Bohl, NDSU continue to adjust accordingly
Before the Bison football season began, something unprecedented happened.
Most of us media types actually agreed on something! We agreed that this was probably the most talent that any Bison team had ever had.
We also agreed that this was the toughest schedule that the Bison had ever faced.
Because of that, most of us applied the following equation. Most talent ever plus toughest schedule ever equals a 6-5 or 7-4 record. We may have been a little off on that one.
It is early, and there is a lot of football left to play, but the Bison have played well so far because of their ability to adjust. Saturday’s 17-9 victory over Stephen F. Austin was no exception.
Looking at the schedule before the season began, there were several games that stood out as tough tests.
Ball State, Georgia Southern, Minnesota, Cal Davis and Cal Poly all seemed like losable games.
The Herd have only played one of those games so far, but that game went a long way to telling us what kind of team the Bison were. In fact, the way in which the Bison have won every game has shown that this team can do almost anything to win a game.
In each game, they have had to do something differently to win, and were able to accomplish it.
They opened the season with a 66-7 drubbing of Concordia St. Paul. The Bison controlled the game from the get go, beating up on a D-II team, and dominating in every facet of the game.
Game two against Northeastern was “The Kyle Steffes show.” Steffes rushed for 153 yards on 23 carries and scored two touchdowns. This was the Bison team that fans had come to recognize over Steffes’ three years in the green and gold.
The following week against Ball State was to be more of the same, but this changed shortly after the game began. The Cardinals held Steffes to just 77 yards and no touchdowns. No Problem.
Quarterback Steve “School Record” Walker torched the Cardinals secondary with 451 yards and three touchdowns, setting records in passing yards and completions.
Saturday on a balmy day in east Texas the Bison faced a 0-4 SFA Lumberjack team. Coming off one of the bigger wins in school history the week before, the Bison had all the makings for a letdown. Steffes struggled to get started, before eventually gained 100 yards. The rest of the Bison offense didn’t exactly light up the Nacogdoches night, putting up seventeen points, all in the second quarter.
However the Bison defense stepped up, holding the Lumberjacks to only nine points, all on field goals. The win proved that this team can’t be overlooked no matter who the opponent might be, and what style of team they are.
NDSU has won games on the ground, through the air, and with great defense. They have done exactly what they’ve had to do in each game. They’ve had big plays when they’ve needed them. And have controlled the ball when it was needed.
They may have several tough games left on the schedule but if they continue to adjust the way they have thus far, this has the makings for a magical season.