BOULDER — Robert Livingston has a pretty good idea of what will be running through every North Dakota State player’s mind Thursday night.
Because once upon a time, he was that player.
“The funny thing is I was these guys,” the first-year Colorado defensive coordinator said this week. “My senior year at William & Mary, (I was) a dirtbag average player. We opened up with Virginia and it was our Super Bowl. In a lot of games I played, I’ll never forget that one.
“A young man named B.W. Webb came in (for Virginia), it was his first college game, we had three interceptions and we won. I know exactly what it’s like to be on the other side.”
William & Mary vs Virginia (2009) pic.twitter.com/jnCUbTVSn3
— College Football Classics (@ClassicsCFB) June 25, 2024
That’s the message Livingston drove into the Buffaloes at the beginning of the week — and one that will likely be repeated inside the CU locker room every week for the next few months.
“We’re gonna get everybody’s best shot,” Livingston said. “That’s college football. We’ve gotta strap it up and we’re expecting a knockout, drag-out fight.”
This is a 2023 photo of Robert Livingston of the Cincinnati Bengals NFL football team. This image reflects the Cincinnati Bengals active roster as of Thursday, May 11, 2023 when this image was taken. (AP Photo)
The Bison team that will come into Folsom Field on Thursday night is also a lot different than Livingston’s Tribe team. While William & Mary has never made it past the semifinals of the FCS playoffs, North Dakota State has been the king of that level for the last 14 years, winning nine national championships in that span and sending a handful of players to the NFL.
“They’re a very storied program with a lot of history,” sophomore center Hank Zilinskas said. “They’ve won a lot of games against some great schools. They have that mentality where they’re gonna come in and they don’t care who they’re playing, they’re gonna play their butts off. We’re getting ready for a physical game.”
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This isn’t the same NDSU team that has sent quarterbacks Carson Wentz, Easton Stick and Trey Lance to the NFL in the last decade. Led by first-year head coach Tim Polasek, who’s back for a second stop in Fargo, these Bison will use multiple quarterbacks as weapons in the running game as well, which makes for a difficult Week 1 matchup for a Buffs defense in a brand new system.
Iowa offensive line coach Tim Polasek reacts on the sideline during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Ohio State, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, in Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Charlie Neibergall
“They make you play 11-on-11,” Livingston said. “I can’t say enough about their quarterbacks. I think (Miller) runs better than you anticipate and I think (Payton) is a phenomenal athlete. We’ve got our hands full. We’ve gotta tackle, we’ve gotta get off block and we’ve gotta play fast.”
Game analysis and insights from The Gazette sports staff including columns by Woody Paige and Paul Klee.
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The Buffs’ FCS ties go way beyond Livingston. Well over a dozen coaches and players, including Deion Sanders, came to Boulder from an FCS program in Jackson State. They don’t need to be told how hungry the team on the other sideline will be to pull off an upset Thursday night.
Neither do the CU fans, who’ve seen their team lose twice to FBS schools — Montana State and Sacramento State — this century.
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But Sanders knows his team doesn’t need any extra motivation, either.
“Who we are encourages them. Everybody wants to beat us and we want to beat everybody. They know they’re on national television, they know the world is watching. There’s scouts out there everyday watching practices. They see that stuff. Regardless of who you place on the schedule, these guys want it. They want to go out and dominate.”
The North Dakota State Bison file
Head coach: Tim Polasek (1st season)
Offensive coordinator: Jake Landry (1st season)
Defensive coordinator: Grant Olson (1st season as DC, 6th at NDSU)
2023 record: 11-4 (lost in FCS semifinals)
Key returners: QB Cam Miller, LT Grey Zabel, WR RaJa Nelson, LB Logan Kopp, DE Dylan Hendricks
Key newcomers: CB Anthony Chideme-Alfaro
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Publish date : 2024-08-27 13:00:00
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