Overcoming Adversity- The Coaching Career of Robin Blake

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

Quarter Review

Associated Press-Welcome to the very first conference review of the 2013 season. We are only a quarter of the season in and its still way to early to crown a king if your team has been successful or press the panic button if your team has not. Today we are going to take a look at the conference standings, choose our surprise and disappointing teams so far, and take a look at some of the best players in our conference. Again we are only three games into a brand new season so a disappointing team like Hawaii (0-2) could turn it around and still end up conference champions.

Conference Standings
#13 Fresno State (3-0)
Boise State (3-0)
North Dakota State (3-0)
Utah State (2-1)
Wyoming (2-1)
Nevada (2-1)
UNLV (2-1)
San Jose State (1-1)
San Diego State (1-1)
Colorado State (1-2)
Air Force (1-2)
New Mexico (1-2)
Hawaii (0-2)

Most Surprising Team:

North Dakota State (3-0)

The North Dakota State Bison are newcomers to the Mountain West conference and many picked them to finish last. After blowing out the Idaho Vandals and escaping against BYU and New Mexico, the Bison are undefeated so far and are playing very well. The defense has been better then expected under new defensive coordinator Robin Blake. On the offensive side, star running back Parker Latimer put the team on his back with 226 rushing yards against the Vandals in week one. However, due to a suspension, Latimer has been out the past two weeks and the offense has suffered. Even though Latimer has not played he is still the leading rusher on the team. Latimer returns this week against Colorado State and if he can stay out of trouble, look for the Bison offense to regain is momentum and for NDSU to make some noise in the conference.

Prediction: NDSU finishes 7-5

Most Disappointing Team

San Diego State (1-1)

To call San Diego State a disappointment at this point in the season is an overreaction and fans should not press that panic button yet. SDSU was picked to finish second behind Fresno State bulldogs in the West division but are currently fifth. The Aztecs are playing well enough to make it a competition in this conference but need to step it up if they want to dethrone the bulldogs. They blew out an FCS team like they should have but were destroyed by the Ohio State Buckeyes. Junior quarterback Quinn Kaehler has struggled so far this season throwing 3 interceptions and losing 2 fumbles. Kaehler will need to limit the turnovers and step up his play if his team wants to make it to the championship game and a bowl game.

Prediction: SDSU finishes 8-4

Stud Player of the Quarter

QB Derek Carr (Fresno State)
57-106, 910 YDS, 10 TD, 0 INT, 40 ATT, 183 YDS, 2 TD

Coming into the season as one of, if not the best player in the conference, Fresno State quarterback Derek Carr is putting up great stats as he has led his team to a 3-0 record and a #13 ranking in the nation. With plenty of games left to play, this young man could potentially be a dark horse Heisman candidate while setting records.

Dud Player of the Quarter

QB Garrett Grayson (Colorado State)

39-95, 461 YDS, 2 TD, 7 INT

Coming into the year as a 2nd team All American, Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson is not living up to expectations. His team is currently 1-2 and Grayson could be part of the reason why. His seven interceptions leads the conference by far. With a very tough schedule coming up for the Rams, Grayson must turn it around if he hopes to see a bowl game this year.

Conference Leaders

Passing:
Utah State Chuckie Keeton- 46-78, 622 YDS, 8 TD, 0 INT
Fresno State Derek Carr- 57-106, 910 YDS, 10 TD, 0 INT
Boise State Joe Southwick- 56-91, 763 YDS, 5 TD, 1 INT

Rushing:
New Mexico Kasey Carrier- 61 ATT, 384 YDS, 3 TD
Air Force Jon Lee- 62 ATT, 373 YDS, 1 TD
Wyoming Brett Smith- 52 ATT, 296 YDS, 3 TD

Receiving
Wyoming Robert Herron- 20 REC, 319 YDS, 1 TD
Fresno State Marcel Jensen- 14 REC, 303 YDS, 2 TD
North Dakota State Atari Munoz- 15 REC, 298 YDS, 2 TD

Blocking
North Dakota State Cedric McNamara- 21 PCAKE, 0 SACK
North Dakota State Herman Munoz- 20 PCAKE, 1 SACK
Colorado State Jared Biard- 14 PCAKE, 0 SACK

Defensive
Wyoming Mark Nzeocha- 29 TACK, 0 SACKS, 0 INT, 0 FF
Air Force Reggie Barnes- 27 TACK, 1 SACKS, 0 INT, 0 FF
UNLV Jordan Sparkman- 23 TACK, 1 SACKS, 0 INT, 0 FF

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

Week 3 Recruiting Update

Today we take a look at a couple of recruits who are on NDSU's board.

Fargo, N.D- With a whopping 18 seniors expected to graduate this semester, our beloved Bison need reinforcements badly. The offense has 8 players who will graduate this year lead by wide receiver Atari Munoz, and running back Parker Latimer. The defense has 10 players who will be leaving and the majority of them are starters. Middle linebacker Ali Pettit and safety Calvin Francis will leave big voids to fill for the Bison defense next year. Lets take a look at who the coaches are recruiting this season:

Name: Ben Cook
Height/Weight: 6'7, 285 lbs
Position: Guard
City: Draper,Utah
School: Salt Lake Community College
Ranking: 1 Star (Rivals) #184 G
Offers: NDSU, Utah

Ben Cook is a massive offensive lineman prospect hailing from Draper,UT. In his senior year, Cook had an offer from BYU and Utah State but was ruled academically ineligible for the 2011 season. After spending 2 years at Salt Lake community college, Cook is being recruited by Utah and our beloved Bison. Here is the scouting report from Scout.com:

On paper, Ben Cook does not look like a great offensive line prospect. He is slow moving and has stiff hips. His strength is average and his pass blocking skills are below average. However, where Cook really excells is in the running game. He is a mauler who can create holes when he has help from much more talented offensive linemen on either side.

Name: Roosevelt Sykes
Height/Weight: 6'3, 230 lbs
Position: Outside Linebacker
City: Spencer,Iowa
School: Spencer Senior High
Ranking: 2 Star (Rivals) #157 OLB
Offers: NDSU, Boston College, Michigan

Roosevelt Sykes is a linebacker prospect from Spencer, IA. He currently is the leading tackler on his high school football team with 28. Coach Klieman and crew desperealy need help on defense and Sykes would be a good step towards that goal. Here is the Scout.com scouting report:

Roosevelt Sykes has a great nose for the ball as evidence by being his teams leading tackler two years in a row. He has great hustle and great instincts. he is a liability in coverage and struggles to find the running back coming out of the backfield. He has average speed.

Name: Dan Leak
Height/Weight: 6'4, 249 lbs
Position: Defensive End
City: Belleview, Florida
School: Belleview High
Ranking: 3 Star (Rivals), #35 DE
Offers: NDSU, Miami, Nebraska

In surprising news, our beloved Bison have offered a three star prospect out of Belleview, Florida. It is rumored that Dan Leak personally called Coach Robin Blake and asked if it would be possible to play for him. The Bison have competition from in state powerhouse Miami, but if they could land him, Leak can immediately come in and play on a line that will be decimated by graduation. Here is the Scout.com scouting report:

Dan Leak is an interesting prospect at defensive end. He has great speed and agility and could get around an offensive lineman with finesse. However, his speed is lacking and he is constantly being pushed around. Could be a stud at linebacker if he learned how to cover.

The Bison have no commits as of now. However, look for Coach Klieman and staff to land a couple prospects within the next few weeks.

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

Around the Nation

Top Stories

Battle In The Sea Of Red!

UCLA wins a tight on against Nebraska, 27-19.

Conference Commandos?

#22 LSU concentrates on the SEC opener against #2 Auburn.

Starting Strong

Alabama celebrates going 1-0 in conference play, beating Texas A&M 37-33.

The Real Test Begins

Easley and Florida prepare for their SEC opener against Tennessee.

Goose Eggs!

Purdue whiffs against Notre Dame, 40-0 in annual Battle for the Shillelagh Trophy.

Crashing The Party

Ole Miss jumps to #25 after defeating Texas 45-27

Big Test At Home

#16 Arizona State is in for a rude awakening this week in Stanford.

Celebration In Columbia

South Carolina guards their turf against SEC rival Vanderbilt.

Florida State remains number one for the third week in a row, Ole Miss jumps into the top 25 for the first time this year.

NCAA Football Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Sep 16, 2013
RK	LW	TEAM (VOTES)	W	L	POINTS
1	1	Florida State	2	0	34
2	2	Auburn	3	0	23
3	3	Michigan State	3	0	1
4	4	Baylor	2	0	2
5	5	Ohio State	3	0	1
6	6	South Carolina	3	0	0
7	7	Missouri	2	0	0
8	8	Oregon	3	0	0
9	9	Oklahoma	2	0	0
10	10	Alabama	2	1	0
11	13	Wisconsin	3	0	0
12	12	Louisville	3	0	0
13	15	Fresno State	3	0	0
14	14	Clemson	1	1	0
15	17	Northern Illinois	2	0	0
16	11	Arizona State	1	1	0
17	19	Stanford	1	1	0
18	20	Georgia	1	1	0
19	21	Oklahoma State	2	1	0
20	16	Texas A&M	2	1	0
21	22	TCU	3	0	0
22	23	LSU	2	1	0
23	24	USC	3	0	0
24	--	Kansas State	3	0	0
25	--	Ole Miss	3	0	0

Auburn comes away with a victory thanks to the play of their Heisman candidate. TAMU QB Johnny Manzial is still the one to watch.

Heisman Watch - Updated: Sep 16, 2013
NAME	POS	SCHOOL		SEASON STATS
Johnny Manzial	QB	Texas A&M		56-81, 862 YDS, 7 TD
A.J McCarron	QB	Alabama		38-73, 597 YDS, 4 TD, 2 INT
Braxton Miller	QB	Ohio State		47-73, 632 YDS, 11 TD, 2 INT
Melvin Gordon	HB	Wisconsin		62 ATT, 391 YDS, 7 TD
Tre Mason	HB	Auburn		55 ATT, 362 YDS, 3 TD

Players of the Week

Offense:
Arkansas HB Jonathan Williams- 38 ATT, 294 YDS, 4 TD

Defense:
Marshall FS Taj Letman- TKL, ATK, FF, 2 INT

Congratulations to Both Players!

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

Matchup Preview

Bison, Rams, Set to Lock Horns in a MWC Battle

Fort Collins, CO- It's only week 4 but these two teams seem to be heading in the opposite direction.

The NDSU Bison are on a 3 game winning streak and will welcome back running back Parker Latimer after serving a two game suspension. The Colorado State Ram's are on a two game losing streak and were absolutely annihilated by Tulsa last week.

"Every week is different." Head Coach Chris Klieman said. "As a coach, you don't prepare any differently against a team on a losing streak then a team on a winning streak. These guys are still very dangerous and looking for redemption."

One candidate for the redemption theme will be Ram quarterback Garrett Grayson. Grayson has thrown seven interceptions already this year and has looked very shaky and nervous in the pocket.

"It's been a rough start that is for sure." Colorado State head coach Jim McElwain said. "But I believe in Garrett and so does the team. He will get it eventually."

Grayson will not have help from All American running back Kapri Bibbs who is out due to injury, and will need to be perfect against a Bison D that has played really well for new defensive coordinator Robin Blake the past couple of weeks.

"Coach Blake told us all week not to over look these guys and I don't think we will." Safety Calvin Francis said. "We are ready to play."

Our beloved Bison and the Rams will kickoff on Saturday at 1:00 in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Keys to Victory

Parker Latimer must get the ball.

Establish momentum on the offense

The defense must blitz Garrett Grayson early and often

Previous game results:
NDSU 24 New Mexico 10
Colorado State 34 Tulsa 63

Prediction: NDSU 31 Colorado State 14

Matchup Preview *|* September 21, 2013
	@
North Dakota State Bison (3-0, 1-0 Away)		Colorado State Rams (1-2, 1-0 Home)
Offensive Stats Comparison 27.0 Points Per Game 24.0 396.3 Total Offensive Yards 386.3 173.0 Rushing Yards 224.3 223.3 Passing Yards 162.0 Defensive Stats Comparison 245.0 Total Yards Allowed 410.7 108.7 Rushing Yards Allowed 185.0 136.3 Passing Yards Allowed 225.7 Injury Report HB Kapri Bibbs/Strained Achilles Questionable Game Notes

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

Tenacious D
Bison D Step Up and Pitch a Shut Out Win Over Rams


Bison Linebacker Ali Pettit (44) knocks Ram QB Garrett Grayson (18) to the ground for a sack.

Fort Collins, CO- In a game where both offenses were unexpectedly stagnant, the North Dakota State Bison get the victory over MWC foe Colorado State University 27-0 to continue their undefeated tour.

"This was a great team win." Head coach Chris Klieman said after the game. "This is a great example of a team rallying around each other when the play hasn't been as good as we are accustomed to seeing."

Both teams had a difficult time moving the ball against the defenses. The game remained scoreless until halfway through the 2nd quarter when Bison kicker Rick Bush broke the tie with a 54 yard field goal to put his team up 3-0. After a O.J Wheatley sack on 3rd and long and a botched punt, senior quarterback Carey Kaplan made the Rams pay with a touchdown toss to fullback Jack Branch to make it 10-0. NDSU never looked back after that.

Bison FB Jack Branch (34) catches a TD pass

Star running back Parker Latimer, who returned after missing two games due to a suspension, had a lackluster outing and did not break the 100 yard threshold. With the running game suffering, quarterback Carey Kaplan stepped up and threw three touchdowns on the day.

Bison WR Wesley Poland (86) catches a TD pass in front of two Ram defenders.

"Kap had a great day for us." said offensive coordinator Brett Terrell. "It is a bit frustrating to be as ineffective on the ground today but he stepped up and showed everyone why he is an underrated QB."


Coach Robin Blake's plan to blitz Ram's quarterback Garrett Grayson worked perfectly. The stat sheet shows only 3 total team sacks but it seemed like there were Bison defenders in the backfield on every play. Grayson was constantly under duress and never had an opportunity to make a play. So much so that he was held to -25 rushing yards on the day.

Bison DT O.J Wheatley (77) sacks Ram QB Garrett Grayson (18) on a third and long.

"They knew how to stop us and it worked perfectly." a clearly dejected Jim McElwain said after the game. "They have a great defense and it showed today."

Bison CB Jordan Golden (32) intercepts a pass at the end of the game for the second week in a row.

Coach Blake, who doesn't talk to the media after games, is quickly making a name for himself. His defense is currently ranked number 2 in the nation and has yet to allow more then 14 points. Granted those numbers have come against teams that are currently 4-10 on the year. But this early success gives Bison fans hope that this team can build on it and be competitive at the FBS level.

NDSU will come back home to Fargo and welcome the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors to the Fargodome next week.

North Dakota State Bison at Colorado State Rams
Sep 21, 2013	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
North Dakota State Bison (4-0, 2-0)	0	10	3	14	27
Colorado State Rams (1-3, 0-1)	0	0	0	0	0

Team Stats Comparison
	NDSU	CSU
Total Offense	245	87
Rushing Yards	107	2
Passing Yards	138	85
First Downs	13	9
Punt Return Yards	14	0
Kick Return Yards	0	64
Total Yards	259	151
Turnovers	0	1
3rd Down Converstion	4-9	5-12
4th Down Conversion	0-0	0-1
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	5-3-1	1-0-0
Penalties	2-15	5-36
Posession Time	13:33	10:27

Scoring Summary
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		NDSU	CSU
3:09	(NDSU) FG NDSU: R.Bush, 54 YD FG	3	0
0:42	(NDSU) TD NDSU: J.Branch, 4 YD pass from C.Kaplan (R.Bush kick)	10	0
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		NDSU	CSU
0:00	(NDSU) FG NDSU: R.Bush, 22 YD FG	13	0
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		NDSU	CSU
2:41	(NDSU) TD NDSU: W.Poland, 2 YD pass from C.Kaplan (R.Bush kick)	20	0
0:35	(NDSU) TD NDSU: B.Redd, 5 YD pass from C.Kaplan (R.Bush kick)	27	0

North Dakota State Bison PASSING C/A YDS TD INT C.Kaplan 14-17 138 3 0 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD P.Latimer 28 71 2.5 0 C.Kaplan 4 16 4.0 0 D.Goolsby 3 20 6.6 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD A.Munoz 3 54 18.0 0 P.Latimer 2 31 15.5 0 M.Duckett 2 17 8.5 0 B.Redd 2 11 5.5 1 W.Poland 1 2 2.0 1 G.Fisher 1 11 11.0 0 R.Givens 1 15 15.0 0 J.Branch 1 4 4.0 1 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD S.Swain 11 3 0 0 A.Pettit 8 1 0 0 R.Elbert 3 0 0 0 C.Francis 3 0 0 0 D.Brady 2 0 0 0 P.Dunbar 2 0 0 0 J.Golden 2 0 1 0 J.Beverly 2 0 0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG R.Bush 2-2 3-3 9 54 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 E.Mason 3 139 46.3 0 PUNT RETURN RET YDS AVG TD B.Redd 2 14 7.0 0

Colorado State Rams PASSING C/A YDS TD INT G.Grayson 14-21 85 0 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD C.Nwoke 13 20 1.5 0 G.Grayson 12 -25 -2.0 0 J.Vaden 2 7 3.5 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD C.Gilmore 6 50 8.3 0 C.Nwoke 2 -2 -1.0 0 C.Lovett 2 8 4.0 0 R.Higgins 2 7 3.5 0 J.Vaden 1 9 9.0 0 T.Coffman 1 13 13.0 0 DEFENSE TACK SACK INT TD K.Davis 8 1 0 0 E.Edwards 8 0 0 0 S.Barrett 7 0 0 0 C.Tonga 5 0 0 0 T.Matthews 4 0 0 0 M.Morgan 3 0 0 0 K.Pierre-Louis 3 0 0 0 D.Nwosu 3 0 0 0 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 H.Hunt 6 263 43.8 0 KICK RETURN RET YDS AVG TD T.Coffman 3 64 21.3 0

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

Chapter Eight

“Man.” Robin Blake thought to himself as he drove down Interstate 75 with the window down and the cool breeze rushing over him. “I could definitely get used to this weather.”

Robin was in Florida visiting a potential defensive prospect. Since Florida was not in the University’s pipeline, he paid for this trip all out of pocket. But it would be worth it if he could get this kid to commit to play for him.

Reaching into his duffel bag on the passenger seat while keeping one eye on the road, he grabbed a huge black CD case and flipped it open to reveal hundreds of shiny discs. Picking one, he shut the case and popped the disc into the radio. A high pitched rock voice singing about being back in black poured out of the car speakers.

Nodding his head to the music, Robin sighed in contentment. He was feeling good. His team was on a four game winning streak and it was largely thanks to his defense, and he was in a beautiful state on his way to speak to a recruit that could have a huge impact on the future of the program. He glanced at his phone to check the time and see if he had any messages and felt a small twinge of sadness. The only thing bothering him was Anna had not spoken to him since that Sunday three weeks ago when she got upset about something and stormed out.

“Women.” He thought shaking his head. He didn’t know what he had done but he sure as hell wasn’t going to apologize or make an effort to speak to her. She’d get over it.

Pushing aside all thoughts of her, he focused on his upcoming pitch to Dan Leak. Leak was a 6’4, talented defensive line prospect from Belleview, Florida. He was a local star at his high school where last Friday night, he broke the career sack total for his school. He was the main reason why his team’s defense was so good and possibly bound for state. Robin really wanted him.

Belleview was a small town in central Florida, about two hours north of Orlando. There were no local airports around however, so Robin had to fly into Gainesville and then rent a car to drive about an hour south. He didn’t mind though. He loved driving on the open road with the window down and music blaring. It reminded him of the Sunday afternoon drives he would take with his wife back in West Texas.

Turning the music up even louder, Robin leaned back into his seat and relaxed. He still had about thirty minutes to go and he was going to enjoy every moment of it.



A little while later, Robin pulled up to a small yellow house that was tucked away at the end of the street. Flowers bloomed everywhere in the front yard. He got out of the car and made his way up to the front door, careful to avoid a skateboard and several small toys that littered the path. He rang the doorbell and he heard sounds of excitement from inside the house. Somewhere in the backyard a dog barked.

“Settle down! Settle down!” a voice inside. “Now y’all better act like perfect gentlemen you hear?” The door open and a large African American woman stood there in a pink and purple Senegalese dress. A delicious spicy smell wafted out and caused Robin’s stomach to grumble.

“Coach Blake!” She said excitedly grasping his hand. “My name is Khady Leak. I’ am Dan’s mother.”

“It is very nice to meet you Mrs. Leak.” He said. “And may I say you look very lovely tonight.”

She blushed. “I bet you say that to all prospects moms.” She opened the door wider and gestured for him to come inside. “But please call me Khady. Mrs. Leak makes me sound so old.”

“But you are old momma!” A little voice said from the couch.

Khady glared at the little boy sitting on the couch. “Jeremiah! Where are your manners!? You better behave before I send you to your room with no supper.”

“Yes ma’am” said Jeremiah sinking into the couch cushions.

“I hope you brought your appetite coach.” Khady said making her way to the kitchen where the fragrant smells were coming from. “I made a nice meal for your visit.”

“You really didn’t have to go through the trouble.” Robin said, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

“Of course I did! Besides.” She said brandishing an apron. “Dan can eat two meals if I let him. That boy is always starving.”

He chuckled. “Teenage boys have a habit of eating their parents out of their homes. Especially football players.”

“Well I hope they got food up there to keep him satisfied.”

“It won’t be his mother’s southern cooking but it could do for the time that he is there.”

She laughed. “He will be home in a minute. He’s down at the library doing some studying.”

“Studying huh?” Robin said raising an eyebrow. “That’s pretty impressive.”

Khady smiled with pride. “Oh yes. My boy has a perfect 4.0 GPA. He is very
intelligent. When he was small he wanted to be a NASA engineer. Isn’t that funny? Most boys want to be an astronaut but he wanted to build the spaceships.”

He grinned. “Have I mentioned that North Dakota State has an excellent engineering program? In fact, as a whole we have a really great academic program.”

“That is very important to me.” She said stirring something in a big pot. “The other school that is interested, Miami, isn’t that big on academics.” She turned towards him. “If I had it my way he would have been committed to your school yesterday.”

“Well for a young man, Miami is a very attractive option.” Robin said. “Great football tradition, great area, and plenty of temptations. I can understand why he would considered going there.”

She turned back towards the pot and gave a very large “Hmph!” sound.

“But at North Dakota State, he can get a great education, make friends with people that are a little more….stable, and I believe our football program will become one of the best in the next few years.”

“Look Coach you don’t have to convince me, I already want him to go there.” She said glancing at him. “Save all your arguments for when he gets home.”

Right on schedule, the door swung open and Dan Leak walked inside the house with an armful of books. “Sorry I’m late mom.” He said dumping his books on the couch. “I got held up at the library.”

“It’s ok baby.” Khady said coming over to hug her son. “Look, Coach Blake came to visit you.”

Dan looked over at Robin and his face lit up. “Coach! I didn’t know you were coming!”

Robin got up to shake Dan’s hand. “I wanted to come meet you in person and taste some of your mom’s delicious cooking.”

Khady laughed. “There’s still about ten minutes left so you boys go ahead and talk.”

Robin gestured toward the door. “Do you mind if we talk outside?”

“Not at all coach!” Dan said as he walked back out.

Standing out in the front yard, Robin pointed at all the flower bushes. “Your mom loves flowers huh?”

Dan chuckled. “Yeah she’s kinda obsessed. I’ am not sure why.” He glanced nervously at Robin. “Are you here to yell at me coach?”

Confused Robin asked, “What? Why would you think that?”

Dan looked at his feet and shuffled nervously. “Because I called you and told you that I was interested in playing for you but I haven’t committed yet.”

“I am not mad at you for that. You only get recruited once in your life. It’s only natural that you take your time. Especially with a school like Miami sniffing around.”

Dan looked off into the distance clearly distracted by something else. “Miami… yeah..”

Robin looked at him quizzically. “You do have an offer from them right?”

“Yeah.” Dan said “I do. But I don’t know if they really care too much about me. I’ve only had one phone call from them.”

“Oh?” Robin asked suddenly hopeful.

Dan took a deep breath and looked at Robin. “I am going to be honest with ya coach. I really want to come play for you. I’d commit tonight. But…” his voice trailed off nervously.

Robin waited silently and patiently.

Dan cleared his throat. “But there’s this girl…”

“Ah.” Robin said nodding his head knowingly. “Girlfriend?”

“Yeah.” Dan said sheepishly. “We’ve been together for three years now. I think I’m in love with her and I don’t want to leave her. She was looking at Miami which was why I was looking there too.”

“So if she goes there…?”

“I don’t know coach. I want to come up to Fargo but it’s so far away from Miami.”

Robin walked over to where Dan was standing picking at a rose bush. “I had a high school sweetheart too. I was determined to follow her wherever she went.”

“What happened?”

“Well I followed her to Texas Christian. We lasted maybe two more months before we broke up. I transferred to Texas Tech and I met my future wife. The rest as they say is history.” Robin placed a hand on his shoulder. “I am not going to tell you what to do. But man to man and from someone who has been there, college changes people. Either for better or for worse. There is a chance y’all could make but there’s a chance that y’all won’t. You need to decide what is best for you and your future.”

Dan sighed. “I am not even sure what that is. There are so many decisions to make at eighteen. I don’t know if I can do it.”

Robin nudged him in the ribs. “Well I can tell you what you should do.” He said laughing. “But you should sit down and have a talk with your mom. She is a big part of your life and someone that will tell you like it is even if you don’t want to hear it.”

Dan smiled. “She sure will. She has an opinion for everything.”

Robin laughed. “Mothers know best. Which speaking of, why don’t we go back inside and eat. I am pretty sure there is a piece of fried chicken in there that is screaming my name. Plus I can tell you a little more about our program.”

Nodding his head Dan patted Robin on the shoulder and turn around to head back inside. Taking one more look at the roses that Dan had picked clean, he gave a small smile and followed him.

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

Around the Nation

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It Never Gets Easier

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The Way To Play

Florida downs Tennessee 34-0 in their SEC opener.

Getting It Done

Georgia Tech triumphs over North Carolina, 31-29 in a ACC riot.

Rams Shoot Blanks

North Dakota State's defense comes through in a big way, winning 27-0.

The Auburn Tigers take the number one spot from the Florida State Seminoles. Boise State joins the Top 25 club.

NCAA Football Rankings - AP Top 25 - Updated: Sep 23, 2013
RK	LW	TEAM (VOTES)	W	L	POINTS
1	2	Auburn	4	0	39
2	1	Florida State	3	0	21
3	3	Michigan State	4	0	1
4	4	Baylor	3	0
5	5	Ohio State	4	0
6	6	South Carolina	3	0
7	7	Missouri	3	0
8	8	Oregon	3	0
9	9	Oklahoma	3	0
10	10	Alabama	2	1
11	11	Wisconsin	4	0
12	12	Louisville	4	0
13	14	Clemson	2	1
14	15	Northern Illinois	3	0
15	17	Stanford	2	1
16	18	Georgia	2	1
17	19	Oklahoma State	2	1
18	20	Texas A&M	3	1
19	21	TCU	3	0
20	13	Fresno State	3	1
21	24	Kansas State	4	0
22	--	Boise State	4	0
23	23	USC	3	0
24	16	Arizona State	1	2
25	25	Ole Miss	3	0

Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller becomes the new Heisman leader after a great showing against a lowly FCS team.

Heisman Watch - Updated: Sep 23, 2013
NAME	POS	SCHOOL		SEASON STATS
Braxton Miller	QB	Ohio State		55-88, 765 YDS, 13 TD, 2 INT
Johnny Manziel	QB	Texas A&M		61-88, 945 YDS, 8 TD
Melvin Gordon	HB	Wisconsin		81 ATT, 481 YDS, 9 TD
Glasco Martin	HB	Baylor		69 ATT, 408 YDS, 9 TD
Daniel Sams	QB	Kansas State		35-60, 467 YDS, 6 TD, 1 INT

Players of the Week

Offense:

Rice QB Taylor McHargue

16-26, 178 YDS, 17 CAR, 133 YDS, 5 Total TD

Defense:

Louisville CB Andrew Johnson

TKL, 2 ATK, 3 INT

Congratulations to both Players!

[TheOtherPotterGuy]

Matchup Preview

NDSU and Hawaii prepare for war.

Fargo, N.D-After a great showing last week against the Colorado State Rams, the North Dakota State Bison's defense will need to repeat that performance when the pass happy Hawaii Rainbow Warriors visit the Fargodome.

"Every week, we are eager to show what we can do." Bison safety Sergio Swain said. "We welcome the challenge and I think we'll have fun today."

Swain led the team in tackles last week in a 27-0 win over the Rams. Hawaii comes into this game flying high on the arm of senior Sean Schroeder. Schroeder leads an Hawaii offense that hasn't been particularly stunning this season but is always very dangerous with their speed and efficiency.

On the other side, the Bison offense needs to find their groove soon. With star running back Parker Latimer back last week, the running game still lagged behind their usual standard. NDSU will get a chance to work out their kinks as they face an Hawaii defense that gives up an average of 400 yards a game.

"We know what they like to do and we plan to stop it." Senior Hawaii linebacker Art Laurel said. "We ruin their game plan and it forces them to play our game."

A victory tonight will extend the winning streak to five games. The Bison will look to continue the momentum as they will face the rowdy Duke Blue Devils from the ACC next week. Kickoff will be at 6 pm tonight.

Keys to Victory

The running game must get going

Slow down the tempo, keep the uptempo Hawaii offense off the field.

Pressure Sean Schroeder

Previous game results:
NDSU 27 Colorado State 0
Hawaii 24 Nevada 17

Prediction: NDSU 28 Hawaii 17

Matchup Preview *|* September 28, 2013
	@
Hawaii Warriors (1-2, 0-1 Away)		North Dakota State Bison (4-0, 2-0 Home)
Offensive Stats Comparison 24.0 Points Per Game 27.0 346.0 Total Offensive Yards 358.5 119.7 Rushing Yards 156.5 226.3 Passing Yards 202.0 Defensive Stats Comparison 455.3 Total Yards Allowed 205.5 169.0 Rushing Yards Allowed 82.0 286.3 Passing Yards Allowed 123.5 Injury Report None None Game Notes