Re: 2014 NDSU Defense is Dam Good.
Originally Posted by
bisonboone11
To be fair, losing Heagle, Dudzik, Beck, Littlejohn, and Emanuel is going to be a big hit. Just look at the Milestone Watch thread. Heagle is already 2nd all-time in solo tackles and could easily pass Mays for #1; Dudzik is 8th in solo tackles; Beck is 10th is solo tackles and will likely be in the top 10 in total tackles by the end of the year; and Littlejohn will probably be in the top 10 in solo and total tackles by the end of the year.
However, the reason why all these guys have accumulated so many solo tackles, aside from being phenomenal players obviously, is because they have played a lot of damn football. Dont get me wrong - they will be almost impossible to replace but when these guys (Heagle, Dudz, CLJ, KE) were replacing the "irreplaceables" their first years on the field they were in the same boat - starting fresh and taking over a spot that was dominated by the same player 3 - 4 seasons.
The future is bright and even tho the Bison lose a ton of production, there are guys chomping at the bit to be as good or better than those before them. Success and tradition are a great motivator and NDSU has both.
We as fans will have to start worrying when a senior/junior class doesnt necessarily buy into Bison Pride as a whole...the outcome will then become what it was in 2008/2009. The immediate success in the past coupled with an understanding of the expectations and tradition of Bison Football is what fuels preparation in/off season - we as fans are damn lucky to have leaders on both sides of the ball who understand how things work around here.
This is not 'Nam. This is Bisonville. There are rules here.