This Tastes Just Like Chicken Off My Office Floor.... Rivalry…. No Rivalry?… Rivalry…. No Rivalry? I realize a rivalry can’t be born overnight just because two universities need a rivalry game. I know this for sure because I read so in the newspaper. I believe both Kolpack and McFeely (Fargo Forum) made their respective feelings known, but it’s been pretty quiet in the South Dakota papers. Why? Is it because South Dakotans don’t give a crap? Are South Dakotans willing to see if a rivalry blossoms on the field? Do North Dakotans feel so ‘bummed’ that NDSU isn’t playing their small-town friend to the north that they are going to squash every attempt to find another rival? In the last few days, I’ve chatted with several SDSU alumni and based on our conversations this rivalry won’t take much gas to ignite. And believe me, I’ve done my part to spark the kindling this past week. But what doesn’t need to happen is exactly, what Kolpack and McFeely have done this past week in calling the presumed rivalry ‘manufactured’. Maybe these so-called ‘realists’ should come to Watertown or Milbank, South Dakota or take a drive to Wahpeton, North Dakota…. You’ll find rivalry, a rivalry that has been here for over 90 years! It’s the front-line and it’s a heck of a lot of fun! My guess is that when the Bison hold the ‘Dakota Marker’ over their heads after the game Saturday…. the line will be drawn in the sand. The Bison may even have to transport the ‘Dakota Marker’ across the border in an unmarked car…. The Test…. The Bison pass defense will face its first premier test this Saturday. SDSU will throw two big-time offensive weapons against the Bison; QB Brad Nelson and WR Josh Davis. I would expect the Bison to blitz a little more than often this weekend, trying to give Nelson happy feet. Nelson is not a big-time scrambler but he can get the tough yard for a first down. The thing about Nelson that worries most defenses is his field vision or awareness of where his receivers are on the field… tends to throw pretty good timing routes…. Must read the coverage quick because his arm isn’t necessarily NFL grade. As for Davis, I would also expect the Bison to play a ‘short’ cover two…. Not so much to prevent the long ball because Davis doesn’t necessarily have the speed to hurt a secondary. But he is very knowledgeable of finding the hole in the coverage about 15-20 yards down the field, plus he is a capable runner after he catches the ball. He possesses quick feet more than flat-line speed. Bison stars…. Mike Shepherd who? Sorry, Mike…. But Bison strong safety Craig Dahl is beginning to make you a distant memory. Craig had seventeen tackles in the Nicholls State game last week and (I don’t want to toot my horn too much) it’s just like I said last week that the Bison safeties would have to have a big game for the Bison defense to be successful. Safety play against the wishbone is even more important than against the veer option because of add strong side support by the offense. When I was listening to the game, I was smiling ear to ear as Craig Dahl was making tackle after tackle…. This week against SDSU the defense should go back to a normal base defense. The front seven now again becomes the driving force of the defense…. Putting pressure on the quarterback and filling gaps…. On a side note…. The Jackrabbit/Bison game every other year down in Brookings is always my favorite game. Living in Watertown, it’s only a 40 mile trek to the festivities. Plus it doesn’t hurt that lots of my friends and colleagues down here are SDSU graduates…. Gotta love the trash talk and nose rubbing. One more time…. Even though the Bison Zone feed was available last week sometime in the 2nd Quarter last week, I continued to listen to the Nicholls State internet radio broadcast. Even though, at times, the announcers would homer it up, most of the time they did a very professional job and the Nicholls State fans around the United States should feel very luck and proud to have such an outstanding play-by-play team…. The Offense.... Base Offense: West Coast Variant…. Leading the offensive attack is junior signal-caller Brad Nelson (6-5 215 Sr Winona, Minnesota). Nelson has thrown for 986 yards, 5 interception, and 10 touchdowns in 2004, while completing 79 our of 149 passes for a 53.0 completion percentage. Leading the Jacks ground attack is RB Anthony Watson (5-10 220 So Worthington, Minnesota). Watson has rushed the ball 89 times for 443 yards and 2 touchdowns, while catching 5 passes for 50 yards. Topping the SDSU receiving crew is WR Josh Davis (6-0 170 Jr Omaha, Nebraska). In 2004, Davis has hauled in 29 passes for 440 yards and 5 touchdowns. The South Dakota State offense has averaged 133 yards on the ground and 234 yards through the air for an average total offense of 367 yards of total offense per game this season…. The Defense.... Base Defense: 4-3… On the defensive side of the ball, South Dakota State is led by LB Chris Coauette (6-3 240 Sr Crookston, Minnesota). After the first 3 games of the 2004 season, Coauette tops the Jacks defense with 44 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 3 interceptions, and 1 quarterback sack. The South Dakota State defense also features LB Mike Blackburn (6-0 220 Sr Freeport, Illinois) 39 tackles, 1 for loss; CB Hank McCall (5-11 185 Jr Algona, Iowa) 31 tackles, 2 for loss, and DT Ryan Schlieman (6-2 270 Fr Madison, Minnesota) 8 tackles, 4 sacks. For the year, the Colonels defense has given up an average of 85 yards on the ground and 200 yards through the air per game. History.... This will be the first Great West Conference clash between NDSU and SDSU and also will be the first game for possession of the ‘Dakota Marker’. The first meeting between the NDSU and South Dakota State football teams took place in 1903 with North Dakota State thrashing SDSU 85-0. This will be the 91st meeting between the two schools with the Bison grabbing 8 of the last 10 contests (the Bison losing in 1997; 27-34 and in 2002; 20-25 – both in Brookings). Stretching back further into history, the Bison have been victorious in 27 of the last 31 meetings. Show Me the Keys.... * Again this week the Bison offensive line has a huge weight advantage…. This game should favor the Bison offense in a game of good ole’ smash mouth with the South Dakota boys on the right-side leading the way. I know there is nothing more that Buckwalter and Popowski want than to put the smack on the ‘Bunnies’. * Bison QB Tony Stauss must again limit interceptions…. If Tony plays ‘smart ball’ this weekend the Bison will be victories. He just has to remember to audible out versus with 8 or 9 men in the box…. * Kick returners Allen Burrell and Shamen Washington could light this game up…. The Jacks are giving up 23.8 yards per punt return…. * Sacks, interceptions, fumbles... Goal for takeaways this week? Three…. Three turnovers from the Bison defense equals a comfortable win this Saturday…. Four sacks means a Bison blowout…. * The full stable of Bison wide receivers; Marques Johnson, Allen Burrell, and Travis White will have a huge speed advantage this weekend versus the Jacks secondary. Expect a lot of cushion by the SDSU secondary, so the short to medium pass will be open…. Especially in the three wide receiver set. * Score early! When you play an inferior team, it’s always a must to keep that team on their heals from the very beginning. Destroy confidence…. * The Bison linebackers must control the running attack…. Zimmerman and Mays will be very important to keep the Jacks to a one-sided offensive attack…. * The Bison coaching staff can’t be afraid to blitz this weekend and blitz often… I think to many teams versus Jacks QB Brad Johnson play the coverage game and get eaten alive. Johnson is a lot like Brett Favre. He gets extremely rattled when the opposing defense puts on the heat. * 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. Young players such as LB Joe Mays, FB Tyler Roehl, WR/P Mike Dragosavich, RB Cinque Chapman and RB Shamen Washington will play a major factor in the success of the Bison program this year… And bring Bison football back to the standards set by the 80s and 90s teams…. Jottings.... - The weight in the trenches: Offensive line: NDSU 301, South Dakota State 296 Defensive line: NDSU 268, South Dakota State 253 - Injuries this week: The Bison came out of the Nicholls State nearly injury free…. - For SDSU / NDSU tickets; call the SDSU ticket office at 605-688-5422 or 1-886-GoJacks, or oder online at GoJacks.com…. - The ‘Bunnies’ offense has a 3rd Down conversion percentage of 41% and a 4th down conversion percentage of 40%…. - 2004 Great West Conference Football Coaches Pre-season Poll: 1. Cal Poly 2. Northern Colorado 3. UC Davis 4. North Dakota State 5. Southern Utah 6. South Dakota State - Audio of South Dakota State football games is available on the internet free of charge… - Roger Thomas is a weenie.... Most of you probably don't know who this is anymore. Let's see if I can trigger some memories? He is an athletic director for a small time college in North Dakota.... - Next week the Jacks travel to Bozemon, Montana, to fact Montana State University… Montana State is a member of the Big Sky Conference…. - North Dakota State is averaging 446.2 yards per game, allowing 265.2…. - The Bison / Jacks clash this Saturday is not only the first battle for the Dakota Marker, but is also SDSU’s 38th annual Beef Bowl game…. - Poll Watch: The Bison are currently ranked #26 by the Weekly Football Gazette. South Dakota State did not appear in any polls this week....