You got to hope for NDSU to win over UNI for every previously stated reason... UNI out of playoffs... NDSU not ticked and ready to turn it around... etc. What's a more interesting question for me is WHO is GOING to win.
NDSU has got a great team and they are CERTAINLY going to make some noise as we get into conference play here. However, I'm going to make a crazy claim here that might get me in trouble but I'm not so sure I'm ready to crown them conference champs. Not saying they will not be there at season end. I'm just not so sure they are indesctructable just yet. Their non-conference schedule was not the greatest. Colorado St., there FBS opponent, is 1-3. Robert Morris and Prairie View A&M are a total of 0-7. Now they are coming up against a UNI team whose FBS opponents are a total of 5-3 (they were VERY competitive in both games) and who played a 4-0 YSU team down to the wire. I wouldn't be surprised to see the "upset."
Best Matchups for the game:
QB Brock Jenson vs. UNI Secondary - will he show the same efficiency he has through their first three games(against weaker secondaries) and put up big numbers/score points or will tougher competition cause some issues? Note: He has yet to throw an INT this season.
QB Sawyer Kollmorgan vs. NDSU D-line - I think NDSU's D-line has the firepower to get some pressure on the QB. Will Kollmorgan continue to step up and make plays or will the freshman make those first-year starter mistakes that typically happen when the blitz is effective?
UNI's Mark Farley vs. NDSU's Craig Bohl - 11th-year Farley leads the MVFC in conference wins. 10th-year Bohl has an overall 6-1 playoff record and is 5-3 against FBS teams during his tenure. Both know how to win big games and both have been at the helm of their respective teams for a long time. It all comes down to coaching...
And after all that, I'm going to hold off on a prediction for now. This matchup is one you steer clear of cus its seems just too close to call...