NDSU LB Dan Marlette Working Hard to Fill in for Injured DeLuca

Marlette will make his first start inside the FargoDome

FARGO, N.D. — When North Dakota State star linebacker Nick DeLuca went down with an injury, it opened the door for another player to make his moves.

Junior Dan Marlette made five tackles and forced a fumble against No. 7 Eastern Washington last week, and now he’s looking forward to his first start at home.

“It means a lot to me,” Marlette said. “I’ve been working really hard for an opportunity like this. Nick has been a huge help to me these last couple of weeks. He wasn’t sure if he was going to play or not [against Eastern Washington]. Regardless, he was helping all of the linebackers out, especially me. Just having him behind me is a huge difference.”

DeLuca, a preseason All-American, is a big absence on the defense, but other players say they’re not worried as they continue their ‘next man up’ policy.

“We’re resilient, just like we have always been in the past,” defensive tackle Nate Tanguay said. “Dan Marlette stepped up. Levi jordheim stepped up. I love seeing those guys out there, because they really, really care about this team.”

The Bison take on Robert Morris on Saturday with kickoff at 2:30 p.m.