Conference play finally begins for the Bison this Saturday and it could  not come at a better time. Not only will Saturday mark the unofficial start of the season for North Dakota State, who to this point have played the competitive equivalent of the wet paper bag,  it begins the 2021 “Revenge Tour” against a team that actually finished ahead of them in the conference standings last season, North Dakota. 

North Dakota State enters Saturday’s match up against in state rival North Dakota in the most ideal position. The Bison enter the contest a perfect 3-0, coming off a bye week and having outscored their three previous opponents by 114 points. NDSU’s defense ranks second in the FCS allowing only 13 points this season and their run game has been excellent racking up almost 350 yards a game. The Bison have a team who are firing on all cylinders. 

North Dakota State also comes in with another secret weapon, they are under the radar. For the first time in almost a decade, the FCS national conversation doesn’t center around Fargo, North Dakota. For fans, that might take away some of the shine, but for the players and coaches on the field this might be the beset thing that could happen to the team. Less pressure means fewer outside distractions for NDSU, and fewer outside distractions means more time to prepare for the opponent in front of them, one that could mean big playoff implications down the line.

The last time these two teams faced off was in Fargo less than seven months ago. The Bison were coming off two wins and UND was undefeated and rolling through the Missouri Valley Conference in their first season. The Bison were able to choke UND out, only allowing 13 points and keeping the Fighting Hawks out of the red zone and only allowing one third down conversion. It was a match up between the new kid on the block and the established powerhouse program with experience trumping talent.

Saturday, the 2pm kickoff will be in Grand Forks at the Alerus Center, one of the only places the Bison have never won. NDSU is 0-2 since the opening of the Alerus Center in 2001. However, the Bison have won decade straight of conference openers. Unstoppable force, Immovable object. You get the message.

Just like seven months ago, UND comes in with the more talented team. Their defense isn’t as good, but the combination of Quarterback Tommy Shuster and All American Running Back Otis Weah gives the Fighting Hawks a one-two punch that no other team in the conference has.

North Dakota State’s defense was able to bottle up Weah in the last match up, only allowing one long run and a touchdown to one of the most explosive players on the field. In this one, it might take a little bit more. With Shuster getting playoff experience and more time with the playbook, the secondary of NDSU will have their biggest challenge of the season.

For North Dakota State’s offense, they have been the driving force of the team. The hard nosed running has established the old-school identity that you think of when you think of mid western football. Images of snowy fields and cold breath flutter into the mind’s eye when you think of the the type of brut offense the Bison have run this season. Multiple backs including Quarterback Quincy Patterson can run the ball and all are explosive.

This game is going to be the closet one that North Dakota State has played all year, but I give the edge to the defense that has kept every offense, no matter how pedestrian,  out of the end zone.

Prediction: North Dakota State 27 North Dakota 20