What is not being discussed is team speed kills. I've seen NDSU play twice as well as pieces of some other MVFC games. JMU's defense, in particular, has an advantage in that area. This is also why I think Jax State is more of a threat than folks mention around here. They have some guys on D who can fly and a RB who will take it to the house given a crease.

(11-07-2017 07:41 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  What is not being discussed is team speed kills. I've seen NDSU play twice as well as pieces of some other MVFC games. JMU's defense, in particular, has an advantage in that area. This is also why I think Jax State is more of a threat than folks mention around here. They have some guys on D who can fly and a RB who will take it to the house given a crease.

Agree, they scare me as much as any other team. But that's a good thing.

(11-07-2017 07:41 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  What is not being discussed is team speed kills. I've seen NDSU play twice as well as pieces of some other MVFC games. JMU's defense, in particular, has an advantage in that area. This is also why I think Jax State is more of a threat than folks mention around here. They have some guys on D who can fly and a RB who will take it to the house given a crease.

The only game I watched them play was against Chattanooga, and I thought they looked pretty subpar.

(11-07-2017 09:57 AM)JMU08 Wrote:  

(11-07-2017 07:41 AM)Wear Purple Wrote:  What is not being discussed is team speed kills. I've seen NDSU play twice as well as pieces of some other MVFC games. JMU's defense, in particular, has an advantage in that area. This is also why I think Jax State is more of a threat than folks mention around here. They have some guys on D who can fly and a RB who will take it to the house given a crease.

The only game I watched them play was against Chattanooga, and I thought they looked pretty subpar.

Yes I have also only watched their UTC game to start the season, but their offense did leave much to be desired and in hindsight, UTC is a bad 2 win team too.

(11-07-2017 02:49 AM)DukeDogNation Wrote:  

(11-06-2017 10:53 PM)Purple Wrote:  

(11-06-2017 09:47 PM)White Hall Wrote:  Maybe, just maybe this year’s edition of NDSU is just not as strong as years past and the pollsters decided to no longer reward them for past success. Everyone knew that NDSU’s early schedule was soft and their last four games would be a true test of this year’s team. So far, they are 1-1. Let’s see where they stand in two weeks.

The difference is QB Easton Stick. He is so inconsistent this year. I think our D can handle the Bison even if Stick is having a great game, but I also think we are one of the very few teams, probably the only team, with a defense strong enough to do that.

And I think Mike Houston would say that he's built this team to beat NDSU. Partially by taking their blueprint.

Right now we kind of look like this year's Bama team. Shut down defense, adequate offense with flashes of greatness.

I don't think we used their blueprint at all, except for being physical we're not much like them at all. We're hardly a Bison clone. Our offense is much more dynamic, fast-paced, and spread... it's just not working so well right now. Our defense has way more speed and I'd say our physicality is as much about aggression than just brute strength.

But I guess perhaps you meant we "took" their blueprint as in neutralized their strengths? That I would wholeheartedly agree with.

(11-06-2017 09:27 PM)2Buck Wrote:  

(11-06-2017 06:27 PM)Bisonlurker Wrote:  

(11-06-2017 01:32 PM)olddawg Wrote:  Bison still ranked ahead of the SDSU even after just losing to them. SDSU has had to play at NDSU in the playoffs 3 times in the last 5 years. If both don't lose again this season, I hope the seeding committee rewards their regular season win and gives them the seeding advantage. But with two losses, I see them having to go through Fargo yet again.

Problem with this is that SDSU lost to Youngstown who NDSU beat and got killed by UNI who Bison beat by 16. Tough to say SDSU is actually the better team.

Yeah, really tough to say which is the better team. Unless, of course, they played each other?

That doesnt really tell the whole story in my opinion. If JMU happens to lose to Elon i dont think anyone in their right mind would say they are the better team. They might play better on that particular day but JMU is still easily the better team.
We will see how the rest of the season pans out. SDSU definitely outplayed the Bison on Saturday but I still think the Bison are the better overall team. They have always had troubles with teams that have mobile QBs and tall physical receivers. Lucky for them there are very few teams that have that combo.

(11-07-2017 02:07 PM)Bisonlurker Wrote:  

(11-06-2017 09:27 PM)2Buck Wrote:  

(11-06-2017 06:27 PM)Bisonlurker Wrote:  

(11-06-2017 01:32 PM)olddawg Wrote:  Bison still ranked ahead of the SDSU even after just losing to them. SDSU has had to play at NDSU in the playoffs 3 times in the last 5 years. If both don't lose again this season, I hope the seeding committee rewards their regular season win and gives them the seeding advantage. But with two losses, I see them having to go through Fargo yet again.

Problem with this is that SDSU lost to Youngstown who NDSU beat and got killed by UNI who Bison beat by 16. Tough to say SDSU is actually the better team.

Yeah, really tough to say which is the better team. Unless, of course, they played each other?

If JMU happens to lose to Elon i dont think anyone in their right mind would say they are the better team.

(11-06-2017 10:53 PM)Purple Wrote:  

(11-06-2017 09:47 PM)White Hall Wrote:  Maybe, just maybe this year’s edition of NDSU is just not as strong as years past and the pollsters decided to no longer reward them for past success. Everyone knew that NDSU’s early schedule was soft and their last four games would be a true test of this year’s team. So far, they are 1-1. Let’s see where they stand in two weeks.

The difference is QB Easton Stick. He is so inconsistent this year. I think our D can handle the Bison even if Stick is having a great game, but I also think we are one of the very few teams, probably the only team, with a defense strong enough to do that.

Exactly right. He started out good but last 3 weeks has been very inaccurate compared to earlier in season. He isn't scaring anyone right now with his passing. So far he doesn't seem to be losing any confidence but needs a good game to get back on track.
The OC didn't help either. I can't remember the last time the Bison had more passing attempts than running.

(11-07-2017 11:07 AM)2Buck Wrote:  I don't think we used their blueprint at all, except for being physical we're not much like them at all. We're hardly a Bison clone. Our offense is much more dynamic, fast-paced, and spread... it's just not working so well right now. Our defense has way more speed and I'd say our physicality is as much about aggression than just brute strength.

But I guess perhaps you meant we "took" their blueprint as in neutralized their strengths? That I would wholeheartedly agree with.

Yeah, I would agree that we're not a clone, but I think Houston would prefer to control the clock with the run and stifle the other team with defense. The types of athletes we get are very different, though, especially with so many of them held over from the Withers Era. Generally, I feel like Houston did a great job of recognizing that you have to beat NDSU to win a national championship and figuring out how to do that.

I can't speak to specific offensive/defensive strategies as I'm not well versed into the X's and O's.

(11-07-2017 02:07 PM)Bisonlurker Wrote:  

(11-06-2017 09:27 PM)2Buck Wrote:  

(11-06-2017 06:27 PM)Bisonlurker Wrote:  

(11-06-2017 01:32 PM)olddawg Wrote:  Bison still ranked ahead of the SDSU even after just losing to them. SDSU has had to play at NDSU in the playoffs 3 times in the last 5 years. If both don't lose again this season, I hope the seeding committee rewards their regular season win and gives them the seeding advantage. But with two losses, I see them having to go through Fargo yet again.

Problem with this is that SDSU lost to Youngstown who NDSU beat and got killed by UNI who Bison beat by 16. Tough to say SDSU is actually the better team.

Yeah, really tough to say which is the better team. Unless, of course, they played each other?

That doesnt really tell the whole story in my opinion. If JMU happens to lose to Elon i dont think anyone in their right mind would say they are the better team. They might play better on that particular day but JMU is still easily the better team.
We will see how the rest of the season pans out. SDSU definitely outplayed the Bison on Saturday but I still think the Bison are the better overall team. They have always had troubles with teams that have mobile QBs and tall physical receivers. Lucky for them there are very few teams that have that combo.

Dude, c'mon. You can't compare a JMU loss to Elon, to NDSU losing to SDSU. It'd be more like NDSU losing to Sam Houston.

If Elon won it wouldn't be because they're the better team, it would be due to the imminent return of Gozer, the god of destruction and chaos.

Lol. Probably right

NDSU will take care of business and all will be right with the world when they grab the #2 seed. We will see them in Frisco.

(11-07-2017 02:14 PM)Bisonlurker Wrote:  

(11-06-2017 10:53 PM)Purple Wrote:  

(11-06-2017 09:47 PM)White Hall Wrote:  Maybe, just maybe this year’s edition of NDSU is just not as strong as years past and the pollsters decided to no longer reward them for past success. Everyone knew that NDSU’s early schedule was soft and their last four games would be a true test of this year’s team. So far, they are 1-1. Let’s see where they stand in two weeks.

The difference is QB Easton Stick. He is so inconsistent this year. I think our D can handle the Bison even if Stick is having a great game, but I also think we are one of the very few teams, probably the only team, with a defense strong enough to do that.

Exactly right. He started out good but last 3 weeks has been very inaccurate compared to earlier in season. He isn't scaring anyone right now with his passing. So far he doesn't seem to be losing any confidence but needs a good game to get back on track.
The OC didn't help either. I can't remember the last time the Bison had more passing attempts than running.

I remember after the playoff game last year saying I didn’t think stick was all that good and I was blasted by many bison fans.

He’s average to me and not a reason you guys are winning. The rest of the team pulls him up. He’s a weak link and any team facing the bison should make him try and beat you. Because I don’t think he can agains top teams.

I can t argue with that. He seems to have troubles with the intermediate throws, either throws high or late. Longer throws he's pretty good, if he misses it's in a place where either the receiver catches it or no one does. He's a dynamic runner but I really hope it never comes down to needing him to lead multiple scoring drives at the end of a game for a comeback, I just don't know if he can.