The Sicatoka

UAF 2 UND 1 7:20 left in game

UAF 2 UND 1 at 3:02.

UND 1 UAF 1 17:10 remaining in third.

UND 1 UAF 1 End of second

UND 1 UAF 1 8 minutes left in second.

It's for Twits.

I have Midco. Why? UND sports. But this week, because of the Root deal with the Big Sky, no UND Football game. But do you see me here berating any and everyone about it?

Montana punts first possession.

Hardin for 80 plus, then Hanson throws 5 yd TD.

UND takes first possession and takes first personal foul.

I wish I'd kept the quote, but back about 2005 an associate athletic director at Duke, when asked about the forming of superconferences and the potential for them to break away from the NCAA to form their own association, said that the NCAA is a voluntary organization*, meaning schools don't have to be a member and could leave at any time to do their own thing. The notion of the "above the line" or "top 5" BCS conferences going their own way is not that outlandish. But remember, money, not what is best for college athletics, will drive all the decisions. You can bank on that. Always has; Always will. *UND fans are brutally aware of that for the last few years.

When you look at that list of 1-26, there really are naturally occurring breaks in average and mean between #7 and #8 and between #16 and #17.

Can the other guys on defense?

My prediction: Zeb hits a long FG as the clock tics 0:00.

I know someone who advocates taking all "hard plastic" out of football pads and mandating that all pads have to be made exclusively of cotton, wool, or Kevlar fabric. Helmets would become more like hockey helmets (more to protect your head when your fall, less as a solid projectile weapon).

You start Hanson against Montana unless he is unavailable due to the hit.

One more thought: Massey's top six includes three Big Sky teams: #2 Cal-Poly #5 Eastern Washington #6 Northern Arizona Anyone see a theme in those three, as in "UND's last three games"?

For what it's worth, Massey's predictor has UND winning (by the slightest of margins) over Montana this week.

No one will disagree with you on that point. (However, I do wonder if we're all spoiled by high-def hockey so standard def just seems weak.) Some changes were made with broadcast agreements over the summer. There will be bumps until everyone is settled in with the new agreements. Let them know the issues, give them a chance to solve them. With moving to the Big Sky and the WCHA imploding, the UND Athletics office has been busy I suspect. Then add in the new media arrangement with Midco and making all of it work together: Midco deal, Big Sky deal, NCHC deal. I have no doubt they understand the importance of media (or else why would they hire someone with the resume of the new AAD for media). And as far as exposure. UND SID Jayson Hajdu has been good enough to post here regarding the changes (and he's even hinted that there may be more in the works). I'm going to give them another month or so to let the dust settle before I get too harsh with them.

It should also be noted that UND lost Sean Johnson (primary media relations and media contracts guy) to be AD at a DII back in late July and the new person in the position has barely been there a month. It also bears noting that the new person is pretty good at getting content out to viewers based on his track record at his last job. Kyle Doperalski -- Kyle.Doperalski@athletics.und.edu http://www.undsports...TCLID=205679505

... because NBC has a 'thing' for Notre Dame.

I'm with you. A defense needs base athletic ability, but it also needs to have some attitude.

Production has moved to a whole new crew. I expected some "learning curve" time. If you didn't you probably walked in and were perfect on your first day of a new job. Good for you. I wish I was that good. That said, if there are still issues a month from now the criticism may be warranted. My feedback: - in football, leave the angle wide longer. There's no need to go tight on the ball in the air during passes --> You're not keeping up and losing the reception end of the play. My proof? Kenny Golliday's one-hand catch v. Cal-Poly was missed by the main camera because it zoomed on the ball and didn't move fast enough to see the catch. Only a secondary camera got it. - same story for hockey, stay wide with the main camera. The additional angles are better for trying to go tight. Watch an NHL broadcast (yeah, I know ...) and you'll see the main camera seldom if ever goes tight. - quit trying to do it like the MNF or other 'big time' production crews right away. Step 1: Get the game on the cameras with good images and signals to the viewers. Step 2: After you have Step 1 down cold, then try the cool, flashy stuff.

The how about a straight up trade, Mussman for DeBoer? SIU would get Lennon Lennon's old OC back in Mussman. UND would get a guy with head coaching experience (to a title level) and FCS experience (before his first FCS head job). SIU's official page on DeBoer: http://www.siusalukis.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/deboer_kalen00.html I found this interesting when searching DeBoer. He's produced a video on beating the 3-4 defense: http://www.amazon.com/Kalen-DeBoer-Beating-3-Man-Front/dp/B00271IGMY