The Sicatoka

UND is somewhere between 8-3 and 3-8 right now. WYO is right, how quickly some forget 3-8 in NDSU's not-so-distant past. UND could, based on this week's FCS projections, play *five* FCS playoff teams and an FBS bowl team this regular season. That's just crazy for a first-year eligible team. (Montana State, EWU, NAU, Montana, Cal-Poly, plus San Diego State) http://forum.siouxsp...tology-oct-8th/ http://www.sportsnet...FCS_Bracket.pdf

Part of UND running the 3-4 is to stop the veer. The other part is that in the midwest it was easier to find the LBs for a 3-4 system than the DL for a 4-3. Then again, part of the 3-4 is accepting that you need to use a LB (or two) to pressure the QB in passing situations. The 3-4 is better for blitz schemes because you can better disguise who is coming. If you're not blitzing from a 3-4 you may be dropping 8 in coverage, but you're also giving the QB time to find the holes. Personally, my theory has always been that there are two ends a completion, the throw and the reception, and it's easier to disrupt the throw because you have a pretty good idea where that is coming from (compared to where it's going).

Bring in a guy who's been more places than you, and who's older than you, to coach the defense? It's been done: by Dave Hakstol, when he hired Brad Berry.

I hope that's accurate, because what I saw leaving the ice said "four to six weeks" to me. I'll go on record now and predict he won't play against the USA U-18s.

Folks, I'm going to say it: There was some irrational exuberance going into this season. Sure, UND finished 8-3 and won the Great West last year. Sure, UND got a transfer QB to fill the overt shortcoming. But this is the Big Sky. This isn't a transititional schedule. The teams are better and the travel is tougher than last year. Knowing that, I expected some rough patches as the team adjusted. What I didn't expect was fundamental breakdowns in how the team plays. Quit trying to play "Big Sky" football. Cal-Poly isn't. Poly is doing what Poly does. UND should learn from that. UND needs to do what it does: Balanced, ball-control offense and "make them snap it again" defense. Just play UND Football.

Carlson's Cadre has to be giddy with the opportunity.

No one has stepped into that "leader of the defense" role. Next, this defense had issues last year playing a transitional schedule. Now it's facing top level FCS offenses. My solution? I don't have one. What I do know, however, is that football is won with an offensive line and a defensive front seven. If those aren't playing well things won't go well.

UND fans won't have to bring it back up. It'll be a hot topic when the Legislature goes back into session in a couple months.

I think Grimaldi has a bad skate blade.

Like I've said, we're all just a lawn mower toss away from the next problem. DU's turn. PS -- Four games, but including an exhibition game in that? ... Meh ... it's three games.

I would not bet against at least one of those two. The WAC needs a seventh member (and that assumes Idaho stays in the WAC and doesn't join the Big Sky).

The WAC going after UVU and CSU-Bakersfield tells me that nobody else on the WAC's "wish list" wanted in. The WAC "wish list", knowing Idaho and Denver, was probably the top four or five academic schools from the Big Sky. It also signals that the WAC is becoming an Olympic sports conference (UVU and CSU-Bake don't sponsor football).

http://www.heraldextra.com/sports/college/uvu/source-uvu-gets-wac-invite/article_e9f3b48e-0f1e-11e2-99ec-001a4bcf887a.html The article says CSU-Bakersfield and UVU both. I have no idea how the academic sides of the house at Idaho and DU will put up with that.

I've sat in 107, on the north aisle, next to the students. When they were standing there was no part of the rink north of south blue line that could be seen.

Do you have any useful information, analysis, insights, or content to add?

From today's Fargo Forum: Forum Caption: North Dakota State University football players, from left, Lucas Albers, Demitrius Gray, Charles Smith III, Josh Colville, Aireal Boyd, Antonio Rogers, Marcus Williams, Bryan Shepherd, Sam Ojuri and Brendin Pierre leave the Cass County Courthouse on Tuesday in Fargo. The 10 players pleaded guilty to misdemeanor election fraud and were sentenced to community service for faking signatures on proposed ballot measure petitions that they were hired to collect.

NDSU Football: Voter Fraud? Meh, ... we normally deal with infractions involving alcohol, drugs, violence or sex.* NDSU Football: Not smart enough or grown-up enough or sophisticated enough to understand.** *Courtesy Fargo Forum NDSU beat writer Kevin Schnepf **Courtesy Judge Douglas Herman

I've said more than once that we're all just a lawn mower toss away from the next problem.

Are you saying this is something they've signed onto for a while? Call it a signature moment for their program?

... only to rear its head when the Legislature starts back in session. Why? - the move to tougher the voter fraud laws from A misdemeanors to C felonies - the move to re-write and clarify the laws about how signature gatherers can be paid - and "Carlson's Cadre" will surely use this in their quest to undermine the powers of the ND SBoHE Book it. Bank it.

For the record, let's get the quote as listed in the newspaper: “I don’t think they were smart enough or grown up enough or sophisticated enough to understand” -- Judge Douglas Herman describing NDSU Bison football players. Accuracy and all, you know. http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/376186/

I guess I can't disagree with your assessment. Watching that link I see another epic VMeister/Answer Guy film production in the future.

I'm not an attorney, but under the present law I think Terra is in the safe part of the grey area. They can claim they didn't pay "per signature" (illegal) but merely incentivised their system for high performers. I think that question of law (namely, is Terra's system legal) will be clarified in the coming Legislature. And I think voter fraud such as this will probably end up as C felony instead of today's A misdemeanor. But like I've said, Terra may, may, have made an illegal offer, but the footballers didn't have to take it and end up in this mess. What'd NDSU's footballers do? I'll use the judge's words: not smart, not grown up, not sophisticated.

You mean the thread not in the Bisonville football forum, or the thread not in the Bisonville Bison commons forum? Which one of those two that are both on the main board at Bisonville would not be on the main board at Bisonville?

These folks have all just pled guilty to a class A misdemeanor. Doesn't that open themselves up to a civil case from the groups that lost money due to the (now admittedly) illegal activities? There are a couple groups out six-figures of dollars. Won't they come after these guys and didn't these guys just make it very easy for those groups to win a civil judgment?