North Dakota State head coach talks playing against Deion Sanders, Eddie George coached teams
After a narrow 31-26 loss against Deion Sanders and Colorado where North Dakota State was seconds away from pulling off another FBS upset, North Dakota State gears up to play Eddie George and the Tennessee State Tigers. All eyes will be on this game to see how the Bison perform, as many of the 4.8 million viewers that watched the Thursday night Week 1 contest will surely look to see how North Dakota State fares against a team coached by another NFL great.
The Bison looked impressive during the game, as they relied on their run-heavy attack and bruising defense that helped them control the pace of the game. Headed into halftime, North Dakota State led the Buffaloes 20-17 until Shedeur Sanders and Colorado seized the lead on a Travis Hunter catch with 7:45 left in the third quarter.
The Bison look to continue their run of dominance against Tennessee State, who posted their first winning season since 2017 last year and opened the season with a huge 41-21 victory over Mississippi Valley State University.
New North Dakota State head coach Tim Polasek discussed the upcoming matchup with the Tigers and the significance of coaching against Eddie George after his battle with Sanders’s Buffaloes.
“I think it’s an exciting opponent. Back-to-back weeks you get to see another potential Hall of Fame coach and I just think that’s unique in itself. Eddie George was a tough, talented guy. I loved watching the Titans and Ravens play. Recognize that those games were big battles and I’m looking forward to meeting him,” he said in a quote obtained by 247Sports.
George’s offense at Tennessee State has traditionally been a heavy run system. But, it appears that the Heisman Trophy winner looks to give his offense more of a dynamic look built around talents of Draylen Ellis. Ironically enough, Eddie George attempted to hire Tyler Rohel former North Dakota State offensive coordinator to his staff in the off-season. Rohel was set to join the Tigers en route to their huge game against North Dakota State but he departed the team to join Iowa State as their Associate Head Coach.
Now former UT Martin pass game coordinator Travis Partridge fills the offensive coordinator position, where the Tiger’s offensive attack looked prolific against the Delta Devils. Tennessee State quarterback Draylen Ellis had a phenomenal game, throwing for 356 yards and three touchdowns on 21/33 passing. The rushing attack, led by Jaden McGill’s 41 yards on 7 carries and Jalen Rouse’s 21-yard touchdown run, also shined.
Tim Polasek discussed the Bison’s defensive gameplan against Tennessee State and what he’s observed about their offensive attack, saying, “This guy (Draylen Ellis) is all RPO, it’s all screen. Even third downs they’re not afraid to throw screens and to keep it ‘1, 2, ball’ type stuff and that’s where he’s really effective and accurate. Anytime they’re in split-the-field concepts, where it’s, ‘Okay, if you get this, you’re playing left. You get this, you’re playing right.’ This kid is accurate, he’s capable, has a good arm, I respect him. What we’ve got to do is make it sticky. Third-and-eight, nine, those types of concepts maybe aren’t as good as full-field progressions and see if he can do that. I’m excited about that.”
Kickoff between the Tigers and Bison is September 7 at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
The post North Dakota State head coach talks playing against Deion Sanders, Eddie George coached teams appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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