UND08

Can't wait for the game on Saturday...it's a big one and a must win in my opinion! Hopefully we get a good and boisterous crowd to help energize the team and get in the heads of the Mustangs! Knowing how these two teams play, this could be the SHORTEST game I go to all year...haha! Bubba and Company know their way around the triple option. It's not the most fun thing to practice for in a short timeframe, but I like to think our guys will be up to the challenge. Assignment football and eye discipline are going to be huge...I watched the Poly/UM game on Saturday and their QB is the real deal. Much more multi-dimensional than what they had last year. Our db's will have a lot of pressure on them with the dual threat of play action and having to make tackles on the edge...that should be a good matchup. Hopefully on offense we can get a running back (my guess Oliviera based on watching the Poly/UM game) going to wear down the inside of their "D". Do that, hit a big play somehow (hopefully Santiago in some form), cut down the penalties and get Studsrud on track with some easy throws/rollouts and I think we'll be ok on offense. Personally I'd like to see a few back-shoulder type of throws. Our receivers aren't very fast but they are tall/lanky with decent body control...so I think this is something we could incorporate if we are seeing 1 on 1 coverage on the outside. We held these guys to something like 150 yards rushing last year and forced a couple turnovers...if we do that again we'll win. If they get to 250+...well at least we'll have a banner raising at the Ralph to brighten our mood.

I don't disagree with you on the offensive efficiency, and perhaps I should place more emphasis in my posts regarding the fact that I don't think our offense is anywhere close to where it should be from an efficiency standpoint. I would however say that the talent argument is relative (I think our defensive talent is much greater right now than it was in 2001...especially in the secondary - which is hard to say knowing we gave up 3 rushing touchdowns the entire 2001 season!). In all honesty I wanted to use stats from the 2001 NDSU game, mainly because they were a premiere opponent at the time and also partly because if I remember right that CWU game was played on a Friday afternoon in a brutal wind (I was a junior in HS on my way to our season opener listening on the radio...UND football has been in my blood for years haha), but I think the point I'm trying to make is that we are likely going to work towards the type of team that scores somewhere around 25-27 points per game and gives up around 10-15. That's the formula that won us a title in 2001, and that's the formula that much of our staff is familiar with. That involves grinding out long drives and chewing up clock. I think we did a better job of that last week against MSU, but we missed 2 field goals and should have had a td but our LT got a 15 yard personal foul that wiped 7 points off the board. If you add those back we end up with 27 points. If Santiago doesn't fumble we may only have given up 12. I think a lot of us would be happy with a 27-12 road victory over MSU...but we can't shoot ourselves in the foot, that's how we get games that are closer than they should be. I might be in the minority, and it's hard for me to say this publicly, but with where our offense is right now I think Oliviera is a better choice for a primary back. He does a better job of grinding out yards and keeping the offense on schedule, and that's going to be crucial against a team like Poly this weekend. I like the idea of using Santiago in ways to get him out in space (along with seemingly everyone else on this board). I'm hopeful that we get to that point. 22 carries for Oliviera/15 for Santiago/5 for Studsrud with 23 passes (5 to Santiago) would be ideal if I was up in the box.

Longtime follower of Siouxsports...just recently decided to contribute a little bit more...haha!

http://www.undsports.com//fls/13500/pdf/Football Scores/2001/Und vs Central Washington.pdf I know a lot of people keep dogging on the playcalling and the offensive performance, and it's true that there is still a lot of work to be done...but take a look at the link above. This is a box score from UND's season opening win over Central Washington during the 2001 National Championship year. If you look at these stats, and compare them to our stats vs MSU...I seem some striking similarities on offense (almost 2-1 rushing vs passing yards, winning time of possession by over 8 minutes). Our head coach and DC were both part of this team, and that year we won a fair amount of close games by relying on our defense. I think we are going to see UND continue to move back to this style over the next few years, and I think it can be successful again. Are there teams in the Big Sky that we should be able to beat by 20 or more? Yes...just like there were in the NCC. But against the marquee teams...we are going to play a grind it out, minimize mistakes type of game and lean on our defense. I expect our offense to gain efficiency as experience comes, and cut down on penalties...but we aren't going to consistently score 40+ a game, because we won't play a style of football that allows for this (we won't be running 90+ plays per game under Bubba).

Amen...part of the problem with the Mollberg/Bartles divide was that neither QB ever consistently showed that they wanted the job (you'd see flashes...then stretches of poor play). Ideally I'd like to see one QB a year, so that any QB has at least two years in the system before they get a start (and ideally three). It worked well with Wentz...and should be the standard here. I also agree with UND-FB-FAN that we need more competition for roles on the offensive side...and that'll continue to come with more depth. Last year we had something like 4 OL scholarship recruits, and 2 PWOs (it could have been 5/1...I can't remember). If we can develop those players, it'll be huge for this squad going forward. I know the prior coaching staff could recruit receivers...but they didn't do much in the way of development on either side outside of that position group. I'd much rather take the roster that we have today...and continue to build towards a more complete team.

Not disagreeing with you on that...and by no means am I advocating on not trying...but I think we've been snake-bitten somewhat in our attempts to stretch the field, having Ferguson flame out before he got to campus, moving Santiago to RB out of need and not getting any performance to this point out of Dulin...

I think our style of play hurts in finding these types of guys...which is going to happen with a certain position group no matter what type of offensive philosophy you have. I think we have guys on the team that can make plays down the field...but we've got to call the plays to make it happen (as well as execute in our running game to help open these plays up). If we can't hit them over the top...then at least look to more back shoulder type of plays...our receivers have height and decent body control...I think this could be an effective way to loosen things up a little.

Everyone keeps harping on a lack of speed on the outside ("we need a burner")...a skilled receiver with blazing speed is kind of like trying to find a 7'0" center in basketball with skills...it's easier said than done. I hate comparing us to NDSU, but who was their burner over their run? They had speed out of the slot in Ryan Smith...but we've got a comparable player in Santiago, and a kid from Washington coming in with a similar type of skillset. Zach Vraa didn't have elite speed...and neither does Urzendowski...however they are/were both highly skilled receivers that use their route running and the offense's ground and pound success to get open in playaction. We've got two skilled, but highly inexperienced true freshman receivers that I honestly don't even know how well they do running deep routes, since we haven't really called any (other than a 35 yarder to Wanzek on the 1st play of the USD game...I'd like to see more of that). My hope is that as our young offensive skill players get more comfortable in the offense...and our line continues to gel, we see more creativity to make big plays happen. This is not to say that I'm against finding big play receivers...I'm hoping we can find playmakers and have them work out for us as well as some of the defensive athletes we've signed the last couple of years. So far the class looks good...I'd like to see 4-5 linemen like others have said, along with a traditional receiver with decent speed.

2 true freshman wide receivers...one summer transfer receiver, 4 new starting offensive linemen (one a transfer)...I think you are right...

I had to give myself an hour and a half to recover after that one...not pretty but a win is a win...especially on the road in conference! My first thought on the game is this...some of you need to quit expecting this team to go from 0 to NDSU overnight...as much as we'd all like it to happen...it's not going to. This game was ugly for sure...but things aren't as bleak as a few posters here would make them out to be. Look at the stats...UND ran for 227 yards at almost 5 yards a pop. I know 60 came on one play...but when you pound the rock repeatedly I'd hope that would happen. This line has the ability to move guys around and allow UND to control the clock (which we did reasonably well today...winning the TOP battle by over 7 minutes). I also think having Olivera as the bell cow helped the boys up front today. He's more patient than Santiago and got the offense into 3rd and manageable. Studsrud also did a decent job today...no major mistakes (we won the game on turnovers)...he's still missing too many throws, but only one of his receivers was even on this team last year...that doesn't help. I'm not all pixie dust and sprinkles though. Santiago needs to develop some patience if he's going to be our primary back. Teams aren't going to let him bounce things outside with ease this year. Ball security is also an issue that...if not corrected soon may limit his touches. The offense desperately needs to get him the ball in space...I think we will get there...but we've got receivers that are still learning terminology and where to line up...these things don't happen overnight. Also...the penalties/lack of discipline are inexcusable! Last week's taunting penalty on Hunt and this week's penalty on Stockwell should have sunk us twice...we were lucky to overcome both. It's gotta stop...along with the cut blocking, which seems to cost us 30 yards of penalties a week. Finally special teams needs to step it up in my opinion. Three missed field goals in two weeks from a veteran kicker is disappointing. The onside kick was well executed by MSU...but our guy needs to make that play! Very lucky it didn't cost us... All in all a win is a win...make the two field goals and we win by 8...take out the Stockwell penalty and score on it and we win 27-15..if this offense can get to 25 points a game...I like our odds with our "D"...I'm lookin forward to watchin our "D" line up against the Cal Poly triple option...hopefully we have a good home field advantage next weekend!

I don't think UND is anywhere close to at the stage of "relying on transfers"...but when you inherit a talent deficient roster it doesn't hurt to take a few flyers to get some immediate help and depth. Some have worked out...some have not...however I would agree I hope to see the trend decrease to the point where you are only taking them on in unique cases (like a running back you recruit that tries to play at a higher level and then comes back when the writing is on the wall...aka King Frazier). NDSU, while not historically relying on them, has more transfers on the team than one would think...although they tend to draw transfers from lower-division programs. I personally don't like this trend...as it treats North Star and NSIC schools as de facto junior colleges...however most of these kids are walk-ons drawn to NDSU's success...so I can't fault your program for it at all.

I see what you did there...haha In all seriousness I don't think it's a serious problem in the program at this point...suspend them and zero tolerance going forward for these two...

It's been a couple of days, and while it still stings...it's time to move on. We come off as whiny to the rest of the country, and after the conclusion of the Poly game, we knew this could happen based on our body of work, politics and lack of name recognition in the FCS world. I am confident the players and coaches will use these events as motivation, and as a lesson to not leave things up to a group of suits. No matter what, I believe the future is showing brighter all the time for UND football, and next year has the potential to be really fun. Only 284 agonizingly long days until Stony Brook!

This is exhibit "A" as to why the coaching staff rolls with Studsrud...you guys that want him benched obviously have short memories...

Good job by the hogs to give Studs the time to be patient and make a good decision...time to force a 3 and out and get back after them again!

Working capital shortage on the farm?? I'll give you $20 a piece and a case of Schlitz...

Maybe they should just let Carson wear the red "non-contact" jersey for the next couple of games...or better yet just give him a belt and two flags! It's freaking football...if a 6'6" 230 pound stud athlete is out on the field with a bum wheel...well that's probably the best place to hit a guy in order to take him down (especially someone difficult to tackle like Wentz). Any further aggravation of his injury is on the coaching staff for putting him out there not at 100% in my opinion...especially if he's going to be carrying the ball 10-15 times per game. Where else is a linebacker or defensive back supposed to hit a guy that's bigger than them?!? As long as it's before the whistle chances are the hit is legal. It reminds me of when Michael Vick or Donovan McNabb had broken ribs...I seem to remember them taking shots to the midsection quite a bit during those days...and you know what, they were the risk you take when you put your pads on and hit the field! C'mon man...act like you at least know something about the game...you're embarrassing the rest of your graduating class!