NDSU “Scouting Report”

[Monymony]

Sorry Brent but I think it’s time to bench AI.

Talk about a perfect way to end this season. We beat Idaho, we beat the gris, and now we face the team that ended our season the year before. Not only did they end our season in 2023 but they thumped us in 2021 at our last national championship appearance. Will those freshman who played in that game use their experience to finally take down the giants?

Offensively NDSU is similar to what we saw last year. Their veteran Cam Miller leads their squad and their great o-line leads the way. But now they have studs like CharMar Brown (Jerry Rice Award Winner) and Bryce Lance (brother of Trey) who help run the show. Lance is a do-it-all WR that is built for the big moments and their run game is lead by Brown, who leads the team in TDs. Another dangerous element to their offense is the +1 run game, that gave us some issues against EW. If we can control the line of scrimmage and get Miller corralled, we will not only prevent the deep balls but hopefully limit his legs. While their offensive line isn’t up to the dynasty’s standard, is it still very good. Their run game is strong but with their Wildcat QB, Cole Payton, injured it has been mainly Brown and Miller. I believe we can control their run game and limit big plays as Brown only averages 5 per carry.

When we are on offense we will have to once again dominate up front to have consistent success. NDSU’s best defensive guys are linebacker Logan Kopp and d-lineman Eli Mostaert. It will be hard to run against these guys. They kept USD to 119 yards and SDSU to 215 and 129. Where they seem vulnerable is in the air. USD passed for 272 against them and SDSU got over 200 on only 8 completions. With that being said, we will be the toughest offense they will have seen. Our well improved passing game, which we got a glimpse of against them in 2023, had added another element to our offense and has allowed us to keep drives alive.

Overall I think we match up well. We will have to play a clean game and avoid allowing Lance or Miller from getting hot. I felt the same way about Galbreath, Bouman, and Theis and we did a good job managing them. We can’t lose the turnover battle and must not make naive mistakes. Another thing I like is how they haven’t had any big games outside of Fargo. We showed we don’t need Bobcat Stadium to win when we played Davis, where as NDSU has not done the same. This team feels destined to win on Jan. 6th and the team is going to give it 200% effort.

Im taking the cats 34-28

[BelgradeBobcat]

A possible interesting factor in this one. I haven't looked at NDSU's schedule in detail, but I am guessing this will be the first time this season that the two teams will be playing on natural grass. Last time it rained and the surface, built for soccer, did not hold up. Hopefully it's dry and the Frisco Bowl played last week didn't tear it up too much. How do we practice? On natural grass or still in the stadium or bubble like normal?

[damnyoutuesday]

A possible interesting factor in this one. I haven't looked at NDSU's schedule in detail, but I am guessing this will be the first time this season that the two teams will be playing on natural grass. Last time it rained and the surface, built for soccer, did not hold up. Hopefully it's dry and the Frisco Bowl played last week didn't tear it up too much. How do we practice? On natural grass or still in the stadium or bubble like normal?

Opened the season on grass at Colorado. Otherwise every single game was on turf

[BobCatFan]

A possible interesting factor in this one. I haven't looked at NDSU's schedule in detail, but I am guessing this will be the first time this season that the two teams will be playing on natural grass. Last time it rained and the surface, built for soccer, did not hold up. Hopefully it's dry and the Frisco Bowl played last week didn't tear it up too much. How do we practice? On natural grass or still in the stadium or bubble like normal?

Weather forecast for Frisco
This coming week has thunderstorms. The following week has around 20% chance of rain each day. Game day. 53, partly cloudy, 10-15 mph winds. Billings could be warmer.

[luckyirishguy25]

Stats Tale of the Tape:

https://theanalyst.com/2024/12/fcs-cham ... f-the-tape

[VimSince03]

Take a peak at the NDSU vs USD game if you want a feel for the Bison against a common opponent. Bison ran 47 times for 166 yards against the Coyotes. MSU ran 50 times for 222.

[BelligerentBobcat]

Take a peak at the NDSU vs USD game if you want a feel for the Bison against a common opponent. Bison ran 47 times for 166 yards against the Coyotes. MSU ran 50 times for 222.

I didn’t watch the NDSU-USD game so I can’t really compare, but I think our run stats are a little misleading. Humphrey was close, really close, to breaking several runs. If he was healthier, he’s getting more yards. The 4th quarter running game…I mean, it’s hard to run when the other team knows that’s all you want to do, and they had a good run defense. If Humphrey can continue to get healthy, and MSU runs their actual offense for an entire game, it looks different out there.

[VimSince03]

Take a peak at the NDSU vs USD game if you want a feel for the Bison against a common opponent. Bison ran 47 times for 166 yards against the Coyotes. MSU ran 50 times for 222.

I didn’t watch the NDSU-USD game so I can’t really compare, but I think our run stats are a little misleading. Humphrey was close, really close, to breaking several runs. If he was healthier, he’s getting more yards. The 4th quarter running game…I mean, it’s hard to run when the other team knows that’s all you want to do, and they had a good run defense. If Humphrey can continue to get healthy, and MSU runs their actual offense for an entire game, it looks different out there.

I also though our RB run game was really good in quarter 2 and 3. Like I know our fanbase is accustomed to 10 yards a carry now but Adam Jones did what he had to do to get the tough yards yesterday when the game was still close.

[BelligerentBobcat]

Take a peak at the NDSU vs USD game if you want a feel for the Bison against a common opponent. Bison ran 47 times for 166 yards against the Coyotes. MSU ran 50 times for 222.

I didn’t watch the NDSU-USD game so I can’t really compare, but I think our run stats are a little misleading. Humphrey was close, really close, to breaking several runs. If he was healthier, he’s getting more yards. The 4th quarter running game…I mean, it’s hard to run when the other team knows that’s all you want to do, and they had a good run defense. If Humphrey can continue to get healthy, and MSU runs their actual offense for an entire game, it looks different out there.

I also though our RB run game was really good in quarter 2 and 3. Like I know our fanbase is accustomed to 10 yards a carry now but Adam Jones did what he had to do to get the tough yards yesterday when the game was still close.

100%.

Jones has improved from a big play merchant to somebody who can grind out hard yards.

[Augustus]

Take a peak at the NDSU vs USD game if you want a feel for the Bison against a common opponent. Bison ran 47 times for 166 yards against the Coyotes. MSU ran 50 times for 222.

How many of those yards were Tommy?

[mslacatfan]

By no means am I trying to over look NDSU, or downplay their talent level……. But my honest opinion is that they are not much better than SD…. I think you could even argue that SD is better than NDSU.

I like our chances. Go cats!

[mule]

All stats for the year for either team aren't much of any value. This is a game of two very equal in all part of the game. Stats would mean something if each team played the same teams through the year.

A new season when it comes this game. IMO

[Camo_Cat]

All stats for the year for either team aren't much of any value. This is a game of two very equal in all part of the game. Stats would mean something if each team played the same teams through the year.

A new season when it comes this game. IMO

MSU Bobcats goal in two weeks: 1-0

[utucats]

Tommy is winning his final game. My prediction is that we are celebrating a Natty all throughout the 4th quarter.

[VimSince03]

Take a peak at the NDSU vs USD game if you want a feel for the Bison against a common opponent. Bison ran 47 times for 166 yards against the Coyotes. MSU ran 50 times for 222.

How many of those yards were Tommy?

How many of NDSU's yards were Miller? Again, take a peak at that box score and you'll see even our RBs were better against SD than NDSU's studs.

Regardless, it's going to come down to explosive plays and turnovers. That was the theme of last year's NDSU game. We outgained them by almost 200 yards but they executed on their explosives and we failed on too many of ours. I still can't believe we lost that game last year. Again, from halfway through the 3rd quarter on we had six different opportunities to seal the game and we failed at all of them. We can win this game just like the SD game yesterday. Start fast and play your ass off.

[Augustus]

How many of those yards were Tommy?

How many of NDSU's yards were Miller?

Not trying to be argumentative, but IMO, what they do with regard to their QB is irrelevant. I have long had an issue with the Cats using their QB as a RB, and it has bitten us more than once. My fear is that it will bite us again, and when it does we're done. I get that we're quite thin in the RB department at the moment, and hopefully that will change in the next few weeks (but I doubt it as orthopedic injuries can take a year to heal to 100%), but I think it would be smarter to run the other designated RBs as much as possible and only use Tommy when we absolutely have to. We employ too many designed QB runs (for the past 10+ years), and they work great...until they don't, and the main reason that we are where we are is sitting on the sidelines with his ankle in a boot...or worse.

As dad used to say, "Use the right tool for the right job". But, maybe we don't have "the right tools" right now. If that's the case, then I suppose you do what you have to do. But I didn't see anyone else out there yesterday besides Tommy, Jones, and a few anemic runs from Scottre. Was Coon even in for a play? White? Why not use them?

To be fair, I'm just an armchair coach/QB/RB/WR/LB/DB. I know little about the intricacies.

[technoCat]

How many of those yards were Tommy?

How many of NDSU's yards were Miller?

Not trying to be argumentative, but IMO, what they do with regard to their QB is irrelevant. I have long had an issue with the Cats using their QB as a RB, and it has bitten us more than once. My fear is that it will bite us again, and when it does we're done. I get that we're quite thin in the RB department at the moment, and hopefully that will change in the next few weeks (but I doubt it as orthopedic injuries can take a year to heal to 100%), but I think it would be smarter to run the other designated RBs as much as possible and only use Tommy when we absolutely have to. We employ too many designed QB runs (for the past 10+ years), and they work great...until they don't, and the main reason that we are where we are is sitting on the sidelines with his ankle in a boot...or worse.

As dad used to say, "Use the right tool for the right job". But, maybe we don't have "the right tools" right now. If that's the case, then I suppose you do what you have to do. But I didn't see anyone else out there yesterday besides Tommy, Jones, and a few anemic runs from Scottre. Was Coon even in for a play? White? Why not use them?

To be fair, I'm just an armchair coach/QB/RB/WR/LB/DB. I know little about the intricacies.

Did you watch any of the other semifinal game? Both Miller and Granowski had 15 carries a piece. We arent the only ones running our qb.

[Augustus]

Yes, I did, and another dad"ism" comes to mind: "If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?"

[VimSince03]

How many of those yards were Tommy?

How many of NDSU's yards were Miller?

Not trying to be argumentative, but IMO, what they do with regard to their QB is irrelevant. I have long had an issue with the Cats using their QB as a RB, and it has bitten us more than once. My fear is that it will bite us again, and when it does we're done. I get that we're quite thin in the RB department at the moment, and hopefully that will change in the next few weeks (but I doubt it as orthopedic injuries can take a year to heal to 100%), but I think it would be smarter to run the other designated RBs as much as possible and only use Tommy when we absolutely have to. We employ too many designed QB runs (for the past 10+ years), and they work great...until they don't, and the main reason that we are where we are is sitting on the sidelines with his ankle in a boot...or worse.

As dad used to say, "Use the right tool for the right job". But, maybe we don't have "the right tools" right now. If that's the case, then I suppose you do what you have to do. But I didn't see anyone else out there yesterday besides Tommy, Jones, and a few anemic runs from Scottre. Was Coon even in for a play? White? Why not use them?

To be fair, I'm just an armchair coach/QB/RB/WR/LB/DB. I know little about the intricacies.

What I'm trying to say is NDSU is in the same position as us...and we do it better with our QB. Miller and Mellott have had similar career arcs and both will be utilizing the plus 1 run game in the title game.

But it's going to be the QB that hits the money throws that wins this game in my opinion.

[RickRund]

NDSU doesn't have a guy named Theis.