NDSU locking in for first test

A special preview of week one what you should know heading into the Drake game

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR)-It’s finally game week and the Bison are amped up for this one.

At the presser a major key Coach Entz mentioned is controlling the controllables, limiting turnovers, penalties and playing Bison football.

Drake comes in a major underdog, last year the bulldogs finished 2-8. They’re coming in on a five game losing streak dating back to last season.

NDSU Averaged 34.1 points per game, held teams to 11.1 points per game.

Drake averaged 12.7 Ppg and gave up 22.7 ppg

The Bulldogs also gave up 178 yards per game on the ground.

The Bison averaged 280 yards running the football.

The staff wants to see these guys come out aggressive and set the tone in the trenches and move the ball on the ground.

“Just what I’ve watched on film, not a lot out there right now. I know, I think Ian Corwin will be their starting QB per their depth chart, young man played a bunch for them last year, does provide a little bit of challenge with some quarterback run game. In some games earlier last year they were able to use him in some plus one offensive schemes and so we’ll have to make sure we have that defended,” said Matt Entz, NDSU head coach.

Coach Entz tells us practice has been extremely competitive, he’s happy the guys are really getting after it, but it was getting a bit chippy.

It gets to that point when guys have been hitting their teammates for awhile, after time you’re amped up to go beat on someone else.

“Our focus kind of changes from playing against our own guys to focusing on a different opponent and I just feel like that kind of changes our mindset from going you know playing against our own guys to focusing on the team that we’re going to play next. You know we’re really not to focused on them. We’re just gonna stick with what we do best. and just playing our style of football and that’s just we’re gonna run it down your throat basically,” said Cam Miller, starting quarterback.

This game will be a good opportunity for the staff to look at some key position battles in the secondary, and at the crucial middle linebacker spot.

They return five starters on Defense this season.

Entz also says we will see more Freshmen dressing out than usual.

“We just got to, you know play our best football that we can at this point. We’re really starting to mesh together as a whole defense, I know you said the secondary but as a whole defense just kind of feeling some new pieces at linebacker and feeling that out, they’re not really super complex with what they do with offense, so we’re just really playing our brand of football, and we’re going to go play fast, our game plan for this week is fairly simple as well. It’s time to go hunt especially on defense like I said, you know that’s all we do we feel like we’re just hunting and playing fast and flying to the ball. So I can’t wait to go out there and hear that first third down and hear the crowd roaring,” said Michael Tutsie, starting safety.

Tomorrow’s game will kickoff at 2:30 pm tomorrow, get to tailgate early!