Kolpack and Izzo Podcast: Bryce Lance commits to NDSU

[Music] hey everybody Welcome to latest edition of the colpack and ISO podcast welcome to December it should be playoff football weekend around here but uh we'll we'll we'll be okay remember November hey we really don't remember November do you see what I uh posted this morning about this date the date we're taping in uh Bison football lore it's a big one December 4th 20 10 Montana State I'm looking at the infamous photo that uh Sammy Dave Samson the great Dave Samson of the Forum took of us on the snow pile in Boseman that day and I mentioned this on my show this morning stupid me that didn't wear a hat you remember how sick I got the following week I remember that I was I was I sure I was gonna make it to Spokan the following week when we went to to Eastern Washington oh that's right we were in the Denver Airport and I thought I'd take you to the hospital uh what is from this game and you've wrote about this extensively and I have as well what what do you remember the most I guess out of this game the physicality of it I remember the physical nature of NDSU in the second half and just steamroll on this team and I remember after the game the Montana State head coach was it Ash Rob as was uh talking about you know we need to get to that physical level if we're ever going to make that kind of a SPL a dent in the playoffs they never did and Rob Ash got fired he could never recruit the kind of lineman that DSU has recruited over the years as hard as he tried it's just and that became a focus of his no doubt because that was the difference and I was stunned he said that the Bison were in their first ever time in the playoffs in Montana State they have to recruit like them I mean I was just like what like and I think to a lot of people it opened up their eyes that maybe NDSU is a lot closer than they ever thought Jeff yes and it started in 2003 at Montana when they were closer to that level than we ever thought they would and then they go to Montana State in 2010 s years later and they're closer to the playoff level than we ever thought now you look at the that game DJ mcnorton could have played flag football and scored in the second half nobody was touching him that day 207 yards four touchdowns and I asked Cole Jerrick if you remembered how many passes they completed he said six the answer was five five I I said three last week five of 19 for 50 six yards and they won by four touchdowns that it was just a boat race it was and it all starts uh that Monday of that week where they were practicing outside at Dakota field in literal blizzard still I still have that photo I I've used it over the years when say there was a question does NDSU need an invo football facility I don't even have to say anything here's the photo right that was just that whole team and I know we talked about this briefly and I want to move on but that whole whole 2010 Squad that was just that was a fun ride it was a fun ride to be a part of and just I remember we going out there like well we're not sure they they beat a Robert Morris team they they were just okay we're not sure they had four losses going into that game Jensen got concussed early on like all right well it was a good run and just they destroyed this team in the second half it was remarkable to see and obviously we know what happened uh the following week so fun to look back at that uh we have some football news right off the Hop as we're taping this this morning on this Friday North Dakota state has added to its uh football uh verbal commitments this week this Hall uh up to three for the week they got two earlier in the week uh from Farmington Minnesota and bismar North Dakota and Eli green and Jack Steckler and then this a biggie today Bryce lance out of Marshall Minnesota becomes I believe now the 20th or 21st commit for the class of 2021 the younger brother of Trey Lance tall lanky wide receiver he's he's had a record setting career at Marshall at the wide receiver spot finished this year with 30 receptions 631 yards eight touchdowns for a tiger team that again was really really good in 2020 so what do you make of this well I'm looking at his his highlights on on the Huddle page as we speak here and yeah he's he's 6'2 he could he could catch the ball in traffic there's a lot of there's several throws in here where Marshall just whip it up there yeah and say Bryce go get it get it yep he had 30 catches for 631 yards and eight touchdowns in seven games this year very good basketball player great athlete had offers from Sal Dakota State and some ivy league offers not just some Princeton Dartmouth and Colombia I mean we he's a rocket scientist I knew this I've had a chance to visit with him a couple of times much like his entire family they're that's a that's a really strong family there smart family and I was just literally talking about this before he announced it but he decide to go somewhere else or was this always in the bag and we'll hopefully we're get a chance to visit with him today right and he'll get the proverbial question following your brother's footsteps he'll be getting that for the next year so I'm sure and certainly today well let's make it what do you make of that fallowing in your brother's footsteps well I thought the tweet that he put out it goes I'm forging my own Road I think is how he he put the text next to it which I think you have to uh take him for for that as well it's obviously going to be very difficult to shed that shadow for a bit until he plays and plays maybe a lot that is but that's always going to be there though his qu his brother left early to go to the NFL draft his brother had the best year maybe in the history of the FCS that one calendar year that I don't that's always going to be there but I think he's dealt with that his entire life starting with in in high school especially do you know who the happiest person in Fargo it is right now who do you think Louie Gruenberg yes his his great-grandfather no his grandfather who um is a hundred years old or almost close to a 100 lives in a retirement home in Morehead is uh you know what a great thing for for Louis what a great guy he is too just F but you know I did a story on him and the family it's uh it's Angie tra or Bryce the boys's mothers Dad Dad yep and uh what a what a cool thing yeah I got I got a handwritten letter from Louis is that right yes last weeking me for that article I did that story in October yeah that's so cool and here's a here's a cool thing it was addressed to Jeff KAC wda y Fargo that's it and it made made it to my desk at the form so kudos to whoever at the post office saw that and and recognized that uh you know this was a media thing that's really cool and you're right he's he he'll be the the happiest guy Matt an is probably GNA be on that list as well and this adds to you know as we look down the road at that spot where the Bison obviously have recruited some talented guys at that position where he fits in down the road but this is the the height the ability to catch the ball in traffic that's what they've been recruiting at this spot over the last couple years now is he a guy who could play right away will he be a right away guy next fall maybe one of those four game guys we'll see I definitely think that I don't think you need them considering what you have coming back at that spot where you have your top two receivers back and Watson and sprouls are both back in 2021 in whatever in the fall of 2021 I'm talking right now that I don't he could play the four games much like Trey did in his uh freshman year when he got here on campus I think that could be the same rout for uh for Bryce Anthony fouchi came out this week and said he foresees full football stadiums this coming fall that's good sign I heard that too and I'm like all right well then let's go I I'm you I think you know my position of where the things are at for the spring and I I would be pleasantly surprised if they play I would be uh on that front we'll go on the Assumption they're playing until they're not but I would still be surprised at this moment if they play the women are letting in a thousand fans for the UND game on December 16th yeah we'll get to that in a second uh on that I I just I don't know cop we you know this better than I about the monetary situation that surrounds that the athletic program and if they can't get half the Dome and that seems like a stretch to get 9,000 to 10,000 people there now I still think that's asking a lot we're still three months away from playing games but that's still seems like a a Herculean task uh on that front the na the NEC the Northeast conference and this is one I talked about with you a couple weeks ago they were one of the leagues that hadn't put out a schedule they have they're playing I think four game five games uh with a couple non-conference they're playing on Sundays as well during the Spring and the middle of the week I don't know why that's the case the Ohio Valley is doing that too that they're playing on on Sundays as well I don't know if they want to avoid conflicting with their basketball team playing because obviously that's going to be the case if there is games in the spring but they're they are now the next one so I think the Patriot is the only one that is intended to play that hasn't put out a at least a schedule yet for what they want to are you surprised by that and I get this because for FCS programs to play and if you can't have a lot of fans how do you afford it that's my whole thing if you can't have people there you don't you don't have you don't have the TV contracts that the Big 10 and all the big Power fives do then why are you doing and I that's surpris how's the Mac making it of course the the Mac still got something from ESPN though they're still I mean it's not like maction isn't that no but they still get a pretty good stiping from ESPN it's not anything of what the big 10 or the 12 get or the SEC but it's still something speaking of FBS my friend yeah you changed your tune earlier this week you do a opinion piece on the air that says essentially that NDSU should go FBS they should consider it consider it is what I said yep well that means yes what do you mean you you can't get a little bit pregnant on this issue down well what did you think of what I said first off I think it's true I think they should consider [Laughter] where I'll I'll list out a couple things and I want you to pick up from there okay here's for those that missed it this is what I said in terms of the lack of commitment that I have seen from FCS team should be glaring for NDSU to say let's look in the mirror and say is this the best possible destination for us much like it happened in the division 2 days you can speak more to that than I can I understand the NCA reduced scholarships of the division 2 level and that also forced their hand they we have not heard that on the on the FCS level I would say if they want to if they want to look like a FBS program the indoor practice facility which they're raising money for and maybe in the home stretch of that certainly goes to that as well and if the fans and we have seen this where playoff attendance has bottomed out over the last couple years where we've had empty Fargo domes each of the last three playoff 17 18 and 19 prior to the semi-final game the fans are bored then this would certainly energize them you can go off on whatever Point you'd like to from there agree all the above I mean how can you not disagree with those points here's the issue though money money money money money well money and where do you play it the the Mountain West isn't coming calling you you believe that they're not gonna they're not going to want to travel to Fargo North Dakota you're right they probably wouldn't but was is there not a to add a quality football program for the presidents to say you know what this would this could help us would that I I am I too Pie in the Sky thinking on that yeah okay look at UND and the Big Sky they admitted UND and they couldn't get they couldn't wait to get R they couldn't wait to get rithm is absolutely right now those are FCS budgets or mid major but there's a lot of mid- major in the Mountain West too and there's a lot of politics that would go on in this as well so here's what has to happen the reform with the power five and breaking away then you have something which by the way came out yesterday a group that advocated for that I you saw that yeah I saw that that's why I brought it up so here's what what's going to have to happen NDSU will have to be in that next group of five okay yep and maybe you form your own League okay with not not everybody in Missouri Valley is going to go group of five nope NDSU salota State Montana Montana State State UND USD I think Northern Iowa although financially not that great is going to do everything it can Northern Illinois Wyoming Colorado State and Air Force that's a heck of a league it's a huge League I don't think UND and USD are going anywhere I cross them off cross them off uh I don't know even know about I don't even know about South Dakota State honestly from what oh they'll go if NSU goes they have to go you think probably there's money in Brookings look at the money they raised for their Indo I know Northern Illinois you have in there yep they'll break away from the Mac Wyoming you have in there they'll break away from the Mountain West interesting and you keep the Colorado State Wyoming Air Force okay rivalry is intact a Midwest West flavor they're they're up the corridors Montana Wyoming Colorado North Dakota South Dakota and youd Venture into Illinois a little bit I like it and and I I like that yeah it's not bad Northern Illinois has been the class of the Mac can call let's call Craig and get him on see what he thinks of this idea and that that goes to the politics part of this you know where I'm sure Wyoming wants no part of like you they want keep flying and doing the California thing and and you know Boise is great for that league but you put Boise in there no Boise's on it they're not a power five Boise he a group of five school but they'll stick with the California schools they're going their own way well they'll go with that Mountain West they they'll stay with their own thing with Fresno there's no UN in there UNLV they're not going to get in this league no no trips to Vegas are you that big of a gambler where you need UNLV my dad is I know that I would go I would go with him if I needed to I it's interesting to to think about now okay so there you got League I think the bigger hurdle is this has to be a football only League yes I think the bigger hurdle is money and now I'll ask you this because you covered this obviously extensively the the big donors that came out of the woodwork when NDSU wanted to go division one right can they would they go back to him now copc and say okay now we're going to make the the big boy step and say we need a major ask here do you think the the pocketbooks would open then I don't know let's get ir iner and bring him out of the bring them back into the uh the fundraising mode well you have to if you're going to make FBS but isn't this is there going to be more TV money in theory absolutely absolutely and the other cave out of this too and this is something you and I have argued about in the past if you're FBS there are games that now open up to you that you can't get at the FCS level you know who's calling you back Minnesota Wisconson Nebraska they will play you as an FBS school and they'll pay you they'll pay you at least maybe $2 million a game which is three times what Oregon was going to give the buy do you really believe Minnesota would call still I think they would play him yes I do I I I think so because now it doesn't hurt them because it's not an FCS next to him Wisconsin to I'm talking about the recruiting angle yeah why not play them up let's do it because now look at this on the on the flip side of this and we'll move on I want ah get to basketball here with St Thomas now coming in and I you have to imagine they're going to get on the schedule before you know it I I would think that's going to happen you for the Bison fans out there does it seem like we're going down the old NCC route now we are down that NCC route there's no doubt and that's why the fans are B it's like everybody but morning side because now you're the bison are playing Omaha they're playing UND USD South Dakota state now St Thomas is going to get into there Auggie wants to get into the D1 world that it reeks of what they were trying to get away from in the old days doesn't it that was their advantage when they first went division one is nobody else was division one it was a certainly a recruiting Advantage all you had to do is beat Northern Iowa to those Minnesota Twin Cities kids but now there's certainly much more competition for those types of recruits talking football only here I I see your point there absolutely the problem with with division 2 it kept reducing scholarship that that's not happened here went from 42 to 36 to 30 what is it now I think it was 28 I think they went back the nsic at least went back I think to 32 I think right now I have to consult with biggie on that but I think they're around 32 right now in division 2 on that front that that to me is where I think fans are at they look at the specifically the summit League which I know doesn't sponsor football and they look at it and say Jeff this is what we try to get away from Omaha is in there now St Thomas is coming in Auggie wants in isn't this what we were trying to get away from and now this is what we have right now I don't know I think it's still a pipe dream personally I don't think it's FBS yeah I do just location location location is the issue that's now Coastal has location they certainly have schools in the East and and the Appalachian states of the world and they got an invite that's the biggest thing that helped them you're right location and they had a conference willing I just don't see the Mountain West saying I you're probably right because then we'll travel to Fargo the alternative is liberty liberty decided you know what screw it we don't want we're not getting an invite we're still going to go and now look at them I mean they're out there spending a ton of money to play gam nobody wants they're going to go eight n and one and not have a sniff at a ball granted it's granted it's different it's a different time but still I don't even know if they would get in a normal on a normal circumstance they might get left out because everybody all the bowl games are affiliated with conferences you don't think the online school would travel to a ball game I just that's the that's the risk you take uh on that front I am really interested to see game day tomorrow at Coastal I know fans can't be there but maybe he can get the the company jet to fly going to be the guest picker who will be they get mowgly out of retirement to be the guest picker tomorrow no he doesn't have the name name recognition who is Coastal Carolina's greatest you know it is it's right up your alley it's a golfer Dustin Johnson is a coastal didn't know that yes Dustin Johnson is a coastal um he's not playing this this weekend in in the Mexican tournament I would guarantee you he's going to be the guy tomorrow why not Tom hogi as we speak here is tied for the lead on Friday playing pretty well we'll see what happens uh over the weekend play uh speaking of playing pretty well bison women opened up the new season a team they lost to by 30 last year Northern Iowa the BisMan won by nearly 20 on Wednesday night in the opener for Jory Collins in year two you were uh Courtside correct you still be Courtside yes for the game uh it's one game so maybe I should stop jumping up and down but what were your takeaways from game one I don't I I think it's okay to jump up and down a little bit for this program because I saw athleticism on that court I haven't seen in a long long time I saw quickness out front I thought heaven hamling was a point guard that Brook Lamar was good but Heaven hamling has some pieces around her she's got uh I like the Marie olssen kid she didn't play that well she got in Fall trouble but she's 6'2 and and can move pretty well I think uh Emily Deets has benefited from a great Improvement having some players around her no doubt no doubt some one-on-one matchups underneath and and she's pretty good she's got some moves cobbins I think is a future allconference player look off for schy she had some moves from yeah she played right away she was one of the first off the bench Collins liked her too I remember remember Hopkins I'll get to her in a second but remember what Jory Collins said about Shelty on his first signing day she's tough she's aggressive and we don't have that right now I remember that stood out to me about about her coming in from ail Grove and I think the most uh and I overlooked this in the story which you know imagine that I screwed up on this in my own mind I did but here was a team that hasn't played together a whole lot and and younger than last year they took a 10-point lead in the first quarter and held it the rest of the game they put theam teams don't do that even in the third quarter Northern Iowa made a mini run had a couple hoops and there was a couple instances where NDSU probably could have folded with young team and I can't remember somebody nailed a three-pointer and boom they were back in front like 16 and there was 19 hamling was a former Miss basketball finalist I mean she can play She smooth she can play I think the pieces around are they're going to be they're going to be fun to watch and as you wrote about this week for the first time in a decade maybe decade plus there are actual legitimate expectations around this team maybe 2008 2009 that's I saying yeah they won a game in the 2009 turny and then was that team went 16 and 13 I believe it was Carol first year Carolyn de off's first year then they never had another winning season after that nope and that's that's and that's what this program has been that's why I think getting to Fourth is doable in the conference maybe third and then then the real work starts to try and Chase down top because South Dakota State beats Iowa State this week the USD women uh take Gonzaga or EXC me South Carolina for a while and gonzaga1 those are two top 20 team South Carolina is the number one team in the nation in women's basketball so there's obviously still a road to climb uh there on on the men's side they get set to play Kansas tomorrow first time they're going to play the J since the famous game at the Metrodome in 2009 uh Dave Richmond's team is 0 and three I mean they're playing teams some heavyweights like kraton who's the 10th ranked team in the country and they I thought they fared well in the second half after a shaky start there yeah I didn't think kraton played all that well to be honest and to be fair about the assessment of this game but I think think NSU showed improvement from game one to game two anyway game two to game three game three yeah because Nebraska was the second game where they they didn't shoot well that's the being the biggest thing so far they have just not shot the basketball well and now you're going to face a Kansas team that uh just came off beating Kentucky the other night that this is a major challenge we're finding the difference in playing these teams they can't create Separation on offense and they're still super young too as well I mean you got Bowden skunberg and Grant Nelson who last time they were playing were playing against one another Jamestown played Devil's Lake that was the last time they played basketball prior to the games they were playing uh this week so uh we'll see how that's pans out and then they have the the round robin event in Sue Falls which I like that's a cool deal they're Conference teams in non-conference environment for the bubble down in in sou Falls with the bis will play uh USD SDSU n NSU is off to a good start you got to play 12 games to reach the summit tourney now don't laugh I mean who knows you have no idea how you can get there South Dakota state by the way the men go and beat Iowa State the other night they look Far and Away you mentioned this last week when we were talking heading into the the uh the tournament down in sou Falls where they beat Craig Smith's team they whooped Utah state that I mean they got we knew the pieces they have they look pretty good right now I think Douglas Wilson underneath is reminds me of Andre Smith o good comparison when yeah when when Andre Smith was leading NDSU over the likes of Wisconsin and what you play the Marquette game yeah yes he did yeah he played both those games those were he was tough down low for those buison teams no and we're on to have a pretty good pro career overseas uh before we wrap here on the the big boy front we were talking FBS football and uh trying to get to the finish line of this season Ohio state says they are going to play tomorrow against Michigan State uh what did you make did you see Kirk herb Street's comments there earlier this what did you think of that surpr I was surprised he said something like that I think and he came out an apolog OLED in a in a Twitter video he said by the way for folks that missed it that Michigan was going to use CO as an excuse for backing out of playing Ohio State later this year which is aditt is a mistake I mean and he said I had no basis it was when when you're a graduate of a particular school like Ohio State you need to be careful at all levels above the board every time you have to be and you can't I as much as people don't like Harbaugh your s- included you cannot underestimate what that did to the people in an arbor when they heard that there's no doubt even if Michigan stinks this year they they still they still want to play Ohio State even if they know they're going to lose by 50 they still want to play them because it's Ohio State you know what I mean like I I I just that comment was way out of bounds in my mind uh on that front and it's funny to me the game of the weekend is Coastal it's Coastal BYU it came about I joked about this how cool is BYU for saying we'll play on Hop On A Plane Tuesday no Thursday Thursday it was Thursday literally yesterday they made up they said yep we'll go literally there are games 15 years from now on the schedule but here in 2020 they're making things happen uh in no time that's what I love about college how do game plan you don't let's just go and you know you're watching film on the plan hey we got a great quarterback yep who is a NFL prospect first round he's mov Tre Lance right now Zack Wilson has as and granted summer saying you know he's pading his stats against Bad teams but he mean I'm not convinced he's not a very big kid I'm not convinced he's a better Prospect than Trey I'm just not are you going to watch this game this weekend take a closer look with a fine tooth comb D you're covering uh hoops this weekend as well right buys and women are taking on Green Bay back to back at the shack which is another weird thing about this pretty sure I've never covered back to back of the same team the same team since the no right not even the division 2 days you guys that right coming in so you're going to have that a lot this year cuz that's exactly how the summit League schedule is going to go in 2021 that'll wrap it up for this edition of the cack and ISO podcast appreciate you listening you can check out past episodes at inforum.com Google play Spotify wherever you find your podcast you'll find our shows great stuff as always have a great week my man have a good week all right we'll see you next week on the copack at ISO podcast [Music] he