ND-fan

Yesterday number of teams struggled to win or lost so what is up and I think we have reached mid season part of the season where all teams are playing banged up and opponents are taking advantage of these weaknesses. In FCS replacements we see usually fall off in number twos and threes but in number FCS teams these reserves are freshman and sophomores they get better as they play especially on top teams. We saw this couple season go with SU we beat them but they became better team by end of the season. I think we can get better and hopefully we get couple players back. I don’t think SU will not be up for us if they beat us they are assured of going undefeated for the season and will play at home for the playoffs. If we beat them like I have said before it’s going to take perfect game by us and they giving up couple plays like turnover or special teams score. The sad thing about yesterday’s loss pretty much puts us on road for the playoffs when we could have been home until semifinals.

This was team loss and team I bet you was more than focused on SU this coming everyone thought we would beat this team. I don’t care what anybody thinks but instead of taking care of business we got distracted and South DAkota came out punched in the mouth further throwing us off our game. Coaches can say and get on players but if team get distracted there’s not much you can change coaches and player almost got it back but that has been difference between us and SU they have enough talent to come back game like this. That is why they have won like they have. We have enough talent to beat them but we will need nearly perfect game. We’re far ahead of where I thought we would be in first year but I still think our time is coming in next couple of years if we can retain our players and our coaching stafff.

I see our transfer from South Dakota announced she tore her ACL so I wish her healthy recovery always devastating news for athlete. Addison Klosterbuer we will look forward to seeing you next year and again our prayers for quick and healthy recovery.

To much looking ahead thinking about SU by players thought they had this won.

What is it when we get to South Dakota we start playing stupid we’re beating our selves. Making dumb plays and taking stupid penalties getting beat on special teams. I thought we had turned corner on this but it’s back.

I have question why doesn’t grand forks ever gets high school football playoffs at alerus I see Fargo Dome has both nd and MN section playoffs this year. I would think having one of these events would be good for Grand Forks and I would think UND would like it too having good high school teams right in town to watch and recruit possible new players right here without traveling.

Are we getting some people back from injury?

I am expecting improvement this year and that would be confirming my expectations and there is just different atmosphere than in past there is more willingness to get community and team together and responses from the coach at Summit media day was more positive and spelled out what we’re program goals and what he expected from coaching staff and players. I like he having night to get fans to come out meet the team. This is such change from last few years there has been so much contact with fan base in last few months it’s breath of fresh air for the program.

Does full time practices begin this week? I thought I read some where this was beginning week practices and start of the season of basketball. Also are they having Summit kickoff for the basketball season like last year.

I think reason for discontent is we’re having same experience on the road as before we’re close to winning but still loosing. New coach and number of new players and promise of new way doing things right things would fall into place. Yes the team I s better than last year and yes we missed extra point but We did kick Field goal later but passed two end of second quarter with us just hitting one of these all other things on here would have been forgotten because we would come out with road win. I blame this loss on the head coach getting away from what he said would do we do continue do fundamentals until we get it right. He lost faith in his teams kicking team instead of following through on fundamental coaching take points available on the road especially when your up. This I hope was teaching moment for him as head coach confidence comes from head coach when you do this to your kicker it just gets worse. This not NFL where you go and get another kicker week to week it’s one or two believed in at beginning year you chose. Last year kicker did good job and on short sample size you can’t be going away from him and the fundamentals. This what I thought would be Schmidt’s strength just doing fundamentals and playing smart football and I still think he h as making of good coach but has to learn he is now head coach needs to make fundamental decisions and know when to take a risk like going on fourth down.

This loss is on coaching decision of not taking points in the first half. When on road always take points available especially when your up. I will like to see Schmidt come out now take responsibility for this loss it will tell me a lot on the future of this program and what he is trying to instill. He didn’t follow through on consistency of sound principals in coaching at end of first half not only did he make mistake once he repeated the same mistake for sure cost us home field if we make playoffs or worse we don’t make the playoffs with this loss if this would have been Bubba he would probably been gone for next week.

Should have have kicked two field goals in first half get points on the road. Just needed one of them.

Very difficult to get division I top tier teams to schedule away games to come to lower mid major teams they don’t want to risk loss. Even getting mid majors to get home and away scheduled is difficult to find schools that will travel and play here. The two SU’s are getting better responses because their programs are higher rated now so loss on the road by traveling team doesn’t hurt their power rankings later in the year. We just need to elevate our program more by winning and some of this will improve but it always be difficult to get away from some of smaller college games it happens all over the country. It’s even worse at men’s level look how close it came last year when Alabama came here and got out here with close victory they do not want to take risks like that from top division I programs. It would be great for basketball because would increase viewership I believe but these schools want to build this elite brand playing small midmajors doesn’t fit into that plan.

I hate to make this prediction KState 42 UND 3. Just think the offense struggles today they shut down our run game and then struggle with passing game when we’re long in yards on third down. Defense plays a little better than last year but with offense struggling they will be on field to much. I hope I am way off on this but I kind think this is going to happen.

Under theme thread and discussion has happened in last few days I think the worry about what we are going to finish at is the bottom line on quarterback choice. Jerry is choice if you’re looking at building program in future if you believe he can become quarterback that can develop into top flight quarterback in his junior and senior seasons. The problem then is we’re going to go through transition period this year where we are going experience growing pains and probably loose couple of games we should have won. If he is falling short on his development then we will see Johnson another Sophomore quarterback who by coach believes can be also quarterback of the future. Schmidt will be insulated on going this approach and if heat gets to high he will just jettison offensive coordinator from previous coach and higher his person giving time to build the program. The 6 and 6 mark is probably mid point what are season can be. We could end up anywhere from 4 and 8 to 8 and 4 this year. If you look at this team we have talent and have recruited future talent but overall we are young team with a not much proven talent in skilled positions other than running back. But our running game will be dependent on quarterback play to create passing game as well supplement the running game if we are going to be successful. With this thought we may need all three quarterbacks because I think our quarterbacks are going to take beating to create passing game. Look at last year Simon took quite pounding and we still had two good receivers in Boe and Smith out of back field. This year it going to take some time for our receivers to figure out how to be productive. We haven’t even talked about new defense and is short on depth in key areas now to implement that defense. I hate to say it but 6 and 6 maybe what will be improvement over last year and especially with our schedule this year. Not what people may want to hear and maybe I am wrong on where I think where this team is at but I think this why were picked to be seventh in conference.