When: 1 p.m., at Roy Stewart Stadium, Murray, Kentucky
EVERY WEEK IS A BALANCING ACT FOR BISON SENIOR RAJA NELSON
Injury in first game has NDSU receiver getting constant treatment from dedicated training staff
BY JEFF KOLPACK
The Forum FARGO
The two touchdown celebrations put on by RaJa Nelson last Saturday night were half scripted, half talked about in practice that week with his fellow wide receivers. The finished product looked like something out of a “Dancing with the Stars” recital, smooth and to the point.
But not much about this season has been smooth for the North Dakota State senior, who has been battling an internal injury suffered in the season opener at the University of Colorado. Not only that, his return to the field morphed into another decision: Does he take a redshirt season?
The NCAA four-game rule that was instituted in 2018 may have primarily been meant for freshmen but it also applies to guys like Nelson, who played as a true freshman. If Nelson plays in four regular season games or fewer this season, he’ll retain another year of eligibility.
Participation in the Division I FCS playoffs does not count toward those four games.
The decision has consisted of a series of conversations between Nelson and Bison head coach Tim Polasek, with Nelson saying he “trusts” Polasek’s plan. It appears that is headed toward a maximum four regular season games and having already played three, that means he’ll get one more from the remaining schedule that consists of Saturday’s game at Murray State, at home the following two weeks against Northern Iowa and Missouri State, and at the University of South Dakota.
Nelson said it’s not his decision and it’s one based more on his health and what the coaching and medical staff think.
For instance, Polasek said this week that Nelson was “very sore” after the 13-9 win over South Dakota State.
“He never would have been able to play this week,” Polasek said. “That’s what we’re going to encounter here: how sore does he get after competition? We need all hands on deck but right now I’d love to get to a point where we could redshirt RaJa.” Considering the way the standings look and the depth of the Bison receivers, if healthy, Nelson will probably play against either Missouri State or USD in mid-November.
“I’m sticking with it, I trust his plan and what
he envisions,” Nelson said. “So I’m on board with it and we’re going to go from there. Everything happens for a reason, this wasn’t planned at all. This was going to be my last year but sometimes life throws something different your way, you have to just go with it and make the best of your opportunities.”
He did that, and then some, against SDSU. Nelson scored both of NDSU’s touchdowns, an 18-yard reception from quarterback Cam Miller in the second quarter and a game-winning 20-yarder from Miller with 1:49 remaining, a perfect end zone corner toss from Miller that Nelson caught in full stride, all the while getting at least one foot down in bounds.
“Just looking back on it, it was such a fun game to play,” Nelson said. “It
was a close game. It was a dogfight and we knew it was going to be that type of game. Those are the games that you live for, that you come here to play. Every coach that recruits you here tells you you’re going to play in big games and so they’re warning you ahead of time.”
When Nelson was recruited and signed in December of 2019 out of Lakeville North High School in the Twin Cities, the pandemic was not a thing. That changed the following fall when he got to campus, with NDSU playing one game against Central Arkansas and the season being delayed to the spring of 2021.
It was one game in which Nelson got to play with quarterback Trey Lance, who was coming off his Walter Payton
Award winning season of 2019. It was also his last game at NDSU before declaring for the NFL Draft.
“I give so many props to him just because coming in as a freshman, I didn’t think he was going to care about me and more so I needed to figure it out on my own,” Nelson said. “But he was meeting with me three days a week and drilling the offense into my head. I’m thinking I’m an unknown freshman but he wants everyone to be great. He was a big part why I was able to learn the offense so quickly.”
He played in all 10 games in that 2021 spring season, albeit sparingly, finishing with four receptions and returning three kickoffs.
“That definitely was a weird phase of life,” Nelson said of the pandemic.
“That was just a completely different experience as a freshman than any other freshman will ever have to go through.” Nelson already has his undergraduate degree in marketing and he also has a certificate in entrepreneurship. His goal before he needs to tap into that is a shot at pro football, which retaining another year of eligibility will only help.
“Anytime you have an injury, you’re not happy about it but it’s part of the game,” Nelson said. “It’s something that you have to conquer and get over but it’s more so about putting in the time to stay healthy and get better.”
The time it takes is a testament to NDSU’s head athletic trainer Trisha Shannon, who took over the football duties after coming to NDSU in 2017 to work with women’s soccer. It’s not a Monday through Friday 9-5 job, but something that’s on the plate seven days a week, many hours a day.
Nelson would know. He’s been getting constant treatment from Shannon and the Bison staff just to get on the field for the two games he’s played since the Colorado game.
“She treats us like coach Polasek does, she has 120 kids of her own that aren’t hers,” Nelson said. “She treats us all as her own. The care she has for us is unbelievable and I can’t thank her enough and everyone else on the team would agree.
She’s a star at her job and she’s the reason why people are playing.” The reason Nelson is playing — for one more regular season game.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack at jkolpack@forumcomm.com.
David Samson/The Forum
North Dakota State’s RaJa Nelson celebrates his touchdown reception against South Dakota State on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Anna Paige / The Forum
North Dakota State’s RaJa Nelson reels in a 20-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter against South Dakota State’s Matthew Durrance on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, at the Fargodome.
Marty Brown • RB
With a few veterans going down with injuries, younger players stepping in
BY JEFF KOLPACK
The Forum
FARGO — North Dakota State backups have been finding their way into the starting lineup on a rather regular basis this season. On Saturday, two more players will get their first starting assignments in linebacker Enock Sibomana and strong safety Jaylin Crumby.
Last week, it was defensive end Toby Anene, who took the spot of injured senior Dylan Hendricks.
“It’s weird,” Anene said. “For like the first six weeks, I’m like, I’m not going in for this drive but maybe the next one. But starting off in a game, I don’t know how to describe it — it’s fun. Especially in the Fargodome and especially with that crowd, it’s different.”
Anene got his first start in the 13-9 win over South Dakota State at a packed Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome. It was NDSU’s best defensive effort of the season and it came against a Jackrabbits team that was hot offensively coming into the matchup of the top two teams in the Stats Perform Division I FCS top 25 media poll.
“It was special, that’s something I’m going to tell my kids about probably,” Anene said. “It’s a huge deal. First start and we get the win, we hadn’t beat those guys since 2019 so it was just huge.”
Other players who got
their first starts this season because of injuries include fullback Truman Werremeyer, defensive tackle Kody Huisman and cornerback Jailen Duffie.
“We all push each other hard so it’s kind of natural,” Anene said. “It’s great with guys stepping up and just going hard in practice. Just making sure we get 1% better every day.”
Crumby is taking the spot of Sam Jung, who was injured against SDSU and is out for the season. Sibomana is replacing Oscar Benson, who hurt his shoulder and is expected out in the near term but should return at some point.
“Enock’s a great leader,” Anene said. “When Enock is happy and smiling, he’s a great player and it’s going to be good having him start.”
Said backup Bison linebacker Austin Altepeter: “He’s fast, he’s physical, he flies around and plays with his hair on fire. He’s a good player.”
Sibomana is from Fargo South. Another Fargo player, North’s Peder Haugo, is still a running back after signing as a linebacker and will make the trip to Murray. Haugo was 200 pounds when he signed with the Bison last winter, reported this fall at 213 and is now up to 217.
Versatile Altepeter making his move Altepeter, a sophomore from Moorhead, isn’t listed on the two-deep depth chart at any of the three
linebacker spots, but he’s not far away, either. Altepeter has been working at both the middle and an outside position this season.
He’s also been seeing the field on special teams.
“Kind of flipping sides of the defense left and right,” Altepeter said.
“But definitely being a (middle linebacker) has helped me out mentally to understand the defense more so I’m grateful for that.”
NDSU’s two middle linebackers who rotate are seniors Nick Kubitz and Luke Weerts. Backup middle linebacker Nathaniel Stahling, who was a threat to also see the rotation in the middle, is out for the season with a shoulder injury.
“We’ve been preparing in spring ball and fall camp and those days are what’s preparing us now,” Altepeter said. “We prepare for the worst like coach says so we’re not surprised by anybody stepping up and doing the job.”
Bison break FCS poll record
The Bison regained the top spot in the Stats Perform top 25 media poll this week for the first time since the 2022 season, the result of a 13-9 win over previously No. 1-ranked South Dakota State. NDSU has appeared in the poll for a record 196 straight weeks.
The previous FCS poll mark was 195 in a row by the University of Montana from 1998-2002.
Either the Bison or Jackrabbits have held the top spot since Sam Houston ended the 2021 spring season as the national champion, a game in which it edged the Jacks. SDSU held the top spot for the previous 29 straight weeks. The Jacks fell to No. 3 while unbeaten Montana State moved up to No. 2. Etc. etc. etc.
• The Bison and Eastern Washington lead the FCS with the fewest turnovers lost this season with two while the Bison lead the
Missouri Valley in turnover margin at a plus-9. NDSU’s turnovers are both fumbles with quarterback Cam Miller on a streak of 286 straight passes without an interception. The team record is 307 held by Trey Lance from 2018 to the one-game season in the fall of 2020, where Lance threw a pick against Central Arkansas.
• NDSU running back Marty Brown’s 577 yards rushing is second among all Division I freshmen this season in either FBS or FCS. Elon’s TJ Thomas has 582 yards while Brown is 13 yards ahead of Louisville’s Isaac Brown.
• Murray State has one impact player in the NFL in linebacker Quincy Williams with the New York Jets. He had five tackles, one for lost yardage, in the loss on Sunday night to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
David Samson/The Forum North Dakota State’s Toby Anene (93) and Keenan Wilson team up to stop Southern Illinois quarterback Jake Curry on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, at Saluki Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois.