I watched the Oregon-Montana game on youtube and it gave some boosting confidence. Oregon losing pretty much their entire OL and QB will be a big deal for them regardless of what anyone says. Our offense will have to use the entire offensive personnel and playbook to challenge Oregon's very stout defense. We'll have a veteran OL, a huge stable of great RB, two huge 6-6 TE, 3-4 very capable and exciting WR and the best QB in the entire stadium. If the defense gets the best players on the field especially with Cox, Kaczor and Hankey at LB. Tutsie and probably Weber at S. Interior DL needs to get locked up and I think Lane Tucker will be huge in this game. CB opposite Hayes will be big. We have more than a chance folks.
Run the damn ball!! PRO FBS
I could see both Cox brothers at the outside spots and Weerts in the middle. Speed for days! Hankey's smarts make up for his speed limitations kind of like Grant Olson.
They will definitely have some skill players that we will have a VERY difficult time bottling up- I think they will definitely get their fair share of points...
But I also think our offense will get what is theirs as well.. We averaged 4YPC against KSU and the Iowas. And thats what they are desinged to do- stop the run. I dont think Oregon is genetically a run stopping team (although their DE is a future 1st rounder IMO). I think we will see a very conservatively called game on offense (a la KSU and Iowa). and it will be death by a thousand cuts... and Trey Lance's legs.
I'll say this. We beat those good FBS programs. It was impressive. But in my mind, there is no doubt that they continue to overlook us. These P5 kids have been told 90 Trillion times how they are elite, no one is better, no on can compare to your talent, strength, speed etc. It is human nature to believe that they will sleepwalk to a win over NDSU because we are "less than" them. we are LITERALLY being scheduled for what their AD foolishly believed would be an "easy, pre-season victory before the big-boy schedule".
They are playing Ohio State the next week, EASILY the biggest game of the season for them. No matter how much their coaches emphasize it, these hot shot 4-5 star kids will overlook us so hard, they wont be able to know which was is up by the 4th quarter.
Good Guys win 28-24
1. The FCS was the Best option for NDSU for a very long time.
2. As a general rule- the FCS sucks at football and has proven that is not committed to football at all.
3. It's time to go FBS