I'd suggest that's his theory, yes. I'll use another example (not sure if it's still true today): the Minnesota Vikings. There is no doubt that SW ND (and probably most of ND as well) was Vikings country in the 1970's and 1980's. i hated the Vikings simply because purple was everywhere. By about 1993-1994, most radio stations in that neck of the woods were, at a bare minimum, broadcasting BOTH Viking and Packer games. By the time of the Packers/Patriots and Packers/Broncos Super Bowls, the Vikings practically disappeared out there. People I knew from grade school who bled purple were suddenly wearing Favre jerseys. Packer flags were everywhere.
Maybe Bubba thinks the same way, I don't know. Beating Montana and Eastern Washington year after year won't change state-wide fan allegiance. Beating NDSU on a consistent basis will - the key is obviously whether this game gets scheduled on a regular basis.