The Game Vitals
Game Time – 1:00 CT
Opponent – Idaho State Bengals @ Alerus Center, Grand Forks, ND
TV – Midco Sports Network
Online Streaming – EverSport
Spread – UND -10.5 Total = 54
Idaho State (1-4) Breakdown
— Offense = Spread, Shotgun/Pistol, Up-tempo, 3-4 receivers
— Defense = 3-4
Offensively, as they are famous for, the Bengals will spread it out with “hurry-up” tempo in the shotgun and show multiple receiver sets out of 10 and 11 personnel groupings and “chuck the pigskin”. However, they will also try run the ball with their zone blocking scheme. Surprisingly, they are averaging 139 yards per game on the ground while throwing for an average of 263 yards per game. Given all that, they are scoring at an almost identical pace as the UND offense, averaging 20.6 points per game.
Idaho State has turned the ball over 15 times this year with 9 of those coming on interceptions. This means opportunities will hopefully continue to present themselves for the UND defense to create turnovers. In the passing game, ISU is led by QB Michael Sanders (1,073 yds, 11 TDs) and WR Madison Mangum (29 receptions, 401 yds, 5 TDs). The talented Mangum will present a huge challenge for the UND secondary, as head coach Bubba Schweigert made a point of in the media this week. He will be one of the best WRs UND faces all season. RB Xavier Finney leads the rushing attack with 348 yards and 2 TDs. Finney was a preseason all-conference player who has the ability to dominate games.
Well, it’s no secret – this UND defense is banged up and ultra thin at a couple spots right now. Some young and inexperienced players are going to have their numbers called this week and be counted on to perform well. Safety William James has playing experience in the past, but it has been a while since he’s been called on to start and finish a game. Jawon Johnson is also a first year player for UND, but he seems to growing more mentally as the season progresses.
If Cole Reyes is unable to play this week (which we don’t the answer to yet), those 2 will be called upon to grow up in a hurry. Because of depth issues, it’s been speculated that walk-on safety Tanner Palmborg could end up having his redshirt pulled tomorrow afternoon. Senior safety and Grygla, MN native Dillon Olson could also be in the rotation and get his first chance at some playing time this year. A lot of if/then’s that are dependent on the status of Reyes in secondary.
At linebacker, Connor O’Brien takes over for Taj Rich, who was lost for the season last week with a knee injury against Portland State. The good news here is that O’Brien has played a lot of football this year and has been the in rotation. After O’Brien and Ratelle, the question is “who’s next?”. Dylan Bakker and Daquan Baker will both more than likely be in the rotation. It will be intriguing to see how they react to being thrown into the fire when called upon.
The UND defense must be able to make ISU throw the ball short and come up and tackle well in open space. We don’t think there’s any question that the Bengals will try get the ball out quick to try and help offset the UND pass rush. They will also try to keep UND off balance with a screen game. We’re interested to see what type of gameplan and playcalling UND defensive coordinator Eric Schmidt has in store tomorrow. Will they stay aggressive and blitz and count on their secondary to cover up, or will they send 4 guys consistently and drop back in zone coverage?
Defensively, the Bengals employ a 3-4 scheme, the first one of the year for the UND offense. They do not run their 3-4 like UND however. Idaho State will line up in a standard 3-4 set with the nose guard over the center or in an ‘A’ gap and then have the DT’s out in a head-up 4 technique by the OT. They will try and consume the offensive line with their defensive line and let the linebacker react, rather than rushing them. For UND, this makes it much easier for the offensive line to identify the correct guy to block.
When ISU brings pressure it appears to be quite obvious. They will give a much different look by walking the linebackers up to the line and sending them most of the time.
Thus far in 2015, the Bengals have been getting gashed at an alarming rate. They are giving up 45 pts/game and 334 rushing yds/game. Those numbers are staggering. They have played a very tough schedule (Boise State, UNLV, Portland State, Cal-Poly) but those stats don’t lie. To be fair, ISU did lose two preseason all-conference players before the season even started in safety Taison Manu and linebacker Mario Jenkins. Those losses have obviously killed the Bengals defense.
There are two defensive standouts for the beleaguered Bengal defense. #95 Tyler Kuder has been a disruptive force from his left defensive end position. Kuder has 43 tackles, 5.5 TFL’s and 1 sack in five games. At 6’3-310, he is going to be a handful for the right side of UND’s offensive line (Sean Meehan, Mat Cox, and Elijah Grady).
Linebacker #30 Hayden Stout is having a nice season for the Bengals, as well. Stout is motor guy who can play sideline to sideline. He has 44 tackles, 4 TFL’s, and 1 sack on the year. He will more than likely be meeting up with UND RB John Santiago many times on Saturday.
ISU only has 7 sacks on the year, which bodes well for the UND passing game.
North Dakota Keys to the Game
- Like everyone else on Idaho State’s schedule, run the ball. They have not been able to stop the run at all. UND must keep the ISU offense off the field and run the clock. The Bengals want to snap the ball 90 times a game if they can. Get John Santiago to the second level, let him make the first guy miss, and be off to the races. The key is getting the up front blocks.
- UND secondary needs to be sharp. The Bengals will test UND with multiple receivers and multiple route combinations. The UND cornerbacks need to step up this week and play their best game yet and tackle well in the open field in one on one situations against the ISU WRs on the perimeter.
- Get the downfield passing game going. UND has only shown flashes of being able to consistently throw the ball over 10+ yards. Last week QB Keaton Studsrud found his WR/TE’s 4-5 times for first downs. Now that needs to keep expanding each week. In addition, the UND WR’s need to create separation and get open. Most every team that has played UND has manned up on the wide receivers and played a free safety over the top. They are saying that UND’s WR’s are not as good as their DB’s. Beat your guy and give Studsrud a window he can throw to without having to thread the needle. We’d like to see Luke Stanley get more targets because of his physical ability to “go get it”.
- Make the Bengals drive the ball in hopes of letting them make the mistakes to create turnovers on things like tipped balls at the line, etc.
- UND’s linebackers need to be a factor in the passing game on the short routes with their drops. Get in the throwing lane and make ISU’s QB have to hold the ball longer to allow the pass rush to get there. ISU will run a ton of shorter to intermediate routes.
For a variety of reasons, this game gives us the creeps. Idaho State is dangerous offensively with talented skill guys. If UND gives up mulitple scores early and is required to come from behind, the UND offense will have to do some things that quite frankly it hasn’t done well this season.
The Bengals may be 1-4 but they will score some points at The Alerus against a beat up UND defense. How UND’s younger and inexperienced depth (most specifically on defense) plays on Saturday will be a huge deciding factor in the outcome of the game.
Special teams absolutely need to pick up where they left off last week and win that battle. We see this one going down to the wire and believe it could go either way.
UND 33
IDAHO STATE 30
