Bison Game Day September 2, 2023

ONE FAMILY, FIVE SAFETIES INCLUDING NDSU’S SAM JUNG

North

Dakota State senior Sam Jung set to make his first career start against Eastern Washington

BY JEFF KOLPACK The Forum FARGO

The biography of Steve Jung when he was inducted into the Lawrence University Hall of Fame was impressive, describing him as a football player known for “bone-crunching hits with closing speed” and a player who often won the team’s Hammer Award that went to the hardest hit of a game. In track, he set two school records.

He went on to a career of education and family, with he and his wife Wendy raising four boys in Neenah, Wisconsin. If the fans of Neenah High School had their way, the couple would have had 15 boys.

All excel or excelled in football.

Moreover, all are safeties. Including dad in his day at Lawrence, located in Appleton, Wisconsin.

“I just think we all have the same mindset,” said Sam Jung, the second-oldest son. “I think we’re super aggressive and I just think we attack everything and give everything our all.”

The family of safeties will be on hand Saturday when North Dakota State travels to U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis to take on Eastern Washington. It will be the first career start for Bison senior Sam Jung, a walkon who was primarily a special teams player the last three seasons.

It’s yet another step in a quest that started as a young kid.

“Sam was our most athletic boy,” Steve said. “When he was younger, he was always playing at a level that was a grade or two up and that continued to always be the case. His goal was always to be a Division I football player, even as a young kid. He was just a grinder.”

In his case, grinding was defined as going to bed at 8:30 at night all through high school because the Neenah football players lifted weights early in the morning.

“He always valued his dream and he always valued his time,” Steve said. “He would set the structure of his day around making sure he got enough sleep. And on the weekends

he really didn’t go out. He had that dream and he sacrificed his social life and stuff like that to get to where he’s at so those values have carried over for him at NDSU.”

Steve is a highly successful head football coach at Neenah, with the program being a perennial playoff contender. He didn’t start out on that career path, playing rugby for five years while working as a lab technician in entomology at the University of Wisconsin.

It wasn’t any normal localized rugby experience either; his team played across the United States and Europe.

It was around then that an inner voice spoke to Steve.

“I just realized, what am I doing? I want to coach football,” he said.

“So I changed gears, became a high school science teacher and started coaching football.”

His four boys were regulars as kids at practice over the years. That evolved into them being standout players and the family football tradition was off and running. Their grandfather, Wendy’s father, played at Carroll College (Wisconsin).

“I think everything we do with my wife and I revolves around sports,” Steve said. “When they were really young, I think they just grew to love sports in general.”

Joe played at St. Norbert’s College (Wis.), finishing his career last fall as a first team All-American by D3football.com. He led the team with 74 tackles to go along with five interceptions. Matt is a redshirt

freshman at Bethel University in the Twin Cities and Luke, the youngest brother, is a junior at Neenah High. He may be a second Division I Jung. NDSU and South Dakota State have talked to him. He may also do the family unthinkable: get moved to linebacker because of his size.

The sport of choice, however, when the brothers get together is pick-up basketball, where games of 2-on-2 predictably get competitive.

“Pretty intense,” Sam said. “We talk a lot about football but we compete in everything, whether it’s pickleball, tennis or basketball. We’re always a competitive family.”

Forum file photo

North Dakota State’s Sam Jung celebrates his interception of a Valparaiso pass on the last play of their football game Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in the Fargodome.

Submitted photo

The Jung family after one of Sam Jung’s (49) games at Neenah High School (Wisconsin): From left, Steve Jung, Wendy Jung, Sam, Matt Jung, Luke Jung and Joe Jung

ELI MOSTAERT OUT TO PROVE THAT ‘HE STILL HAS IT’

North Dakota State senior standout back in good health after significant injury in 2022

BY JEFF KOLPACK The Forum FARGO

North Dakota State defensive

tackle Eli Mostaert has already established himself as one of the best at his position in Division I FCS football. Yet, in one sense, he’s back to proving himself all over again.

A significant injury will do that.

The Bison senior missed most of last fall with a broken fibula suffered in the second game of the season against North Carolina A&T. He returned for the national title game against South Dakota State, although he was not his old self and admittedly played at about 75% of full strength.

Medicating through ibuprofen is a tough fix against a team like the Jackrabbits.

“I took some Advil and stuff like that before the game to hopefully not feel it,” Mostaert said. “It didn’t do a ton to be honest. But, yeah, it was still affecting me a lot in that game.”

The tank of health has been restocked heading into the season opener Saturday afternoon against Eastern Washington at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. NDSU’s defensive line is expected to be an improved group from last year with Mostaert leading the way.

“I need to prove something to myself and for the team that I’ve still got it,” he said. “I haven’t played in a while and I didn’t play that last game at full speed so I’m trying to prove to myself that I can still get it done. We’re coming forward this year and I’m really excited about it.”

He’s also excited to return to a venue that produced a high school memory of a lifetime. Mostaert, and his brother and fellow Bison defensive lineman Will Mostaert, were on Lakeville North’s first-ever state championship football team. Behind three touchdowns from Bison receiver RaJa Nelson, the Panthers defeated Eden Prairie 28-21 at U.S. Bank for the Minnesota Class 6A title.

The three Bison players from that Lakeville North team played at U.S. Bank twice. Combined with being a life-long Minnesota Vikings fan, Eli Mostaert says it doesn’t get better than that for a neutral-site game.

“But now with this new team NDSU we’re going to bring it this weekend,” he said. “It’s a really fun environment. It’s huge in there. We get some special opportunities here to play some really good teams and in some cool stadiums and cities. Back to where I grew up so it’s going to be fun.”

Mostaert, by the way, was one of six captains named by the team, joining wide receiver Zach Mathis, quarterback Cam Miller, cornerback Jayden Price, linebacker Luke Weerts and offensive guard Jake Kubas. They were voted on by their teammates.

“It was unique in just the volume of kids that received votes,” said head coach Matt Entz. “That’s

always pleasing. One of the things we started talking about last February was multiplying the leadership on our football team. How can we develop better leadership on our football team?”

No. 28 returns to U.S. Bank Stadium

The Mostaerts and Nelson aren’t the only Bison players with Twin Cities connections. In all there are 16 on the Bison roster, although it’s uncertain how many of those will make the approximate 70- to 80-player travel roster. Nobody played high school football closer to U.S. Bank than running back TK Marshall, who went to Minneapolis Southwest High School. He wears jersey No. 28 because his favorite player growing up was former Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who also wore 28. Marshall said trying to emulate Peterson got him into playing peewee

football.

Marshall, a finalist for the 2019 Minnesota Mr. Football award, played at U.S. Bank in a high school all-star game.

“But that was quick and happened all fast,” he said. “But now that we’re headed back and it’s going to be a big game, it’s college football, all the dreams are coming true. I’m in U.S. Bank Stadium, I’m playing D-I college football and it’s unreal. It makes it more special, now I can put on a show for my hometown, my city.”

Like a lot of the Twin Cities players, Marshall will have his share of friends and family.

“It’s going to be like a reunion,” he said.

It’s the second go-around for NDSU in a Minneapolis destination game, following up on a 57-10 victory against Butler University (Ind.)

David Samson/The Forum

North Dakota State’s Eli Mostaert stretches during Bison football practice at the Nodak Insurance Football Performance Complex on Thursday, August 3, 2023.

Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum

North Dakota State’s TK Marshall goes down against North Carolina A&T’s Tyquan King during their football game on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, at the Fargodome.

NOTEBOOK

CONTINUED from W4

at Target Field. Marshall was at that game when he was a high school senior.

“I think Minneapolis is like a second home for the Bison,” he said.

“Regardless of how many people, I think they’re going to bring a great atmosphere.”

It will be left tackle for Jalen Sundell

After apparently wrestling back and forth on whether senior Jalen

Sundell was going to play center or left tackle, the result was made official this week: The senior will start at left tackle against the Eagles.

Sundell was in his third season as the starting center last year when he hurt his foot and missed the last half of the season. Brandon Westberg took it from there and will remain there to start this season.

“Brandon has played a lot of games for us at center and has started a number of big games,” Entz said. “He does a nice

Brandon has played a lot of games for us at center and has started a number of big games. He does a nice job with all the things that are required, identifying the protections and identifying the run game.

job with all the things that are required, identifying the protections and identifying the run game.”

Moreover, Entz said, putting Sundell at left tackle was about putting

the best five offensive linemen on the field.

“I think it would be silly for us not to have our five best players out there,” he said. “This is the first time we’ve ever done anything like that. There have been other

positions where we’ve had to adjust positions to get the most talented players on the field.”

Etc. etc. etc.

It will be the sixth meeting between the teams starting with the infamous 38-31 Eastern overtime win in the 2010 FCS quarterfinals. The Bison have won the last four, with three of those in the FCS playoffs and the last one a 42-20 Bison win in the 2021 spring season first round game at the Fargodome.

NDSU has won seven straight season openers

since dropping a 38-35 game at the University of Montana in 2015.

Eastern Washington’s last game in an NFL stadium was successful, beating FBS UNLV 35-33 in double overtime at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas in 2021. Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack at jkolpack@forumcomm.com. Twitter@KolpackInForum

They do their best staying in touch with each other’s careers. For instance, Neenah High’s first game two weeks ago was live streamed, with the other three connecting via FaceTime while watching the game.

“We support each other when we can,” Sam said.

“Growing up with my brothers, it was an amazing experience and watching them play on weekends was really cool to see.”

It’s a balancing act for the parents to watch their sons play, with the obvious first priority being Friday night

Neenah high school games. From there it will be either NDSU or Bethel games on a

attack everything and I think I’m always going to have the same mindset. But when those guys ahead of me left, that’s when it really became real that the room was wide open. I felt like it was my spot to go out there and take and that’s how I’m approaching every practice.

SAM JUNG

well, I’ve said at 10:30 at night, we’re going right now,” Steve said. “I’m just going to drive until I get tired and that’s usually about St. Cloud. The driving is a grind but my wife and I love it.” They won’t have to go as far this weekend.

Sam’s starting college debut will be in an NFL stadium.

have the same mindset,” he said. “But when those guys ahead of me left, that’s when it really became real that the room was wide open. I felt like it was my spot to go out there and take and that’s how I’m approaching every practice.”

concerned.”

But he’s also a Jung, a kid who grew up with the game. The son of a coach.

Saturday.

Bethel was ranked 14th in the country in the D3football.com top 25 preseason poll. The Royals finished 10-3 last year reaching the quarterfinals of the Division III playoffs.

It’s a 7 1/2-hour drive from Neenah, located southwest of Green Bay, to Fargo and Wendy is a pediatrician, so she has her schedule to juggle.

It’s not uncommon for Steve to get home from coaching a Friday night game, get to sleep about midnight, get up three hours later and the two start the drive to Fargo. With Wendy driving, Steve will often watch film and do his aftergame coaching duties with his assistants while riding in the car.

“There have been times if a game didn’t go

It was the first real open competition for a starting spot at either safety positions since 2019 when James Hendricks was the starting free safety.

Dawson Weber assumed control after that along with Michael Tutsie, a starter since the ‘19 season.

That wasn’t exactly breaking news to Sam.

“I’m always going to attack everything and I think I’m always going to

BISON

That is true, said Bison head coach Matt Entz, who has been impressed with Jung’s ability on special teams. And with Tutsie and Weber graduating and Dom Jones transferring, Jung elevated himself to a starter.

“My biggest concern is with his tackling,” Entz said. “We’ve tackled in practice a number of times but it’s different in a game. We try to emulate it the best we can but until I see him tackling in live action that’s where I’m always

“Sam’s a quick teach,” Entz said. “He sees the big picture, a very headsy player. May not blow you away with an unbelievable 40 time and vertical and all those things but he’s a good football player. And that’s what we’ve had a lot of success with here at NDSU, we’ve lived on good football players and not just trying to find the best athletes.”

Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack at jkolpack@forumcomm.com. Twitter@KolpackInForum

I’m always going to