FCS Playoffs “A Fresh Start” for NDSU Football

The Bison host Eastern Washington at the Fargodome Saturday

FARGO, N.D. — North Dakota State football enters unfamiliar territory on Saturday going into the FCS playoffs unseeded for the first time since 2010 when hosting Eastern Washington in a rematch of the 2019  championship game.

The playoffs bring a fresh start, a clean slate for what has been a different year. It’s been a regular season the team has put behind them. The 24 hour rule was enforced when thinking about not winning a Valley title or losing twice.

NDSU is focused on looking ahead and wanting to finish strong. Part of carrying that out is having veteran players who have experienced the winning culture help the younger players realize how the Bison way is suppose to be.

“The ease of moving on is some of these kids, they haven’t been here long enough to understand,” head coach Matt Entz said. The guys like Jackson Hankey, Noah Gindorff, Cordell Volson, our older players are taking it much harder than our young kids. Our young kids have probably all experienced a loss in the last year. Some of these guys haven’t had that experience of the course of their career. We talk a lot about leaving your legacy here at NDSU. I know those upperclassman want to continue to play well and get hot stay hot here through the playoffs.”

“Those younger guys they don’t know what they don’t know. A lot of them haven’t been here for 15-0 16-0 seasons,” senior offensive lineman Cordell Volson said. “Were playing a lot of young guys. I don’t think they understand where were at and that’s the job guys like myself need to do a better job of teaching and showing them how it’s done.”

If NDSU wins they’ll have to win two games on the road to get to Frisco.