2025 Game 6: Southern Illinois

[TAILG8R]

You factoring in the ndsu next week let down game?

I’ve started to think about it less as a NDSU letdown game and more of a realism set in after playing a real team.


*Sent from my iPhone where autocorrect is definitely not my friend*

[Twentysix]

I think the UND/SIU matchup in Carbondale this weekend will be a pretty good indicator as to whom the #3 team in the Valley is this year.

I'm still not 100% convinced that sdsu is #2, and we are pretty deep into the season to still be wondering about that.

I wouldn't be very surprised if SDSU ends up a 2 loss team.

Where ndsu has overwhelmed my expectations on offense, SDSU has massively underwhelmed. I'm not sure that necessarily means they aren't the 2nd best team in the valley, but they seem to be quite a bit worse than they were under either of the past 2 head coaches.

I think its quite possible UND is better than SDSU. On offense for sure.

They won't play this year, but sdsu vs siu would probably be a pretty good game.

[Bisonator98]

I'm still not 100% convinced that sdsu is #2, and we are pretty deep into the season to still be wondering about that.

I wouldn't be very surprised if SDSU ends up a 2 loss team.

Where ndsu has overwhelmed my expectations on offense, SDSU has massively underwhelmed. I'm not sure that necessarily means they aren't the 2nd best team in the valley, but they seem to be quite a bit worse than they were under either of the past 2 head coaches.

I think its quite possible UND is better than SDSU. On offense for sure.

They won't play this year, but sdsu vs siu would probably be a pretty good game.

I'm feeling the same way about SDSU. Their defense is legit but their offense is questionable. They've looked good at times and pretty bad at others. Would have liked to see them play a team we've played before we play them but not going to happen.

[mtoutfitter]

I'm feeling the same way about SDSU. Their defense is legit but their offense is questionable. They've looked good at times and pretty bad at others. Would have liked to see them play a team we've played before we play them but not going to happen.

IMO you can flip that analysis for the Bison. Offense been pretty damn good but I'm not sold on defense. SIU offense didn't have any trouble moving the ball, just shot themselves in the foot with fumbles or could very well have been a shoot out.

[Hammerhead]

IMO you can flip that analysis for the Bison. Offense been pretty damn good but I'm not sold on defense. SIU offense didn't have any trouble moving the ball, just shot themselves in the foot with fumbles or could very well have been a shoot out.

SIU has scored at least 37 points on other FCS opponents this season and were held to 17 by NDSU.

[THEsocalledfan]

IMO you can flip that analysis for the Bison. Offense been pretty damn good but I'm not sold on defense. SIU offense didn't have any trouble moving the ball, just shot themselves in the foot with fumbles or could very well have been a shoot out.

Shoot out is best way to beat NDSU. Defensive backfield is shaky at best.

[mtoutfitter]

SIU has scored at least 37 points on other FCS opponents this season and were held to 17 by NDSU.

My point was had they not shot themselves in the foot they would have scored much more. Defense deserves some credit for turnovers but without SIU offensive misfires the score would have been much different.

SIU Qb threw some real flutter balls and D was in no position to defend/take away those passes. Remove QB carries and their RBs avg almost 6 yds a crack.

[FrozenTech]

While I also have some defensive concerns... Both teams get a say. In the past two weeks we've had teams come in clearly schemed up to move the ball and try to limit our offensive touches - and be successful.

And if this was three years ago I think we might lose those games. Instead the team played tough, the offense got right, and the defense *made adjustments at halftime that worked* and we murdered them. If the 1s had stayed in on D they wouldn't have scored that garbage time TD.

I want to see them come out and out play the trees in epic fashion this year - but from all Metics NDSU is the dominant number 1 team at the moment.

Tests still remain. But if the take back the first half and keep making good adjustments at half... They will run the table.