How Good was the 2015 Playoff Defense (in comparison to previous years)?

[VirginiaBison]

Can you add a column for the 1965 Bison Defense and see how that compares.

[westnodak93bison]

Can you add a column for the 1965 Bison Defense and see how that compares.

May as well do all the championship teams as well.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

[Professor Chaos]

Can you add a column for the 1965 Bison Defense and see how that compares.

If you can find game by game stats from that season I could give it a shot. Even as recently as 1990 the only stats I can find (on gobison.com) are cumulative season numbers.

[CAS4127]

Kinda crazy 2014 fairs so poorly comparing stats considering how much experience that years team had on defense. Stats seems to confirm those veternan players were feeling the effects of playing all those games over their careers.

Or the offense began its quest to throw the ball all over the place. Do that math.


Sent from my iPhone.

[VirginiaBison]

May as well do all the championship teams as well. Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

Heck, it was one of the teams that Ron Erhardt coached. Thought surely you would know since you quote him.

The '65 team had a reunion this past summer at the university. Their defense that year was beyond outstanding....There must be a program from the team's reunion in Coach K's office that have the stats for the '65 team. They are unbelieveable!! I just don't happen to have that program with me. Maybe you could ask Bucky Malm....he will tell you for sure.

[ndsubison1]

Or the offense began its quest to throw the ball all over the place. Do that math.


Sent from my iPhone.

And Beck being out.

2015 defense grew up fast. Might have been best overall defense thus far. I think the 3rd down conversion rate really says it all. They will be very good next season. Hope to build some depth though in the secondary and LB.

[thebootfitter]

What would be cool is to compare the respective playoff opponents' averages each year coming into the game with the Bison versus how they performed against us. Use those as essentially relative stats to somewhat control for the competition each year.

I suspect that it would all roughly balance out, but straight up stats as shown in the OP could be skewed, depending on the competition. Not complaining, as I think the chart that P.C. put together is awesome, but it got me thinking a bit about the level of competition each year and how that compares. I'm not curious enough to go digging, but if someone has those stats readily available, I'd definitely be interested in seeing them.

[bisonaudit]

Or the offense began its quest to throw the ball all over the place. Do that math.


Sent from my iPhone.

Yeah, that wasn't it. The only playoff game with more than 20 passes was the rematch with SDSU. Find a different way to blame the OC for everything you don't like in this world.

[A1pigskin]

Can you add a column for the 1965 Bison Defense and see how that compares.

That would be nice to see.

Based on the 2015 numbers and how many D players come back. Will 2016 be better?

[2011BisonAlumni]

And Beck being out.

2015 defense grew up fast. Might have been best overall defense thus far. I think the 3rd down conversion rate really says it all. They will be very good next season. Hope to build some depth though in the secondary and LB.

Not trying to knock this year's team or opponents, but the 2014 SDSU, Coastal Carolina and Illinois State teams were all significantly better offensive teams than NDSU saw in this year's playoff run or anyone NDSU saw in the 2011-2013 playoffs. Those teams we faced in 2014 were extremely balanced and had excellent offensive lineman. Any of those teams could have won it all.