Sports editorial – the Spectrum

Experience and Enthusiasm

Welcome back to another fall semester and another season of Bison sports! I hope your summer went well and you are looking forward to Bison victories and championships.

Here at The Spectrum, we have been at it for a couple of weeks now getting ready to publish our first print issue. Interviews with coaches and players, attending the exhibition and non-conference games and watching practices have the staff and I ready for the upcoming fall season.

I would like to welcome back our staff writers from last season. It is great to have them back as we got to know each other well last spring and that did not scare them away. Andrew Haugland has now been at The Spectrum for three years and has covered a little bit of everything for us in that time. Savannah Lussier is back, too…well, almost. She is still working on her summer internship. New to us last spring, Bennett Johnson is back and cannot wait to get back to covering Bison baseball…well, that is a ways off so we will keep him busy with other projects until then. The sports section welcomes a newcomer to our ranks this fall. Blake Engebretson comes to us from Velva, N.D. and is studying journalism. New blood is always a welcome site here at The Spectrum. Blake gets the big assignment of the fall, Bison football! Welcome, Blake, to The Spectrum and press row at the Fargodome.

In all the interviews I and other Spectrum staff writers conducted this summer, one theme was prevalent, experience and enthusiasm. It was a lot of fun listening to the student-athletes and their coaches as they projected confidence heading into their respective seasons and the measured impatience as they wait for the competition to begin.

This fall should be a fun one. The football team will begin the defense of yet another FCS National Championship. Senior golfer Nate Deziel will begin his fall season as the reigning Summit League Champion. The soccer team will try to rebound from a tough season a year ago and they are already off to a good start. The volleyball team is almost as stacked as the football team is with returning players and it showed this past weekend. They are off to an impressive start, too. Cross-country (picked to finish second in the Summit League) and track & field return champions as well. It will be a busy fall and should be a successful one as well.

Finally, the summer was full of announcements honoring Bison athletes both on and off the field. The academic achievements, while sometimes rarely noticed or acknowledged, are phenomenal (and just as important) accomplishments. In addition, many Bison found their names on preseason pick and “watch lists”. Stay tuned…

Cows from heaven

Sitting in press row at the Fargodome for last week’s football opener, I was pleasantly unoccupied enough to actually enjoy the football game, its surroundings and the new fan experience at the Fargodome. A few kinks but overall, a fun time for the 15,951 fans. Cows parachuted in from the sky in one of the fan promotions held during the game, they dropped right in front of me in press row. Sadly, some of the chutes did not open. My condolences to the families of the cows that didn’t make it…

Some of the kinks were on the field as I am sure the Bison had no intentions of surrendering an opening drive touchdown to the Drake Bulldogs. To his credit, and his coaching style, Coach Entz mentioned it in his post-game presser and took full responsibility for the slow start. I don’t think anyone is worried coach but thank you.

The National Football League

As of this writing, the following Bison football players made opening day rosters in the NFL:

TE Ben Ellefson   Minnesota Vikings
QB Trey Lance   San Francisco 49ers
OT Dillon Radunz   Tennessee Titans

QB Easton Stick   Los Angeles Chargers
OG Billy Turner   Denver Broncos
LB Derrek Tuszka   Tennessee Titans
OT Cordell Volson   Cincinnati Bengals
WR Christian Watson   Green Bay Packers
QB Carson Wentz   Washington Commanders

Favorite moment of the Weekend:

NDSU President Dr. David Cook’s reaction when the Bison won the coin toss at the beginning of their game (a toss he personally conducted). Atta boy, Dr. Cook!

Athlete fo the Week:

Sophomore Allie Wahlund, from the women’s cross-country team, won the Ron Pynn Invite in Grand Forks, N.D. with a score of 17:19.5. This was Wahlund’s personal best and the sixth-best time in the 5K in NDSU history. Congrats, Allie!

Go Bison!