How NDSU Football Gets Ready for the FCS Championship

KVRR's Nick Couzin shows how NDSU spends time the three weeks getting ready for the Championship

FRISCO, TX — Between the FCS Playoff semifinal game and the Championship, there is a three week gap. In order to come out with a national title, it’s all about how each team handles that time period,

In the case of North Dakota State football, the Bison have embraced the extra time even calling it a winter camp based on the fall camp philosophy, and its that type of environment that helps them stay locked in when it comes to championship Saturday.

“It helped us in a lot of ways. Mentality, physically and even getting together a little more as a team,” senior cornerback Marquise Bridges said. “We spent all three weeks together, just us and no school. Just football. We just got to grow with each other throughout this process.”

“It was like even fall camp all over again,” sophomore receiver Phoenix Sproles said. “Wake up early mornings, 6;30- 7 A.M. breakfast, meetings, practice, meetings again, lift. Team dinner. Just like a fall camp scenario. It was just football for three weeks. No school. It was very fun.”

“Its just helped us lock in. Key in on the detail,” sophomore receiver Christian Watson said. “Be focused, take it a day at a time. It just gave us more time to be in the film room. More time to come together as a team and get our offense together.”

“They (the coaches) kept us pretty busy,” sophomore linebacker Jackson Hankey said.  “A lot of times we were up early with practice and work outs and a whole lot of meetings. A lot of times we were done at 5 or 6 at night. There wasn’t a whole lot of free time but that’s what it takes to get here and win this game.”

The team spent most of the day out in the Frisco community that included reading to kids at a local elementary school.

The KVRR Sports team coverage of the FCS Championship continues through Sunday.