Minot State University (MSU) football players are getting very accustomed to the sound of a buzzer. The same type of buzzer that is at swim meets or in a wrestling room- the main difference is that this buzzer sounds every five minutes and dictates life at practice between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

“It is a major commitment from the players,” said MSU head football coach Ian Shields. “We are allowed 20 hours per week with the athletes. While we are not using every second, between weights, meetings and on field activities – we are close to that 20 hours per week.”

The Beavers play in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) with 12 other teams.

Augustana University out of Sioux Falls, S.D. was atop the standings in NSIC with a 9-1 record for the 2023-24 season. Behind them were Minnesota Duluth, Bemidji State, Minnesota State, Wayne State College, MSU Moorehead, Winona State, Northern State, Sioux Falls, Concordia-St. Paul, Southwest Minnesota State and University of Mary, with Minot State rounding out the conference standings at 1-9.

Last season, the Beavers were 11th in scoring defense, 13th in scoring offense, 11th in rushing defense, fourth in rushing offense and led the conference in passing defense while passing offense was 13th in the NSIC.

Minot State had players in the top ten of the NSIC for the season in several categories. As a freshman, Myles West was seventh in rushing, senior Knylen Miller-Levi was third in kick returns and junior Justin Cash, fourth in punting on the offensive and special teams side of the stat sheet. On the defensive side of the ball, junior Isaiah Rigby was fourth and junior Carson Cayko was seventh in total tackles. Cayko was also third in tackles for loss and seventh in sacks for the season. Rigby was also seventh in fumble recoveries for the 2023-24 year.

“Isaiah Bigby and Carson Cayko are returning, both All-Conference players and were team captains,” said Shields.

West and Cash are not returning to Minot State for this season.

Spring practice has several components for the athletes. While strength and conditioning are a year round project for each player, football movements are accentuated in spring practice with drills that focus on finding range of motion and improved ability in real game situations. Each practice session has a large portion of those buzzer moments dedicated to skill and ability stations for players to work on stance, steps and initial contact by position. Spaced between those working stations for individual position work, there are other groupings that utilize those skills drilled for situational re-enforcement within a group moment.

Examples of these are half-line drills (where all the players on offense and defense from the center left or center right are in the play), 7-on-7 run (no receivers or defensive backs), 7-on-7 pass (no offensive or defensive linemen) and 11-on-11 run and pass sessions.

Each of these sessions are scripted for emphasis on either offense or defense with the scout or practice side of the drill running scripted plays for the focus groups’ reaction based on the previous individual work stations.

“We have anywhere from 75-100 plays scripted for any given practice,” said Shields. “What we script is based on what part of the team – offense or defense – and what part of the game – run or pass – we are focused on.”

Spring practice kicked off on Tuesday, March 12 and will end with the Beavers Spring Game on Saturday, April 13 at 9 a.m. at the MSU Bubble.