OT: North Dakota State & FCS

[laker]

First time I had heard of North Dakota State, they were playing Ship in the 1981 D2 national semifinals at Seth Grove Stadium and gave everyone a primer on how to run the triple-option. Their QB was pitching to the trail back 8, 10 yards past the line of scrimmage. I actually covered that game for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

jr shooter? Do you mean the show Dallas, or are you related to Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press?

[jrshooter]

Neither. I don't even remember where I got that from. :)

Yeah, and looking back, it's hard to fathom that we got to host that game, considering ND State and what they were in D-II at that time. Sure was an electric atmosphere that afternoon, though. Perhaps matched only by the State Game tie with East Stroudsburg.

[IUPNation]

Neither. I don't even remember where I got that from. :)



Yeah, and looking back, it's hard to fathom that we got to host that game, considering ND State and what they were in D-II at that time. Sure was an electric atmosphere that afternoon, though. Perhaps matched only by the State Game tie with East Stroudsburg.

Only lost 18-8 as well.

[GoldenRam94]

Interesting in that you seldom hear Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois mentioned in any discussion of good football states, but they certainly seem capable of providing talent at the FCS level, at least in the case of North Dakota State.

If the Gophers are able to keep Fleck (I don't think they will) it will spell the end of NDSU as a national FCS power. For years many kids spurned the Gophers to play at NDSU. Won't be that way with Fleck Rowing the Boat.

[ShoNuff]

Better players...and maybe better coaching and play calling.

Very good points...

[ShoNuff]

If the Gophers are able to keep Fleck (I don't think they will) it will spell the end of NDSU as a national FCS power. For years many kids spurned the Gophers to play at NDSU. Won't be that way with Fleck Rowing the Boat.

Its interesting that kids would turn down full rides to Minnesota but take a partial scholarship to North Dakota St.

[tony]

Its interesting that kids would turn down full rides to Minnesota but take a partial scholarship to North Dakota St.

NDSU occasionally beats P5 schools for recruits but has only beaten out Minnesota for a kid once (a TE, Noah Gindorff, in Fleck's first year.) Heck, NDSU has lost several guys to the Gophers on grey-shirt or walk-on offers.

[Ship69]

Neither. I don't even remember where I got that from. :)



Yeah, and looking back, it's hard to fathom that we got to host that game, considering ND State and what they were in D-II at that time. Sure was an electric atmosphere that afternoon, though. Perhaps matched only by the State Game tie with East Stroudsburg.

I was actually at that game covering it for one of our Franklin County newspapers. The game was 6-6 at half, but they wore Ship down in the second half and ended up winning 18-6. ND State played a great bend-don't-break defense against a strong Ship offense. We moved the ball at will between the 20s much of the game, but as the field shrunk they'd stone us with their big guys in the red zone. I think ND State had a couple of 290-pound offense tackles (huge for 1981) and even a couple of DBs who were about 6-3 or 6-4. I was very impressed with how fundamentally sound the ND State team was/ That was a fun Ship team to watch. It's worth noting they beat James Madison that year (after JM had just moved up a class). The Madison coaches were not happy AT ALL with that. I also watched Ship take down Millersville in the State Game. Playing North Dakota State, beating James Madison, and beating a Millersville team that was a regular contender at the time. Those certainly were different days.

[shipfbfan1]

I see nothing wrong with how the FCS playoffs are handled. No neutral site needed if you want home field advantage throughout, recruit well, play well during the season, put the bidding money up, and run the table like NDSU does most seasons to ensure they stay home until the championship game. If the FBS playoffs expand to 8 teams I almost am certain that they will have the first round at the home site of the higher 4 seeds and then the semi finals and finals will be played at a neutral site. Personally I think that LSU/Oklahoma game should have been played in Baton Rouge, and the TOSU/Clemson game should have been played in Columbus.

[laker]

If the Gophers are able to keep Fleck (I don't think they will) it will spell the end of NDSU as a national FCS power. For years many kids spurned the Gophers to play at NDSU. Won't be that way with Fleck Rowing the Boat.

Tim Brewster, who set back Gopher football at least a decade, said that he didn't want to play the Dakota schools anymore because they didn't recruit anyone from that area. He forgot about Greg Eslinger who was the best lineman in the country. Of course, NDSU beat the Gophers when they played Brewster's teams.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Eslinger

[CHIP72]

I see nothing wrong with how the FCS playoffs are handled. No neutral site needed if you want home field advantage throughout, recruit well, play well during the season, put the bidding money up, and run the table like NDSU does most seasons to ensure they stay home until the championship game. If the FBS playoffs expand to 8 teams I almost am certain that they will have the first round at the home site of the higher 4 seeds and then the semi finals and finals will be played at a neutral site. Personally I think that LSU/Oklahoma game should have been played in Baton Rouge, and the TOSU/Clemson game should have been played in Columbus.

If the college football playoff is expanded and teams are allowed to host games, that will be the beginning of the end for bowl games, or at least major bowl games. Football teams and conferences will quickly realize the benefits of playing playoff games at school sites outweigh the drawbacks of non-neutral site games. Personally, I think a move to on-campus sites for playoff games would be a good thing.

[Fightingscot82]

If the college football playoff is expanded and teams are allowed to host games, that will be the beginning of the end for bowl games, or at least major bowl games. Football teams and conferences will quickly realize the benefits of playing playoff games at school sites outweigh the drawbacks of non-neutral site games. Personally, I think a move to on-campus sites for playoff games would be a good thing.

I think the compromise could be campus sites until the semifinals.