SATURDAY NIGHT STANG FEVER?....   (10/5/2005) Off My Office Floor.... KFC unplugged... Not even playing close to their best football, the Bison dodged another bullet last weekend. The old suggestion of not peaking too soon has crossed my mind several times over the past few days. The Bison came out firing on all cylinders the first three games, but have throttled back the past two weeks. Better competition? Are my expectations too high? Maybe so... but I do expect the best out of the Bison players and coaches no matter what level of competition is on the other side of the football. And by no means am I downplaying the efforts/talent of the Montana State or Nicholls State football squads. Honestly, the Bison haven't improved the last two games and seriously need to take their play up a notch this week on the road against a stout Cal Poly team. The tease... So here we go again. The Big Sky Conference brass has leaked conference expansion to the media once again. Given what my contacts at Idaho State tell me, the Big Sky conference is concerned not only about future scheduling problems but also about NDSU getting snagged in the near future by the Mid-Continent Conference, since new Mid-Con Commissioner and former Southern Utah AD Tom Douple is familiar with the quality of Bison athletics and be willing to support NDSU's inclusion in any expansion talks. The Montana schools seem to be most concerned about losing NDSU to the Mid-Continent Conference. My spies also tell me that the Idaho State higher-ups seem more receptive to a NDSU Big Sky invitation and are starting to realize that Big Sky Commissioner Doug Fullerton may have lead the Big Sky members in the wrong expansion direction. A conference call between the Presidents of Montana and Montana State, and Doug Fullerton was held in the past couple weeks, in which, the two Montana schools presented their concerns about Fullerton's expansion approach, including some sort of ultimatum... Ultimatum? No explanation was given to me. So what do I make of it... NDSU remains on the radar screen of the Big Sky Conference, but I don't see Big Sky Conference officials making a big push until or if the Mid-Continent Conference comes knocking on NDSU's door. I hope I'm wrong. But I'm going to enjoy the heck out of Great West football... I still feel it would be a shame to split up such a fine football conference. The Spotlight.... Who is the most improved Bison football player? Heck, that's an easy one... senior NG Rodney Thompson, a 6' 3 309 pounder from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Before the 2004 season, Thompson transferred from JC kingpin NDSCS after a successful 2003 campaign in which, Rodney was selected first team junior college All-Region in 2003 and led the Wildcats with seven quarterback sacks while recording 41 tackles and recovering two fumbles. After seeing limited playing time in 2003, Thompson has emerged as an effective inside run-stopper for the Bison this fall. Rodney has 19 tackles including 3 for loss (1 sack). His ability to occupy opposing blockers has enabled middle linebackers Joe Mays and Kole Zimmerman to improve their TFL numbers over last season and has helped the Bison defense overcome the loss of All-GWFC NG Isaac Snell to graduation. Just another of improved Bison recruiting... Show me the money... Is any one person more deserving of a contract extension than Bison head coach Craig Bohl? My only question is 7 years and 1 million dollars plus is enough to keep him out accepting a DI-A coaching job. His football teams are always prepared and disciplined... The assistant coaches and Bohl do an incredible job of recruiting... And probably best of all, Mr. Bohl is one of the nicest and personable people you'll ever meet. But sooner or hopefully later, a DI-A school will come calling... Which leaves with one last observation, NDSU Athletic Director Gene Taylor could not have picked a better coach to lead the Bison football program in a transition to DI-AA than Craig Bohl. The future of Bison football is bright... On a side note... The Bison Insider giveaway continues. Just email us at info@bisoninsider.com with the subject line "giveaway". Once we get your e-mail, you'll be entered into a drawing for the chance to win one of two Bison Insider t-shirts. Please include your name and full address. Contest ends this Friday, October 7th... Ain't free stuff cool... Over five hundred people have already registered so don't be left out!!! One more time... Okay, here's the plan. The Bison Team Makers are $87,000 short in their $1.4 million dollar fund drive. It's time for Bisonville members to step forward. I made an addition $50 donation today!! I challenge the rest of the Bison nation to do the same. If all 888 Bisonville/Bison Insider message board members would each donate 50 bucks we could cut the remaining balance in half... The Cal Poly Offense.... Base Offense: Spread Option... Leading the Cal Poly offensive attack is senior QB Anthony Garnett. The 6-1, 210-pound Seaside, California, and Monterey Peninsula College product has accounted for 767 total yards this season; completing 37 of 65 passes for 77 yards and 2 touchdowns, while tossing 2 interceptions this season. On the ground, Garnett has carried the ball 52 times for 115 yards and 7 touchdowns. Leading the Mustang wide receiving crew are Johah Russell and Jason Holmes. This season, Russell, a 6-0 195-pound senior from Folsom, California has caught the ball 11 times for 203 yards (18.5 ypc). He is a 4-year starter at the WC wide-out position and selected 2nd team GWFC last season. Holmes, a 6-2 203-pound senior from Paso Robles, California has hauled in the pigskin 10 times for 181 yards (18.1 ypc). Freshman RB James Noble gets the bulk of the carries out of the backfield. The 5-6 180-pound, Barstow, California product has carried the ball 59 times for 413 yards and 4 touchdowns. Through five games, the Mustangs have racked up an average of 312 yards of total offense, including an 168 yards by land and 144 yards through the air... *Note: Mustang's QB Anthony Garnett missed the first game this year with a broken finger... The Cal Poly Defense.... Base Defense: 3-4... On the defensive side of the ball, the Cal Poly defense is led by consensus All-American defensive end Chris Gocong (6-3 265-pound senior Santa Barbara, California). Last year, Gocong led the nation with 17.5 sacks and finished as runner up in balloting behind former teammate LB Jordan Beck for the Buck Buchanan award given annually to the best defensive player in DI-AA. This season, Gocong has 37 tackles including 11 sacks. The Mustangs defense also features LB Kyle Shotwell (6-1 235-pounds). This season, the junior from Goleta, California has a team leading 52 tackles, including 5 for loss and 1 interception; The secondary is anchored by CB Courtney Brown (6-2 205-pound junior Oakland, California)... has pulled down 16 opposition ball carriers and hauled in 3 interceptions, while breaking up 3 opposition passes. DE Matt Chachere, Gocong's 6-0 235-pound bookend from Modesto, California has 28 tackles including 4 for loss of which 3.5 are sacks. This season, the Cal Poly defense has given up 293 total yards per game, including 103 rushing yards and 190 yards through the air... History.... Cal Poly held on to beat North Dakota State 13-10 a year ago in the Fargodome, evening the series at two wins apiece ... North Dakota State is 2-1 in Fargo and, in the only other game of the series played in Mustang Stadium, beat the Bison 35-28 in 1985 ... Show Me the Keys.... * The Cal Poly defensive line of Gocong, Chachere and NG Chris White are the foundation of the Mustangs defense. As the D-line goes so does the whole defense. The inflated tackle numbers of LB Kyle Shotwell (52) are a true reflection on the defensive line. Make no mistake, the Bison offensive line, running backs, and tight ends have their work cut out for them this Saturday. Expect All-world DE Chris Gocong to be double-teamed, chipped, chopped, etc... everywhere he goes on the field. Bucky, Pow Pow, and the rest of the Bison beef upfront better establish the running game early or this could be one long day for the Bison offense... * Bison QB Steve Walker must continue to play error-free football... and complete a truck load of quick slants and wide receiver screens. An effective running game will open the playbook for play-action passes down the field. The Cal Poly secondary isn't as athletic as the Nicholls State and can exploited down the field by Bison receivers if Walker is given enough time... * Just a hunch, but I don't think the Cal Poly coaching staff will let kick returner Shamen Washington win this game. Just depends on how big the Mustang coaching staff's ego is... I hope it's huge. * Sacks, interceptions, fumbles... Goal for takeaways this week for the Bison defense? Three... Three turnovers from the Bison defense equals a quality win this Saturday... Five sacks means a lop-sided Bison win. The Bison defense again has the ability to control the Mustang's ground game and make QB Anthony Garnett pass the ball. If this happens it will be a long day for the Cal Poly offense... * Control... This will be an important weekend for the Bison offensive line to control the line of scrimmage. The Bison must win the battle of possession time... which will keep the football out of the hands of the potent Anthony Garnett led option attack... * Score early! Another slow start on the road spell doom for the NDSU football team. The Bison cannot afford to get behind big against Cal Poly as the Mustangs defensive line will pin their ears... Score early, establish precedent, and win the game. It's that simple... * The Bison coaching staff must make Cal Poly QB Anthony Garnett throw the ball. Garnett cannot win this game with his arm. Plain and simple... * One word -- 'Consistency'.... from play to play; from game to game.... Bison consistency on both offensive and defensive will make the Bison awfully tough to contain. The maturation of young players such as LB Nick Compton, LB Mike Maresh, FB Tyler Jangula, WR Kole Heckendorf, FS Nick Schommer and any true freshman (Humber, Bowman, Champ, and Ogbetola) will play a major factor in the success of the Bison program this year. And keep the Bison on the fast track to the top of the Division I-AA mountain.... Jottings.... - The weight in the trenches: Offensive line: NDSU 307, Cal Poly 277 Defensive line: NDSU 275, Cal Poly 258 - Injuries this week: FB Travis Roehl - out; WR Travis White - out; WR Nick Jackson out for weeks (separated shoulder); LB Tony Bizal - out (knee); OG Adam Tadisch - probable (calf); OT Tim Popowski - probable (ankle)... - Cal Poly held groundbreaking ceremonies on renovation of Mustang Stadium on Sept. 10 at the Richard J. O'Neill Green. The project, which includes an expanded field, press box, donor suites, new lighting, a memorial plaza entrance and upgraded restrooms, will expand seating capacity to 10,000 fans and cost about $21.5 million to complete. Construction is expected to be completed in time for the 2006 football season, at which time the name will be changed to Memorial Field at Alex G. Spanos Stadium.... - Eleven Cal Poly football players, led by 2004Defensive Player of the Year Chris Gocong, were named to the preseason All-Great West Football Conference teams by I-AA.org. Gocong also was named to the first team and Kenny Chicoine on the second team of The Sports Network's preseason Division I-AA All-America teams. - Since beginning play in Division I-AA in 1994, Cal Poly has won four of 12 season openers. - Cal Poly outscored its first three foes 51-14 in the first half of the 2003 season en route to a 3-0 start; the margin in the 2004 season was 201-104 on the way to a 9-2 record. - Since moving to Division I-AA in 1994, Cal Poly is 16-28 against teams from the Big Sky Conference, including a 5-1 mark in the last six games. - Audio of Cal Poly football games is available on the internet free of charge. Click Here to listen (Real Audio)... - Great West Football Conference members, 22-13 against non-conference foes in 2004, are 12-12 so far in 2005... - Cal Poly announced in November 2004 the scheduling of San Jose State for two games in Spartan Stadium. The dates are Sept. 23, 2006, and Sept. 5, 2009.... - Cal Poly's no-penalty, no-turnover game at Northern Colorado was a first since moving to Division I-AA in 1994 ... the Mustangs have not committed a penalty in a game twice since moving to Division I-AA; both were against Northern Colorado... - Poll Watch: The Bison are currently ranked #12 by the Sports Network; #9 by AnyGivenSaturday.com; and #15 in the Bison Insider Top 20.... Cal Poly are ranked #9 by the Sports Network; #8 by AnyGivenSaturday.com; and #11 in the Bison Insider Top 20....