Roehl on
For the thousands of fans that made the long trek down to the Twin Cities, it was an unforgettable weekend. As the stands began to fill at the Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis last Saturday morning, it was a beautiful sight. A sea of green and gold-covered Bison fans was anxiously waiting for the football game to begin.
Each and every one of us were ready to release a year’s worth of anticipation and excitement of watching our NDSU Bison put the hammer on the Division-I Minnesota Golden Gophers in front of the entire college football world. Yes, the Bison football players were ready too.
Nobody shined brighter than Tyler Roehl. Highlights of his extraordinary performance were played hourly on the sports center of the universe, ESPN. After leading the way for tailback Kyle Steffes last season, West Fargo native Roehl has taken over for Steffes as the feature back this season. Roehl has steamrolled his way through the season behind a superb offensive line, but nobody could have predicted the 263 yards he racked up against the Division I-A Gophers, including that 77-yard dash on the Bison’s opening drive.
Thor “The Hammer” Brown became the silent hero with a phenomenal diving catch to score what would become the game-winning touchdown for the Bison.
Of course, last but not least, Steve Walker and his brilliant accuracy and inspirational leadership led the way, proving to the Gophers and the nation that he is a great quarterback.
The highly anticipated rematch between the Bison and the Gophers was everything the Bison nation was hoping for—a dream come true. Finally, Roehl and the Bison have captured national attention and respect. But the Bison 27-21 victory over the Gophers last weekend may have been the highlight of the season for a team that is ineligible to participate in the playoffs this year.
Championship or not, the Bison are out to show they are the best team in their division, and they have four more games to prove it. This week the Bison take on Southern Utah University in the Fargodome at 1 p.m. Be there!