12/9/17: Wofford @ NDSU*

[aldewitt]

PREDICTED WINNER:  NDSU BISON
SPREAD:  Bison -16
OVER/UNDER:  56
MYTHICAL SCORE:  NDSU 36 Wofford Terriers 20
SUGGESTED ACTION:  Take the Bison to win.  For fun take them to cover and take the over.  If the Bison win by more than 16 they will probably need more than 36 points to do it because Wofford averages 27 points/game.  

Offensively these teams both rely on the run.  Woffords problem:  They each produce over 250 yards/game.  The Bison have an edge through the air and it could be signigicant.  If the Terriers find themselves struggleing to protect against the pass The Herd will crank up the ground attack.  NDSU has unveiled a tremendous amount of talent at running back this season.

Both teams are good on the defensive side of the ball but The Bison are just a little tougher.  They will shut down the Wofford running game and the Wofford QB will get chased around until the mistake is made.  The Bison only allow 88 yards on the ground and opponents are only converting 38% of their 3rd downs.   

Where could the 16 points possibly come from?  The Bison have an edge in all the objective aspects of the game on both sides of the ball.  Its not over whelming but could prove to be insurmountable for the Terriers.  Couple that with some key modifiers in favor of The Bison like TOP, 3rd down conversion rates and home field under The Fabulous Fargo Dome and you have a Bison victory brewing.

[aldewitt]

Last time these teams met was 2012 on Dec 8 in Fargo. Final 14-7 Bison.  It was a very physical contest.  All points scored in first half. Wofford outgained The Herd 326 yds to 262. The Bison scored one through the air and 1 on the ground. The passing game was the difference. 

It doesn’t look like that kind of a game this time.  Wofford is a worthy and respected opponent. The spread might be 16 but this will not be easy for The Herd. 

The reason we have such a large spread is the fact Wofford doesn’t score much. I don’t have the stats in front of me but it was considerably less than NDSU, I think over 100 points less on the season. They allowed even fewer giving them the winning record.


UPDATE:  Wofford scored 324 to NDSUs 409.  Wofford allowed 249 to NDSUs 128.  You can begin to see the difference. 

[aldewitt]

Looks like the Terriers are having problems keeping up. They sold out to the run early allowing Easton Stick to put on a show. The Bison Defense is stifling. 35-10 at half.

[aldewitt]

In the end it did come in under the 56, 42-10. A late TD by the Bison was called back. It was a big play.

The Bison really shut the triple option down. One big play early was it. 

Easton Stick was on target. He added a lot of yards on ground as well. Next year is his Sr season.