McFeely: Bison will go into fall with unanswered questions on offensive line

It took one series for that promise to be breached.

"Gosh darn it!" Polasek snapped over the hot mic when the Bison offense was flagged for consecutive false start penalties on the second and third plays of the day, except he used stronger language that cannot be used in a family newspaper.

Such was the start for the Bison offense, which looked a little rough. False starts. Dropped passes. Missed blocks. And later on, an interception and long return when linebacker Marcus Gulley jumped a slant pass thrown by Cam Miller.

"Some unusual things showed up compared to our first 10 or 12 practices," Polasek said after the festivities wrapped with the NDSU defense beating the offense 28-23. "We weren't as clean as I wanted to be. The first 10 practices we weren't jumping offsides. We had a few too many controllable penalties. You'd really like to not have six drops. I think we still have cleaner football that we can play."

Hey, it's a spring showing. No need to panic. The Bison will be fine in 2024.

That doesn't mean there won't be questions. And one particularly big one.

No. 1 takeaway from the two-hour workout four months ahead of the season opener at Colorado: NDSU is still unsettled on the offensive line and has some work to do before taking on Coach Prime's transfers in Boulder.

Caveat: Among the 20 or so players not dressed Saturday were sixth-year senior Mason Miller and Marshall transfer Trent Fraley. Miller will start somewhere on the line (Bison coaches would prefer right tackle, but we'll see) and Fraley is in the mix to start, too, possibly at left guard. So the big boys up front weren't at full strength.

But the five players who started with the No. 1 offense Grey Zabel at left tackle, Devin Lockerby at left guard, Hayden Johnston at center, Griffin Empey at right guard and Jake Rock at right tackle weren't doing much moving or protecting early.

Things got better as the practice wore on, and the Bison offensive coaches experimented with numerous blocking combinations, but one of the bigger question marks for this team going into fall practice will be the offensive line. Who will play? Who will play where? Can it match the excellence on which NDSU has built its reputation over all these years?

These are not the usual questions being asked about NDSU's offensive line. Polasek and offensive line coach Dan Larson have work ahead of them.

"If I hadn't coached the o-line for four years, I'd be really nervous if I didn't have that experience," Polasek said of his time at Iowa from 2017-2020. "I would be all hellbent if I was the OC (offensive coordinator) like I was here from 2014 to 2016. But they'll get better. I believe they'll get better. We've got to find a way by practice eight or nine to say, 'This is the one or two combinations we're going to work.'

"That goes as far as a guy like Grey Zabel. Is he going to be the left tackle or the right tackle? Who is the next tackle? And then, honestly, we have to solidify the center thing. We know we have three or four guys who can do it, but it needs to be at a championship level."

The second combo was Hunter Poncius at left tackle, Jack Liwienski at left guard, Griffin Empey at center, Nate Schneckloth at right guard and Beau Johnson at right tackle.

Three of those players Liwienski, Empey and Johnson are redshirt freshmen Bison coaches have raved about going back to last season. There's a chance two (or three) of those young players are starting up front in the season opener in late August.

That's a little scary. Or at least different. Offensive line is a place for full-grown upperclassmen, unless you're talking about special talents like Billy Turner, Joe Haeg or Dillon Radunz. They started as redshirt freshman. They all ended up getting drafted into the NFL.

"We've had a lot of different combos," Bison fifth-year starting quarterback Cam Miller said. "It just comes down to summer and fall camp. I think some of the young guys have done a really good job and I think Grey has kind of anchored it as that lead guy that we've had every year. I think him and coach Larson are going to bring them to the next level, for sure."

Watching Saturday's action and putting some pieces together here a possible combination for the season opener: Zabel at left tackle; Fraley, Johnson or Liwienski at left guard; Empey at center; Rock at right guard; and Miller at right tackle. Miller was moved from tackle to guard in the middle of last season, so maybe he and Rock could be flipped.

Devin Lockerby is a name that comes up often, too. And the Bison staff moved sophomore Josh Magin from defensive end to offensive line and he sprung running back Barika Kpeenu for a big gain with a good block Saturday that Polasek cheered.

You want some positives? There were plenty.

Gulley, the transfer from Minnesota State Moorhead who played high school ball at West Fargo, was all over the field. He'll see time at linebacker as well as all four special teams this season.

Outside of the pick he threw, Miller looked like Miller should look.

The Bison's deepest position group might be linebacker. There are five or six players who could be worthy of playing time.

John Gores, the 5-foot-5 receiver from Fargo Shanley, made some plays.

Receiver Braylon Henderson made a nice grab just above the turf on a low throw.

Receiver Mekhi Collins had a couple of drops, but took a ball away from a cornerback along the sidelines and broke free for a big gain.

Redshirt freshman running back Marty Brown showed a nice burst and a physical finish on a TD run up the middle.

Third-string quarterback Nathan Hayes threw the ball well and showed off his running ability.

The Bison will be plenty good in 2024. They'll be in the mix again for a deep run into the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. But there are mysteries to be sorted out before the first kickoff, and they oddly start with the offensive line.