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Wednesday, August 30, 2000
Javelinas will encounter experienced Bison
Foe returns nine offensive, defensive starters
By Javier Becerra
Caller-Times
Bob Babich has been waiting for the 2000 football season since he arrived at North Dakota State University in February of 1997.
After three successful years that produced second-, fourth- and third-place finishes in the North Central Conference standings, the Bison return one of the most experienced teams in NCAA Division II with nine starters back on both offense and defense.
As North Dakota State prepares for Thursday night's season opener against Texas A&M-Kingsville in Fargo, N.D., no one on the Bison coaching staff is more anxious than Babich.
"Everybody this year has played all their eligibility with this staff. The seniors, we brought them up as babies," said Babich, who spent 12 years as an assistant coach with five NCAA Division I teams, most recently Pittsburgh. "I think it's a plus when the players have developed under the same system for four years. When you don't have to think about learning knew things, you can go out and play a lot harder."
Thursday's 7 p.m. game will mark A&M-Kingsville's third appearance in the Fargodome. North Dakota State defeated the Javelinas in both previous meetings, 20-10 in 1996 and 16-6 in 1998.
North Dakota State's experience is evident, said Javelinas linebacker Kiah Johnson, who has been studying Bison game films from 1999.
"They look pretty solid. They look like guys who have been playing together a long time," Johnson said. "I know they're feeling pretty confident and that they're going to be real tough. It's up to us to destroy that confidence."
The 39-year-old Babich inherited a young team comprised mostly of underclassmen, but the inexperience hardly seemed to matter.
In his first season, Babich led the Bison to a 9-3 record and Division II playoff appearance. North Dakota State missed the postseason the last two years, but posted winning records both seasons, including a 9-2 campaign in 1999.
North Dakota State's offense will again boast a double barrel attack behind senior quarterback Ryan Johnson and junior tailback Lamar Gordon.
The 5-foot-11, 203-pound Johnson completed 127-of-224 pass attempts for 2,153 yards and 18 touchdowns last year. He was intercepted just eight times and ranked seventh in the nation in pass efficiency.
Babich said Johnson's rapid physical and mental development last season was more than expected.
"Ryan performed better than anybody ever anticipated. He was making the right checks and proper reads. There's no question he'll be better this year," Babich said. "The biggest thing about Ryan, though, is his poise. His demeanor changed completely last year. That's where he grew the most last year and that's what will help him the most this year."
Gordon reached the 2,000-yard career rushing mark in just 21 games for the Bison. Last season, the 6-1, 215-pound Gordon rushed for 1,495 yards and 22 touchdowns.
This year, Gordon will be running an offensive line that returns four starters, including four-year starting center John Semchenko (6-3, 319).
Defensively, the Bison allowed just 105 yards rushing and 16.7 points per game last season. North Dakota State gave up more than 14 points on just three occasions.
Staff writer Javier Becerra can be reached at 886-3734 or by e-mail at becerraj@caller.com
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