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SDSU & NDSU story in the Minneapolis paper

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  • SDSU & NDSU story in the Minneapolis paper

    Highlights from the Minneapolis Star Trib:

    http://www.startribune.com/stories/503/5587865.html

    NDSU, SDSU step right up
    Jeff Shelman,  Star Tribune
    August 31, 2005

    A year ago, there were certainly questions and unknowns when it came to football at North Dakota State and South Dakota State.

    The two schools had just left the North Central Conference in NCAA Division II for Division I-AA.

    Could NDSU and SDSU compete at a higher level? Would the game be too quick? The opposing players too strong? How difficult would this move be?

    Bison coach Craig Bohl and Jackrabbits coach John Stiegelmeier said they learned a lot in the first season of I-AA, but neither program was overmatched.

    North Dakota State finished the season with an 8-3 record and ranked No. 23 in the final ESPN/USA Today Division I-AA poll. The Bison were fifth in I-AA in total defense, third in scoring defense and 15th in attendance.

    Playing a road-heavy schedule, SDSU went 6-5 and beat the Bison in the process.

    "It was a good start," said Bohl, whose team opens the season Thursday night against Arkansas-Monticello. "And to be nationally ranked entering our second year, I didn't think that was possible. A couple of years ago, we were 2-8 playing in the NCC."

    Stiegelmeier's feelings about the first season were similar.

    "When I'm outside of the locker room I'll say that we did an outstanding job, I'm proud of my players and we exceeded expectations," Stiegelmeier said. "But when I'm inside the locker room, I know that we lost three close games and I know we could've done better."

    Both schools enter their second year of Division I-AA play with a little better idea of what to expect and better equipped to play at that level.

    SDSU, which opens Saturday against Wisconsin-La Crosse, has increased its football scholarships from 38 to 42. NDSU is now at the I-AA maximum 63 scholarships for football.

    The increased number of scholarships -- combined with moving up a division -- has allowed both schools to recruit better players than when they were in the NCC.

    "Without bashing the guys we have, we're definitely recruiting a higher level student-athlete," Stiegelmeier said. "But football's still a sport where you have to grow up."  .  .  .

    In a perfect world, both coaches would like to redshirt all of their new freshmen, giving them the opportunity to be eligible for the playoffs in their junior and senior seasons. Those younger players, however, are pushing for immediate playing time.

    "We've done a good job recruiting," Bohl said. "When you look at the guys on our squad, it's no doubt that they look like Division I players.

    "We're getting bigger guys. We're getting faster guys.". . . .

    Upgrading the talent level is important as the schedule is going to be more difficult, beginning with this season.

    A year ago, NDSU and SDSU played three lower-division opponents in addition to their Great West Conference opponents. Both teams will be overwhelming favorites in their openers, but things will get more difficult from there.

    Both NDSU and SDSU have two nonconference games against teams that reached last season's 16-team I-AA playoffs. The Bison play at Northwestern (La.) State and Southern Illinois. The Jackrabbits play at Montana and host Georgia Southern.

    Georgia Southern and Montana are among the heavyweights in I-AA football. Georgia Southern, which defeated SDSU 63-7 a year ago, has won six I-AA titles and two runner-up finishes since 1985. Montana has played in four title games since 1995, winning twice.

    While still a year away, NDSU made a significant step toward legitimacy when it recently agreed to play at Ball State, a Mid-American Conference school, in 2006. Bohl also said the Bison are close to reaching an agreement to play at the Gophers in 2007.

    "We're trying to work out the details," Bohl said. "They've been very receptive."

    A game against the Gophers would be significant for NDSU. Bohl said NDSU has more students from Minnesota than any state, including North Dakota.


    Go State!  ;D


  • #2
    Re: SDSU & NDSU story in the Minneapolis paper

    Several people in here Rochester who know I am a Jacks fan mentioned this article. In summary, most are impressed with the move and look forward to following some of the local kids playing for SDSU.

    That said, Jacks play the Gophers on Dec 23rd 7:00 pm at Williams arena. See you all there.
    We are here to add what we can to life, not get what we can from life. -Sir William Osler

    We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.

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