MY PRETTY PONY....   (10/18/2005) Off My Office Floor.... Bye week moves... A mid-season bye week for the Bison not only gave me a chance to reflect on the first half of the 2005 season, but to take a look at who has been instrumental in the early successes the first six games. So in my own wild and wacky way... I decided to hand out the Mid-Season Bison Insider Awards: Offensive MVP - RB Kyle Steffes. Whether it be getting the tough yard or streaking down the field for a 75 yard touchdown run, Kyle Steffes is equally capable of performing the task. Steffes possesses... speed, toughness, determination and heart. The four qualities that make up a quality DI-AA running back. All in all, 552 yards on 109 carries for 5.1 yards per carry is the result... Defensive MVP - SS Craig Dahl. The junior strong safety is the anchor of the Bison defense, capable of making up for occasional lack-luster linebacker and defensive line play versus the run and spotty corner play against the pass. Dahl is speedy enough to cover man-to-man and a physical force against the run. The beautiful part is that he doesn't get called on much to be the savior because of the quality defensive people around him... Allowing him to be a difference-maker for the NDSU defense. This season, Dahl is the second leading tackler for the Bison with 37... Mid-season Baby Bison - WR Kole Heckendorf. Good speed, very good hands, and a feel for the game; is the best way to describe the football ability of Heckendorf. Most of us are anxiously waiting for Heckendorf to lineup opposite of Travis White next year...should be interesting. Steve Walker is such a lucky guy. But anyway, Kole is commonly known as the "little brother of St. Cloud State All-American quarterback Keith Heckendorf", but the future looks so bright for Kole that Keith better get used to being called "Kole Heckendorf's big brother." Most Exciting Player - RB/KR Shamen Washington. Every time this young man touches the ball, everybody scoots to the front of his or her seat. Because it's only a matter of time until he makes something happen... Washington averages 7.3 yards per carry out of the backfield and 18.8 yards per punt return... Best Offensive Lineman - RG Justin Buckwalter. Not only a very good offensive lineman, but also a hell of a golfer. The thing I like most about Justin's play is his constant play along the offensive line. If you pay attention to Bison running plays, you'll notice that Kyle Steffes spends a lot of time running right behind Buckwalter. He's what an offensive lineman should be... not flashy, but able to 'pancake' a defensive lineman or linebacker at any time... Best Defensive Lineman - NG Rodney Thompson. At times, this mountain of a man seems unblockable. It's been awhile (or never) that the Bison have had an interior defensive lineman this big (305 pounds... give or take) and this quick. It's been a privilege to see this young man develop on the field before my very eyes... Best Special Teamer - RB/KR Shamen Washington. This was really a no-brainer and made even easier since special teams tackler extraordinaire was lost for the season with a knee injury. If given a chance, Washington can take any kick to the house... Mr. Underachiever - LB Joe Mays. Some of you may ask how I could label the leading tackler on the Bison defense as an underachiever. It's because I believe that this young man is a special talent. I believe that Joe possesses that 'something' that can take him to the next level. But at times this season, Mays has been very ordinary... missed tackles and wrong reads/gap fills. The bye week may have been just the thing Joe Mays needed... Best Coach - Craig Bohl. One thing I've always admired about coach Bohl is his straightforward approach towards football, the media and Bison fans. In talking about Bison football, there is no bullshit coming out of this man's mouth. He tells it like it is. It's very refreshing in this day and age of political correctness. After the Cal Poly game, Bohl told the media and fans that the Bison program needs to recruit better players/athletes. Whether he was sending a message or not to current Bison players, I don't know. But he flat out told us that we need more speed and better players to compete at the elite DI-AA level. Definitely something that former coach Bob Babich would never have done... Best Bison Fan - SDbison and WYOBISONMAN. Yes, a tie because I couldn't decide if SDbison's cow bell being confiscated by Montana State security should be given more weight over the dedication shown by WYOBISONMAN on the message boards and in the chat room. Though I must say that SDbison is a nightmare in the stands. At the MSU game in Bozeman, there was a MSU Bobcat fan sitting by himself between Bob Holiday and Dave (SDbison). The Bobcat fan got up after about a quarter into the game and never returned. Geez, I wish everyone in the Fargodome had such an emphatic love for Bison football... Best Bison Insider Columnist - JD Trainer. It's pretty obvious. Isn't it... Best Bison Photo Guy - Bisonguy. It's pleasure to share Denny's work on Bison Insider with all of you. Denny is nothing but a class act and the true example of a die-hard Bison fan... Mr. Give Me a Chance - Mark Moore. Quite simply, Moore is the best 4th team running back in DI-AA football. I firmly believe if Mark Moore was given a equal shot at hauling the pigskin, we'd be saying, "Steffes who?" No... Mark didn't pay me to say that, but I do accept Visa and MasterCard... De Ja Vu... Will the real “Ryan Smith” please stand up? How about the real “Chris Carter”? This season, UC Davis has a pair of each, although Ryan Smith and Chris Carter are both redshirting. They’re also both on the active roster. Confused? Yeah, me too. Actually, it’s true that one of each pair of names is redshirting but WR Ryan Smith (the senior) - the one on the active roster - is making things easier by going by his middle name this season: Blaise (pronounced “Blaze”, appropriate for a receiver)... Of course, after catching the game-winning touchdown pass against Stanford, he’s made a name for himself another way as well... As for the older Chris Carter, he’s a linebacker and has made no mention of altering his moniker.... yet... On a side note... Through emails and a message board thread, many Bison fans are disappointed with the latest BI Top 20. But I must say, after watching almost every DI-AA personally either on TV or via game tape (my favorite channels are now CSTV and the Fox College Sports Channels)... I feel pretty good about the poll. On the other hand, I have the same concerns as everybody else.... But again, it's only midway through the season and I believe the poll will work itself out in the end. The final poll of last year predicted 15 of the 16 2004 DI-AA playoff teams (exception Cal Poly). I expect nothing less this year. And don't discount the Alabama State 'Fighting Hornets'... their only loss was to a highly respected South Carolina State team 27-14. I was proud to place them at #20 in my poll... As for Lehigh at #11, predicting wins and losses for teams from the Northeastern U.S. has been a crapshoot this year. Every week, it's like picking your poison... One more time... Recruiting of the 2006 class of Baby Bison is already starting to heat up. But let me echo Tony's (Bisonville) advice for Bison supporters... Don't talk to these young men about the Bison program. Don't talk to their extended family about the Bison program. Don't post on the message board that you talked to a recruit's family member about a commitment. So with that said... in the next couple weeks, Bison Insider will crank up the Recruiting Watch page once again. On the Recruiting Watch page, you'll be able to find information about potential recruits obtained from newspapers, television, and radio... We will NOT post any recruit information that we consider rumor or which may hurt the Bison program in any way. It's not worth it... The UC Davis Offense.... Base Offense: One-back West Coast... Leading the UC Davis offensive attack is junior QB Jon Grant. The 6-2, 205-pound Pacific Grove, California native has completing 146 of 254 passes for 1,570 yards and 10 touchdowns, while tossing 8 interceptions this season. Grant was selected All-GWFC first team last season for the Aggies. Leading the UC Davis wide receiving crew are Tony Kays and Blaise Smith. This season, Kays, a 6-1 188-pound junior from Elk Grove, California has grabbed an impressive 53 passes for 670 yards (12.6 ypc). Kays, a 2004 GWFC honorable mention candidate, also returns punts for the Aggies at a clip of 10.1 yards per return. Smith, a 6-2 190-pound senior from Santa Maria, California has hauled in the pigskin 31 times for 309 yards (10.0 ypc) and 2 touchdowns. Although not used often, Freshman RB Demario Warren gets the bulk of the carries out of the backfield. The 6-0 205-pound, Fairfield, California product has carried the ball 52 times for 188 yards (3.6 ypc), while catching 9 passes for 90 yards and a touchdown. Through five games, the Aggies have racked up an average of 359 yards of total offense, including an 93 yards by land and 266 yards through the air... *Note: UC Davis attack is strictly aerial, so you shouldn't expect them to establish the ground game (mostly draws or delays)... The Cal Poly Defense.... Base Defense: 4-3... On the defensive side of the ball, the UC Davis defense is led by 2004 All-GWFC honorable mention selection LB Ben Reece (5-9 205-pound senior Paso Robles, California). This season, Reece leads the Aggies in tackles with 34 including 1 sack. The UC Davis defense also features LB Dan Elbanna (5-11 215-pounds). This season, the senior from Walnut Creek, California and a 2004 second team ALL-GWFC selection, has 30 tackles with 1 for loss. The secondary is anchored by CB Nevan Bergan (5-11 170-pound junior San Diego, California)... has pulled down 22 opposition ball carriers and hauled in 4 interceptions, while breaking up 4 opposition passes. The statistical leader for an athletic Aggies defensive line is James Amos, a 6-3 245-pound defensive end from Galt, California. Amos has 20 tackles including 4.5 are sacks. In 2004, Amos was selected the Aggies Freshman of the Year and in 2003, the Redshirt of the Year. This season, the UC Davis defense has given up 284 total yards per game, including 99 rushing yards and 185 yards through the air... *Note: Statistically, the Aggies defense ranks better than Cal Poly... History.... This is the 8th meeting between the two schools. The Bison lead the series 4-3 ... NDSU defeated the Aggies 25-7 in the final game of the 2004 season. The first four meetings came in the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Bison were defeated 19-14 by a Ken O’Brien (NY Jets) led UC Davis team in the 1982 semifinals, but won the next three meetings, 26-17 at Davis in 1983, 31-23 in Fargo in 1984 and 31-12 at Davis in 1985. Show Me the Keys.... * Again this week, the Bison offensive line plays against a speed defensive front. Establishing and holding on to blocks will be at a premium to establish a Bison ground attack. If the NDSU hogs let James Amos and crew run wild this will be a long night... * Bison QB Steve Walker must continue to play error-free football... but at the same time it's time for Bison offensive coordinator to open up the offense. What ever happened to the 'misdirection plays' of the past? In other words, the Bison offensive game plans are just too basic. * This will be just another week of late for Shamen Washington... Opposition coaches seemed determined to not let Washington win games with his kick returning ability. * 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 better have their pass defense shoes on this weekend. The Aggies will not win this game with their running attack... * Control... This will be an important weekend for the Bison offensive line to control the line of scrimmage and keep the offense out of third and long situations. The Bison offense hasn't shown the ability to successfully convert on multiple third down occasions... * Score early! Another slow start on the road spell doom for the NDSU football team. The Bison cannot afford to get behind big against UC Davis as the Aggies defensive line will pin their ears back... Score early, establish precedent, and win the game. It's that simple... gain some offensive confidence... * The Bison coaching staff must make UC Davis win this game on the ground. If given time, Aggies quarterback Jon Grant will pick the Bison secondary apart... * 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, UC Davis 275 Defensive line: NDSU 275, UC Davis 264 - Injuries this week: FB Travis Roehl - out; WR Travis White - out; WR Nick Jackson - probable (separated shoulder); LB Tony Bizal - out (knee) - UC Davis TE Daniel Fells was named a preseason First-team All-American by The Sports Network and was third-team pick by I-AA.org... - UC Davis' boasts 35 consecutive winning seasons (fourth-longest active streak in collegiate football, and best among non-Div. III programs.)... - The Aggies have scored in 172 straight games... The last shutout was 19-0 vs. Cal Poly in 1990... - UC Davis has not had less than 200 yards in total offense since a 30-12 loss to Nevada in 1969... That’s 394 games. - UC Davis-Stanford game facts: UCD outgained Stanford, 361-192, nearly doubling the Cardinal’s offense... UCD had more plays (90-51), possession time (35:43-24:17), first downs (20-12), rushing yards (110-74), passing yards (251-118) and red-zone chances (3-1)... Stanford averaged just 2.1 yards per rushing attempt... It was the Aggies’ first win over a Div. I-A program since 1986 (Pacific, 45-41) and the first game against an I-A team since 1997 (Idaho). - Audio of California-Davis football games is available on the internet free of charge. Click Here to listen... - UC Davis is averaging 19.2 ppg. through its first five games of the year... That is the lowest average for the Aggies through five games since a 17.6 avg. in 1990... - Three former UC Davis football players began this year in the NFL, including QB J.T. O’Sullivan (1998-2001) who was with the Green Bay Packers before being released and quickly signed by the Chicago Bears... Brothers Brad Lekkerkerker (Oakland Raiders) and Corey Lekkerkerker (San Diego), both offensive tackles, were also in camps before being released and then resigned to their respective teams’ practice squad... - Five members of the Aggies coaching staff have completed 109 “coaching-years” together, having been together the last 17 seasons... Bob Biggs (27 total years, 12 as head coach), Fred Arp (39th year), Lou Bronzan (22nd year) Mike Moroski (18th year) and Greg Chapla (17th year) make up the group... By the way, they’re all graduates of UC Davis.... - Poll Watch: The Bison are currently ranked #17 by the Sports Network; #16 by AnyGivenSaturday.com; and #17 in the Bison Insider Top 20.... Although receiving votes in most DI-AA polls, the Aggies weren't ranked this past week....