The future...

[jake03]

First time poster. Heard about site at game. Great forum!

I know it is important to take one game at a time and (as importantly) one year at a time but how will we do next year against M? I am not that familiar with the Bison roster but I am planning to change that....especially after seeing them on Saturday. Are we loosing many people after this season? Are the up and comers pretty good?

Also, what is the possibility of an annual Bison/Gopher game?

Finally, how do we get the Gopher's to Fargo?

[No_Skill]

Take I-94 west. ;D

[sambini]

Well said+++++++++++ And its time for SUU...........

[CaBisonFan]

First time poster. Heard about site at game. Great forum!

I know it is important to take one game at a time and (as importantly) one year at a time but how will we do next year against M? I am not that familiar with the Bison roster but I am planning to change that....especially after seeing them on Saturday. Are we loosing many people after this season? Are the up and comers pretty good?

Also, what is the possibility of an annual Bison/Gopher game?

Finally, how do we get the Gopher's to Fargo?

Hi...and welcome. *We are losing some good football players like Kyle Steffes and Justin Frick....but the roster, over-all, is pretty young. *Our receivers get hit pretty hard with graduation too....almost forgot. *Recruiting has gone extremely well. *The Bison have been cleaning house in the Dakotas....and have also found some really good players in Minnesota. *The national recruiting has also brought in a few outstanding athletes. *The future looks very bright. *According to the coaches, depth is the biggest priority for recruiting. *Obviously, they want great players, but depth is what they talk about a lot. *

The really good news is that North Dakota State has a rich tradition in football...and the community has backers that will do almost anythiing to make this work. *And with the fall that the Bison have had so far, the support is growing. *It's my opinion that the game at Minnesota was important in many ways. *It would have been a lot more fun to beat them on the scoreboard, but there were other victories. *

1. *The fan base has been "excited" and has grown together. *It should bring a new fan attitude into the Fargodome. *This team has earned major respect and support.
2. *The exposure for recruiting was huge. *The Bison were playing in the heart of the city and area where they need to pull some outstanding players from. *I'd say that any recruit, or future recruit, that was in attendance had their eyes opened....widely. *My hunch is that recruiting in Minnesota will really pick up.....even though we've already done pretty well. *If I was Minnesota, I'd be concerned about what happened last Saturday. *And other colleges in the area will be bypassed by some excellent football players that have thought about staying closer to home.....meaning places like St. Cloud State, Mankato, etc. *If I was an excellent recruit from the Twin Cities, I'd have to take a strong look at NDSU....even potentially over choosing Minnesota. *
3. *The team gained confidence in itself that will reap rewards for years to come.

As for next year, I saw no evidence to suggest that Minnesota is a highly superior program. *They will be more mentally ready next year, but the Bison will be feeling it too. *They came so close....so they'll want a "W" really bad.

Some of the toughest games are coming up. *The Great West Football Conference has been rated as the best I-AA conference as the fall has progressed. *It's a little scary. *But I'll put my money on winning the conference and finishing 10-1.

Of course...we'll get there one game at a time. *That's my prediction.

Your posts are very welcome here. *Don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you want. *Some people are very helpful. *Others aren't quite as helpful. *The Bison need fans like you. *I'd suggest reading up on the history of the program too. *The DII Championship years had some truly great teams. *The tradition continues. * :)

As for the Gophers, I don't envision a day where they would want to come to Fargo. They think of themselves as the big boys on the block, and likely won't want to put themselves in NDSU's home environment. It would be very cool....but I'm not optimistic about this. Could be wrong. I hope that I am.

[BisonBacker]

First time poster. Heard about site at game. Great forum!

I know it is important to take one game at a time and (as importantly) one year at a time but how will we do next year against M? I am not that familiar with the Bison roster but I am planning to change that....especially after seeing them on Saturday. Are we loosing many people after this season? Are the up and comers pretty good?

Also, what is the possibility of an annual Bison/Gopher game?

Finally, how do we get the Gopher's to Fargo?

Hi...and welcome. *We are losing some good football players like Kyle Steffes and Justin Frick....but the roster, over-all, is pretty young. *Our receivers get hit pretty hard with graduation too....almost forgot. *Recruiting has gone extremely well. *The Bison have been cleaning house in the Dakotas....and have also found some really good players in Minnesota. *The national recruiting has also brought in a few outstanding athletes. *The future looks very bright. *According to the coaches, depth is the biggest priority for recruiting. *Obviously, they want great players, but depth is what they talk about a lot. *

The really good news is that North Dakota State has a rich tradition in football...and the community has backers that will do almost anythiing to make this work. *And with the fall that the Bison have had so far, the support is growing. *It's my opinion that the game at Minnesota was important in many ways. *It would have been a lot more fun to beat them on the scoreboard, but there were other victories. *

1. *The fan base has been "excited" and has grown together. *It should bring a new fan attitude into the Fargodome. *This team has earned major respect and support.
2. *The exposure for recruiting was huge. *The Bison were playing in the heart of the city and area where they need to pull some outstanding players from. *I'd say that any recruit, or future recruit, that was in attendance had their eyes opened....widely. *My hunch is that recruiting in Minnesota will really pick up.....even though we've already done pretty well. *If I was Minnesota, I'd be concerned about what happened last Saturday. *And other colleges in the area will be bypassed by some excellent football players that have thought about staying closer to home.....meaning places like St. Cloud State, Mankato, etc. *If I was an excellent recruit from the Twin Cities, I'd have to take a strong look at NDSU....even potentially over choosing Minnesota. *
3. *The team gained confidence in itself that will reap rewards for years to come.

As for next year, I saw no evidence to suggest that Minnesota is a highly superior program. *They will be more mentally ready next year, but the Bison will be feeling it too. *They came so close....so they'll want a "W" really bad.

Some of the toughest games are coming up. *The Great West Football Conference has been rated as the best I-AA conference as the fall has progressed. *It's a little scary. *But I'll put my money on winning the conference and finishing 10-1.

Of course...we'll get there one game at a time. *That's my prediction.

Your posts are very welcome here. *Don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you want. *Some people are very helpful. *Others aren't quite as helpful. *The Bison need fans like you. *I'd suggest reading up on the history of the program too. *The DII Championship years had some truly great teams. *The tradition continues. * :)

As for the Gophers, I don't envision a day where they would want to come to Fargo. They think of themselves as the big boys on the block, and likely won't want to put themselves in NDSU's home environment. It would be very cool....but I'm not optimistic about this. Could be wrong. I hope that I am.

Traditionally IA's don't travel to IAA's not to say that it can't happen but it is rare and I don't see it happening here. Minnesota would lose out on too much $$$$$ at the gate and there is no way NDSU could pay the kind of money it would take to get them here. JMHO.

[coloradobison]

Not only opinion but fact.

[tony]

Yeah, as things stand, the Gophers will not be coming to Fargo.

We watched all the news reports and stuff and there was talk of making Bison v Gophers an annual thing. I doubt that will happen as SDSU will be getting to the Metrodome too and, USD and UND will be wanting a piece of the Gophers too.

However, once the Gophers move out of the Metrodome, I wonder if NDSU might consider playing a trial game down at the Metrodome to see what kind of crowd we can get. Maybe NDSU v UNI?

NDSU's seniors are Barry Quickstad, Travis White, *Craig Dahl, Ryan Olson, Kyle Steffes, Tony Bizal, Alex Kingsley, Brett Itterman, Brian Dahl, Justin "Bucky" Buckwalter (who was lost before the season started), Adam Tadisch, Jake Erickson, and Justin Frick. It seems imposssible to replace these guys. There are talented guys waiting in the wings, but there is no telling what the personality of the team will be like next year either. For now, I'm just going to concentrate on enjoying the final four games of the '06 Bison.

[CaBisonFan]

First time poster. Heard about site at game. Great forum!

I know it is important to take one game at a time and (as importantly) one year at a time but how will we do next year against M? I am not that familiar with the Bison roster but I am planning to change that....especially after seeing them on Saturday. Are we loosing many people after this season? Are the up and comers pretty good?

Also, what is the possibility of an annual Bison/Gopher game?

Finally, how do we get the Gopher's to Fargo?

Hi...and welcome. *We are losing some good football players like Kyle Steffes and Justin Frick....but the roster, over-all, is pretty young. *Our receivers get hit pretty hard with graduation too....almost forgot. *Recruiting has gone extremely well. *The Bison have been cleaning house in the Dakotas....and have also found some really good players in Minnesota. *The national recruiting has also brought in a few outstanding athletes. *The future looks very bright. *According to the coaches, depth is the biggest priority for recruiting. *Obviously, they want great players, but depth is what they talk about a lot. *

The really good news is that North Dakota State has a rich tradition in football...and the community has backers that will do almost anythiing to make this work. *And with the fall that the Bison have had so far, the support is growing. *It's my opinion that the game at Minnesota was important in many ways. *It would have been a lot more fun to beat them on the scoreboard, but there were other victories. *

1. *The fan base has been "excited" and has grown together. *It should bring a new fan attitude into the Fargodome. *This team has earned major respect and support.
2. *The exposure for recruiting was huge. *The Bison were playing in the heart of the city and area where they need to pull some outstanding players from. *I'd say that any recruit, or future recruit, that was in attendance had their eyes opened....widely. *My hunch is that recruiting in Minnesota will really pick up.....even though we've already done pretty well. *If I was Minnesota, I'd be concerned about what happened last Saturday. *And other colleges in the area will be bypassed by some excellent football players that have thought about staying closer to home.....meaning places like St. Cloud State, Mankato, etc. *If I was an excellent recruit from the Twin Cities, I'd have to take a strong look at NDSU....even potentially over choosing Minnesota. *
3. *The team gained confidence in itself that will reap rewards for years to come.

As for next year, I saw no evidence to suggest that Minnesota is a highly superior program. *They will be more mentally ready next year, but the Bison will be feeling it too. *They came so close....so they'll want a "W" really bad.

Some of the toughest games are coming up. *The Great West Football Conference has been rated as the best I-AA conference as the fall has progressed. *It's a little scary. *But I'll put my money on winning the conference and finishing 10-1.

Of course...we'll get there one game at a time. *That's my prediction.

Your posts are very welcome here. *Don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you want. *Some people are very helpful. *Others aren't quite as helpful. *The Bison need fans like you. *I'd suggest reading up on the history of the program too. *The DII Championship years had some truly great teams. *The tradition continues. * :)

As for the Gophers, I don't envision a day where they would want to come to Fargo. *They think of themselves as the big boys on the block, and likely won't want to put themselves in NDSU's home environment. *It would be very cool....but I'm not optimistic about this. *Could be wrong. *I hope that I am.

Traditionally IA's don't travel to IAA's not to say that it can't happen but it is rare and I don't see it happening here. *Minnesota would lose out on too much $$$$$ at the gate and there is no way NDSU could pay the kind of money it would take to get them here. *JMHO.

Is that a fact? Geez

[Bisonfan1]

AND - Most importantly now, any new recruit coming in will have a chance at a National Title :)

[HerdBot]

Recruiting is what will keep us dominating... In the 80s we had more scholorships. In the 90's, we relied too much on ND/MN players. Now we getting the best of our area plus more! Here is the proof of what scholorships do

Here are the seniors were losing... They are good players and the last of the Babich era... notice how almost every one of them are from ND, SD, or MN? *Thats because he didn't have as many scholorships to work with.

30 Tony Bizal LB 6' 3 205 Sr. Blaine, MN
58 Brian Dahl DE 6' 2 238 Sr. Mankato, MN
20 Craig Dahl SS 6' 1 215 Sr. Mankato, MN
78 Jake Erickson OG 6' 3 288 Sr. Brooklyn Park, MN
82 Justin Frick DT 6' 3 295 Sr. Yankton, SD
47 Brett Itterman LB 6' 2 225 Sr. Aberdeen, SD
42 Alex Kingsley DE 6' 0 220 Sr. Fargo, ND
21 Ryan Olson SS 5' 11 186 Sr. Buffalo, MN
5 Barry Quickstad FS 6' 0 208 Sr. Waseca, MN (JUCO)
23 Kyle Steffes HB 5' 11 210 Sr. Dickinson, ND
74 Adam Tadisch OT 6' 6 319 Sr. Wausaukee, WI
15 Travis White WR 5' 11 182 Sr. Cedar, MN

Enter BohlCheck out the Jr class, which is Bohls first year recruiting... There are TEN players from IL, FL, MS, Ohio, and WI! Notice how Bohl has expanded the recruiting into other area's of the country?
12 Sam Boraas FS 5' 11 200 Jr. Zumbrota, MN
94 Mike Brown DT 6' 0 276 Jr. Larimore, ND (JUCO)
24 Symeon Cabell HB 6' 0 192 Jr. Milwaukee, WI
98 Thomas Campbell DT 6' 1 280 Jr. Starkville, MS (JUCO)
96 Christon Dallas DE 6' 4 275 Jr. Gainesville, FL (JUCO)
88 Mike Dragosavich P 6' 5 201 Jr. Oak Lawn, IL
7 David Earl, Jr. CB 6' 0 185 Jr. Milwaukee, WI
16 Nick Jackson WR 6' 0 180 Jr. East Cleveland, OH
71 Tyler Lekang OG 6' 3 287 Jr. New Brighton, MN
22 John Majeski WR 5' 11 195 Jr. Hastings, MN
8 Joe Mays LB 5' 11 244 Jr. Chicago, IL
43 Tommy Ray LB 5' 10 224 Jr. Minneapolis, MN
77 Nate Safe OT 6' 5 308 Jr. Cannon Falls, MN
60 Jerrod Wagner OG 6' 4 295 Jr. Pewaukee, WI
11 Steve Walker QB 6' 1 207 Jr. Lockport, IL
1 Shamen Washington WR 5' 7 160 Jr. St. Petersburg, FL


Now check out the Sophmore class... Bohls 2nd recruiting class... TEN MORE from Nebraska, Texas, California, and Wisconsin!
4 Nate Agbetola CB 5' 9 175 So. Sugar Land, TX
63 Blake Anderson OT 6' 4 312 So. Salinas, CA
83 Alex Belquist WR 5' 11 189 So. New Rockford, ND
6 Richard Bowman II CB 5' 9 180 So. Houston, TX
41 Mike Brower HB 6' 0 215 So. Geneva, NE
2 Jamar Champ WR 5' 10 188 So. Houston, TX
49 Nick Compton DE 6' 0 230 So. Rosemount, MN
56 Zach Harrington C 6' 2 294 So. Carrington, ND
9 Kole Heckendorf WR 6' 1 190 So. Mosinee, WI
44 Ramon Humber III LB 6' 0 225 So. Brooklyn Park, MN
25 Tyler Jangula FB 6' 1 249 So. Williston, ND
54 Joe Lardinois DE 6' 4 252 So. New Franken, WI
97 Tom Maghrak DT 6' 1 274 So. Long Prairie, MN
17 Mike Maresh LB 6' 0 233 So. Champlin, MN
90 Sam McCoy DT 6' 1 239 So. Clarksdale, MS
3 Ryan Parsons QB 6' 1 208 So. Ham Lake, MN
40 Tyler Roehl FB 5' 10 228 So. West Fargo, ND
29 Nick Schommer SS 5' 11 185 So. Prescott, WI
64 James Septak C 6' 3 297 So. Omaha, NE
80 Jeremiah Wurzbacher TE 6' 5 256 So. Fargo, ND

Bohls Freshman recruiting class... I count another 12 in TX, CA, WI, IL15 Kyle Belmont SS 5' 11 200 RFr. Battle Lake, MN
10 Mitch Brecke QB 5' 10 182 RFr. Plymouth, MN
87 Thor Brown TE 6' 4 248 RFr. Fall Creek, WI
76 Keith Buckman OG 6' 5 305 RFr. Belfield, ND
50 Jeff Curtis LS 6' 2 220 RFr. New Hope, MN
75 Gerry Ebel OT 6' 7 315 RFr. Yankton, SD
99 Mike Fairbairn NG 6' 3 298 RFr. LaGrange, IL
65 Ryan Foster C 6' 3 291 RFr. Eleva, WI
37 Tyler Henry LB 6' 3 220 RFr. Bloomington, MN
86 Jared Hines TE 6' 5 230 RFr. Ellsworth, WI
26 Matt Kittelson FB 5' 11 214 RFr. Velva, ND
53 Sam Laudner OT 6' 5 270 RFr. Medina, MN
18 Nick Mertens QB 6' 1 206 RFr. East Grand Forks, MN
31 Courtney Mitchell CB 5' 9 180 RFr. Houston, TX
68 Terry Payer OG 5' 11 280 RFr. Belcourt, ND
45 Bryan Reimers DE 6' 2 240 RFr. Springfield, MN
19 Jordan Schultenover WR 6' 3 203 RFr. Minnetonka, MN
72 Ryan Schuttloffel NG 6' 5 296 RFr. Sioux Falls, SD
81 Laminu Sonie WR 6' 1 172 RFr Apple Valley, MN
48 Matt Anderson LB 6' 3 210 Fr. Cavalier, ND
52 Michael Arndt OT 6' 6 295 Fr. LaMoure, ND
57 Zac Benson LB 6' 0 194 Fr. Grand Meadow, MN
27 Shawn Bibeau K 6' 0 201 Fr. White Bear Lake, MN
13 Chris Bigley CB 6' 1 185 Fr. Menomonee Falls, WI
28 Pete Blincoe HB 5' 8 180 Fr. Imperial, CA
93 David Burns DE 6' 3 235 Fr. Fargo, ND
32 Derrius Colvin CB 5' 10 190 Fr. South Holland, IL
70 Matt Gratzek DT 6' 3 260 Fr. Argyle, MN
62 Granger Hamland OG 6' 4 290 Fr. Medford, WI
33 Drew Hushka 220 Fr. Fargo, ND
51 John Knepel DE 6' 5 250 Fr. Mequon, WI
36 Cyrus Lemon FS 5' 11 185 Fr. Minneapolis, MN
67 Zach Papke OG 6' 1 231 Fr. Chaska, MN
95 Matt Phillips DT 6' 4 250 Fr. DePere, WI
89 Pat Shannon TE 6' 4 230 Fr. St. Louis Park, MN
91 Jimmy Sharpe DE 6' 2 235 Fr. Plymouth, MN
84 Landon Smith TE 6' 2 220 Fr. Dickinson, ND
46 Lee Vandal LB 6' 0 210 Fr. Rolla, ND
00 Chris Wellenstein OT 6' 7 285 Fr. Centerville, SD
85 Gary Williams WR 5' 11 175 Fr. TX

[74BisonFan]

Wow, we should be reloaded at LB next year.

[Jeffdaryl3rd]

AND - Most importantly now, any new recruit coming in will have a chance at a National Title *:)
This can't be overstated as recruting tool. I don't care what level of play you are talking about D-II, NAIA, 1-AA, 1-A, a national championship carries a lot of weight.

[HerdBot]

Now lets look at the Gophers...

Seniors... 9 and 5 are out of state plus they got the best MN playes like Spaeth

84 * *Logan Payne *WR *6-2 *205 *Sr. *Lutz , Fla. *(Land O' Lakes) *
90 * *Eric Clark *DT *6-4 *270 *Sr. *Tampa Bay, Fla. *(Tampa Bay Tech) *
11 * *Mike Frankberg *QB *6-0 *190 *Sr. *Detroit Lakes, Minn. *(Detroit Lakes) *
48 * *Mario Reese *LB *6-3 *230 *Sr. Mableton, Ga. *(Pebblebrook) *
78 * *Joe Ainslie *OT *6-7 *310 *Sr. *Minnetonka, Minn. *(Hopkins) *
56 * *Tyson Swaggert *OG *6-4 *290 *Sr. *Buffalo, Minn. *(Buffalo) *
3 * *Bryan Cupito *QB *6-3 *205 *Sr. *Cincinnati, Ohio *(McNicholas)
4 * *Trumaine Banks *DB *5-11 *190 *Sr. *Columbus, Ohio *(Eastmoor Academy) *
89 * *Matt Spaeth *TE *6-7 *265 *Sr. *St. Michael, Minn. *(St. Michael-Albertville) *

Juniors... 19 players, 11 out of NJ, WI, OH, LA
46 * *John Shevlin *LB *6-1 *225 *Jr. *Eagan, Minn. *(Eastview) *
43 * *Robert McGarry *LS *6-3 *215 *Jr. *Stillwater, Minn. *(Stillwater) *
98 * *Neel Allen *DT *6-3 *285 *Jr. *Marietta, Ga. *(Lassiter) *
1 * *Ernie Wheelwright *WR *6-5 *215 *Jr. *Columbus, Ohio *(Walnut Ridge) *
26 * *Duran Cooley *DB *6-0 *205 *Jr. Los Angeles, Calif. *(Reedley) *(Cathedral) *
29 * *Amir Pinnix *RB *6-0 *205 *Jr. *Newark, N.J. *(Malcolm X Shabazz) *
49 * *Jeremy Faue *FB *5-11 *230 *Jr. *Hamel, Minn. *(Wayzata) *
70 * *Todd Meisel *DT *6-4 *275 *Jr. *Hartland, Wis. *(Arrowhead) *
55 * *Brad Bultman *OC *6-1 *280 *Jr. Green Bay, Wis. *(Ashwaubenon) *
58 * *Mike Sherels *LB *6-0 *240 *Jr. *Rochester, Minn. *(John Marshall) *
15 * *Jamal Harris *CB *6-0 *185 *Jr. *Delray Beach, Fla. *(Atlantic) *
64 * *Steve Shidell *OT *6-5 *290 *Jr. *Coon Rapids, Minn. *(Coon Rapids) *
11 * *Desi Steib *CB *6-0 *185 *Jr. *Vacherie, La. *(St. James) *
18 * *Justin Valentine *FB *6-1 *230 *Jr. *Columbus, Ohio *(Eastmoor Academy) *
77 * *Tony Brinkhaus *OC *6-3 *295 *Jr. *Bloomington, Minn. *(Jefferson) *
57 * *Patrick Cheney *LB *6-2 *225 *Jr. *Shoreview, Minn. *(Mounds View) *
35 * *Seth Thompson *FS *5-11 *190 *Jr. *Hudson, Wis. *(Cretin-Derham Hall)
69 * *John Jakel *OG *6-5 *300 *Jr. *Schofield, Wis. *(D.C. Everest)
23 * *Dominique Barber *FS *6-0 *210 *Jr. *Plymouth, Minn. *(Wayzata) *

Sophmores... 19 players, 11 players out of Ohio, Texas, Illinois, PA and 8 out of MN

16 * *John Carlson *LB *6-2 *220 *So. *Wayzata, Minn. *(Hopkins) *
6 * *Alex Daniels *RB *6-3 *255 *So. *Columbus, Ohio *(Brookhaven) *
19 * *Mike Maciejowski *QB *6-3 *215 *So. *Columbus, Ohio *(Upper Arlington)
79 * *Matt DeGeest *OT *6-5 *275 *So. *Harrisburg, S.D. *(Harrisburg) *
24 * *Brody Grandas *SS *5-11 *190 *So. *Woodbury, Minn. *(Cretin-Derham Hall) *
44 * *Deon Hightower *LB *6-3 *210 *So. Arlington, Texas *(Mansfield Summit) *
87 * *Michael Kasten *WR *6-2 *195 *So. *Plainview, Minn. *(Plainview) *
17 * *Tony Mortensen *QB *6-3 *230 *So. *Hutchinson, Minn. *(Hutchinson) *
36 * *Joel Monroe *K *5-11 *190 *So. *Brooklyn Park, Minn. *(Robbinsdale Cooper) *
28 * *Kevin Mannion *SS *6-2 *210 *So. *Germantown, Wis. *(Germantown) *
41 * *Justin Kucek *P *6-0 *200 *So. *Canfield, Ohio *(Canfield) *
92 * *Steve Davis *DE *6-2 *235 *So. *St. Louis, Mo. *(McCluer North) *
31 * *Jason Giannini *K *5-9 *185 *So. Canton, Ohio *(Glen Oak)
80 * *Jack Simmons *TE *6-4 *240 *So. *Libertyville, Ill. *(Carmel)
2 * *Dominic Jones *SS *5-8 *190 *So. *Columbus, Ohio *(Brookhaven) *
65 * *William Brody *DE *6-4 *245 *So. *Garfield Heights, Ill. *(Benedictine) *
39 * *Josh Robertson *DB *5-11 *175 *So. *Harrisburg, Pa. *(Lackawanna) *(Central Dauphin East)
91 * *William Van DeSteeg *DE *6-4 *255 *So. *Silver Lake, Minn. *(Glencoe-Silver Lake) *
59 * *Steve Moore *LB *6-2 *230 *So. *Coon Rapids, Minn. *(Blaine) *

Clearly, the Gophers are going out and recruiting heavily out of Ohio, Illinois, and Texas and pick up some of the top players in Minnesota like Spaeth and nobody out of ND. *That gives them the big depth advantage. We need to land a few more of the top Minnesota players and get a few less ND players. Obvioulsy, there are more good Minnesota players than ND based on population so
Let's compare our Sophmore class with the Gophers.

Bison Sophmores20 players
10 from way out of state (CA, TX, WI, MS, NE)
5 from MN
5 from ND

Gopher Sophmores19 players
11 from way out of state (OH, TX, IL, PA)
8 from MN
0 from ND


Since 2001, 16 Gopher players have made it to the NFL... 7 are from Minnesota, 1 is from ND, and 8 are from out of state...

Point is... there is a ton of talent in our back yard... the biggest names are from out of state

The big names are... Tyrone Carter, Jack Brewer, Middlebrooks, and Maroney. They hailed from Florida, Ohio, etc... Anthony Montgomery is Ohio, Greg White is New Jersey, Ron Johnson & Karon Riley hail from Michigan

Marion Barber is from Minneota. Mark Setterstrom *is Minnesota... Greg Eslinger is from Bismarck...Thomas Tapeh is MN...Michael Lehan is MN... Matt Anderle is MN...Adam Hayer is MN...Ben Hamilton is MN...

We need to snag a few of them from Minnesota

[Gamehunter]

I will have to disagree about the wide reciever comment. We do lose Travis White, but he is the only senior wide reciever on the roster. Plus there is alot of guys that redshirted this year and others that will more than fill in the void. NDSU is very deep at WR for at least the next few years. Heckendorf just keeps getting better and better. That redshirt from Texas may be the burner we need to keep defenses spread out.

On defense we lose Frick, Craig Dahl, and Brian Dahl plus a couple PT's. Those are some VERY big shoes to fill, but returning 8/11 from a defense of this caliber is simply rediculous, plus...from what I have seen the backups of those players we lose are quite talented as well. Linebacker is loaded beyond belief, and defensive line is showing alot more depth and talent than recent years. CB should start to see alot more depth in the next year or two. Justin Frick is easily the biggest loss on the team simply because it is so hard to replace 300lb DT that are quick. This guy has a chance to be playing on Sundays soon.

O-Line will probably be the only real question mark for next year on the team. It looks like Bohl is starting to rotate guys alot more which is encouraging for the depth we have, but losing guys like Nate Safe and Adam Tadisch will be hard to fill in. The maturation of guys like Blake Anderson, Gerry Ebel, Tyler Lekang, and Foster will be key for the O-Line.

RB should be good. Symeon Cabel should return to full health. This guy is more explosive than Steffes. There is talk about getting Cinque Chapman back (he is still on campus). Another year for Blincoe and Brower to develope. RB will be deep, but like we learned this year, that can change in a hurry.

All-American Shamen Washington should also be back. That is huge.

[Flintstone]

Babich recruited some of this years Juniors as many of them redshirted their first year (Mays, Walker etc...)

[Mr_Meanor]

I will have to disagree about the wide reciever comment. *We do lose Travis White, but he is the only senior wide reciever on the roster. *Plus there is alot of guys that redshirted this year and others that will more than fill in the void. *NDSU is very deep at WR for at least the next few years. *Heckendorf just keeps getting better and better. *That redshirt from Texas may be the burner we need to keep defenses spread out. *

On defense we lose Frick, Craig Dahl, and Brian Dahl plus a couple PT's. *Those are some VERY big shoes to fill, but returning 8/11 from a defense of this caliber is simply rediculous, plus...from what I have seen the backups of those players we lose are quite talented as well. *Linebacker is loaded beyond belief, and defensive line is showing alot more depth and talent than recent years. *CB should start to see alot more depth in the next year or two. *Justin Frick is easily the biggest loss on the team simply because it is so hard to replace 300lb DT that are quick. *This guy has a chance to be playing on Sundays soon.

O-Line will probably be the only real question mark for next year on the team. *It looks like Bohl is starting to rotate guys alot more which is encouraging for the depth we have, but losing guys like Nate Safe and Adam Tadisch will be hard to fill in. *The maturation of guys like Blake Anderson, Gerry Ebel, Tyler Lekang, and Foster will be key for the O-Line.

RB should be good. *Symeon Cabel should return to full health. *This guy is more explosive than Steffes. *There is talk about getting Cinque Chapman back (he is still on campus). *Another year for Blincoe and Brower to develope. *RB will be deep, but like we learned this year, that can change in a hurry.

All-American Shamen Washington should also be back. *That is huge.


I thought that Safe was only a junior

[Gamehunter]

holly cow, you are correct. Not sure how I missed that. That REALLY changes things then for the O-Line. Safe is probably our best lineman.

[HerdBot]

Babich recruited some of this years Juniors as many of them redshirted their first year (Mays, Walker etc...)

That's a good point... Babich did one hell of a job with recruiting and he should get credit for most of the Jr Class except the 3 JUCO's, Shamen Washington, and Sam Boraas. You know Babich is good when Staus ended up being the backup!


JUNIORS (Bohl recruited)
12 Sam Boraas FS 5' 11 200 Jr. Zumbrota, MN *
94 Mike Brown DT 6' 0 276 Jr. Larimore, ND (JUCO) *
98 Thomas Campbell DT 6' 1 280 Jr. Starkville, MS (JUCO) *
96 Christon Dallas DE 6' 4 275 Jr. Gainesville, FL (JUCO)
1 Shamen Washington WR 5' 7 160 Jr. St. Petersburg, FL


JUNIORS (Redshirted under Babich in 2003)
24 Symeon Cabell HB 6' 0 192 Jr. Milwaukee, WI
88 Mike Dragosavich P 6' 5 201 Jr. Oak Lawn, IL
7 David Earl, Jr. CB 6' 0 185 Jr. Milwaukee, WI
16 Nick Jackson WR 6' 0 180 Jr. East Cleveland, OH
71 Tyler Lekang OG 6' 3 287 Jr. New Brighton, MN *
22 John Majeski WR 5' 11 195 Jr. Hastings, MN *
8 Joe Mays LB 5' 11 244 Jr. Chicago, IL
43 Tommy Ray LB 5' 10 224 Jr. Minneapolis, MN *
77 Nate Safe OT 6' 5 308 Jr. Cannon Falls, MN *
60 Jerrod Wagner OG 6' 4 295 Jr. Pewaukee, WI
11 Steve Walker QB 6' 1 207 Jr. Lockport, IL


When you compare Bohls Fr/So class to the Babich Sr/JR redshirt class, it looks like Babich favored Wisconsin and Illinois while Bohl seems to like Wisconsin too and hits other area's, notably Texas & Nebraska. Of course, he has connections there.

These numbers are totally skewed becaue most of those ND redshirts may not even be on the team.

BOHL
Minnesota - 21 (5 are Sophmore class)
North Dakota - 14 (5 are Sophmore class)
Wisconsin - 10
Texas - 5
South Dakota - 3
California - 2
Illinois - 2
Nebraska - 2
Mississippi - 1
Florida - Shamen Washington

BABICH (Jr/Sr left)
Minnesota - 11
Wisconsin - 4
Illinois - 3
South Dakota - 2
Ohio - 1
North Dakota - 1

[Bob_Holiday]

It seems to me that keeping Willie Mack Garza for at least another year along with Nystrom and Wash is quite important. *It looks like Craig Bohl has surrounded himself with talented assistant coaches, something that isn't always easy. *At the beginning of this season it was generally thought that the defensive line would be one of the weaknesses of the Bison. *It has become probably the second strongest position behind linebacker on the Bison squad. *A very good example of what strength training and good coaching can accomplish. *I don't know if everyone noticed but Ryan Foster started and played the whole Minnesota game in place of the injured Jerrod Wagner. *With the loss of only Adam Tadisch (and I say only because he is just one lineman, he is probably one of the teams best) and a very good Jake Erickson, the offensive line will be awesome next season. *I look for next season, the last of the transition period, as a season that will strike fear in the minds of all the traditional IAA powers. *NDSU may very well be the most dominant team in IAA. *To me the key thing for next season will be the replacement of Kyle Steffes from among the group of candidates of Cabell, Blincoe, Brower and Chapman. *Yes, Chapman. *On another note, when the Big Sky conference chose Northern Colorado as its expansion school, they were just adding a whipping boy for the top teams, namely Montana and Montana State. *The real reason they didn't select NDSU was because they knew the Bison would almost immediately dominate the league in several sports and they didn't want that.

[BisonBacker]

UNC has really fallen off and to make matters worse they have been even worse off the field (and thats a hard thing to do with the team they have this season).

[DIBISON]

*The real reason they didn't select NDSU was because they knew the Bison would almost immediately dominate the league in several sports and they didn't want that.

I made that same comment a couple of times during the Big Sky expansion talks and people just laughed and trashed me. Some members of established conferences feel threatened by successful programs and that probably did hinder NDSU's conference efforts. Oh well, the Mid-Con and hopefully the Gateway will make this point irrelevant.

[jrh]

I've watched this team now for the better part of two years. Craig Dahl is one outstanding player,maybe the best defensive player on the team. Justin Frick is a man amoung boys. How do you replace them?

[SDbison]

UNC has really fallen off and to make matters worse they have been even worse off the field (and thats a hard thing to do with the team they have this season).
Did anybody see the half page article in the Monday edition of the USA Today about all the bad things happening at UNC? This was a half page article in the Sports section that only had one and a half pages devoted to College football. The Big Sky made a great move there. HA HA.. ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Flintstone]

I've watched this team now for the better part of two years. Craig Dahl is one outstanding player,maybe the best defensive player on the team. Justin Frick is a man amoung boys. How do you replace them?



You replace them with the young guys who are waiting in the wings. *We loose great players every year. *Somebody will step up and be as good or better. *I think we will really see the benefits of the extra scholarships next year. *There is a lot of young talent on this squad that we haven't really seen yet.

[SDbison]

I am more worried about the coaching revolving door at this point. DI-A teams with coaching needs are already eyeing the upstart Bison. Would be nice to have one year without any changes. I bet Willie Mack bolts. For what he is paid it is likely he will be offered the same job at ten times the salary real soon. Bison D is impressive. I don't think Bohl will go anywhere for a couple years. A head coaching job in DI-A will require some repetitive success.

[Gamehunter]

I've watched this team now for the better part of two years. Craig Dahl is one outstanding player,maybe the best defensive player on the team. Justin Frick is a man amoung boys. How do you replace them?



it is very doubtfull (although entirely possible) that next year's starters in place of Frick and Dahl will not be as talented right away. However, with everyone else returning and constantly improving it is pretty safe to say that the other starters will help fill in the void as a team.




What I have noticed with this Bison defense is that it is not a one man wrecking train. The tackles are very spread out and no one in particular has vastly more than another guy. Our leading tackler (Craig Dahl) only has 41 tackles so far through 7 games with Joe Mays a close second with 40. Compare that to Cal Poly's LB Kyle Shotwell from last year who wracked up over 150 tackles for the season. That tells me one thing, Shotwell is significantly faster and better than his defensive teammates. There is nothing wrong with that as Shotwell is obviously a stud that will get a chance to play on Sundays as will Joe Mays, but it is a good example why you can't compare tackles for an award like the Buchannan. Last year Joe Mays led the Bison with about 85 tackles and will most likely not even come close to that mark this year. Joe Mays has improved from last year so why a decline in tackles? Ramon Humber and Mike Maresh are why, coincidentally #4 and #3 in tackles for the Bison.

[animalinhouse]

I've watched this team now for the better part of two years. Craig Dahl is one outstanding player,maybe the best defensive player on the team. Justin Frick is a man amoung boys. How do you replace them?



it is very doubtfull (although entirely possible) that next year's starters in place of Frick and Dahl will not be as talented right away. *However, with everyone else returning and constantly improving it is pretty safe to say that the other starters will help fill in the void as a team.




What I have noticed with this Bison defense is that it is not a one man wrecking train. *The tackles are very spread out and no one in particular has vastly more than another guy. *Our leading tackler (Craig Dahl) only has 41 tackles so far through 7 games with Joe Mays a close second with 40. *Compare that to Cal Poly's LB Kyle Shotwell from last year who wracked up over 150 tackles for the season. *That tells me one thing, Shotwell is significantly faster and better than his defensive teammates. *There is nothing wrong with that as Shotwell is obviously a stud that will get a chance to play on Sundays as will Joe Mays, but it is a good example why you can't compare tackles for an award like the Buchannan. *Last year Joe Mays led the Bison with about 85 tackles and will most likely not even come close to that mark this year. *Joe Mays has improved from last year so why a decline in tackles? *Ramon Humber and Mike Maresh are why, coincidentally #4 and #3 in tackles for the Bison.


In the Forum - http://www.in-forum.com/Sports/articles/143936 - Mike Maresh is only a sophomore

[Scooter]

I am more worried about the coaching revolving door at this point. *DI-A teams with coaching needs are already eyeing the upstart Bison. *Would be nice to have one year without any changes. *I bet Willie Mack bolts. *For what he is paid it is likely he will be offered the same job at ten times the salary real soon. *Bison D is impressive. *I don't think Bohl will go anywhere for a couple years. *A head coaching job in DI-A will require some repetitive success. * *

Not to worry.... good coaches always lose assistant coaches. *There are a handfull of I-AA programs are a pretty desireable place to be, THIS IS ONE OF THEM.

[Gully]

It seems to me that keeping Willie Mack Garza for at least another year along with Nystrom and Wash is quite important. *It looks like Craig Bohl has surrounded himself with talented assistant coaches, something that isn't always easy. *At the beginning of this season it was generally thought that the defensive line would be one of the weaknesses of the Bison. *It has become probably the second strongest position behind linebacker on the Bison squad. *A very good example of what strength training and good coaching can accomplish. *I don't know if everyone noticed but Ryan Foster started and played the whole Minnesota game in place of the injured Jerrod Wagner. *With the loss of only Adam Tadisch (and I say only because he is just one lineman, he is probably one of the teams best) and a very good Jake Erickson, the offensive line will be awesome next season. *I look for next season, the last of the transition period, as a season that will strike fear in the minds of all the traditional IAA powers. *NDSU may very well be the most dominant team in IAA. *To me the key thing for next season will be the replacement of Kyle Steffes from among the group of candidates of Cabell, Blincoe, Brower and Chapman. *Yes, Chapman. *On another note, when the Big Sky conference chose Northern Colorado as its expansion school, they were just adding a whipping boy for the top teams, namely Montana and Montana State. *The real reason they didn't select NDSU was because they knew the Bison would almost immediately dominate the league in several sports and they didn't want that.

Wow, we might get Chapman back? That would be huge. Not to cut down any of the other back, we have some good ones, but it would be great to have him back. Is there a good chance? One would think he'd be very hungry and grateful for a second chance.