[Liberty22]

Watching NDSU take it to Coastal got me wondering. What/how does NDSU recruit so well? Is it actually the talent in the kids going there or is it just great coaching? It's frustrating that we are sitting at home right now while kids in Fargo friggin North Dakota are consistently good.

[phoenix]

Where else are the talented kids going to go if they want to stay close to home? North Dakota and Montana are both FCS schools that get FBS talent because they're the only game in town, it seems to me like.

[flameshaw]

What this game showed me, is that we have to absolutely DOMINATE the BSC to be on the level of the best FBS teams in the country. Not win a game by 7-10 points, but really take over.
No moral victories, no shared championships.

[Liberty22]

The staying close to home argument works but I guess my real question is are the kids on NDSU's roster more talented/better talented than what we have or is the coaching and the schemes they come up with just better than us so they just do well with equal talent?

[SuperJon]

They're more talented. Look at all of the Division I schools on the East Coast. The talent in this part of the country is spread much thinner than out west.

[Sly Fox]

The lack of population density actually makes it tougher for the NDSUs of the world IMHO. The coaching is the big factor for NDSU. Great staff that recruits Minnesota better than the Golden Gophers.

[Lburglifer]

They have a program rolling. New Hampshire and Maine have built strong FCS/CAA programs in less than advantageous east coast conditions. LU needs to schedule like they believe they are competing at a national FCS level. Coastal gets two games in the spotlight and keeps one leg up on the fierce BCS football competition.

[alabama24]

Coastal gets two games in the spotlight and keeps one leg up on the fierce FBS football competition.

FIFY

[BJWilliams]

I think that a lot of their ability to recruit well comes from not only their recent success, but also Bohl's coaching ability and also the fact that a lot of the players they do end up getting (especially from ND and MN) are players that are overlooked by the Big Ten programs in the region (Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska maybe UWM). A lot of these players probably also want to be close to home and you have quite a recipe for success. We will see how their new coach (Klieman) does with this same recipe

[flamesfilmguy]

you are all somewhat right. Lets be honest, North Dakota isn't cranking out thousands of FCS and FBS caliber players like the East coast states. like sly Said the population density is a hinderance. They do recruit the surrounding states better than anyone. and here's another reason that BJ touched on but i'll elaborate. If i'm a kid from the mid to northwest and I'm being recruited by the likes of Minnesota, Iowa State, Wazzu etc. perennial cellar dwellers in their conferences. And i'm not getting looks from USC, Uof O, UW Boise, etc. and NDSU calls me up and tells me I have a chance to play for a National Championship every year. I'm going to listen.

[Purple Haize]

But....but... Being FBS is better than playing for an FCS championship. I read it on the internets!