Jon Meier grew up watching the Dickinson State football team on Saturday's.
Now the Mott-Regent graduate will have a chance to play against them, although it happened much sooner than he thought it would.
The 6-foot-4, 200-pound redshirt freshman is set to start quarterback for Minot State when the Beavers visit the Blue Hawks at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Whitney Stadium.
"I'm just excited for a chance to go up there and play," Meier said.
Meier, a Regent native, said friendly verbal lobbs have already started with his friends and former teammates at Dickinson State.
ADVERTISEMENT
Last Christmas break, during Meier's true freshman year, he lifted weights with Dickinson State standout wide receiver Tyler Greff.
"He (Greff) was saying how they beat us and how they're going to beat us again," Meier said.
Ryan Jutras started a handful of games for the Beavers last season and was ready to fully take the reigns this year until an elbow injury sidelined him in the first half two weeks ago against Black Hills State.
Minot State coach Mike Sivertson said injuries to Jutras' elbow and pectoral muscles leave the starter without a timetable for a return.
"It's uncertain when he'll be able to participate again," Sivertson said.
Sivertson said he has confidence in Meier, although he knows the freshman will take his lumps.
"I think he's very intelligent," Sivertson said. "He's young yet. He's what we've got and we've got to find a way to get things done."
Dickinson State coach Hank Biesiot said there's no need to change the Blue Hawks' defensive gameplan, even with the inexperienced Meier at quarterback.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Whoever's the quarterback, they don't change what they're going to do offensively," Biesiot said.
Meier threw for 4,938 yards and 54 touchdowns in four seasons as Mott-Regent's starting quarterback.
Some of those passes went to Greff the one season they played together, but a large chunk found the hands of Clint Grosz, now a redshirt freshman wide receiver for the Blue Hawks. Grosz had 1,617 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns in his high school career.
Grosz, who is beginning to see time at wide receiver for the the Blue Hawks, admits he'll find it odd seeing his high school counterpart in a different uniform across the sidelines.
"It's going to be kind of weird watching him from the sidelines instead of having him throw to you," Grosz said.
Meier said several friends and family members have told him they're coming to the game.
"It kind of makes me nervous, so hopefully I can do well," Meier said.
Meier said although he's looking foward to playing in front of people who haven't watched him play since high school, he just hopes to play well against the team he used to root for.
ADVERTISEMENT
"Dickinson's a tough team," Meier said. "They're always good. We'll have to play really well to beat them."
