Bison no longer have to dip their big toe into the FCS playoff waters – InForum

FARGO – There are no more preliminary round contests for North Dakota State. No more second-round fights at middleweight or quarterfinals at cruiserweight.

It won’t be a “Thrilla in Manilla” from the old Frazier Ali boxing days, but in Division I FCS football, Saturday’s semifinal duel between the Bison and South Dakota State qualifies at that level.

“I think this is a heavyweight fight,” NDSU head coach Tim Polasek said. “I feel like it could be one for the picture books.”

In his weekly press conference, Polasek recalled his time as an assistant coach with the Bison, when another FCS heavyweight came to the Fargodome for the 2011 and 2012 semifinal games. This was a crowded house with increased crowd noise that drove the decibel meter in the building to unexpected levels.

“I’m honestly excited to see if it’s going to be like Georgia Southern,” Polasek said. “I assume it will be like that. I think this will be an absolute war. This will be football at its best. (SDSU) is a well-coached team. We are a well-coached team with kids who play extremely hard. Both programs have an incredible tradition of success and it will continue.”

This game is on track to be a sellout as two programs have combined to raise the level of play in the FCS over the last decade. NDSU has won nine national championships in a 10-year span, but the Jackrabbits have won the last two and are working on a three-peat.

The Bison won the regular-season match in a 13-9 dogfight that came down to each team’s final drive. The last postseason matchup was a 45-21 SDSU win in the 2022 national title game.

No magical words of coaching wisdom should be needed this week.

David Samson/The Forum

“I don’t expect to struggle to find a few words of inspiration,” Polasek said.

Polasek said his revamped offensive line, which saw senior Hunter Poncius start at left guard and Griffin Empey move to right guard in last week’s 31-7 quarterfinal win over Mercer, will remain the same. This came after starting right guard Jake Rock was lost for the season in a second-round win over Abilene Christian.

“Across the board, five players have to stick together, Ponsh played well,” said Polasek, referring to Poncius. “Mercer was really good up front and Mercer deserves a lot of credit for the way they played in defense. We’re not going to overreact in this game, it’s going to be a 60-minute game and we’re going to let the kids play.”

Polasek said linebacker Luke Weerts, who is out with a back injury, practiced Monday, meaning his availability for the Jackrabbits looks much more promising than it has in recent weeks. Weerts led the Bison with eight tackles in SDSU’s final game, his best game of the season.

Polasek said running back Marty Brown should not be affected by a toe ailment that initially limited him against Mercer.

“He’s going to have to make it,” he said. “I guess he’ll be a cowboy. He smiles and says coach, it is what it is, I’m leaving. I don’t know if it’s even a problem.”

In the honor department, three Bison were named to the first team of the Associated Press FCS All-American team in left tackle Gray Zabel and right tackle Mason Miller. Quarterback Cam Miller and defensive tackle Eli Mostaert were named to the second team.

Jeff would like to dispel the idea that he was there when Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, but he is now in his third decade of reporting for Forum Communications. The son of a reporter and an English teacher, and the brother of a reporter, Jeff has worked at the Jamestown Sun, the Bismarck Tribune and, since 1990, the Forum, where he has covered North Dakota State athletics since 1995.
Jeff has covered all nine of NDSU’s Division I FCS national football titles and has written three books: “Horns Up,” “North Dakota Tough” and “Covid Kids.” He is the radio host of “The Golf Show with Jeff Kolpack” from April to August.