the frame fills up with him running behind 3 or 4 defenders-turned-blockers. That play has always given me goosebumps. Anyone know what play that is?

Illinois State game. The turf monster brought him down near midfield. I think that's the one you are talking about.

[cbline]

Chad Willson jumped about four feet into the air to make GSU's QB pull the ball down - then, as soon as Willson landed, he tackled him. That was about as athletic a play as you'll ever see. And the inside screen in the championship game? Teams don't execute plays any better than that.

^^^ Exactly. ^^^ There was a "bubble" of blockers surrounding DJ for 30 yards or so.

[OrygunBison]

^^^ Exactly. ^^^ There was a "bubble" of blockers surrounding DJ for 30 yards or so. Yeah, and Brock executed perfectly, not telegraphing the play and only turning toward DJ about 1/4 second before the toss. Perfection to say the least.

[stevdock]

Yes too many plays to mention, but DJ's run to cap the James Madison game was huge. After the JMU TD, it was like he/OLine said enough of this, let's end it now or defense you've carried us all year here's our chance to pick you up.

[BisonNation11]

Sam Ojuri's 96 yard run for a touchdown... John Pike's interception against UNI... Ryan Smith's punt return @ SDSU... Chad Wilson's fumble recovery vs. GSU... Bobby Ollman's downed punt at the 1 vs. SHSU... Just exciting plays that stuck out in my mind that at the point in the game either secured a win, or turned the momentum in our favor. I also could go on and on. What a great season!

[Snowgoose]

Another play not yet mentioned as a great play was Jemisons tackle on 4th down in the GSU game

[EndZoneQB]

1. SHSU Beck with the INT to seal the game
2. SHSU Fake Punt
3. GSU Brock and his 50yd TD run
4. UM "the pitch II" at th half
5. GSU Jemison 4th down Goaline stand


Another play not yet mentioned as a great play was Jemisons tackle on 4th down in the GSU game

orly? Better check again ;)

[tjbison]

Another play not yet mentioned as a great play was Jemisons tackle on 4th down in the GSU game

Check my list bro:)

[EndZoneQB]

Check my list bro:)

2L8I1, bro....

[HandoEX]

Pike stripping the ball as the GSU receiver was closing in on a touchdown was as great as it gets. That play prevented a game tying score and lead to a 96 yard drive and Brock's 55 yarder a few plays after the forced turnover. Just an incredible play.

[NDSU92]

Considering Brock was VERY sick with the flu and almost didn't come out for the second half in the GSU game and then outran the D for 55 yards that's gotta be in my top 3 for sure.

[1998braves64]

Jastroms 53 yarder just before half at the JMU game... it was a huge momentum shift that never let up the rest of the playoffs it never felt like any of the games had any doubt that they could win after that kick.

[Professor Chaos]

Pike stripping the ball as the GSU receiver was closing in on a touchdown was as great as it gets. That play prevented a game tying score and lead to a 96 yard drive and Brock's 55 yarder a few plays after the forced turnover. Just an incredible play.
Agreed. That was the play of the GSU game in my opinion.

[tjbison]

Agreed. That was the play of the GSU game in my opinion.

Our D was too good that game, we win even if they score that IMO

[MNLonghorn10]

Another play not yet mentioned as a great play was Jemisons tackle on 4th down in the GSU game
post 4 in this thread

[EndZoneQB]

orly? Better check again ;)


Check my list bro:)


post 4 in this thread

Big time fail.

[MNLonghorn10]

Big time fail.
wow. you got me...because if you and 3 others didn't type that, i wouldn't have either...thus the point of piling on.

[Snowgoose]

I graduated from NDSU so reading all of the pages of a book was not required only the summary.

Another play missed was Brock's run in the GSU game.:facepalm:

[tcbison]

I graduated from NDSU so reading all of the pages of a book was not required only the summary.

Another play missed was Brock's run in the GSU game.:facepalm:

Brock's run against GSU was listed as #3 in the first post :facepalm:

[BISONBRI53]

DJ's phantom fumble against Youngstown. The monster blocks on Beck's int in championship. Ryan Smith punt return for TD against the bunnies. (I knocked my uncle over and his glasses went flying. He missed the whole thing)

[bisonmike2]

I'd put the fake punt above Beck's int. We were going nowhere with no signs of life on offense. That fake punt flipped the field, created momentum and then allowed the drive to continue. Fake punt doesn't happened, we kick the ball back and SHSU might get something going. We fake the punt, we score the next play and now suddenly our amazing defense has a lead to protect...and they did.

[EndZoneQB]

wow. you got me...because if you and 3 others didn't type that, i wouldn't have either...thus the point of piling on.

Hook. Line. Sinker.

[BisonNeil]

To me, the most important plays in a season are the ones that changed the complexion of a game. In that sense, the Heagle INT and MWill TD almost qualify, but the Bison had a TD lead already and the Gophers were going nowhere. Beck's INT in the NC game came when the Bison had the lead and SHSU wasn't yet threatening. So, my top four in no particular order:

Beck stripping the ball carrier and Emanuel scoring TD in UNI game. Bison were hanging on at that point 17-13 and that TD was the game changer and gave the Bison confidence they were for reall in 2011 because the monkey was off their back.

MWill's INT against SIU in the 4th quarter at the 50 yd line. Without that I doubt the Bison win that game since that set up the winning TD drive.

Pike's strip of the Geo Southern WR as he was going into score the tying TD in the semi-final game. If GSU ties the game it is a whole different deal and Jensen never goes 58 yds for a TD IMHO since the strip set up that drive.

Voit's fake punt was FAR more important in winning the NC game then Beck's INT. SHSU would not have been passing at that point in the game, at least not trying to go downfield deep in their own territory.

[TbonZach]

How about the flea flicker during the SIU game? IRC, NDSU was able to make something happen after that.

[BisonNation11]

Brock to Veldman at Southern Illinois game to kept us undefeated during the worst game of the year.

[NorthernBison]

One problem with ranking some of these plays is remembering the context of the game and how they impacted momentum. The THREE plays in the Title game were all really big deals at the time.

The fake punt allowed us to maintain momentum and kept them from a three and out stop.

The screen for a score on the next play was huge because we were having trouble getting into the end zone.

The interception was very big because SHSU was essentially one big play away from taking the lead. One missed tackle could have cost us the game. The INT was the dagger.

None of the above mean much without the others.

I wonder how many other plays in that game alone were affected by a player making a play that never registered with us fans because everything happens so fast. I'll bet there were plenty that just didn't get noticed.

[runtheoption]

One problem with ranking some of these plays is remembering the context of the game and how they impacted momentum. The THREE plays in the Title game were all really big deals at the time.

The fake punt allowed us to maintain momentum and kept them from a three and out stop.

The screen for a score on the next play was huge because we were having trouble getting into the end zone.

The interception was very big because SHSU was essentially one big play away from taking the lead. One missed tackle could have cost us the game. The INT was the dagger.

None of the above mean much without the others.

I wonder how many other plays in that game alone were affected by a player making a play that never registered with us fans because everything happens so fast. I'll bet there were plenty that just didn't get noticed.

Yep. Wasn't there a picture perfect open field tackle by 1 of our DB's on Sincere that would have been a TD had that tackle not happened? Big plays happen all the time.