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In the s, wrestler Collin Larsen from Casselton, N. By January, he was back on the mat with his one good leg. From , Ayr High School won girls basketball games in a row. In the s, Elbowoods High was declared the Class B state boys basketball champion, but it took 60 years before the school was officially recognized. Now the town is under 90 feet of Lake Sakakawea water, but school pride remains strong. They all have stories that need to be preserved.
These are not sports stories; these are character stories that helped define a state. Paperback , pages. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about North Dakota Tough , please sign up. Lists with This Book.
But you have to see the tackles for loss. The explosive plays, the little things, the knock backs, taking over in the run game. Kyle took over games. The more he gets an understanding of his abilities in watching film against an offensive tackle and watching film of an offense and the tendencies, his play will get even better. Brad Ambrosius showed up when it mattered most last season.
He made two sacks against Richmond in the FCS playoffs semifinal game. The De Pere, Wis. No, but do I feel like I have a lot of improvement to make? He was All-American last year and I want to try to be better than him, or be like him more. We have a competitive drive. All of our guys are experienced. The Alley Cats are stronger than ever. With all three starters returning from last season, the group led by Nick DeLuca knows the microscope will be on them this fall. MJ Stumpf and Pierre Gee-Tucker complement DeLuca to the right and left, and they carry the heavy burden of improving a defense that was near perfection toward the end of last year.
Pierre Gee-Tucker can lead a day. Nick DeLuca can lead a day. MJ Stumpf can lead a day. They all need to lead. J Stumpf has been referenced as one of the hardest hitters on the Bison defense. He showed his tenacity against in-state rival North Dakota last year when he tackled the quarterback and nearly ripped his helmet right off. Stumpf also made one of the biggest leaps last year from the Montana loss to the end of the season. He said the wake up call not only helped him get better as the season progressed, but the entire team as a whole.
Stumpf is now expected to keep growing into a bigger role with one year of starting experience under his belt. We have to continue to get the job done. I needed it to slow down, though, I felt pretty good going into the Montana game, obviously, we got a wake-up call. I felt better throughout the year, after certain games we just had to regroup. The game kept slowing down for me and I felt like I played faster toward the end of the year.
I felt like I was in a lot better shape, too. Pierre Gee-Tucker showed his playmaking abilities when he returned an interception 36 yards for a touchdown against Western Illinois. He began his career as a staple on special team and after last year, he proved his worth on defense. You gotta go hard or go home. I remember when I just got here and I was introduced to everyone and learning the systems. I want to leave my own name as somebody that played fast and aggressive. Somebody that was a true Bison player.
Throughout the season I got more comfortable and learned more of the nuances of the defense and just about everything, being able to play fast and loosen up, really be me on the field instead of being tense for the first time and I just got comfortable. He already has the uncanny ability to lead without saying a word and let his play do the talking, but this season, DeLuca has begun to speak up more. Doing the right thing as far as knowing what you. What a great preseason award for him to even be on that Butkus Award Watch List.
Knowing that you can trust a guy to be there and just how you carry yourself and how you approach each day. The Bison will return its top two receivers from last season. Junior RJ Urzendowski and sophomore Darrius Shepherd will lead a young group this season with plenty of experience under their belt. Combined, the tandem has logged 46 games played and receptions. Darrius Shepherd played onehalf of football in the regular season matchup against Northern Iowa, but his game-winning catch with 35 seconds left will be remembered for a lifetime.
The freshman missed the first half of the Northern Iowa game during the regular season but made sure everybody felt his presence in the second half. He made two spectacular touchdown grabs in the fourth quarter to give NDSU the lead. His first catch was a diving attempt in the back of the end zone to give NDSU the lead. We like to play fast, make big plays.
We always want the ball, but I think he has a little different style. He uses his body a lot better and has a little more physicality, and I use a little more speed. Super smart, football smart, feels the game really well, having those two guys are huge. Will you remind Easton Stick of that streak before games? It was really nice to have a role on the team.
We have learned from some great veterans. RJ Urzendowski caught five passes against North Dakota and showed off his shifty moves after this reception and scored a touchdown. The sophomore led the Bison in receiving last season. As a sophomore in , Urzendowski led the team in receptions, yards and touchdowns. He also continued to be the favorite target for Bison quarterbacks in big situations.
Over the last two championship games, Urzendowski has been the leading receiver and has totaled 10 catches for yards. How has the wide receiver room been different without the two seniors from last year in Zach Vraa and Nate Moody? Those guys both had a lot of catches in their career and got to play for a long time and had a lot of experience. We definitely lose some of that so the rest of us are going to have to pick up that slack. There is no easy game in a nonconference schedule so we.
The better the relationship you have, the closer the team you have, the easier to go out on the field and be on the same page and have fun doing it. We just have to keep improving day by day and we have to be ready to go by day one. I think we complement each other really well. Grimsley, a true freshman, had been in a position battle with sophomores Chris Board and junior Andrew Smith for the starting strong safety spot.
Both Dempsey and Grimsley are back this year and are ready to introduce Bison Nation to the New Generation in the secondary. He capped off his first campaign as a Bison with the game-winning interception against South Dakota State in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs. After making the move from corner to his old high school position at safety, Dempsey has patrolled centerfield like his predecessors before him. The junior added 13 pounds to his frame this season and is ready to make the transition from competent safety to ball-hawking captain.
The game is slow. Some plays, I just—not take off—but not play as well as I should. Like my pad level would be too high or something.
It makes everybody raise their game up. They put a lot of pressure on the players to see who performs well under pressure. Even as a freshman, Robbie Grimsley always laid the wood on opponents. Robbie Grimsley is much thicker this season thanks to Jim Kramer and the hard work he put in with the sophomore at the KraMart this offseason. Head coach Chris Klieman elected not to use a redshirt on Grimsley last year and the true freshman found his way into the starting lineup by the second game of the season. He eventually became a fixture in the starting 11 by week eight.
We enjoyed it like any team would but we got back to it a couple weeks later. Nick DeLuca is a pretty vocal leader, on the defense, Brad Ambrosius , too. We grabbed a camera to take some candid shots from Media Day and here are all the moments we were able to capture. With the football team rolling into another season, we snuck a couple questions in regarding athletics when he was talking to our sister magazine Fargo Monthly. Has Matt Larsen exceeded your expectations and how so? In what ways has he enacted new policies that have helped the Athletics program grow?
Matt stepped into some pretty big shoes. His business expertise, vision for the future potentials of Bison Athletics and how to get there have been nothing short of impressive. He has also brought on some new staff, reorganized the department and elevated some staff to new and exciting roles. Do you still believe athletics is the front porch of the university? In what ways have you proved that with your action? It goes without saying that we have one of the winningest overall NCAA Division I athletic programs in the nation, but when I refer to the quality of our program what I mean is the exceptional academic performance our student-athletes achieve and the community service they contribute.
For several years now, every semester, our student-athletes have had a collective overall grade-point average in excess of the student body at large, and more than 60 of them have achieved 4. I care about our student-athletes and enjoy getting to know them. I support their success by attending practices, going to their events—often standing on the sidelines.
Just like I do with students across the university, I prioritize improvements to support services and facilities that will help them become better students and better athletes. Was that taken into consideration before implementing cost-of-attendance? NDSU had the foresight to anticipate the current economic conditions in our state and proactively make a range of business decisions up to a year ago that advantageously positioned us to absorb the cuts.
Thankfully, cost-of-attendance has not. In fact, a large part of what we do, and our athletic program success, would simply not be possible without that private support—which has consistently grown stronger and stronger over recent years. You put on quite the show at pep rallies before big games. How soon before a pep rally are you thinking of what to say? Our fans fire me up and through the mood in the room cue me about what will resonate with them.
Call me old school, but burgers and brats on the grill, on a cool if not cold day—are what tailgating is all about for me. Just thinking about the crowd, grills, smoke and taste of a grilled brat before a game makes me hungry. Since then, Barta has made numerous stops at universities across the country working in athletic administration. He was hired as the athletics director at Iowa prior to the season and recently signed a five-year extension to remain the headman for the Hawkeye athletic department.
What comes to mind while reflecting on all the success you and your teammates had at NDSU? It was an amazing time. We were on a run where we expected to win every game. It was a great winning tradition, great instinct. Through those losses, specifically in the season when you guys started , what did you learn from that and how does that help a successful person like yourself going forward in life? Although there is humility and things.
How do you pick yourself up? You learn most about having people around you that have your back and having people around you that are going to pick each other up. Are you staying in touch with any of those former teammates? Do you have time to see them? I wish I had more time, but I do stay in touch.
Two years ago I took the opportunity to go to the national championship game and that was fun. I got a chance to see a lot of former teammates. You know, I watch closely how the Bison are doing every week. So two years ago when I went to the national championship game, that was terrific. I talked recently with Mike Favor, one of my teammates. Most recently, Ken Muckenhirn, just yesterday or the day before, had heart surgery so we all rallied around him.
Fortunately, it went well and thoughts and prayers to him. I want to have a great competitive schedule. Where do you see the college football landscape going? Where does NDSU fit in all that? I was back on campus last year to speak to a class. I was invited back and that was awesome. I was honored to be able to do that. The one thing about the FCS teams that we tend to play, we know the competitiveness of the groups we bring in.
Last year, we had Illinois State. UNI, as Bison fans know, is always competitive and we know that.
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Clearly, with NDSU coming to Kinnick Stadium this coming fall, our fans know and our football team knows, this is an incredible football team coming from Fargo into Iowa City. What about the alumni, do they bring up NDSU to you when you see them around at events or in casual conversation? You can imagine, the natural question is: Who are you going to be rooting for?
I pull for the Bison. Where do I see the landscape of college football going?
And a broad answer, I think college football is as popular as it has ever been. I think it will continue that way. There is certainly questions about the separating of the Autonomy 5 or the Power 5, whatever you want to call it. Just keep winning national championships and the popularity will continue. I will say, generally, if anybody can do it, NDSU could, but the jump, you need to have a conference, the finances become even exponentially bigger.
Wherever he goes, Bison fans flock to him. Have you made any plans to visit with any NDSU fans during the week of the game and shake some hands? Thanks for the time today, Gary. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you all down here. Taylor was the architect for that framework. His leadership persevered through all the ups and downs that come with a transition of that magnitude. A little over two years ago, Taylor began his new journey at the University of Iowa.
Last year, when we were done with our regular season, we just finished the championship game against Michigan State, I was in the football office and we were beginning to prepare for the Rose Bowl for operation folks. It was a little bit of a down time for football. The senior is hurt. Our fans are excited. Both teams will have a couple games under their belt.
I think one thing our fans will realize at some. I would say, I think there is. In the spring, in April, we have our Hawkeye State tour and we go to a bunch of different communities and the subject typically comes up because people are remembering where I came from. How is this going to work for you? A lot of people have asked me that. Having all the coaching staff and most of the seniors and a lot of the juniors. Our athletic staff will tell you that they already get a sense this North Dakota State fan base is as passionate or equally as passionate.
Literally, trying to rent a parking lot for the buses and RVs that come down. Do you have time for an informal meet and greet with fans the weekend of the game? I know NDSU has a lot of stuff planned. Saturday, I have my own game day duties. Your family was so well liked in the Fargo community. How is everybody doing? She graduates in December and Jared is going into his senior year at City High. Last year, he had a great year as the quarterback.
They went and made it to the quarterfinals. According to a predominant news outlet, you were a top candidate to land the athletic director position at the University of Minnesota. It turned out to be not true, but what was it like to have your name in the pool for a Power 5 AD position? It was more media driven. It was a great hire. You just let it unfold sometimes on its own and as it got kind of later. Gary and I had a plan to be here two, maybe three years. I happened to walk in the weight room and there were a bunch of guys who were just finishing a work out and a lot of guys that I recognize that came over and said hello.
One of the last things you did as the athletic director was break-ground on the Sanford Health Athletic Complex. Where does that facility rank among your long list of accomplishments at NDSU? We had so many great things that we were able to accomplish collectively as a department there. A lot of people point to the championships, clearly, those are big things and those are the results of a lot of hard work by a lot of people. Donors, staff, it was really fun to see that shovel in the ground and even more enjoyable to see it about to open here in a few months.
Every time we step in to see how construction is coming, I think about that meeting we had in your office after it was announced the renovation was about to begin back in Were they dropping weights on top of our offices at the time laughs?
I saw something the other day. How long before Wentz starts for the Eagles? The CFL, too, you know Brock Jensen scores his first touchdown and he comes off with the horns raised. Gene, it was great to talk to you again and hopefully we see you before or after the game. Great talking to you guys as well.
Four returning backs capable of handling the starter role makes much of the attention well deserved. Throw in the headlines surrounding firstyear starter Easton Stick and the new collection of wide receivers, there is one essential group of the offense that has been left out of many Bison football conversations.
The Bison offensive line has been steady. So much so it could be the reason they go underreported and, in some cases, underappreciated. The Bison return three starters along the offensive line with center Austin Kuhnert Kuhnert will serve. Jack Plankers, who has notched fill-in starts over the last two years, will play right guard. Combined, these four have started 87 games for the Bison. The line will introduce Colin Conner and Tanner Volson into the mix this season.
Volson is your prototypical small town North Dakota kid. He hails from Balfour, N. The three seniors at linebacker all return for a second season along with three returning defensive linemen from last year. Robbie Grimsley and Tre Dempsey will be back to play safety, but not much is known about the two corners filling out the secondary. Sophomore Jalen Allison started three games last year, including the seasonopener against Montana. Wimbush played a ton last year at safety for an injured Dempsey on Halloween against Southern Illinois.
The sophomore made six tackles against the Salukis and will be the first corner with an opportunity to complement Allison. The rub provides a subtle kick that brings out the taste of the pork. On one end of the loin, you can slice of the pork to make country style ribs and the other side is tougher to make a smaller roast. There are two things you can do from this point: For this example, Eric Berg, the associate head of animal sciences, with the.
Berg was working at the University of Missouri and it was crowned the official rub of the Missouri Pork Council and it was classified as top secret. It was his last day at the school and as he was cleaning out his office he stumbled upon a handwritten note. It was the firecracker rub recipe. After the entire loin is covered with the rub, Berg suggests letting it sit in the refrigerator for a couple hours to let the rub set and allow the pork to absorb as much of the rub as possible.
Cover the grill and wait for that pork loin to reach degrees. Now, that may seem a little low, but according to testing by the FDA, a little pink in your pork never hurt anybody. Allow the loin to sit for a few minutes after grilling to allow the juices that have moved to the center of the pork to disperse throughout the loin.
White sugar — 1 lbs. Course ground black pepper — 12 tbsp. Non-iodized salt — 8 tbsp. Ginger powder — 8 tbsp. Garlic powder — 6 tbsp. Onion powder — 6 tbsp. Dry mustard — 4 tbsp. Ground red pepper — 2 tbsp. That was the difference with those schools I think, especially North Alabama because they were awfully confident coming into the game just with the talk. Bentrim — is special because of what we had overcome. We stumbled out of the gate, we had all these mistakes, we had this adversity and it took us awhile to wake up.
DeBates — I think the highlight for myself and probably for most of my. Going from Coach Morton to Coach Solomonson and again, we were resilient. I mean, to start and we knew we were way better than It was just a matter of getting our feet under the ground and getting on track. Once we got rolling, and again so many things played into this, too. So when that came to be, I think it was a matter of being exactly what I said, resilient. The two are now working on cementing their legacy at NDSU. His bone structure is not going to accommodate that.
After building a relationship with former offensive line coach Scott Fuchs, Nate. It was the Auburns, the Alabamas, I mean I sat down on my couch all day and watched football. Just as everything was clicking for Nate Moody in Fargo, his younger sister, Ali Moody, discovered her talents as a volleyball player were soaring and she was named a finalist for Dickinson High School Female Athlete of the Year her junior year. Today, he gives volleyball lessons and before Ali Moody went to college, he coached her club team. She fell in love with the atmosphere and all that NDSU had to offer. The DHS Female Athlete of the year is entering her junior year and is seeing her time as setter increase by the season.
Nate Moody has been there every step of the way with his sister, answering all of her questions about what kind of classes Both are getting a great education, both on and off the field I might add. Ali Moody is studying dietetics. Both also share a birthday, December Dave and Kay Moody visit Fargo every weekend in the fall to watch their kids compete. They have not disappointed. The Bison fan base has been recognized as one of the most intense and loyal in the country.
He explained it as a kid that has free time and endless possibilities; it gets boring as time passes. Benson spent 10 months at Courage Center rehab facility in Plymouth, Minn. CCRI has Benson attending. Occasionally he participates in a few public speaking engagements. After experiencing the electric Bison atmosphere, he was hooked on Bison Pride.
Taylor went with Bohl. You put on quite the show at pep rallies before big games. The national media started noticing, too. How soon before a pep rally are you thinking of what to say? Five years later, only five remain. Teschuk, Janssen and Tarin Lachowitzer were the top three finishers for the Bison last season in the Summit League Championship meet, and with the addition of a healthy Wahlund, NDSU will be the clear favorites to return to Summit League cross country glory. Janssen had a career-high four-second place finishes for the Bison last season and the Moorhead native attributes the success to the maturation process of a college athlete.
But without the help Bungert, his. Benson believes a fifth straight national championship is within reach for the Bison this season. By Joe Kerlin Photos by Paul Flessland or many college baseball players, the season doesn't end after their last written final. Many of these ball players are eager to get their names in scouts' notebooks and face new competition before the beginning of fall practice.
To do this, they put on a new uniform in the Northwoods League. At the end of the college season, he signed a temporary contract to play for the St. Cloud Rox hoping to regain the confidence he held after his freshman season. The power-throwing right-hander threw Height — High School — Rocori High School Class — Junior Sean Terres entered his redshirt sophomore year with a stress reaction in his elbow, causing him to miss the first two and a half months of the season.
Once he got back on the mound, he was lights out throwing 9. Terres finished the season throwing six scoreless against Omaha. Terres has an earned run average of 1. In his first season, he saw the majority of his work out of the bullpen making, 16 appearances with a 3: I was able to adapt to how good everyone was. Stockert has recorded four saves for the Blue Anchors this summer but is patiently waiting for his opportunity as a starter. Drew Fearing was one of the many young Bison baseball players to get an early opportunity to show head coach Tod Brown what they can do on a baseball diamond.
He ended the year hitting. Fearing has been used as an extra middle infielder for the Blue Anchors this season and only saw action in 10 games during the first half of the season. Shopping and the beach were the biggest hits for the ladies. Every player was able to get up at least once on a surf board. Emily Milligan said that was one of her favorite parts. Learning how to surf, even though I got up once, it was still really fun. During the middle of the spring semester, the team received a jolt of energy and excitement through their bodies.
The team competed against the Nicaraguan junior and the national team, which head coach Kari Thompson said was a mix between younger and older players. The coaches and student-athletes even got a little time to relax. A team bonding experience turned into a trip of a lifetime for the young volleyball squad and Thompson, Milligan and Fassbender believe that the communication between the team became stronger after the trip.
Coach Thompson is excited to see that translate to the court. They also played on different surfaces other than hardwood floor like they are used to in the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse. Jenni Fassbender said her favorite part was the volunteer work. However, the lone senior and leader of the Bison team, Jenni Fassbender, and junior libero Emily Milligan are ready to take the Bison to the next step. For them, that means winning a Summit League Championship after a roller coaster season last year. Last season she was named honorable mention All-Summit League selection. Jenni Fassbender Attack attempts: Emily Miron Block solos: She really emphasizes giving percent every time, obviously, to win.
But just for her also because we all love her so much and this is her last chance to win the Summit League. With the twin towers at the middle blocker position, juniors Emily Minnick and Emily Miron are a nightmare for Bison opponents.
As a sophomore, Minnick ranked second on the team with a. Her teammate Miron, who was named AllSummit League, ranked first on the team and fourth in the league with an attack percentage of. Thompson is excited to see what Fassbender can bring in her final year wearing the green and gold uniform, as well as the rest of the team. So there was no surprise when the journey for four-straight Summit League Triple Crowns began on the wrong foot. Janssen had a career-high four-second place finishes for the Bison last season and the Moorhead native attributes the success to the maturation process of a college athlete.
Erin Teschuk and Taylor Janssen emerged as stars in their sophomore campaigns and are hoping to ride the momentum into the season that begins with the Bison Open on September 3. My iron was at a three when I first came in as a freshman, which is pretty low. You want to be at a 30, so a three is almost anemic. The women can run anywhere from miles per week with one long run on Saturday. The voluntary mileage will increase to over 75 as the season approaches. Teschuk, Janssen and Tarin Lachowitzer were the top three finishers for the Bison last season in the Summit League Championship meet, and with the addition of a healthy Wahlund, NDSU will be the clear favorites to return to Summit League cross country glory.
We come in on Saturdays and run together Saturday mornings at like seven which are rough, but we try to run together. We start from here Indoor Track Facility and then we run out to those gravel roads back there, next to the railroad tracks, and we get all the way out there and we just run through all of those fields.
Depending on how long the. Then we come back the same way. We get out of the vans and we would run. I think we do 14 miles out there. We get to seven. We go out there some times just to switch it up. With the numerous gravel roads in the area, Carlson likes to send the team on their runs in that direction. You spent the early part of your career in the Ivy League. What are some differences at that level compared to the one NDSU is at? There are no scholarships. The student athletes are there because they got into the university. I give them a lot of credit.
But there are a lot of regulations on things. Seasons are much shorter. Is it freeing for you to be at a place where athletics is the front porch of the university? And again, I understand the Ivy League. I get why they are the way they are and why they do what they do because of who they are, and the history and the tradition and those types of things.
What did you know about the NDSU brand? Take football out of it. I met Darren Mueller when I came out. That was my first weekend on the job at Oregon State, dealing with the regional. You take that and you look at all the other programs and obviously we want to support the rest and just rise up to that. What was it like working with Matt Larsen for six years at Stony Brook? Matt is the ultimate professional; he is great in this business.
He has a lot of respect across the board. He does things the right way. He was the CFO and handled a lot of that stuff and I was doing a lot of the facilities and operations stuff, but we had a lot of crossover and we just hit it off.
We have a lot of the same philosophies in the way we go about our business. What made NDSU so attractive to you? My career path has always been kind of in the facilities and operations world and I will be doing a lot of that here as well, but this was an opportunity for me to A, come to a great university and the opportunity with the job, and also to be able to work with Matt again. Have you had a chance to take a tour of the Sanford Health Athletic Complex? Matt and I have actually spent time mapping out where things should go, who should go where and stuff.
Continuing to support our coaches and our studentathletes to give them the best experience. Certainly, you can get into the nuts and bolts of wanting to see the SHAC get done and you want to see it done in a great way and people come in and enjoy it from the fans, the community, the alumni and the donors. I met him one time in a Seattle Airport by accident. I was 14 years old. But I have no idea where that autograph is. He was my guy, then he became a Yankee. So many places are grids and you can get around and navigate.
But Boston, because of its history, you can get lost in the city of Boston in a heartbeat and never find your way out. I would be concerned with the infrastructure being able to handle all of that in the middle of the Olympics. Klabo is from Finley, N. Klabo was a reserve lineman for the Cleveland Browns in and spent a season overseas in playing for the Rhine Fire, in Dusseldorf, Germany. Josie 8 , Maya 4 and Bennett 2. What better way to kick-off the Bison football season than with a trip to see our friends in the beautiful and forever-scenic state of Montana?
Before we tailgate outside the stadium, I hope to see all of you at the Alumni Association Pregame Party. Check out what we have on tap. Bresciani and Director of Athletics Matt Larsen. This quote is applicable to many members of the Bison Football team, but possibly no one more than senior quarterback Carson Wentz. Wentz came into an extremely difficult situation last season. The then the junior, and the rest of the Bison chased perfection and caught excellence by making it four championships in a row in Frisco, Texas. How do you follow that up as a first-year starter? One of the great things about Bison football is that the team comes before everything, no matter who you ask.
The only statistic that matters is wins and losses. The list of honors and accolades goes on and on for Wentz, and he definitely has the measurables that NFL scouts are looking for to go along with his physical abilities on the football field. Wentz is a clear leader for the Thundering Herd, being elected captain by his teammates as a junior and displaying that leadership day in and day out both on the field and off. How can Wentz improve from last year? His preparation and experience has composed him to take this responsibility and run with it.
Opening the season with Montana is no easy task, but it will set the tone for the entire year. Follow that up with big time games against Northern Iowa, the Dakota Marker game against South Dakota State, and the rest of the daunting schedule that the Bison face each week in the Missouri Valley Football Conference, there will be plenty of chances for Wentz and the rest of the Bison to answer the bell. Having an experienced wide receiver in Zach Vraa coming back for a sixth year will definitely help Wentz and the entire offense be explosive.
Then having sophomore RJ Urzendowski playing opposite of Vraa will bring nightmares for defenses in the passing game. It is not easy to set records and win a national championship one year and then duplicate it the next …let alone improve on it. One thing that is easy to see, as an avid Bison fan, is that Wentz is preparing himself to get better for this coming year and will take it day by day. He is not a guy that is going to get flustered, but rather takes things as they come. Like Lombardi said, the Bison will chase perfection, and No. Take a minute to reflect and be thankful to have not only a great player to watch at quarterback, but an entire program filled with guys that deserve as much recognition for playing as a team as any school in the nation.
The last time North Dakota State played at Montana in September , the conventional wisdom was that the Bison would do well for themselves if we could somehow hang with the powerhouse Grizzlies and not get blown out. Montana was a year removed from a national championship in and entered the game against NDSU as one of the favorites to contend for another championship.
In the ten seasons between and , the Grizzlies played in five national championship games, winning two. The Bison, on the other hand, were making their first baby steps into division I waters, still members of division II. Skeptics pounced on NDSU for their decision in the summer of to move up to division I athletics. The Bison began division I play in The first five years of the division I move, NDSU was classified as a transitioning program, and, as a result, were ineligible for postseason play.
The Bison became playoff eligible in In those seven years since becoming playoff eligible, NDSU has won four national championships — two more than Montana has in the last 33 years. Going one step further, the FCS level was formed in The team NDSU beat twice to reach. But they had several more decades to do it. As they say, oh what a difference a few years makes. Perspective on that game versus this matchup shows how expectations have changed for NDSU and a growing fan base that — thanks in large part to athletics — has methodically transformed the university into a nationally recognized brand.
The expectations and perspective then? I will always remember the sunny afternoon when the Bison upset the Grizzlies. I just got back to Fargo from a Bison Ambassadors retreat in lakes country.