Bison face Ga. Southern

FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State’s Travis Beck didn’t hesitate when asked how fellow linebacker Grant Olson could top last week’s record-setting, 29-tackle effort in a playoff victory over Wofford.

“He’ll probably break it again,” Beck said.

A crazy notion, perhaps, but Olson should be the center of attention again tonight (5, ESPN2) in the Football Championship Subdivision semifinal against visiting Georgia Southern, like Wofford a triple-option team that runs the ball almost all the time.

Olson, a 6-foot, 223-pound junior from Plymouth, Minn., cracked a wide smile when asked if he enjoys playing an option team.

“For me, yes. For other guys, not so much,” Olson said. “I know the defensive line doesn’t exactly enjoy taking on blocks the entire time.

“For me, you get to play the run and tackle people. It’s a lot of fun.”

The defending FCS champion Bison (12-1) will face a Georgia Southern team that leads the country with a rushing average of 409 yards per game. The Southern Conference team has not thrown the ball more than 10 times in a single game and went one contest – against Wofford – without attempting a single pass.

The Eagles (10-3) have a former running back at quarterback in Jerick McKinnon, who leads the team in rushing with 1,736 yards, and ran for 316 yards in one game. They have a running back, Dominique Swope, who has piled up 1,169 yards and 16 touchdowns despite missing three starts with a concussion.