All or Nothing
Pass or Fail
Right or Wrong
Good or Bad
Get it?
👍
In the event that the header doesn't give it away, here's everything that went wrong for the home team during today's game:
That leaves a lot of meat on the bone
Of all aspects that could be lead-off with, the end was the best part. To see a couple of the home-grown skill position players get on the field & quickly get their names called was the best sort of ending that could be asked for. In a real way, we were seeing the future.
And of course that extended to young Cole Payton, who got his first chance at game snaps. Despite last week's accusation of classlessness, the coaches kept the ball on the ground for all but one play in the second half. If not for that NDSU could have hung 100 on Valpo. So we didn't get to see much from Payton, or Cam Miller before him, but as the suspected next great QB it was an ideal time for the baby step.
Which leaves the first three quarters of the game.
It was dominance in every statistical way. They scored a touchdown on 1 of every 7 running plays and out-performed that with a 1 in 3 ratio through the air. That includes the "passing" score to Christian Watson which was effectively a run as well, so the stats got a little wonky from that, but you get the idea.They were playing a non-scholarship school so a lot of the guys on the field are D2-caliber playing at the next level so nothing that happened was a surprise. But how effortlessly they took care of Valpo was still astounding.
And just to make it official that the defense isn't being overlooked, THEY PITCHED A SHUTOUT. That speaks for itself on any level or in any sport. The one addendum to the goose-egg is that they only allowed Valpo into the red zone twice, the second time being in the final moments against many of the youngest members of the roster.
On a day that has so much weight it was an afternoon of entertainment to a degree that is rarely achieved. There isn't the slightest equivalence between the events of 20 years ago & all that was sparked by the attacks and a sporting event. There is however an inexorable link between the past & present which won't be wholly ignored just because of the chasm of difference in significance.
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