Ep. 7 Bye Week-Homecoming

The NDSU Football team was off last week, this week! They face USD Coyotes. the Yotes are 2-2 on the year after having a great season last year. The Bison are #1 in the FCS will they prove that again this week? Well TJ tells us about it.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
We're now do the Bison Bits with TJ. Jeff. Good morning,
good afternoon, to be a meeting wherever and whenever you're
listening to this, it's Bison Bits, and again I'm TJ
talking a little bits and pieces, a little bit here,
a little bit. They're of your favorite college football team
in North Dakota State Bison, who had the bye week

(00:28):
last week, so coaches were on the recruiting trail. Logan
Cobb got married. A lot of things going on, nonetheless,
as they prepare for a thorn in their side this week.
It's homecoming week for the Bison. They prepare for the
University of South Dakota Kyots. The last two times these

(00:51):
teams played in the regular season, it didn't turn out
very well. Two years ago in the Fargo Dome, it
was a disaster of a slow start. I may have
mentioned this in the previous broadcast, one of the slow
starts under z they could not recover. And then last
year brew an eleven point lead with four minutes left

(01:12):
in the game after a ninety nine yard drive that
eight up somewhere around eleven twelve thirteen minutes. They blew
that game. Don't think coach Polosek has forgotten about any
of that, and he brought it up in this press
conference this week. He has not forgotten about it, even
talking about preparing it with the press in his Tuesday

(01:33):
afternoon press conference. He sounds ready. He is not forgotten
about it, sounds pretty fired up, but he wanted to
give the media a little synapsis of what this team
has been doing in the first three games. Certain things
that this team looks for. One of their objectives this

(01:53):
year is they needed to not miss so many tackles.
Through three games in twenty twenty four, they had missed
fifty four tackles and they'd low that down to thirty.
Still too much for Polosek, but he likes that improvement.
They're only plus three on the turnover so they need
to cultivate more turnovers. That's a goal. The Bison really
haven't given up the ball, but they're really not taking

(02:14):
it away. They need They need to cultivate more turnovers,
stripping the ball, jumping routes, and something that's going to
be discussed how you fix that. I don't know what
they're going to do, but it's something that they want.
More turnovers. He brought up something interesting that he's not
happy with the missed block kick opportunities. They had many

(02:36):
opportunities to block punts and they haven't been able to
do it. He wants to be able to do that.
He wants he wants a block kick. They're so close
they need to finish that off, which is which is
a huge play, game changing play. If maybe this week
against a team like USD, maybe when they go to
Grand Forks, a tight game against South Dakota State, it's

(02:59):
there those things turn games around. You want some more
block kicks, something that I've talked about maybe in the
first week or two. Coach Politics says, their stats show
and it's provable. They've given up zero points in the
middle eight, meaning the last four minutes of the first half,

(03:21):
in the second four minutes of the second half, zero
points they've given up. That's an huge stat that the
Bison lean on heavily. That means a lot to them.
It meant a lot to coach Ends, it meant a
lot to coach Climbing, and this Bizon team have really
shown up in that middle eight and the dreaded elephant

(03:45):
in the proverbial room third down efficiencies. Offensively, they were
three of nine three weeks ago, two weeks ago, in
their last game, they were two of ten. They were
abysmal on third downs, and that's something that they're not
sure how to fix that. They're not sure what's causing it.

(04:06):
They're not sure what they can do about it. But
they know they need to go back to the well
and look at the film, break things down. You know.
Maybe Politics said maybe it's concentration, Maybe we need to concentrate.
Maybe our coaching staff needs to scheme third downs better.
And he's right when he says, we have to figure

(04:27):
it out or we will not be playing very long
in the playoffs or even winning a Missouri Valley Football
Conference title. These are things that they have to fix,
especially on third down, and I think I think it's
going to happen again. Their opponent is USD two and

(04:47):
two coming in. They beat Drake forty two twenty one.
I watch some of that game. This is not the
same Drake team that played the prior week in Brookings.
They and I don't know they were they're flat, if
they were tired, or if us to really starting to
jael offensively a bit, maybe that offensive line is Jelly
used to went deep down the field early in the

(05:08):
game made a huge difference. They struck early. The backup
running back who's now their starter, l J. Phillips Junior,
put himself in the record books again. He had a
career high four rushing touchdowns one hundred and forty three
yards rushing. So USD is getting back on track. They've
been struggling, and they still gave up twenty one points,

(05:32):
fourteen of them in garbage time in the fourth quarter
to Drake. But maybe this team's starting to jail. But
Aidenbaum is still not sharp sharp. Thirteen to twenty two
to twenty six is good for thirteen completions, two touchdowns
again LJ. Phillips Junior nineteen for one forty three. That's
a seven and a half yard average with four touchdowns.

(05:52):
And then Reid Watkins six for fifty nine that's almost
just under ten yards Carson Fletcher eight for fifty so
they're playing much much better. They created two turnovers from
the interception standpoint, and so the question is are they
starting to gel Are things starting to make sense for them?

(06:12):
They lost so many people in the spring transfer portal,
which will no longer exist after this year. I think so.
I think this offensive line is starting to get in
the rhythm. I think their linebackers are getting comfortable in
what they're doing, and it's it's starting to make a difference.
The Bison are still a twenty one and a half
point favorite, which I do not like to see. I

(06:35):
kind of get the feeling that USD will cover that spread.
Twenty one and a half points is huge, even in
the USD team. That's maybe not what we thought they
would be or what they hoped they would be. Coach
Polise talked about in his today press conference this is Thursday,
that the he likes Aidan Bauman. He wanted to Grudam

(07:00):
and Iowa didn't work out because he was left handed.
Balwin's a left hander. His daddy played about ten years
in the NFL, played quite a few years for the
Minnesota Viking, so his daddy was a gun slinger, not
a bad quarterback. Balbin's much taller. But the thing politics
said that you have to do with Bauman, as Balman understands,
he is not fleet of foot. We saw that with

(07:22):
Jacks Leatherwood, not very fleet of foot. Likes to stay
on his spot when he drops his back, plants his
back foot. I should say he doesn't want to move.
The key is to get him to move and get
some sacks. They're only averaging three sacks a game. We'll
see if they can increase that a little bit. But
the key to get Bobin off his game is they

(07:44):
give him off his spot and get him to move
around a little bit, because when he moves around, not always,
but there are times he will take his eye off
what he needs to downfield and he will look down
to look for places to slide into. He's got footwork.
He can move in the pocket a little bit. It's

(08:04):
not like he's Dan Marino flat footed, but he's he's
not real fleet of foot. If you can get him
to move and flush him, he's going to have a
rough day. And that'll be right. That plays right into
the Bison's hands, plays right into their defensive backs, and
that's that if we break this game down, that's going

(08:25):
to be the key for the Really the key for
the Bison defense is to get Bauman office spots and
to get Phillips the running back. He's a one cutback,
according to Polisic. If you can get him off of
his lane, so wherever he if it's his own read
wherever he's trying to cut back to whatever lane he takes.
You need to take away the initial running lane so

(08:48):
he can't get through that and then make his cut
and go. If you can slow him down from doing that,
I don't think he'll rush for one hundred and forty
three yards. He has the ability at any time. If
he gets through, gets through into the secondary and makes
he makes his cut, he's gonna be tough to catch.
If you can keep him from shooting through that front

(09:09):
seven and getting to that second level and making that
one cut he's the one cut back. Keep him from
doing that, keep him from getting out of rhythm. He's
gonna get some yards, but I think you can keep
him in check and that'll be the key for the Vison.
And so that means stay home. Linebackers are gonna have
to flow really well and fill gaps. The defensive line

(09:29):
is going to not they can't get pushed around, which
happened two years ago at homecoming in the Fargo Dome.
That big offensive line and they still have a big
offensive line being USD really push the Bison around. It
took a while, It took two course, took a whole
half to get that straight and the Bison just couldn't

(09:50):
get the ball because USD just ran. And I think
USD would like to try to do that again. They
want to get Phillips into the game, into a flow
and create that cre eight, that running game to bring
the safety up so Bomban can run the play action.
It's not that complicated for USD, and they've got the
ability to do it. Flip side of the ball. The

(10:10):
Buyson are going to I really believe they're gonna run
the football. I really think they really want to run
the ball, but they're willing to play the game of
what do you want to do to us? If the
safety comes down into the box, they can run the
play action. They've got the wide receivers that should be
able to get open. They should beat a lot of people.

(10:30):
The safety stay back. I think they have no problems
getting Penu the ball and letting him go, letting him run.
I think that's a very good possibility. I think that's
what you're going to see. I think they prefer the
safety's back so they can run it. I think you
can see Cole Payton maybe slip outside the tackles a
little more and run it. But I still think they
don't want him to carry the load. It's Pennu's game.

(10:54):
And if that offensive line, we will see who the
starters are that that should be somewhat fascinating. We will
see who the starters are on that offensive line, because
I think that's what they're probably gonna run with for
the rest of the Missouri Valley Football Conference schedule. If
that line can gel and get cohesive and they can

(11:16):
start pushing and they can put USD in some tough
situations with the Bison a second and short boy, oh boy,
Peyton can put up some good throwing numbers because you'll
have to throw. I don't think it's really difficult for NDSU.
They're game planning. What's the defense gonna do? Safety is
back safety up safety, back safety up linebackers. You got

(11:39):
them fanned out, do you have them spread, then you
know you're probably looking at a zone. They're gonna bracket
the slots. It's just I think they're willing to play
that game back in the day was we're gonna just
We're just gonna do what we want and you try
to stop it. We're gonna, you know, just ensure our will.
But those games in those days are different because teams

(12:01):
have gotten size wise close to what the Bison are now.
But the Bison has so much talent everywhere they're gonna
be able to throw the football. Finn Diggins has become
quite the weapon at tight end, something I don't know
if anyone saw. So let's get ready for exciting homecoming.
I will be there. I will be out tailgating enjoying

(12:22):
the game, so should be a good time. Before I go,
I wanted to talk about Randy Hedberg, who was the
retired quarterback coach for this Bison team for years. North
Dakota native, he actually was an NFL quarterback himself. I

(12:43):
believe he was on the original Tampa Bay Buccaneers team
when they were a franchise team back in the seventies.
Randy Hedberg is a wonderful became a wonderful teacher, and
he he around from colleges and settled in at North
Dakota State, and he's responsible. Randy Hebbard's responsible for I'm

(13:07):
trying to go, oh boy, I forgot for sure it's
Carson Easton Trey and going forward, Cam I'm pretty sure. Yeah,
he's been around there for all that. And of course
Cole maybe Steve Walker, I don't remember, but he's been

(13:31):
responsible for all these quarterbacks that the Bison have had
make it to the NFL. One of the great teachers
that no one really talks about, and he should be
given the more credit. And I was wondering. I knew
he was getting close to retirement. I may have said
this too. I don't know if I've said this in
the previous I may have. What's gonna happen when he retired?

(13:53):
You know how how is that? That's Those are tough
shoes to fill, folks, Those are really real tough shoes
to fill. And when he retired, I wondered who was
going to get it? And they gave the quarterback coaching
job from within to a guy by the name of

(14:16):
Joe Bashanner. He took over as the quarterback coach. He
joined the staff in twenty twenty one. He was a
running back coach for four seasons before being named the
tight ends and full back coach, and he also coached
special teams last year on the coach Paul Sik. He's
been known to lead one of the best rush rushing

(14:38):
attacks in FCS during his time at the Bison and
while he was the running back coach. NDBSU led the
nation in rushing touchdowns for three straight years, rushing yards
twice and ranked second in rushing per game at two
eighty and that was in That was the year they
won the title in twenty twenty one, which may have

(14:59):
been one of the best Bison teams at the D
one era ever before well, Bishawner coached quarterbacks during his
thirteen years as an offensive coordinator. Before before that, he
was at Minnesota State man Cato and he was named

(15:21):
the Division two coordinator of the Year in twenty nineteen,
whereas Minnesota State. That's man Cato forty seven and a
half points a game where they had massed in a
national championship game. So he's produced three of the top
five offenses in man Cato State history. He himself is
a Simpson College graduate in Iowa, and he spent seven

(15:44):
years as the offensive coordinator there from eight to fourteen,
two thousand and eight to twenty fourteen. And he's just
pretty darn good. He's a grad assistant in two thousand
and eight. Is Alma Monor. He was at the University
of South Coasts a running back coach from three to
seven again. He was at Simpson Is Alma Manor as
a offensive coordinator man Cato State, I'll call him man

(16:06):
Cato State as the offensive coordinator, and now at in THESU.
So far, what we're seeing joebah Shanner has not missed
a step from what Randy Hedberg was doing. Cole Payton
is a hell of a quarterback with a great arm,
a great feel for the pocket, a great feel for

(16:27):
the offense, a great understanding of the defense, good mechanics.
But I'm very critical of left handed quarterbacks because I'm
left handed. I just think our throwing styles are weird.
But that doesn't mean he's not a good quarterback. And
I'm interested to see going forward after this year because
we all know Cole will graduate, and I just read

(16:48):
an article here today that he's probably going to get drafted.
Maybe nothing like we saw out of Trey Lance or
Carson Wentz, which could job Carson Wentz last Sunday for
the Vikings. Maybe not that high, maybe that Cam Miller
area that sixth round, seventh around maybe fifth. This guy's

(17:11):
big and he's got the arm. But I'm curious to
see what happens as we go forward with these quarterbacks.
Are they still going to be developing at the rate
that they have been with the success that they have been.
I'm so curious. But Shawner's done a great job as
a quarterback coach. And again, of all the coaches that
comes and goes with this team throughout the years, I

(17:31):
thought his job were the toughest shoes to fill. Randy
Hebberg's a legend. He seems like a hell of a
nice guy. I love to meet Randy Hebberg. I just
think he seems like a good guy. But those are
tough shoes to fill. And Joba Shanner's done a hell
of a job, and I think we need to tip
our hat to what he's done so far with Cole
and how the rest of these quarterbacks and as they recruit,

(17:56):
how he develops them. Something to keep an eye on
on all right. My prediction my prediction for Saturday homecoming
Bison twenty one and a half point favorites. I think
that's a little steep, but I see the Bison winning
this one by a score of thirty four twenty one.

(18:19):
I think they'll beat USD thirty four to twenty one.
USD I think will cover the spread. The Bison could
score more points. We'll see, but I think thirty four
to twenty one is about where we're going to be.
Hopefully I'm right. Hopefully doesn't matter if the score is
long as you're on the winning end. And with that
being said, I'm out of here. I'm gonna enjoy the

(18:40):
rest of the week. I'm gonna get ready for homecoming.
Thank you for joining me. You guys, take care of
yourself and each other until next week. Bye bye.