BRUISING BROTHERS
when it comes to toughness
By Jeff Kolpack The ForumFargo
It doesn’t take a master’s degree in psychology to figure out what position Mason Hofstedt plays at North Dakota State. The hair sticking out of the back of the helmet is a first clue.
Biceps that look like they’re part of the shoulder pads is another. Fast? That helps, too.
“He’s got the long hair, the thick chest, he looks like a linebacker and plays like one,” said Logan Hofstedt, his younger brother and Bison fullback. Ding, ding. Correct answer. Linebacker. The NDSU assistant coach in charge of linebackers, Grant Olson, would know.
“He has a little bit of that tough guy look to him,” Olson said. “He could fit in at a rock concert pretty well.”
As tough as Mason has played on the field this year, it was a year away from it that probably defines his toughness even more. He suffered an avulsion of the hamstring, or a complete tear from the bone, in the second game of the 2019 season.
Hofstedt was on the kickoff coverage team against the University of North Dakota when another player landed on top of him. The collision ripped his hamstring from the pelvic bone. If it sounds painful, it was.
It’s an uncommon injury, so rare that Mason said the only other athletes he heard that it happened to were a couple of European soccer players.
“I’m sure there’s more that I don’t know of, but that’s just what I was told,” he said.
Rehabilitation was not for the impatient or meek. It took a year of doing the same exercises over and over with progress not coming real fast. The timeline was 12 months, although total 100% health
took longer.
“Hard and slow,” Mason said. “I had to be diligent with it, make sure I was getting at it every day, but I wouldn’t have made it back if I wasn’t on top of it.”
He didn’t make it back without the help of others, specifically his brother. They lived together at the time of the injury and it was Logan who drove him to and from workouts and rehab appointments. There were times Mason had to ask his brother for help to put his socks on.
“I could tell it hurt
him,” Logan said, “because of who he is and because he’s such a go-getter. He’s a competitor and loves to do everything on his own. It was tough for him.”
It was probably a blessing in that sense that the Bison played only one game in the fall of 2020 because of the pandemic. Mason said he didn’t think he would have been full go that fall.
He returned when the Missouri Valley Football Conference moved the season to last spring and had a few tackles in a
backup role. Gradually this season, his role has increased. For one, the Bison have been without outside linebacker James Kaczor for most of this season.
For two, he’s produced when he’s played. Mason is mostly used when other teams are in run situations.
It’s when a team wants a tough-looking and tough-playing linebacker in the game.
“He flies around with his hair on fire,” said Olson, who was immediately reminded of
Hofstedt’s hair. “Literally with his long hair on fire, absolutely. … He’s a guy who plays a much higher weight and strength than maybe 225 pounds would suggest. You’ll see him bull 250- pounders over.”
Trace that style back to growing up in Cannon Falls, Minn., a town of about 4,000 people southeast of the Twin Cities. NDSU’s roster is dotted with small-town players and the Hofstedts are another two in the line.
They first began to pay attention to the Bison when Nate Safe was a standout offensive lineman from 2003-07. The Hofstedt and Safe families are close friends in Cannon Falls. Once Mason came to NDSU, there wasn’t much doubt two years later that Logan wanted to be part of the team.
NDSU has for a long time been a landing spot for small-school players with a tough edge to them.
“I would like to think so, tough kids and smalltown kids that are going to take any chance we can get and make the most out of it,” Logan said. “I like to think we have a lot of pride where we come from and a lot of people have pride in this program. I graduated with 83 kids, we’re going to take any opportunity that is handed to us. It pays off here.”
Two brothers. One a fullback. One a linebacker. There is finesse to those two positions, certainly, but there is also a lot of physical play.
It’s just the way the Hofstedts like it.
“It’s really cool to say you played with your brother in high school and then again to play college football together is pretty unique, whatever level it is,” Mason said. “It’s cool for us and our family.”
STARTERS
Bison defense got challenged this week by coaching staff
By Jeff Kolpack and Eric PetersonThe Forum
Fargo
North Dakota State went into the Missouri State game last week with the best scoring defense in Division I FCS football and a swagger about it. The Bison, after all, didn’t let two of their three previous opponents inside the 20-yard line.
If there is such a thing as a football brick wall, that was it.
The defense, however, left the 27-20 Missouri State victory with a warning from the Bison head coach. The focus and effort in practice during the week wasn’t up to snuff.
“Thursday I thought we had defensively an average practice,” Matt Entz said. “I don’t want to say bad but it was average for what our standard is so it was probably once-in-a-career moves.”
That move was for last Friday’s practice to be held in helmets and football gear, instead of a traditional walkthrough with sweats.
“Try to rectify it a little bit or to gain some people’s attention,” Entz said. “I think it worked but again, if you want to start fast, you need to start fast on Monday and can’t wait until Thursday.”
The Bison started slow against the Bears, allowing a field goal and touchdown on MSU’s first two possessions. The TD was a 61-yard drive that took only three plays and it was 10-0.
Asked at his Monday press conference how to rectify it this week with Indiana State coming to Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome and Entz said he put the onus
on himself. The Bison were giving up just 7.3 points per game heading into the Bears game and are still leading the FCS at 9.0 per game. Montana State is second at 10.4 points. The leader in all of Division I football is Georgia at 6.6 points a game.
“I’m going to challenge the guys and probably get after them a little bit this week,” he said. “Sometimes the truth hurts and that’s my job as the head football coach to make sure that I can be transparent and give them the information that they need.”
Sycamores coming off balanced effort
Indiana State senior running back Peterson Kerlegrand rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns
on 25 attempts in a 28-17 home victory against Youngstown State last weekend. The 5-foot-9, 195-pound Kerlegrand has rushed for 624 yards and five touchdowns on 130 attempts through eight games.
The Sycamores gained 402 yards on 65 plays against the Penguins.
ISU quarterback Anthony Thompson completed 13 of 21 passes for 156 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
“The thing that helped us offensively is we’ve been more balanced,” ISU head coach Curt Mallory said. “I think it was a combination of having everything to work together.”
The Sycamores (4-4, 2-3 MVFC) have three games remaining in the regular
ISU prepares for both Bison QBs
Mallory said the Sycamores prepared for both NDSU quarterbacks this week. Quincy Patterson started the first seven games for the Bison this season, but Cam Miller came on in relief of Patterson last weekend. Miller threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to rally NDSU to victory.
Miller’s 24-yard TD pass to receiver Christian Watson in the fourth quarter was the difference in a 27-20 victory against Missouri State. Miller completed 7 of 9 passes against the Bears for 112 yards and the two scores.
“Any time you see two different quarterbacks, you’re certainly going to have to prepare for both,” Mallory said. “You don’t want to go in saying we’re just going to prepare for one. They’re both very good. They’re both different.”
season, making Saturday’s game paramount for ISU if it hopes to make a postseason push.
“It’s a big challenge,” Mallory said. “It’s pivotal and it just happens to be playing against in my opinion the No. 1-ranked team in the country. ... We’ve got a lot to play for.”
The Bison and the Sycamores haven’t played since 2017 due to the MVFC scheduling rotation. ISU hasn’t played in the Fargodome since 2016. NDSU has five consecutive games in the series.
“It’s a great opportunity for us,” Mallory said. “I don’t know if I have anyone that’s ever been there (Fargo) because we haven’t been on each other’s schedule for the last two years.”
Patterson was listed No. 1 on the Bison depth chart at quarterback earlier this week. The 6-foot-3, 246-pound Patterson has completed 55 of 101 passes for 813 yards and six touchdowns with four interceptions through seven games. He’s also rushed for 422 yards and six touchdowns on 79 attempts.
Odds and ends
► The Bison defense had five quarterback sacks for the third straight game last week. The Bison lead the Missouri Valley in that category at 3.86 per game, which also ranks them fifth in the FCS.
► Christian Watson leads the Bison in receiving with 22 catches for 483 yards and five touchdowns. “He’s a playmaker and (when) the ball is up in the air, he’s going to get it,” Mallory said. “You’ve got to do a great job of covering him and knowing where he’s at at all times.”
Sam Houston No. 1 in Stats Perform FCS Top 25 as Bison move up
By Craig Haley Stats PerformSam Houston, which owns the longest winning streak in Division I college football, strengthened its hold on the No. 1 ranking in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 this week.
The defending national champion Bearkats (6-0) gained 44 of the 50 first-place votes in the national media poll, two days after routing Jacksonville State 42-7 for their 17th straight victory.
“Our guys understand we need to finish this thing off one game at a time for us to end up where we want to end up,” coach K.C. Keeler said, “and that’s the No. 1 team in the country.”
The other six first-place votes went to No. 2 North Dakota State. The Bison (7-0) moved up one spot with a 27-20 win over Missouri State and Eastern Washington’s tumble of five spots to No. 7 due to a 35-34 loss to Weber State.
Princeton (6-0), up to No. 19, joins Sam Houston and North Dakota State as the only remaining unbeaten FCS teams. There are four weeks of regular-season games remaining, except in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, whose schedule continues into Thanksgiving weekend.
A national media panel selects the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a secondplace vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.
Stats Perform FCS
Top 25 (Oct. 25)
1. Sam Houston (6-0, 4-0 AQ7), 1,244 points (44 firstplace votes)
11; Week 8
Result: 34-14 win over Idaho
12. Kennesaw State (6-1, 3-0 Big South), 709
Previous Ranking: 12; Week 8
Result: 30-7 win at Campbell
13.(tie) ETSU (7-1, 4-1 Southern), 627
Previous Ranking: 14; Week 8
Result: 17-13 win at Furman
13.(tie) UT Martin (6-1, 3-0 Ohio Valley), 627
Previous Ranking: 13; Week 8
Result: 38-30 win over Southeast Missouri
15. Sacramento State (5-2, 4-0 Big Sky), 525
Previous Ranking: 19; Week 8
Result: 44-0 win over Northern Arizona
16. Northern Iowa (4-3, 2-2 Missouri Valley), 492
Previous Ranking: 20; Week 8
Result: 26-17 win at then-No. 6 South Dakota State
17. Missouri State (4-3, 3-2
Missouri Valley), 343
Previous Ranking: 17; Week 8
Result: 27-20 loss at then-No. 3
North Dakota State
18. VMI (5-2, 3-1 Southern), 332
Previous Ranking: 21; Week 8
Result: Open week
19. Princeton (6-0, 3-0 Ivy),
310
Previous Ranking: 22; Week
8 Result: 18-16, 5-OT win over Harvard
20. Jackson State (6-1, 4-0
SWAC), 285
Previous Ranking: 24; Week 8
Result: 42-12 win over Bethune-
Cookman
21. South Dakota (5-3, 3-2
Missouri Valley), 228
Previous Ranking: 15; Week 8
Result: 20-14 loss to Illinois State
22. UIW (5-2, 3-1
Southland), 223
Previous Ranking: 16; Week 8
Result: 28-20 loss at McNeese
23. Weber State (3-4, 2-2
Big Sky), 166
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked; Week 8 Result: 35-34 win at then-No. 2 Eastern Washington 24. Rhode Island (5-2, 3-2
CAA), 125
Previous Ranking: 18; Week 8
Result: 44-0 loss at then-No. 5
Villanova
25. Eastern Kentucky (5-2, 2-0 AQ7), 105
Previous Ranking: Not Ranked; Week 8 Result: Open week Dropped Out: Delaware (23), Dartmouth (25) Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): William & Mary 52, Prairie View A&M 46, Harvard 37, Chattanooga
31, Mercer 31, North Dakota
29, Delaware 24, Stephen F. Austin 10, Jacksonville State 9, Florida A&M 8, Duquesne 7, Dartmouth 6, Columbia 5 Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Voters - Stats Perform: Craig Haley, Gary Reasons. ASUN: Patrick McCoy, Mike Parris. Big Sky Conference: Doug Kelly, Tyson Rodgers, Larry Weir. Big South Conference: Brian Cleary, Matt Harmon, Mark Simpson. CAA Football: Scott Klatzkin, Greg Madia, Rob Washburn. Ivy League: Rick Bender, Craig Larson. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference: Bill Hamilton, Maurice Williams. Missouri Valley Football Conference: Dom Izzo, Mike Kern, Randy Reinhardt. Northeast Conference: Tad Maury, Ralph Ventre. Ohio Valley Conference: Neal Bradley, Kyle Schwartz. Patriot League: Eric Malanowski, Ryan Sakamoto. Pioneer Football League: Cody Bush, Jack Cronin. Southern Conference: David Fox, Jeff Hartsell, Phil Perry. Southland Conference: Zack Carlton, Josh Yonis. Southwestern Athletic Conference: Ronnie Johnson, Travis Jarome, Andrew Roberts. Western Athletic Conference: Josh Criswell, Chris Thompson. National Representatives: Josh Buchanan, Riley Corcoran, Sam Herder, Emory Hunt, Brett Huston, Kyle Kensing, Brandon Lawrence, Jon Passman, Lawrence Smith, Phil Sokol, Reggie Thomas, Jamie Williams.