The Sicatoka

The UND offense is predictable. There. I said it. The offense Roger Thomas ran is alive and well under Bubba. Nothing has changed. Thomas, Lennon, Mussman, Schweigert. Yeah, Mussman too. Mussman's was the same play book as the rest, but running exclusively what Lennon would run down 10+ points. Don't believe me? First down? B gap left. Second and eight. Thomas era; Lennon era; Mussman era (out of the pistol); now Schweigert era. When your offense is predictable it's easy to predict (Capt. Obvious) and defend. Toss in a porous offensive line and it's a disaster. If you want to play FCS ball, you need an FCS offense, not a rehashed DII offense. To play FCS ball you have to be serious about recruiting and developing offensive linemen that just might be able to play on Sunday. Our offensive line still looked, played, and reacted slow, like a DII line. Sure, we want to be big and mean and plow, but you need to also be fast at the FCS level or you'll get beat through the gaps and around the outside too (see: Saturday). If we're going to be FCS let's start thinking FCS and playing like FCS. That starts up front.

The hit just doesn't look good; but, we can't know intent. But by not letting up and taking the hit the player leaves himself open to the question. Right now I'm more worried about: 1. Zach Arnell's recovery 2. The UND offensive line 3. UC-Davis The rest of the stuff will sort itself out in the end.

You lost on that one.

If something is going to be replaced after that last game I'd say it should be the offensive line. I didn't see what I needed to see out of that group. And if your offensive line doesn't go, nothing goes.

That's like the third time in a year for that location. Talk about a lack of creativity.

I have a relative that was not paid by NDSU during construction of their updated married student housing (east of Fargodome) a few years back. I'm still not sure he's been paid. I'll have to ask.

Just what we need ... another hawk ... To go with Miami's RedHawks. Too far? How about Dickinson State's Blue Hawks (formerly Savages) and the F-M Red Hawks of the American Association (baseball).

Not reporting? Really? The Herald reported UND budget issues regarding EERC not that long ago, and that UND was takings steps to fix it. The Herald is looking. Yet, since then, UND and REA have somehow found $600k to put video boards in The Betty. As far as "shell games", NDSU is still recovering from some from the previous NDSU president.

Hey, whatever happened to that Poolman guy. ... Nevermind.

I'd have no problem with UND aligning to Big Sky sponsored sports plus M/W ice hockey. (Others may disagree.) There's your $900k. Then again, UND is putting new video boards into the Betty. That's a $600k outlay (in conjunction with REA) that provides a ... new advertising revenue stream. But UND has no plan and just jumped in.

The state's unofficial motto is "The Roughrider State". The highest award given by the State to a North Dakotan is "The Rough Rider Award" (including UND alumni Carl Ben Eielson, Cliff “Fido” Purpur, Judge Ronald Davies, Phil Jackson, Gen. David Jones, Tom Clifford and Chief Justice Gerald VandeWalle, and soon John D. Odegard). The standard for much of the NCAA is the state's nickname (official or unofficial) is the "University of's" nickname. (See: Gophers, Hoosiers, Badgers, et al) Better yet, it's not consultant standard (adjective Hawks), not a neighboring state's flag or motto, it's not what sounds like a slur to many of our state, and it's not the preferred name of the group that drove out the old nickname. The state has familiarity with the name; it's the most befitting the State's oldest University. Go Roughriders.

He's monitoring what affects his program. He'd be foolish not to.

No, let's truly be honest ... < in my best Joe Soucheray impression > "We don't know that." What we must do is take Faison at his statements to the press, namely hockey now, and monitor the situation. That's honest.

John D. Odegard, founder of the University of North Dakota aerospace school that bears his name, has become the 42nd recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt Rough Rider Award, Gov. Jack Dalrymple announced Thursday. The State's highest honor. http://www.inforum.com/news/3841300-und-aerospace-school-founder-john-d-odegard-selected-rough-rider-award

NDSU wins at home; UND moves into the Top 25 in next week's FCS polls.

Note foreground; note background.

UND currently sponsors 21 sports at the DI level. NDSU sponsors 16. The sports at UND made sense for a DII UND. UND is no longer that school so a re-evaluation and reorganization makes sense.

This week in Hannaford, ND. I recommend headphones because the audio is priceless, but NSFW. https://video-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hvideo-xta1/v/t42.1790-2/11996893_866411060139599_536437474_n.mp4?efg=eyJybHIiOjQxNCwicmxhIjo1MTIsInZlbmNvZGVfdGFnIjoicmVzXzQyNl9jcmZfMjNfbWFpbl8zLjBfc2QifQ%3D%3D&rl=414&vabr=230&oh=7ce4709fc48c86b4c102b04cc085213a&oe=55FC3BB5

Can I be greedy and ask for four guys in the 50-70 yards category? Say two backs, a QB, and a WR.

Plus ... they'll be able to sell advertising on video boards (where the existing ones don't allow for that). Sounds like an FCOA revenue stream ...

Are we sure that's not a Bubba quote from Saturday?

What is NDSU's plan? I think UNDBIZ did a fine (albeit smarmy and cynical) description of it. What is UND's plan? Again I think UNDBIZ did a fine (albeit smarmy and cynical) description of it. However, UND's plan has other options, like (a) cutting sports and reallocating the budget, or (b) Champions Club levels haven't been increased in a couple years, or (c) more and better marketing of existing things. PS - I'm pro smarmy and cynical.

No, I'm not the author of "How To Ruin Your Shoo-In Election As Governor". Sorry.

And that is the nut of Minnesota's problem: As long as NYY and TOR are in a battle, and TEX and HOU are also, those teams are fully engaged and will be very difficult to catch because they are thinking "win division" not "wildcard". They're running toward something, not away from MIN. So there's four of five playoff spots and the fifth is KC.