#2 North Dakota State plays host to Indiana State in the annual Trees Bowl at 2:30 Saturday. While Indiana State (4-4)won’t put up the same type of resistance that Missouri State did last week. The Bison need a break before having to go on the road for a rivalry game against South Dakota State next week.
I wrote after the game Saturday that even after the 27-20 win against #17 Missouri State, that I had a lot of questions about NDSU. I had more questions after the game than I had before it.
For starters, the fact that Sophomore Cam Miller was able to come off the bench and lead two fourth quarter scoring drives while starter Quincy Patterson was on the bench has me a me asking “Is Miller the guy going forward?” If you go by the basic stats it would show that Miller is the more efficient passer, completing 73 percent of his passes. Granted, Miller has had about 90 fewer attempts this season than the Virginia Tech transfer. Patterson adds the benefit of being more mobile and his ability to extend plays as well as have designed runs is exactly why I think he will be the starter moving forward. However, if Patterson isn’t the guy closing game for you- it might be smart against a team like the Sycamores to throw Miller into the mix even earlier. Why wait till the second half or the last second to put in a fire starter?
Another question that is still plaguing my mind is what happens when a team forces the Bison’s hand when it comes to the run game. So far, NDSU has gotten the best of teams on the ground. The Thundering Herd have kept true to their name, ranking in the top ten in almost every rushing category and metric. North Dakota State ranks fourth in the FCS in rushing offense (256.3 ypg) and second in yards per carry (5.88) through seven games.
The receiving core of Christian Watson, Phoenix Sproles and Tight End Noah Gindorff leaves something to be desired. Watson is by far the star of the group, scoring five touchdowns and averaging almost triple the next leading receiver for yards per game. When the Bison play a team that is able to solve their tough defense, can Patterson and/or Miller move the ball down the field when there is only one deep threat receiver?
The last time that the Bison and Sycamores faced off was in 2017. Easton Stick threw for four touchdowns and the Bison defense pitched a shutout cruising to a 52-0 win on the road. Saturday will be the 11th meeting between NDSU and ISU, with North Dakota State winning the last five match ups.
To ask for a win would be too simple. North Dakota State has allowed an FCS-low seven touchdowns this year and leads the FCS in scoring defense allowing 9.0 points per game. That is the best scoring defense in NDSU’s 18 seasons as a Division I program, topping the 11.3 ppg by the 2013 national championship team. Only Georgia is allowing fewer points (6.6 ppg) this year in Division I. I’m asking for a shut out.
Prediction: North Dakota State 48 Indiana State 0
