Presents
BISON GAME DAY SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2023
NORTH DAKOTA STATE
►When: 2:30 p.m., Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome ►TV: WDAY (ABC)
$3.00 (Suggested retail price) Copyright 2023 The Forum
WESTERN ILLINOIS
►Radio: 1660-AM, 107.9-FM
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David Samson / The Forum
College athletes are not immune to the challenges of mental stress. North Dakota State University is launching the “Speak Up! Be Herd” mental health initiative.
NDSU ATHLETES TRYING TO CHANGE MENTAL HEALTH STIGMA Two Bison golfers promoting new support initiative saying ‘it affects everyone’ BY JEFF KOLPACK The Forum FARGO he pain in Josh Galvin’s voice is still evident, with the thought of his brother taking his own life in 2019. The North Dakota State golfer knows all too well the consequences of mental health. Along with his teammate, Beck Erholtz, they are doing something about it along with other NDSU athletes. Whether it’s a golfer dealing with a missed twofoot putt or a Bison football team coming off a historic loss at the University of North Dakota, the Bison golfers want all of their fellow student-athletes to know that help is available. They want them to know that it’s OK to admit personal struggles between the ears. “I think there’s that stigma where we’re supposed to be big and tough, men especially,” Erholtz said. “I think if you saw someone like a football player take that step and say, hey, I need to go to a meeting or I need to see someone, people would feel like it’s OK, like for this guy who can bench 400 pounds. The goal in this is do we care about the mental state of our athletes and do we care about the mental state of the people around our campus.” Luke Galvin was a freshman in college when Josh said “unfortunately that was my introduction to mental health.” “Over the past two or three years, I’ve always been thinking about what I could do,” Josh said. It started when he sent NDSU athletic director Matt Larsen an email at 8 p.m. on a Tuesday last spring — the fact Galvin remembers the exact day and time is a testament to his mission — and Larsen got back to him the next day to set up a meeting. “It shows the support system we have here and I don’t think it’s like that anywhere else,” Galvin said. “It’s hard to tell; most people don’t even know they’re struggling. So if a friend notices
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NDSU photo
The back of a T-shirt of a mental health initiative started by North Dakota State golfers Josh Galvin and Beck Erholtz. that they’re down, take a meeting with so-and-so or go to talk to your friends. I think it’s going to make a huge difference. If you’re talking to someone, it’s not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength.” Said Erholtz: “People don’t like to mainstream it as much because it’s seen as a softer subject. Maybe it’s something you don’t want to put out there but I guess we’re trying to change that image to say it’s everyone. Everyone goes through it.” Perhaps some Bison football players are going through struggles this week after a 49-24 loss at UND, one where NDSU gave up the most points to UND since the 1890s. As for his message to those players, Erholtz said “You can’t change your past, but you can change your future. Stay focused and strong, both mentally and physically.” The Bison host Western Illinois
Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome. For Erholtz and Galvin, that kind of mental health advice can be hard to find for players. In the three years they’ve been at the school, they hadn’t seen anything comparable, especially a studentdriven initiative. Larsen said the timing is right since the Bison administration has been in the process of putting a higher priority on it, with the hope of partnering with Sanford Health to provide dedicated mental health services similar to how the athletic department works with Sanford’s orthopedic department. “Ideally, in a perfect world, we would like to have somebody embedded within our department,” Larsen said. “We think they would be plenty busy. We’ve seen things range from stress and anxiety to maybe a little more severe mental health issues so
having somebody that studentathletes can build a rapport with and feel comfortable with is something we’re hoping to get through for the long term.” In the short term, if a studentathlete needs help, the NDSU Counseling Center has assistance readily available. NDSU’s athletic training staff is schooled on how to deal with health issues, whether it’s recommending options on where to get help or to assist in making appointments, Larsen said. Erholtz and Galvin’s initiative carries the theme “Speak Up! Be Herd,” with the logo on apparel designed by Heather Erholtz, Beck’s mother. An online store is set up at https://ndsumentalhealthstore.itemorder.com/shop/ home/, where the public can purchase items. The deadline to order is Sunday, Oct. 29. “We’d like our community to see that and go, OK, and the athletes can wear it and spread that message,” Erholtz said. “Originally it was just going to be hey, let’s get it to the athletes and spread awareness and once we saw how popular it was with our athletes and our staff supporting us, I wanted to take that initiative and force it into a merchandisetype deal.” The proceeds from apparel sales will go back in the form of a scholarship for students who either have mental health issues or have endured some sort of mental health trauma. Once the funds are established, criteria for the scholarship will be addressed. The shirts and logo were unveiled at the start of this school year at a welcome-back barbecue event for student-athletes. Both Beck Erholtz and Galvin spoke to the group. “I thought there was a really good reaction from their fellow student-athletes,” Larsen said. “I know they want to make it broader and bigger than that. I know they want to raise awareness as much as they can.”
mental health on W5
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BISON NOTEBOOK
Photos by David Samson / The Forum
North Dakota State safety Ryan Jones, left, moves in to tackle North Dakota’s Isaiah Smith on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023 at the Alerus Center.
RYAN JONES PREPARING TO STEP INTO STARTING ROLE BY ERIC PETERSON AND JEFF KOLPACK The Forum FARGO orth Dakota State redshirt sophomore Ryan Jones could get his first career start at safety this weekend if senior starter Cole Wisniewski is unable to play. Wisniewski left the game last Saturday against North Dakota with an apparent concussion. Bison head coach Matt Entz said Wisniewski is day-to-day heading into Saturday’s game against Western Illinois in Missouri Valley Football Conference play at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome. “You’re prepared every Saturday to go out and play.” said Jones, from Frisco, Texas. Wisniewski was injured in the first quarter against the Fighting Hawks and didn’t return. The 6-foot-3, 203-pound Jones took over for Wisniewski and finished with six total tackles. “I felt like I stepped right in and was ready to go do my job,” said Jones, who is in his third season in the program. Jones is listed behind Wisniewski on the depth chart at strong safety. Entz added redshirt freshman Darius Givance could also factor into the safety rotation if Wisniewski — who has 30 tackles and four interceptions through six games — is unable to play. “You embrace the moment,” Jones said. “Embrace the opportunity.” Jones said the extended game reps against UND proved valuable for him, especially if he makes the start Saturday. “I’m preparing to go out and do my best,” Jones said. “Figuring out the differences between practice reps and game reps, especially game reps in high-pressure situations.” The Bison are coming off a 49-24 loss against in-state rival UND, the most points the Bison have given up since moving to Division I. Jones said he’s focused on moving forward. “You’ve got to block out the noise,” Jones said. “It’s a job for me to do and I know how to do it
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North Dakota head coach Bubba Schweigert and North Dakota State coach Matt Entz meet after the game at the Alerus Center on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. and I’m going to go out and execute the best way I can. ... We just want to go to work as hard as we can. We’re worried about each other.”
Enrollment drop contributing to WIU’s struggling season It’s no secret Western Illinois is struggling at 0-6. The statistics are telling, also, with the Leathernecks having issues on both sides of the ball. They’re 122nd out of 122 FCS teams in rushing offense and 122nd in scoring defense giving up 44.8 points per game. Idaho State is next in scoring defense at four points fewer per game. Before taking the defensive coordinator position at NDSU in 2014, Entz was the associate head coach and defensive coordinator at Western for one season in 2013. The school has seen some major changes in the last 10 years. “I don’t want to sit here and
judge but like a lot of institutions, they’ve seen a dramatic decline in enrollment,” Entz said. “When you’re talking about a community that is 15, 20,000 max, that has a huge economic impact that the university brings. And when your budget is driven by ticket sales and sponsorships, all of that can dramatically impact.” The enrollment this semester for Western is slightly over 7,000 students. It was at almost 9,500 in 2017. In 2013 when Entz was there, it was at 11,700, meaning it’s dropped by 40% in the last decade. It’s perhaps one reason the Leathernecks are leaving the Missouri Valley Football Conference after this season and will join the Ohio Valley Conference. WIU already left the Summit League for the Ohio Valley before this season, a conference that will mean more bus trips and fewer flights for the athletic department.
Bison running backs still in search of 100-yard game After six games, NDSU is still in search of a running back gaining at least 100 yards for the first time this season. A big reason is the run-pass option aspect of the Bison offense, with defenses being partial to letting the NDSU quarterbacks take the ball. Quarterbacks Cole Payton and Cam Miller are the top two ground gainers with, ironically, 304 yards each. Miller has 57 carries while Payton has needed only 38 attempts to reach that. “I would love to have more tailback run game,” Entz said, “but again some of it is when you have the quarterback run game, there is a read component to it and if teams are telling the quarterback to keep it, that’s what you’re seeing a lot of. Teams are saying we’re not going to let your tailbacks get downhill on us.”
Notebook on W5
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THE forum | Saturday, OctOber 21, 2023
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NOTEBOOK CONTINUED from W4 Senior running back TaMerik Williams came the closest to 100 yards when he had 93 in the season opener against
Eastern Washington, with 54 yards on one touchdown run.
Etc. Etc. Etc.
• NDSU has a 10-2 series lead against the Leathernecks in a series that dates back to 2007. Western Illinois is leaving the
Missouri Valley Football Conference after this season to join the Ohio Valley Conference for football in 2024. • NDSU defensive back Jayden Price has played in 62 career games heading into Saturday’s game.
Linebacker Julian Wlodarczyk is right behind with 61. Both are among the top 3 NCAA active leaders in career games played. South Dakota State wide receiver Jaxon Janke leads the way with 63 games.
Jeff Kolpack / The Forum
North Dakota State junior Josh Galvin studies his tee shot Sunday afternoon at the Red River Amateur golf tournament.
MENTAL HEALTH CONTINUED from W2 Galvin points to members of any team sport being susceptible to needing an outside source to talk with. Bison football has over 100 players on the team. Women’s track and field has over 60 on its roster. Women’s soccer has almost 30 players. “If I had a bad practice, I don’t want to go talk to a teammate who’s there and doesn’t understand what I’m going through,” he said. Or, on the flipside, a younger athlete coming to a Division I school and not playing much right away. Oftentimes, they come to NDSU having been a decorated high school athlete. “You come here and you get humbled a little bit,” Erholtz said. “Or if you don’t feel like you’re improving at the same rate as some of your teammates are, or your
scores aren’t getting any better, I think it’s easy to get down on yourself and feel like I’m kind of alone here.” That’s especially evident in golf. The 18-hole score is the score and for Galvin in his first two years, just making the starting lineup was a chore. Keep in mind the Bison have been Summit League tournament contenders. “Every shot matters and you feel super anxious just trying to qualify to go to tournaments,” he said. “I know I’ve talked to a bunch of my teammates who have said (qualifying) is a lot more stressful than playing in the tournaments because you’re more relieved that you’re there. You feel more freed up.” Galvin spoke up. He’s been “Herd.” The hope is the message gets contagious. Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack at jkolpack@forumcomm.com. Twitter@KolpackInForum
David Samson / The Forum
North Dakota State’s TaMerik Williams fends off Eastern Washington’s Drew Carter on a 54-yard touchdown run at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023.
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