Best Bison Game - Modern Era

[C-Student]

Still doing my own thinking, but what are the best? some good Pitt. St. games, a few classic UND battles, Satter's 5-TDs at SDSU, Montana........?

I think the '90 Pitt St. game may have been the best.

[JBB]

University of Montana without a doubt.

I like the year Babich introduced the second half onside kick and beat the suck too.

[NDSU_grad]

I got to go with the game in the mud in Pitt in 94. *We were pretty big underdogs that day, and the conditions were definitely in our favor. *A close second would be the suck playoff game in 95. *That was really the last time I saw the veer offense get on a roll.

[BisonInTexas]

Tony gives a good starting point for discussion here:

http://www.bisonville.com/rivals.html

The Pitt. State game in '90, the Millersville game in '88 and the UCD game at Dacotah in '84 were all fantastic games. But I would vote for the semifinals in '85 against USD at Vermillion, just for "The Pitch" alone.

Craig

[IL_Bison]

One of my favorites is the 2000 first-round game against NWMSU. I had very low expectations considering the Bearcats were undefeated and Babich was not a good big-game coach. The defense played out of their minds and the offense was actually creative.

[BisonMav]

2003 Montana
1982 Virginia Union on the frozen tundra, not many people there, they opened the BSA as a warming house at the half. Bison 21, Virginia Union 20.

[Herd_Mentality]

1998 at Northern Colorado ... we lost the game because of Babich constantly going for 2 in the second half, but that was a furious comeback and an offensive shootout like I had never seen.

Plus...they serve beer at the stadium.

[C-Student]

ah...the pitch! Maybe the best play in the history of the Bison. I think Molstre is one of the most unheralded players in our history.

[NDSU_grad]

1998 at Northern Colorado ... we lost the game because of Babich constantly going for 2 in the second half, but that was a furious comeback and an offensive shootout like I had never seen.

Plus...they serve beer at the stadium.

It was actually 99, but I agree with the statement about going for two. We could have sent the game into overtime if we would have kept kicking extra points. What made it even more maddening is it seems Babich had one two-point conversion play. Four wideouts, everyone runs a short curl, and then the QB throws the ball as hard as he can in the vicinity of one of the receivers. Did we ever convert a two point conversion under Babich? Off the top of my head I can think of 6 failed attempts: two at Mankato in 01, two at UNO in the 00 playoffs, the two at UNC.

[WYOBISONMAN]

The Montana game will probably go down in Bison History as the sigle most important game ever. It was not the best game the Bison have ever plsyed, but I think it was the most important. The Montana game established NDSU as a credible D1AA Football program. I would say that is worth more than any single D2 title that NDSU has ever won.

[Bison4Life]

I am a fairly young, and i don't know anything about "THE PITCH", just wondering if you guys could fill me in on what happened.

[Herd_Mentality]

Doh...that was 99. I had too many of those wonderful Colorado beers at the game I guess.

[tony]

One day, I'd like to get a QuickTime version of The Pitch on the site (if I can work out the copyright issues and find a video clip).

OK, now I'll put on my Grandpa Simpson hat...

It all started with South Dakota stomping the crap out of NDSU early in the season 38-14 (NDSU's 6th worst defeat since the start of DII). USD completely shut down the veer, hold NDSU to about 100 yards rushing.

NDSU lost two games and weren't even supposed to make the playoffs. Of course, this was before regionalization (back then, regionalization was known as "That dumbass idea") so NDSU managed to get into the playoffs.

Anyway, NDSU had to travel to USD's Dome for the second round of the playoffs after spanking UC Davis at their place in the first round.

First of all, it was a classic match-up. USD and NDSU were very similar, physical teams and both had one of their best teams in their program's history.

The game started badly for NDSU. USD took the lead on a long pass play and looked like they were going to go up by 14 when Todd Debates (The Dentist?) recovered a fumble at the NDSU 2-yard line.

So NDSU has dodged a couple bullets and they are still in the game with the ball on their own 32. Bentrim runs option right and gets tackled as he turns the corner right at the line of scrimmage. As all the USD defenders down, Bentrim somehow keeps his knee from touching the ground (to me, it looked like his whole body was parallel to the ground, about six inches above it) and he manages to pitch the ball to Molstre. Molstre might not have been the quickest back but he was straight-line FAST and if he got the corner uncovered, it was pretty much all over except. And it was.

If I get the clip on the site, you'll hardly be able to tell what happened. It looks like this: option right, Bentrim gets tackled, oh wait, how'd he pitch that?, and there goes Molstre.

According to the stats, NDSU had 350+ yards on the ground. Before I looked I assumed that NDSU only had about 200. I guess USD's defense was just awesome the closer you got to their endzone. NDSU wins a very tough game, 16-7.

[NDSU_grad]

Tony,
That would be awesome if you could get the pitch on this site, as I've never seen it either.

[WYOBISONMAN]

I remember watching "The Pitch" on TV. It was an incredible play in an incredible game.

[Flintstone]

I'm also young compared to some on this board, and I grew up in western ND. The first game I was ever at was the 90 Pitt State Game (I was in the 7th grade at the time). Coach Dale Hammerschmidt is a friend of my dads so I got to go into the lockerroom after the game and meet some of the players and coaches. It was an awesome experience.

[runtheoption]

I think the Montana game is the one. After the fake field goal went for a TD and then seeing my 57 year old, crippled up, reserved, stoic Dad dance around his living room like a little school girl is probably one of my greatest memories ever.

[BisonInTexas]

One day, I'd like to get a QuickTime version of The Pitch on the site (if I can work out the copyright issues and find a video clip).

OK, now I'll put on my Grandpa Simpson hat...

It all started with South Dakota stomping the crap out of NDSU early in the season 38-14 (NDSU's 6th worst defeat since the start of DII). USD completely shut down the veer, hold NDSU to about 100 yards rushing.

NDSU lost two games and weren't even supposed to make the playoffs. Of course, this was before regionalization (back then, regionalization was known as "That dumbass idea") so NDSU managed to get into the playoffs.

Anyway, NDSU had to travel to USD's Dome for the second round of the playoffs after spanking UC Davis at their place in the first round.

First of all, it was a classic match-up. USD and NDSU were very similar, physical teams and both had one of their best teams in their program's history.

The game started badly for NDSU. USD took the lead on a long pass play and looked like they were going to go up by 14 when Todd Debates (The Dentist?) recovered a fumble at the NDSU 2-yard line.

So NDSU has dodged a couple bullets and they are still in the game with the ball on their own 32. Bentrim runs option right and gets tackled as he turns the corner right at the line of scrimmage. As all the USD defenders down, Bentrim somehow keeps his knee from touching the ground (to me, it looked like his whole body was parallel to the ground, about six inches above it) and he manages to pitch the ball to Molstre. Molstre might not have been the quickest back but he was straight-line FAST and if he got the corner uncovered, it was pretty much all over except. And it was.

If I get the clip on the site, you'll hardly be able to tell what happened. It looks like this: option right, Bentrim gets tackled, oh wait, how'd he pitch that?, and there goes Molstre.

According to the stats, NDSU had 350+ yards on the ground. Before I looked I assumed that NDSU only had about 200. I guess USD's defense was just awesome the closer you got to their endzone. NDSU wins a very tough game, 16-7.

That 1985 team also suffered a tie to Morningside that seemed to knock us out of the playoff race, but we thumped UND 49-7 on the last game of the season and something like 9 of the top 16 teams lost and the Bison went from #18 to #8 to make the playoffs.

I can't guarantee it, but I think I have a videotape of the 1985 highlights that includes "The Pitch". I have been wanting to digitize it and get it on DVD before the VHS tape disintegrates, so maybe I will get off my ass and try and get it at least transferred to miniDV this weekend.

Eventually, I can edit the footage down to a single highlight of "The Pitch" and send it to you Tony.

BTW, I had the pleasure of attending the game (I was a freshman). There were 5 of us that went and sat right dab in the middle of the student section. We went crazy as Molstre streaked down the opposite sideline and got hit in the backs of our head with several cups of ice and sodas. I still get goosebumps remembering it...

Craig

[IowaBison]

The best Bison game I ever attended was the NDSU/NWMSU playoff game in 2000.

Me and about five of my buddies drove down to Maryville for the game against Not Worth My Sh!t U. It was ball freezing cold with a crowd full of Carhartt and thermal underwear clad football fans.

We played well at the start going into the half about tied. During the second half; however, we were a team possessed and owned the field.

I was mildly inebriated for most of the game, as were my friends. We taunting the opposing fans who thought the only thing between their team and a national champship was the passing of time. It took a little bit of courage to do this in a stadium where Bison fans were outnumbered 30 to 1.

[KC7]

I've seen and listened to a lot of Bison games. Lord knows there have been some great games. I attended my first game in 1980 just at the start of the "Decade of Dominance". Even so I would have rate this years win over Montana as perhaps the greatest. Because it reestablished the "Pride of the Bison". It gave notice to everyone that Bison Football was back and moving onward and upward. I listened to that game while bowhunting in Badlands and can't tell you how much pride it gave me. I wouldn't however, trade it for a national championship season.

[SDbison]

Hope this topic goes on for a while. Great to hear the individual stories. BisonMav, I have to agree with you that the 1982 Playoff Quarterfinal against Virginia Union was an outstanding game. I remember how cold it was that afternoon and how Virginia Union was threatening to put the game totally in their control. As I recall they had the lead in the third quarter and were moving the ball around mid-field when the power to the stadium died. The scoreboard went blank and the power to the heated plastic enclosures around the benches also died. Almost immediately Virginia Union lost their momentum and the Bison got two touchdowns to take the lead 21-20. It was obvious most of the Virginia Union players were dependent on staying in the heated enclosure until they went out on the field and few of the Bison used the shelter for any length of time. The result was the Virginia Union players literally froze up. The power did not come back on until after NDSU took control of the game. Even though the power outage was most likely due to a overload the heaters caused, to this day I wonder if some avid fan helped trip the circuit so the weather could play a role in our favor. The timing was perfect! Of course the Bison offense and defense rose to the occasion. Great game, great memories!
I also agree last years game against Montana was a great comeback victory, and an important and pivotal game as NDSU moves to I-AA.
Of course there were a bunch of other great playoff games in the 1980's!

[Bison4Life]

The first bison game I ever attended and will not forget was in 97, babichs first game as bison coach against und. I just remember it being a hard fought battle in the first half, then the onside kick to start the second half and the bison put on a whoopin and i remember a bison running around with a flag that says bob's got balls and was running up and down the und side i that that was awesome.

[wfduck]

1986 National Title game and Tyrone Braxtons punt return for a TD...awesome baby!

[BisonMav]

1983 UNO Game, fourth game of the season. A guy named Jeff Bentrim came in to relieve Myles Bosch in the first quarter. Four years later the Bison had 3 National Championships in four appearances.

[wfduck]

1983 UNO Game, fourth game of the season. *A guy named Jeff Bentrim came in to relieve Myles Bosch in the first quarter. *Four years later the Bison had 3 National Championships in four appearances.

*
was that one played in a nasty snow storm?

[BisonInTexas]

was that one played in a nasty snow storm?


I think you are referring to the Augustana game in 1985. All other games in the FM area were canceled, but we played Augie anyway. There were about 2500 fans at the game, and they cheered when they announced the wind chill of 20 below. That was a great game.

Craig

[Bob_Holiday]

My favorite game to watch and I've watched it many times is the 1990 title game against IUP. The 30 point outburst in the 3rd quarter is awesome. Tony Satter and Chris Simdron were at their absolute finest. It was like watching a clinic for the dreaded Bison veer option attack of the 80's with the Bison rolling up over 600 yards against Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Simdorn completed a couple of long TD strikes to his tight end and a long TD pass and run to T.R. McDonald. Tony Satter rushed for about 175 yards in just 10-12 carries. What a game!

Go Bison,
Bob

[Bisonfan1]

Ill still have to go with the Millersville playoff game in 88, probably because I was there to see it, *incredible comeback. I also agree with Bob that the 90 Championship game was very memorable which I watched on TV. I remember that the IUP coach was very hacked off when they interviewed him after the game, and I believe all he said was *"they didnt win the game, we lost it"

[JBB]

I was in the basement of the Elks for the 90 title game and remember Satter breaking one in the third, early. If Im remembering correctly that started it. Then after that we had about 4 or 5 big plays and it was 50 - 0 or something.

[roadwarrior]

The 1990 title game was 14-11 at the half, and after scoring FIVE touchdowns and NO extra points, the score was 44-11 after the 3rd. One more touchdown and pat in the 4th and it ended 51-11.