Bison center Westberg making case to start next year as well

By Jeff Kolpack The Forum Fargo

North Dakota State junior Brandon

Westberg will once again get the start at center Saturday when the Bison host Illinois State. But it’s not as if he just stepped off the bus from high school and it may not be long before the situation becomes permanent.

Veteran starter Jalen Sundell underwent a surgical procedure on his foot last week and his status for this season is unknown. Sundell will use his pandemic year and return next season and when he does, some are speculating that it may be at another position, like left tackle.

With Westberg, that move would make sense. He made four starts last season for the injured Sundell and will be making his third start this year for the 2:30 p.m. kickoff at Gate City Bank Field.

“It’s definitely different than just getting your first snaps,” Westberg said. “When I get out there, you can definitely notice that, hey, I’ve been out here before. This isn’t something new so you get those nerves out of the way and get ready for the first hit.”

Westberg was a coveted recruit out of CambridgeIsanti High School north of the Twin Cities. He was a Minnesota Mr. Football finalist. He’s part of a veteran NDSU offensive line that has senior guards Jake Kubas and Nash Jensen on both sides of him while left tackle Cody Mauch is a sixth-year senior.

“Sometimes I’m getting ready to call out the (defensive) front combos and Nash and Jake are already saying it for me,” Westberg said. “I’m like, oh, all I have to do now is snap the ball. Having guys like that who have had a lot of snaps under their belt and are phenomenal players as well helps too.”

NDSU will get a challenge in Illinois State’s 3-4 alignment, which has given the Bison trouble over the years. The 2019 undefeated season needed a 9-3 win over the Redbirds in the FCS quarterfinals. The 2018 national title team was held to one touchdown in the second half in a 28-14 victory.

In 2017, in the wind, rain and snow in Normal, Ill., the Bison needed a late TD to secure a 20-7 win.

“They do a great job of bringing pressure,” Westberg said. “They like to mess with your eyes. I think their front seven plays phenomenal.”

Pandemic hit Redbirds hard

The pandemic-delayed and shortened spring season of 2021 did not treat Illinois

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State very well. The Redbirds suffered a rash of injuries on defense and ultimately canceled its season after four games.

Head coach Brock Spack said it’s taken until this season for his program to get back on track.

“We’re starting to come out of it now,” he said. “We’re a little bit more like we’ve been in the past.”

The 2020 team would have been an experienced group had the FCS played in the fall. Several moved on to FBS programs after it was postponed and a young ISU team was 4-7 last season.

“It’s taken us a while, I don’t know why it has but it just has,” Spack said. “COVID wasn’t good for us for some reason.”

The biggest issue — and Spack likens his program to NDSU’s in terms of development — was a lack of offseason training.

“We really hang our hat on our offseason stuff,” he said. “This is really our first year we’ve had a whole year of all of our offseason stuff. We’re all in the same boat with that so those are excuses but for some reason we were hit hard. But now we’re more like us, you could say.”

Kobe Johnson expected to return

After a first month and a half of not being afraid to go six deep at running back, the Bison have cut back a bit. Part of it has to do with injury; senior Kobe Johnson missed the last two games with an ankle injury.

Johnson warmed up prior to the South Dakota State game but did not play.

“Just to feel if he could make the cuts,” said head coach Matt Entz. “Leading up to the injury, I thought Kobe was running the ball as hard as he ever has here at NDSU so I think he wanted to make sure he wasn’t taking one step forward and then by game’s end we’re two steps backward.”

After getting some attention in September, junior Jalen Bussey has not seen the ball in the last three games.

“Just the way things have sorted themselves out,” Entz said. “Jalen is a dynamic football player for us and provides a lot of leadership. He’s an early-down back for us, a first or second down back and trying to find ways for him to get in there and just the way it hasn’t worked out and what the depth in the room is right now.”

Etc. etc. etc.

► NDSU has won 11 straight in its series with the Redbirds that comprises 16 games. The Bison have a 13-2 lead with ISU, winning once in

Fargo — 27-24 in the 2009 homecoming game.

► The Bison have not lost back-to-back games since 2009, a year in which they dropped five straight in a 3-8 season.

► Illinois State brought in three transfers in its defensive secondary and the results have been immediate. The Redbirds are 11th in the FCS in passing yards allowed at 175.9 yards per game. NDSU is fourth at 135.6.

► The Bison passing game has been sharp the past three outings with quarterback Cam Miller completing 72% of his throws at 51 of 67. His 14 in a row in that stretch ranks third-longest in NDSU history.

► NDSU safety Michael Tutsie is eighth in career tackles on the Bison all-time list with 152 and needs eight to move into second place behind Colten Heagle’s 191. Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack at jkolpack@forumcomm.com. Twitter@KolpackInForum