Just a glimpse

Lets face it. These six o’clock start times are really cutting into our evening activities. It becomes more noticeable when a depleted team like Robert Morris comes in and stinks the place up. It’s like my older brother playing some one-on-one hoops with me when I could barely wipe my own butt let alone dribble a basketball. Seriously, this classic early season cupcake team racked up a brutal 88 yards of total offense averaging a frightening 1.7 yards per play leading to five total first downs. Whenever I put down more hot dogs tailgating than our opponent’s first down total, the game always results in a massacre. Was Colonial’s Laymen trying to do his best Shane Falco impersonation by throwing the game but without the great hair? Who knows? I do know one thing, though. Behind the poor play of RMU, they did stand an impressive performance from our Bison squad.

They came out guns hot and what little doubt about this football team was put on hold. Brock Jensen tailored a beautiful drive to open the game and threw a touchdown to someone not named Holloway, Veldman or McNorton. Jensen was impressive throughout looking sharper than ever. His reads were right as it was smooth sailing for the offense.

His offensive line blocked beautifully giving Jensen more than enough time to move the chains. Play after play the o-line imposed their will on the helpless Colonials.

Offensive line was a huge question mark coming into this season, and after Saturday we know we’ll be just fine. Center Joe Lund shined in particular being named the Missouri Valley Conference Offensive Linemen of the Week, leading the Bison to an easy 495 yards of total offense.

It is comforting knowing one of the biggest concerns on this team can go out in the first game and put on a stunning performance. If this is any indication of how the rest of the season will play out, then book my flight to Frisco.

Okay, that might still be a little premature but not completely ridiculous.

When you play with the tenacity our defense played with all night we will have a chance to win every Saturday. This group, like the o-line, erased any doubt. New middle linebacker, Grant Olson played his tail off sticking his nose into every pile up possible, leading the Bison in tackles. One player’s performance is difficult to highlight because of the defense’s performance as a whole.

Leevon Perry played like a mad man, Beck and Littlejohn were everywhere, Marcus Island was open for business and everyone was getting lost. It was a thing of beauty.

As blowouts are concerned, I don’t expect too many more catastrophic games like last Saturday. The MVC is arguably the best in all of FCS. Along with the Bison, two other teams cracked the Top 10 of the national rankings this week. The only team the Bison lost to last year just beat a traditionally mediocre Pitt team and the other just gave the Wisconsin Badgers a run for their money before falling short in the end. The Bison will meet both Youngstown State and UNI later this month.

Next week the Bison have a date with FBS Colorado State in beautiful Fort Collins. They want to tear down old Hughes Stadiums. I say to Bison Nation: Let’s do it for them.