2011 MVFC Preview: North Dakota State

My preview of Missouri Valley Football Conference Teams continues with North Dakota State today. To read prior entries, look for them on the right side of the page. 

A year ago, NDSU was close. Up seven points with over two minutes to go, 90 yards from a home FCS semifinal close. As you can see in the video above, that didn't happen. Eastern Washington rallied on the snowy red turf to defeat NDSU in overtime, 38-31, after quarterback Brock Jensen fumbled near the goal-line on the game's final play. As the cliche goes, the rest is history and Eastern Washington ended the season with a 21-19 victory over Delaware for the National Championship. It proved to be a bitter end to NDSU's first FCS playoff trip but it certainly sets the stage for an interesting season ahead for newly-paid head coach Craig Bohl and the Bison.

Offense

NDSU may have been unsure of their running situation at this time a year ago but that part of the offense will not be a worry thanks to D.J. McNorton. He entered the season with just four career starts but ended the 2010 campaign with 1,559 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, effectively serving as a tough, all-purpose running back for NDSU. The Bison offensive line remains mostly intact, with only the left tackle to be replaced and that should mean more ground game success in 2011. 

Jensen figures to be the starter on when the season starts on Sept. 3 and that has become quite clear since the end of spring practice. Jose Mohler, the quarterback that started last season and helped the Bison to a win over Kansas, transferred when he slipped to third on the depth chart during the spring. Simply put, it’s Jensen’s team now. He battled injuries last year, had seven starts last season and provided he can facilitate the offense effectively without turning the ball over, he should be fine. Senior Warren Holloway has led the Bison receiving corps for the last two years and figures to do the same this fall.

Defense 

Bison linebacker Preston Evans

I’m a huge fan of NDSU’s defense, mainly because it is stacked with talent and returns eight starters from last year. It starts with defensive end Coulter Boyer, who had 10 sacks last year, 18 hurries, and stood out in the Dakota Marker game with an interception return for a touchdown. Senior middle linebacker Preston Evans led the Bison with 95 tackles last year and directs NDSU’s Tampa 2 scheme. Safeties Colton Heagle and Daniel Eaves and cornerback Marcus Williams lead a secondary that will likely be among the Valley’s best. 

Last year, the Bison held opponents to 18.2 points per game and averaged +1.07 in turnover margin, ranking 7th nationally in both categories. Judging by recent success, including 2008, when NDSU led the nation in pass defense and rated 5th in total defense, the Bison will be near those marks again.

Outlook

Of those who attend SDSU, I will likely give the most positive or honest review of the school’s northern rivals but this is a time that is deserving of that distinction. NDSU will have to be stable at quarterback if they want to have a deep run and they can't afford to be hampered with issues at that spot. 


Most conference followers will agree that the conference title has to go past UNI, a team that the Bison has never defeated since joining the MVFC. NDSU hosts the Panthers on October 29th, which would be in the second game of an important four-game stretch that includes traveling to play the Jackrabbits, at Indiana State, and home against Youngstown State. NDSU will travel to Minnesota on September 24, with the intent of invading TCF Bank Stadium and knocking off the Gophers for a second time in three FCS tries. The Bison can count on both of those efforts to be more difficult this time around, with a smaller stadium now compared to the Metrodome and a much more disciplined team under Jerry Kill.

The Bison faithful have sky-high expectations for this team to, not only make the FCS playoffs but to make a deeper run towards a FCS title. However, if this team learned anything from last year’s sudden halt, it’s that there are no guarantees. 


Up Next: A preview of Northern Iowa
Photo property of NDSU Media Relations