Bison notebook: Ryan Jones preparing to step into starting role

FARGO — North Dakota State redshirt sophomore Ryan Jones could get his first career start at safety this weekend if senior starter Cole Wisniewski is unable to play.

Wisniewski left the game last Saturday against North Dakota with an apparent concussion. Bison head coach Matt Entz said Wisniewski is day-to-day heading into Saturday’s game against Western Illinois in Missouri Valley Football Conference play at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.

“You’re prepared every Saturday to go out and play.” said Jones, from Frisco, Texas.

Wisniewski was injured in the first quarter against the Fighting Hawks and didn’t return. The 6-foot-3, 203-pound Jones took over for Wisniewski and finished with six total tackles.

“I felt like I stepped right in and was ready to go do my job,” said Jones, who is in his third season in the program.

Jones is listed behind Wisniewski on the depth chart at strong safety. Entz added redshirt freshman Darius Givance could also factor into the safety rotation if Wisniewski — who has 30 tackles and four interceptions through six games — is unable to play.

North Dakota head coach Bubba Schweigert and North Dakota State coach Matt Entz meet after the game at the Alerus Center on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023.

David Samson/The Forum

“You embrace the moment,” Jones said. “Embrace the opportunity.”

Jones said the extended game reps against UND proved valuable for him, especially if he makes the start Saturday.

“I’m preparing to go out and do my best,” Jones said. “Figuring out the differences between practice reps and game reps, especially game reps in high-pressure situations.”

The Bison are coming off a 49-24 loss against in-state rival UND, the most points the Bison have given up since moving to Division I. Jones said he’s focused on moving forward.

“You’ve got to block out the noise,” Jones said. “It’s a job for me to do and I know how to do it and I’m going to go out and execute the best way I can. … We just want to go to work as hard as we can. We’re worried about each other.”

Enrollment drop contributing to WIU’s struggling season

It’s no secret Western Illinois is struggling at 0-6. The statistics are telling, also, with the Leathernecks having issues on both sides of the ball. They’re 122nd out of 122 FCS teams in rushing offense and 122nd in scoring defense giving up 44.8 points per game.

Idaho State is next in scoring defense at four points fewer per game.

Before taking the defensive coordinator position at NDSU in 2014, Entz was the associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Western for one season in 2013. The school has seen some major changes in the last 10 years.

“I don’t want to sit here and judge but like a lot of institutions, they’ve seen a dramatic decline in enrollment,” Entz said. “When you’re talking about a community that is 15, 20,000 max, that has a huge economic impact that the university brings. And when your budget is driven by ticket sales and sponsorships, all of that can dramatically impact.”

The enrollment this semester for Western is slightly over 7,000 students. It was at almost 9,500 in 2017. In 2013 when Entz was there, it was at 11,700, meaning it’s dropped by 40% in the last decade.

It’s perhaps one reason the Leathernecks are leaving the Missouri Valley Football Conference after this season and will join the Ohio Valley Conference. WIU already left the Summit League for the Ohio Valley before this season, a conference that will mean more bus trips and fewer flights for the athletic department.

North Dakota State’s TaMerik Williams fends off Eastern Washington’s Drew Carter on a 54-yard touchdown run at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023.

David Samson/The Forum

Bison running backs still in search of 100-yard game

After six games, NDSU is still in search of a running back gaining at least 100 yards for the first time this season. A big reason is the run-pass option aspect of the Bison offense, with defenses being partial to letting the NDSU quarterbacks take the ball.

Quarterbacks Cole Payton and Cam Miller are the top two ground gainers with, ironically, 304 yards each. Miller has 57 carries while Payton has needed only 38 attempts to reach that.

“I would love to have more tailback run game,” Entz said, “but again some of it is when you have the quarterback run game, there is a read component to it and if teams are telling the quarterback to keep it, that’s what you’re seeing a lot of. Teams are saying we’re not going to let your tailbacks get downhill on us.”

Senior running back TaMerik Williams came the closest to 100 yards when he had 93 in the season opener against Eastern Washington, with 54 yards on one touchdown run.

Peterson covers college athletics for The Forum, including Concordia College and Minnesota State Moorhead. He also covers the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks independent baseball team and helps out with North Dakota State football coverage. Peterson has been working at the newspaper since 1996.