Spring football 2012 came to a conclusion this afternoon in front of a terrific crowd, 5,842 that came to it’s feet to honor the 2011 Bison before the game and then got it’s first glimpse of the team they hope to defend that championship. One thing is for certain, the defense looks like it hasn’t missed a beat since Frisco. From the defensive line, to the linebackers to the secondary, this is the most depth and speed I’ve seen from a Bison defense in my six years in Fargo. On the offensive side of things there’s not too much to brag about in a 3-0 game. Ryan Smith was definetly the bright spot, he had the two explosive plays of the game, a 28 yard reception from Brock Jensen and a 4th down trick play that went for 15 yards. Smith is the top receiver for NDSU heading into the fall, but wide receiver is still a big question for me. Tight ends also falls into that category, I was hoping to see Kevin Vaadeland, Taylor Nelson or Luke Albers step up, Vaadeland and Albers had just one catch, that’s a position that’s huge in the West Coast offense. I’m not ready to break down the offensive line just yet, it’s a position that’s fluid and going up against the best defense in FCS has to be a challenge every single day.
Two things that I was really impressed with: Special Teams and the Crowd. Ben LeCompte and Adam Keller each had solid days in their debuts at the Fargodome, each will be counted on to replace senior leaders last year. The crowd was sensational, seeing the Fargodome tailgating lots packed like it was a Saturday in October was fantastic.
Jeff will have more thoughts later, here’s our Video Blog recapping the day! Enjoy!
