“ETSU Football Faces Off in Epic Showdown Against No. 2 North Dakota State Bison!”

A 61-0 victory was impressive.

Tre Lamb celebrated his first win as head coach of East Tennessee State last Saturday with a dominant performance against the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. However, he quickly reminded his team the following day of the tough challenge ahead against North Dakota State, the second-ranked team in the Football Championship Series.

“I believe we’ll be ready to compete. We had a very intense team meeting on Sunday to refocus them because they might think they’re invincible after that game, but we know we have a long way to go,” said Lamb, whose Buccaneers improved to 1-1 after suffering a 38-10 defeat in their season opener against Appalachian State. “Winning 61-0 doesn’t mean we’ve achieved anything. It’s not how we’ll operate while I’m here.

“We’re going to uphold high standards in our practices and games, treating every opponent as faceless and sticking to our style of football. That was the message yesterday, and we were fully engaged during the walkthrough.”

North Dakota State boasts a remarkable 17 national championships in football, including nine FCS titles since 2011. The Bison (1-1) rebounded from a narrow 31-26 defeat to Deion Sanders and Colorado with a resounding 52-3 victory over Tennessee State last week. They are set to make a roughly 1,250-mile journey from Fargo, N.D., to William B. Greene Jr. Stadium in Johnson City, with kickoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.

ETSU will reciprocate the visit by playing at the Fargodome to kick off the 2026 season.

This will mark Polasek’s first visit to Tennessee. He faced a challenging start to the week after dismissing linebacker Jaiden Pickett due to charges of reckless endangerment and terrorizing stemming from a shooting incident early Sunday morning.

“Starting off, we have a 5:30 Eastern kickoff, which isn’t too difficult with one time zone change,” Polasek mentioned during a press conference on gobison.com. “I’ve been part of trips to Hawaii and UConn from the Mountain West, which present their own challenges. We might encounter some weather, but I’m looking forward to a tough game, even if it turns into a muddy battle. We practiced a bit with a wet ball, as there’s potential for rain on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

“I’m excited about going to a new region, and our goal is to perform to our standard and let people see that. Their stadium is relatively new, so I hope it provides a great atmosphere.”

Polasek is in his first year as head coach at North Dakota State, having spent ten years as an assistant there. He follows in the footsteps of previous head coaches Craig Bohl, now at Wyoming, and Chris Kleiman, the current head coach at Kansas State. Polasek took over from Matt Ertz, who left to join Lincoln Riley’s staff at Southern California after last season.

The Bison have faced challenges with road trips to Colorado and ETSU, following last week’s home game against Tennessee State, which has made it tough to establish a routine. However, there are no complaints about it.

“Those are challenges, but they also help create a routine,” he said. “It would be great to have a home game to repeat everything we did, building that routine. That’s probably the only downside. No matter who we face, where they’re located, or what the weather is like, we’re ready to take on any competition anytime, anywhere.”

That expectation is clear. Lamb has openly discussed how a victory over North Dakota State could benefit the program significantly.

“We need to put together our best game, and we understand that. I told the team that we don’t need to beat them ten times, just once,” Lamb stated. “Having them here is a big deal. It might be their first game ever in Tennessee, and we need 15,000 fans to pack the stands and make some noise. That could be a major help in keeping us competitive and potentially winning.”

Polasek is impressed with the film he’s reviewed of ETSU’s performance against Appalachian State, especially their dynamic offensive capability with quarterback Jaylen King, standout running back and return specialist Devontae Houston, and a strong defense anchored by preseason All-American linebacker William McRainey and defensive back Chris Hope.

“They play at a really high tempo. They definitely have our attention because of that. They can move fast, reminiscent of the quick-paced style from 2013 to 2015 when teams were averaging 100 snaps a game,” he noted. “We’ve heard they’re much improved, and their tempo could pose a threat. Their defense showcases talented players at all three levels.”

Lamb shares Polasek’s admiration for North Dakota State, led by quarterback Cam Miller, who continues the tradition of Bison quarterbacks that have produced NFL first-round picks like Carson Wentz and Trey Lance.

“I’ve been studying them for about 10 to 12 hours, and I took a peek at them last week. The coaching staff and players are exactly as they’re portrayed,” Lamb said on Monday. “This is a very tough team, and I believe Miller is a potential draft pick. I know that position well, and he’s impressive. He’s a winner, plays with a lot of energy, and rallies the team effectively.

“The defensive line is excellent, and the offensive line is tall—6-foot-7 across the board, except for the center, who’s an FBS transfer from Marshall. This is probably the best team to ever visit our campus—the number two team in the country.”

Lamb was encouraged by what he saw during last Sunday’s walkthrough, and he hopes it translates to gameplay on Saturday.

“They were incredibly focused. I told them we’re not discussing how great these guys are after this press conference. We won’t be intimidated by their logo or reputation,” Lamb said. “We need to focus on ourselves, do our jobs, and be a team ready to compete.”