All or Nothing
Pass or Fail
Right or Wrong
Good or Bad
Get it?
👍
Another game day Saturday
Another chance for the team to take the steps necessary for an eventual return to Frisco
Something to think about which can be applied to what's upcoming: When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom (Proverbs 11:2)
If this year's team wins a conference title and a national championship the defense will be an overwhelming reason why. Even as long-time, significant members are prevented from playing due to injuries they just keep getting better. The prime example is Eli Mostaert. With his 3.5 sacks in the first half he 100% proved that he needs to continue getting snaps no matter how the more veteran guys manage to recover. The other guy who starred today on defense was Jasir Cox. Previously known as Jabril's brother, he made his first signature entries to his own story at the school with his second half interceptions, the first picks of his college career. But it took all 11 that could be on the field & then some to keep Illinois State in double-digit total yards for the first time since 2012 against SoDak that NDSU held a conference opponent to that few yards.
Jake Reinholz also continues to be a weapon and without his eight points today the upcoming negatives would feel worse.
For the third straight game Quincy Patterson was top ball carrier, out producing the traditional runners by a considerable amount. The team needed every bit of his 100 yards on the ground so the original idea was to have it with the positives but as it was discussed this one needed to be flipped to the negatives and here's why: If the unspoken idea is that he's just the placeholder for this season while Cole Payton gets up to speed then it may not blow up in their faces. More likely, though, is that they have him penciled in for 2022, which could get derailed by the hits he's taking every week. Today's was different than the prior games because Hunter Luepke wasn't available but they should have enough guys to work around that one absence without having to put so much on Patterson. As much as possible each game is viewed in a vacuum but the big picture takes precedent this time because repeating the Spring's quarterback calamity can't happen.
It would help the offense if they could consistently move the ball through the air but beyond Christian Watson last week that has been a persistent struggle which isn't remotely outweighed by what Phoenix Sproles, Zach Mathis & Raja Nelson managed to do today. When the offensive line is as successful as they were again today passing should be able to tally more than 124 yards & 1 touchdown in a similar amount of opportunity.
Generally speaking there's a brokenness to the offense overall which may not be fixable this season. The other two phases are clicking so well right now that it hasn't yet bit the team but with the Rabbits on the horizon it's a matter of growing concern. Coach Entz may not say it publicly but the guess is that the problems factored into why they took the ball on offense right away instead of deferring as usual. With only one score in their first five possessions it didn't quite work out.
Comments