The Odyssey gives the University of Arizona major props!! Nobody in FBS has had the guts to play North Dakota State since the Bison were in Iowa City in 2016 (NDSU beat the 13th-ranked Hawkeyes, 23-21, on a last-minute field goal). That changes Saturday night in Tucson. Scheduling North Dakota State has become a no-no for athletic directors who host lower-tier FCS programs for one reason: buy a win.
North Dakota State is the FCS equivalent of Alabama, having won 9 national championships since 2011! Equally impressive is its 22-game, playoff winning streak during such period.
13 years have passed since the Bison have lost to an FBS team. Iowa State bested NDSU, 34-17, in 2009. Since that loss in Ames, the Bison has won its last 6 games against the FBS:
NDSU 34, Iowa State 14 2014
NDSU 24, Kansas State 21 2013
NDSU 22, Colorado State 7 2012
NDSU 37, Minnesota 24 2011 (NDSU also beat the Gophers, 27-21, in 2007)
NDSU 6, Kansas 3 2010
This streak is even more impressive in that all their triumphs have been roadies. No playing in the familiar confines of the Fargo Dome.
The Bison absorbed extremely bad news after their blowout win over North Carolina A&T. All-American Defensive Tackle Eli Mostaert’s leg injury makes him a no-go in Tucson. The experts rate this Saturday’s game as a pick ’em.
Nobody has a clue as to how good the UA Wildcats are: Very impressive against San Diego State and very outclassed in last Saturday’s home game versus Mississippi State. Washington State transfer QB, Jayden De Laura, was superb against San Diego State and inconsistent versus a talented Mississippi State defense. San Diego State looks to be down while the Bulldogs may be one of the most underrated teams in the country. Like SDSU, the Bison attack is run-based. The UA defense shut down the Aztec running attack.
UA is certainly much better than its one-win disaster in 2021. Enough so that the we slightly lean to the prediction of a Wildcat victory. Regardless of the outcome, the Odyssey already views Arizona as victors for scheduling North Dakota State in what should be an intriguing matchup.