This season's journey to the postseason and Frisco, Texas has 12 pre-scheduled stops, with only one break between now & late November. There will be twists, turns & trouble along the route but through it all the Herd will make progress. Following each game this will be the only place to find the thoughts about it. As great as the destination can be, enjoy the weekly pit stops along the way!
This is the stop everyone waits for, talks about and recognizes as the best.
Even in Bristol, Connecticut they know what's up on the Prairie!
Just to get it out of the way, 15 accepted penalties in the game was as close to a spoiler as the event could have included. Certainly the players could have been more precise in how they performed to ensure the flags stayed tucked-away but there were many more instances of dubious decisions by this officiating crew. For the game of the year the League should have had the top crew in Fargo but that bunch was not up to the task.
Fortunately, the same cannot be said of Cam Miller in the clutch
Miller's numbers weren't great by college standards but he still has the precious zero in the interception column for the season and that alone has him in the conversation for the Walter Payton. With the game-winning drive that he executed, Miller may even be the favorite as the sun shines on the victors. Following the five punts and one turnover-on-downs the offense put together just their third 10+ play drive of the game but unlike the second one, they finished it with the touchdown to Raja Nelson to put the defense back in the driver's seat for the remaining moments.
Not that they ever really got out from behind the wheel. giving up just nine points to an offense that had scored 20+ in every previous game, including the opener against Oklahoma State, makes that whole portion of the roster the MVP! Growonski finished with 118 yards through the air. That would be a paltry amount if they had been playing outside during a January whiteout! Without starters to begin with and with more players departing early as the quarters unfolded, Code Green continued to stymie the Blue Coats into six punts and the game-sealing takeaway by Logan Kopp. They were at their best when their best was required!
As boring and frustrating as the game was, it was also a championship effort, plain and simple.
To SDSU's credit, they excelled in shutting-down Bryce Lance but as a fellow proof of the offense's ability to overcome difficulties, Chris Harris, Braylon Henderson and Nelson hauled in 12 passes for 119 yards and both scores. NDSU's talent at the receiver position has been oft-discussed but this was the best display by that group thus far. No team can take four guys away every play for an entire game.
It's a credit to what Matt Entz put together
Now, moving forward, with two weeks until the bye and three games that could go as three+ touchdown victories, they have a pretty straight path to the one-seed and should be able to get some of the absentees back in action for the playoff (and hopefully the finale in Vermillion the 23rd of next month).
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