Things I’ll be watching today include:
- The Swinging Gate Conundrum???
Coach Entz has talked a couple times about the swinging gate extra point attempt and how he likes to use it + it makes the other team prepare for it.
Conversely the Bison Passing Playbook, which remains a mystery wrapped in an enigma……
It isn’t used much, but we’re assuming it is there. But this way not
‘too much’ is put on film.
My question, and I would guess many others, is if you don’t use it in game situations - How do you know it works? Will your players be able to make it work? Will it be unpredictable - Not just 3rd & 9 type play calling?
The 1st Bison play on offense against the Fighting Hawks, Bubba sends a run-blitz on the weak-side, looping a blitz around the LT. NDSU ran a deep handoff run between the tackles, only the RB never got there. How did Bubba guess NDSU would do that???
Kolpack had a crazy stat - Bison had seven plays on second down that were between second-and-10 and second-and-17 in the first half.
Anyways, I’m not looking at a change in what NDSU has done the last 15 years, but rather a return to the playbook including about 20 passes per game (my guess on how many times the Bison would throw, on average, in meaningful games - tossing out blow out type games).
Make that other team practice to defend a team that can pass the ball, not just a team that tries to overpower you with, well, power……
The Swinging Gate Conundrum - the opponent needs to practice how to defend that extra point.
How about making them practice for a Bison team that will throw 1/3 of the time, not just 10-12ish times per game?
I’ll be watching for that today. Hope to see it……
GoBizon!!!