Sam Houston State (12-1) at North Dakota State (12-1)
Sam Houston State took everything a third year program could dish out and sent them packing. Still, Kennesaw State has put the rest of the FCS on notice with their showing against SHSU. The Bearkats “were who we thought they were,” to steal a line from the late Dennis Green. Their offense was top notch, scoring 34 points and over 480 yards against a very good Owls defense. The SHSU defense had trouble with the KSU high powered rushing attack, not that most teams don’t. But this has been the formula they’ve used for the better part of the last few years - get just enough stops and try to outscore us. For the most part, it’s been a very successful plan.
If Wofford thought the wintry weather in South Carolina was troublesome, they must have been overwhelmed by the atmosphere in the FargoDome. The Bison are no strangers to being unkind hosts to their visitors between the lines. And the quarterfinals were just the latest chapter in a growing book. The vaunted Terrier triple option offense was leashed up for the most part, mustering 134 yards on 37 carries. Even bigger, the Bison held them to 1-12 on 3rd down. That’s going to be a recipe for success almost every weekend. Conversely, NDSU was 10-13 on 3rd down. Add almost doubling Wofford’s rushing total, the Bison proved to be the superior ground animal in this match-up. Through the air, nine different receivers caught passes. Talk about equal opportunity. This was as thorough a victory as you’ll ever see this late in the playoffs.
We’re going to see if the Bearkats’ “outscore us” plan will work against NDSU. The Bison will be more than happy to accept the challenge. SHSU presents a completely different look than what Wofford offered (wow, I’m a poet!). But they’ve seen prolific offenses in games with South Dakota State, South Dakota and earlier in the season with Eastern Washington. The Bison defense seems to be the FCS Chameleon Crew - they change to the color of whatever they face. Usually, they slow it down, if not stop it completely. The biggest question is whether the Bearkats can match defensive stops. If you know what is going to happen, go to Betway casino review.
Projected score: North Dakota State 45, Sam Houston State 28
