Bison offense getting more diverse late in the season

By Jeff Kolpack and Eric Peterson

The Forum Fargo

It’s no secret that however thick the offensive playbook at North Dakota State, more of the pages have been getting a workout over the course of the last month. Take the first drive last week in the Division I FCS second round game against Southern Illinois for example.

The Bison ran nine plays and in a drive that made it 7-0. Five of them were runs and four were passes. They ran an empty backfield set with three receivers and two tight ends on one play. On second-and-19, quarterback Cam Miller went to perhaps his fourth receiver in running back Kobe Johnson and the alert combination picked up a first down.

That was followed by a reverse to receiver Braylen Henderson. There was a third-and-2 bootleg pass to Phoenix Sproles for a first down.

“It’s probably stuff we’ve had multiple reps at during the course of the year,” said offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl. “It’s just finding the right opportunity to call them.”

On NDSU’s next possession, the Bison used backup quarterback Quincy Patterson on a third-and-2 run play that picked up 27 yards. Roehl pulled out the three-back I formation not long after that. Also seen during the game was the three running backs look behind the quarterback.

“I think from a run game standpoint, we really want to hang our hat on the top seven, eight schemes and when you can simplify that and give our guys the ability to go out there and play really fast, I think you’re going to be efficient,” Roehl said. “When you can get a fast start, you’re only going to build momentum and when you have the ability to run the football and put yourselves in third-andmanageable, the whole playbook is open on third and medium-to-short.”

It remains to be seen if the playbook continues to open Saturday when the Bison host East Tennessee State in the FCS quarterfinals at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome. But the Bison looked as sharp and diverse as they have all season against the Salukis.

Take away the end of the first half when the clock ran out on the offense, NDSU scored on its first five possessions and didn’t punt until late in the third quarter.

Bucs bullish in close games

East Tennessee State earned its first playoff victory since 1996 last weekend when the Bucs rallied for a 32-31 win against Kennesaw State in the final minutes. ETSU scored 15 points in the final 90 seconds for a dramatic second-round victory to advance to the quarterfinals. The Bucs (11-1) set a new program record for wins in a season this fall.

ETSU has a 6-1 record this season in games decided by a touchdown or less. The Bucs started the season with an FBS victory against Vanderbilt. ETSU has a 3-2 record in its program history. In contrast, NDSU has a 38-3 record in the FCS playoffs, including a 29-1 mark in the Fargodome.

“We’re just ETSU and that’s just what we know,” said Bucs senior linebacker Jared Folks. “We know who we are. We don’t ever go into a game thinking we’re the big dog or things are going to be easy for us. I think we go in expecting a fight every week no matter who we play or where we’re at. I think when we expect a fight, once it comes and once we get hit in the mouth, we’re ready to respond because we were expecting a fight when we came in.”

ETSU offensive lineman

Tre’mond Shorts said it doesn’t matter to him that the Bucs are considered an underdog by most heading into the quarterfinals.

“Teams that line up in front of us on Saturdays know what we do and after the game that respect is earned throughout every play that we play,” Shorts said. “If you haven’t played us and you don’t respect us, it’s not bothering me.”

Folks said he’s excited the

Bucs get a chance to play against the Bison, who have been an FCS power for the past decade.

“I just think it means a lot for this program,” Folks said. “It’s really a testament to what’s being built here and what we’re becoming. Saturday is all that matters. … The past is the past on each side. We’ve just got to focus on what’s coming up.”

Former Bison lineman Schreiber a key player for ETSU

ETSU starting center Joe Schreiber started his college career at NDSU, spending two seasons with the Bison.

The 6-foot-3, 295-pound Schreiber played one season at Iowa Western Community College before he transferred to ETSU. Schreiber started playing for the Bucs last spring.

“I’m sure it’s going to be a little bit surreal for him going up there,” said Bucs head coach Randy Sanders. “I’m sure he’s probably still got a lot of friends on that team. We’re really fortunate that we were able to get Joe here. Joe’s been a huge part of us being able to go 15-3 at this point in this year.”

Schreiber, from Chanhassen, Minn., spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons with NDSU.

“It concerns me, you take a guy like Joe that’s come here and helped us as much as he has and he left (NDSU) so that tells you a little bit about what we’re going to be facing,” Sanders said. “The only thing I knew about North Dakota State was Carson Wentz and Joe Schreiber,” added Folks. Odds and ends

► NDSU has made 12 consecutive FCS playoff appearances, ranking third on that list behind Montana (17 from 1993-2009) and New Hampshire (14 from 2004-2017). The Bison started their current streak in 2010. NDSU has 38 FCS playoff wins, ranking second behind Georgia Southern at 45.

► NDSU’s 45 quarterback sacks this season is fifth most in school history and only four short of the school record of 47 set in 1974. The Bison have registered five sacks in five different games.

► The Bison have the highest FCS playoff winning percentage at .927 (38-3).

► The Bucs last made the national quarterfinals in 1996 when they lost 44-14 against Montana. ETSU earned a 35-29 victory against Villanova in the first round of that postseason. The Bucs didn’t have a football team from 20042014.

► East Tennessee’s 11 wins this season is a program record for most victories in one season.

► The 32-31 come-frombehind win by ETSU over Kennesaw State last week was the first playoff win for the Buccaneers since beating Villanova 35-29 in 1996.

By Craig Haley Stats Perform

There’s great familiarity with the three players who on Tuesday were invited to the Jan. 7 announcement of the 2021 Stats Perform Walter Payton Award, presented to the national offensive player of the year in Division I FCS. Quarterbacks Eric Barriere of Eastern Washington and Cole Kelley of Southeastern Louisiana and running back Quay Holmes of ETSU were among 25 finalists for the Payton, named for the legendary running back and celebrating its 35th anniversary season. The winner, selected by a 50-member, national media panel following the regular season, will be announced at the FCS National Awards Banquet in Frisco, Texas, with a broadcast of the festivities to begin airing the next day, Jan. 8, on Bally Sports Regional Networks.

Kelley received the Payton Award following the 2020 season, edging Barriere, the runner-up, in the voting. Holmes also was a finalist, finishing 13th.

This fall, Kelley and Barriere have ranked at or near the top of most FCS passing statistics, and Holmes is the national leader in both rushing and scrimmage yards per game.

Barriere, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound redshirt senior from Inglewood, California, completed 361 of 552 passes (65.4%) for 5,070 yards (390 per game) and 46 touchdowns against eight interceptions in 13 games. He also rushed for 222 yards and four TDs while earning Big Sky offensive player of the year for the second consecutive season.

Holmes, a 6-1, 220-pound redshirt junior from Powder Springs, Georgia, ranks No. 1 in the FCS in rushing yards per game (126.5) with 1,518 yards and 17 touchdowns on 251 carries over 12 games (ETSU remains alive in the playoffs). Add in 27 receptions for 299 yards and three TDs, and the Southern Conference offensive player of the year is averaging 151.4 scrimmage yards.

Kelley, a 6-7, 245pound redshirt senior from Lafayette, Louisiana, completed 406 of 552 passes (73.6%) for 5,124 yards (394.2 per game) and 44 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in 13 games. The Southland Conference player of the year also rushed for 491 yards and 16 TDs to average an FCS-high 431.9 yards of total offense.

The Walter Payton Award has a rich history, with past recipients including Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cooper Kupp and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance. Also at the national banquet, Stats Perform will present the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS defensive player of the year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year) and Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

2021 Walter Payton Award Voting Results