Overview
- The Bison enter their first Mountain West conference game in their first FBS season after moving up from FCS in February and begin the road test 2-0 following two home wins.
- Polasek said the team is preparing specifically for Colorado Springs’ 6,621-foot altitude and an unusually late 9 p.m. CDT kickoff by changing sleep, hydration and practice plans.
- Polasek’s prior work at Wyoming gave him direct experience scouting Air Force and shaped NDSU’s game plan against the Falcons’ run-heavy triple-option offense.
- Air Force opened with a 34-0 win over Duquesne and uses a high-volume rushing attack that often forces opponents to treat drives as four-down possessions, with QB Liam Szarka a key rushing threat.
- The matchup will test NDSU’s run defense, conditioning and in-game decisions on fourth downs as the Bison aim to translate their FCS success into sustained competitiveness in the Mountain West.