(Mike McFeely's shows in Frisco are sponsored by Jordahl Custom Homes, F-M Water Systems, Gate City Bank and La Quinta Inn and Suites.)
FRISCO, Texas -- John Stiegelmeier earned a new nickname when South Dakota State visited North Dakota State in early November. "The Possum," because ol' Stiggy tried to lay low and play dead when it came to a couple of injured Jackrabbit players.
When asked about the status of quarterback Austin Sumner and wide receiver Jason Schneider in the weekly Missouri Valley Football Conference media teleconference, The Possum made it sound like Sumner and Schneider could barely stand on their own power, much less play a rough-and-tumble football game against the powerful Bison.
When asked directly whether they would play, Stiegelmeier said Sumner would ride the bus to Fargo but in all likelihood be only a spectator and Schneider stood a "2 percent chance" of playing.
Lo and behold, when the Jackrabbits offense took the field against NDSU, there were Sumner and Schneider in the starting lineup -- they didn't have crutches, prosthetic legs or anything -- and both played the entire game. Schneider caught 3 passes for 44 yards and Sumner completed 14 of 28 passes for 187 yards.
My Twitter comments about The Possum in subsequent weeks were tagged with #miracle, given Stiggy's penchant for mentioning "faith, family and football" as the important aspects of his life, in that order.
Coaches lying or being evasive about injuries is nothing new, and every time football coaches comment about injuries those comments need to be taken with a grain of salt the size of Texas. So what The Possum did was not necessarily anything new, or all that egregious.
But keep the cat-and-mouse game (or would it be cat-and-possum) game in mind when wondering about the status of NDSU receiver Zach Vraa this week. One of the first questions asked of Bison coach Chris Klieman at his weekly meeting with the Fargo media Monday was whether Vraa would play.
The senior has been sidelined since NDSU's first playoff game against (again) SDSU Dec. 6 with a nasty hamstring injury, incurred when he was (legally and cleanly) undercut while jumping for a pass along the sideline. Vraa's back hit the Fargodome turf first and his right leg, with knee locked, whipped with serious momentum. Replays showed Vraa's right shoe nearly touching the turf above his head.
Whether it was a serious pull or tear has never been publicly revealed, but it was serious enough that Vraa has not played since. He missed playoff games against Coastal Carolina and Sam Houston State. As NDSU's top receiver and biggest deep threat, the loss of Vraa did take an element away from the Bison offense. But NDSU has found a way, whether it was with Carey Woods or RJ Urzendowski or tight end Kevin Vaadeland -- or an unstoppable power running game utilizing John Crockett.
Will Vraa play in the title game Saturday against Illinois State?
As of Monday, Klieman said it was "very questionable."
Vraa had not yet practiced with the team.
The jury is really still out. He was not ready to run a full speed route as of today, Klieman said.
Does that mean Vraa will not play? Nope. Does it mean he will play? Nope.
Klieman thus far has a history of answering questions about injuries as honestly as he can, when asked specifically about them. He will not offer anything he's not asked about, nor should he.
After the press conference when I asked Klieman about offensive lineman Adam Schueller, who's been out for a couple of games with hip/leg ailments, the coach said Schueller's status was similar to Vraa's. Klieman did say Schueller was a little behind Vraa's progress in terms of being ready to play.
Will Vraa play?
If I had to bet $5, I would say Vraa will play against the Redbirds.It was a nasty injury, but it will be more than a month since it occurred.
Will he be effective if he does play?
That's maybe the bigger question, and it depends entirely on whether the leg is sufficiently healed.
Will it matter?
Not if the Bison offensive line controls things up front and Crockett runs for 165 yards and a couple of TDs.
(Mike McFeely is a talk-show host on 790 KFGO in Fargo-Moorhead. He can be heard 2-5 p.m. weekdays. Follow him on Twitter @MikeMcFeelyKFGO.)