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College football season is nearly upon us, and Mark Schofield is hard at work breaking down film for upcoming contests. This is a rematch from last season, which reigning champions NDSU won 22-10 over Montana in the Fargodome, and looks to be a key game in Week 1 of FCS play. Our NCAA Film Preview of NDSU and Montana rolls on with this look at how the Bison can attack the Grizzlies in the passing game.

Gil Dobie wrote:This is a rematch from last season, which reigning champions NDSU won 22-10 over Montana in the Fargodome, and looks to be a key game in Week 1 of FCS play.

Grizalltheway wrote:So apparently this is the sideline reporter for the game. I'm sure Z will have his binocs in hand...

AZGrizFan wrote:

Grizalltheway wrote:So apparently this is the sideline reporter for the game. I'm sure Z will have his binocs in hand...

Oh sweet mother of god...Are you serious???

AZGrizFan wrote:

Gil Dobie wrote:This is a rematch from last season, which reigning champions NDSU won 22-10 over Montana in the Fargodome, and looks to be a key game in Week 1 of FCS play.

I don't know...there's lots of good games out there this weekend...

FARGO – When ESPN called to ask one of the most recognizable sports announcers in the country to work the North Dakota State at Montana football game, Brent Musburger had two requests—neither of which required more money.

No. 1: Musburger wanted the same, entire crew that works with him when he announces SEC football games. So when Bison fans click on their television sets for Saturday's 2:30 p.m. season opener, they will see a telecast produced by the same crew that brought you last year's Auburn-Alabama game.

"What's your second request?" ESPN asked.

"I need tickets," Musburger said.

Yes, even though Musberger grew up in Billings, Mont., and resides two months during the summer one hour away from the stadium in Missoula where the Bison will play Saturday, he has been unable to find tickets for his children, grandchildren and friends who live in Montana.

"I'm not paying scalper prices," said Musburger, even though he probably could afford such an investment. "So they (ESPN) are promising me they will deliver me some tickets this week."

Bison fans can relate. Tickets for this game have been hard to come by at a Montana program that annually draws some of the biggest home crowds in all of FCS football.

Hot ticket indeed. You have NDSU—which won an unprecedented fourth straight FCS national championship last January—taking on Montana, which at one time was considered the powerhouse of FCS. To add to the fanfare, Musburger will be in the booth announcing the only major college game to be played on Saturday to a national television audience.

"And I think a big part of the appeal is North Dakota State ... here comes the big dog," Musburger said during a Monday morning telephone interview. "And I'm sure that the Montana fans never thought that someday they would be looking up at the Bison. It's like all of sudden ... 'Oh my goodness, look at what we've got there.' "

What we've got here is a 76-year-old Musburger who began his career covering sports back in 1968. What eventually made him famous with his association with "The NFL Today" in the 1970s—CBS-TV's studio show that NDSU head coach Chris Klieman remembers watching when he was growing up in Iowa.

Since 1990, Musburger has become one of ABC-TV's leading broadcasters for college football—which has included seven BCS national championship games and the unforgettable Doug Flutie "Hail Mary" touchdown pass that gave Boston College a last-second win over Miami.

Now, for the first time, he's doing a game matching two FCS opponents.

"And he knows an awful lot about our program," said Klieman, who was interviewed over the phone by Musburger last week. "That's pretty neat."

He knows that NDSU plays what he calls "powerful, sound football." While watching a tape of last January's championship game, he was impressed with defensive end Kyle Emanuel ("he's kind of a J.J. Watt type of player) and quarterback Carson Wentz ("I can see why the pros are taking a long look at him.")

He knows NDSU's offense is potentially the most potent in all of FCS, despite losing running back John Crockett—"who I happened to watch yesterday on TV with the Packers." He wonders if NDSU's young and untested defense can handle Montana's new hurry-up, no-huddle offense.

He also knows of NDSU's eight wins over big-time schools.

"The one that got my attention more than anything else was Kansas State," Musburger said of NDSU's 24-21 upset in 2013. "To win in Manhattan ... and I've done a lot of games in Manhattan ... that's a hard day's work to go in there and win. I've seen Oklahoma lose there, I've seen Texas lose there. For North Dakota State to go in there and win, I said 'Oooh, there's something special going on there."

Musburger is also well aware of North Dakota's landscape, having driven back and forth from Billings to Faribault, Minn., where he attended Shattuck-St. Mary's prep school. "I'm very familiar with the roads through North Dakota," Musburger said.

Having grown up in Billings, he's also very familiar with Montana football. He remembers Montana's glory days when it won a national title in 1995 and lost to Marshall and a receiver named Randy Moss in the 1996 title game.

Musburger watched Montana's scrimmage two weeks ago. And he's well aware that the first person in line when general admission tickets for this game went on sale last month was an NDSU fan.

"That still smarts in Missoula," Musburger said. "They are still unhappy about that one."

There are some Bison fans fearing that Musburger, because of his ties to Montana, will become a homer—presenting a Montana bias. Musburger chuckled at the notion.

"Please tell them that my father was born in North Dakota," Musburger said, whose late father was born in Bismarck. "Tell them they will get a fair shake."

Musburger watched Montana's scrimmage two weeks ago. And he's well aware that the first person in line when general admission tickets for this game went on sale last month was an NDSU fan.

"That still smarts in Missoula," Musburger said. "They are still unhappy about that one."

Gil Dobie wrote:Article on Musburger doing Saturdays game.

Today's Fargo Forum Link

...
There are some Bison fans fearing that Musburger, because of his ties to Montana, will become a homer—presenting a Montana bias. Musburger chuckled at the notion.

"Please tell them that my father was born in North Dakota," Musburger said, whose late father was born in Bismarck. "Tell them they will get a fair shake."

JohnStOnge wrote:I"m ready too. This will be a great showcase for ESPN to get fans pumped up for SEC football between snaps of some other football game.

Grizalltheway wrote:New Montana unis. Looks like they're going with the traditional ones for this game.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-60kX1bUTAc[/youtube]

JohnStOnge wrote:

Grizalltheway wrote:New Montana unis. Looks like they're going with the traditional ones for this game.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-60kX1bUTAc[/youtube]

They really should just settle on one home uniform and one road uniform. The stuff like what Oregon does where you have all kinds of uniforms is crap. Look at stuff like LSU and Alabama and Georgia Southern. That's how you do uniforms. You don't flake out.

Especially when you're a classic program like Montana is.

JohnStOnge wrote:

Grizalltheway wrote:New Montana unis. Looks like they're going with the traditional ones for this game.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-60kX1bUTAc[/youtube]

They really should just settle on one home uniform and one road uniform. The stuff like what Oregon does where you have all kinds of uniforms is crap. Look at stuff like LSU and Alabama and Georgia Southern. That's how you do uniforms. You don't flake out.

Especially when you're a classic program like Montana is.

Yeah! What the hell do Nike and Oregon know about branding and apparel sales???

JohnStOnge wrote:

Yeah! What the hell do Nike and Oregon know about branding and apparel sales???

It's called "selling out."

JohnStOnge wrote:

Grizalltheway wrote:New Montana unis. Looks like they're going with the traditional ones for this game.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-60kX1bUTAc[/youtube]

They really should just settle on one home uniform and one road uniform. The stuff like what Oregon does where you have all kinds of uniforms is crap. Look at stuff like LSU and Alabama and Georgia Southern. That's how you do uniforms. You don't flake out.

Especially when you're a classic program like Montana is.

And what did McNeese...oh that is right.

JohnStOnge wrote:I can't believe I'm going to say this because I get tired of hearing SEC fans talk but I think if Oregon tried to play with the teams it assembles in the SEC every year the Ducks would never even sniff getting into something like the new college football playoff as long as it's just four teams. They'd just get physically beaten to a pulp.

Also look for USC to take back over the Pac 12 at some point as the sanctions wear off because that program does play traditional physical football and does get the kind of players it takes to do that. As an aside they also keep their traditional uniform look.

Enjoy what's happening now Oregon fans because it's just a matter of time before USC takes over again.