FARGO — North Dakota State is 6-0 and ranked No. 1 in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision. South Dakota State is 6-0 and ranked No. 2. A collision course is set for Oct. 25 in Brookings, South Dakota, in a nationally televised showdown.
It’s not the type of talk that NDSU head coach Tim Polasek has in mind right now. The old trap game is on tap for the Bison, who travel to Indiana State for a noon (CT) Saturday kickoff against a team that has struggled since the pandemic.
Polasek addressed the issue on Tuesday without being asked about it.
“The challenge for our guys, what kind of competitor are they going to be on Saturday?” he said. “Do you need to be inspired by others? Does there have to be a really big-time environment for you to be the best you can be? Or are you going to be a true competitor which means you do your very best, you compete really hard and you don’t look at outside influences at all.”
The Bison shut the music off during pre-practice warmups on Monday, with Polasek wanting to see how his team reacted to a quieter environment. Indiana State’s Memorial Stadium has stands on one side and the team has averaged 4,620 fans this season, which is about one-third of the facility’s capacity.
“At the forefront for us is to ignore the noise and the chatter about comparisons, rankings, how well we do this or how well we do that,” Polasek said. “It’s imperative we have no big picture point of view right now or attack plan. We have to stay singular minded.”
Question No. 1 on the Sycamores for Polasek: Does he expect to see the return of Indiana State starting quarterback Elijah Owens? Sycamores head coach Curt Mallory either wasn’t asked or didn’t address the situation in his Monday press conference.
NDSU is planning for redshirt freshman Brock Riddle, who was 13 of 23 passing last week in the 19-14 loss to the University of South Dakota. He’s the third quarterback to start for the Sycamores this season.
“We just need to be focused on us right now,” Polasek said. “(Riddle) is who we’re planning on but if the other guys play, the other guys play.”
The Bison got some promising and upgraded news on a few injuries. Starting tight end Carson Williams is now day-to-day to playing Saturday. Polasek said tight end Finn Diggins, originally thought to be out for the season with a fracture in his leg, has a chance to be back in six weeks. Linebacker Ray James, another player who potentially faced a long rehabilitation road with a shoulder, is full-go this week.
Also back is freshman safety Jaylen Archibald, who is expected to see time on special teams. He’s from Frisco High School (Texas) who spent last year at Air Force Prep Academy.
Polasek said linebacker Alex Elliott, who injured his shoulder in August practice, is one or two weeks away from practicing. He was expected to be sidelined all season.
“Alex Elliott, this is just unbelievable,” Polasek said. “He’s just kind of ahead of schedule and he’s worked really hard. I really appreciate his diligence as far as being around drills, being in meetings and being proactive with his teammates.”
Jeff Kolpack, the son of a reporter and an English teacher, and the brother of a reporter, worked at the Jamestown Sun, Bismarck Tribune and since 1990 The Forum, where he’s covered North Dakota State athletics since 1995. He has covered all 10 of NDSU’s Division I FCS national football titles and has written four books: “Horns Up,” “North Dakota Tough,” “Covid Kids” and “They Caught Them Sleeping: How Dot Reinvented the Pretzel.” He is also the radio host of “The Golf Show with Jeff Kolpack” April through August.
