BigGame

I think they would as well, at least most of the time because they are trying to play keep away from some offenses so they don't have the as many chances to make big plays and tire our defense. The key to this is that you need a successful ball control offense which UND hasn't much of the year because the run game has been inconsistent at best. Play calling is some of the problem but blocking execution has been very poor most of the season.

Tempo is the speed at which you are running plays and right now UND slows the game down and lessens the number of plays overall in the game. If you speed up that tempo, even a little you can change the dynamic and that isn't what UND is trying to do. I am in full agreement that you have to be adjustable and change as needed depending upon all types of variables but UND isn't built to get into a track meet with most big sky teams right now. Try playing EWU up tempo game against them this season and I bet they get to 60 on us while the UND offense would score but certainly not at the rate EWU would. Right now plays an offense that tries to for lack of a better team protect the defense by hopefully keeping them off the field. When Mussman was in charge UND was explosive offensively but was consistently putting the defense in a tough spot. Different philosophy, and the one Bubba is using now is similar to what got UND a national title and won NDSU a bunch. UND needs to get better in a lot of areas but I don't really see how people are so intent on heads rolling when the team wasn't going to the playoffs anyway with all the injuries. !@#$ happens and I don't think firing coaches for a lot of the reasons posted on this board make much sense. Now if a deeper look happens and problems are found then certainly people may need to be removed. It is funny to me how many people on this board think they know exactly what is going on from an outside look at the program.

Your comment about tempo says that you really just don't get it. Running a high tempo offense or fast paced offense in counter to the team philosophy. The team is built on defense and everything done on offense is meant to support them by controlling clock and keeping them off the field.

"At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."

Very few FCS teams could handle this type of injury situation without huge drop off on the field. Some certainly can handle it better than others but that is a select few. What I find interesting is a player like Canady who is playing fairly well given the circumstances. He wasn't even really considered an option to start the year, why is that? Was he coasting and not putting in the work to make it on the field? Did the coaches not like something about his play and development? I recall players who were down the depth chart not really pushing to get better and work all that hard because they weren't going to get on the field anyway. Most players like this didn't start developing until they got a realistic chance to start and play when an upper classman graduated. I wonder if this is still happening with some of the players.

Very few HS kids are physically ready for college football and trying to rely on JUCO and FBS dropdowns isn't a good formula for long team success either although it can be a quick fix or total bust. In the past 10 years UND has brought in some transfers and JUCO players, how many have been key players and had an impact in a positive way on the football field. Certainly we have had a few but it seems to me most don't end up helping much if at all.

Yes, that is a major weakness of the offense. Screens take a lot of practice and timing but they would be well worth it considering the talent of the guys in the backfield.

It was pretty clear going back and watching the OL was a lot better last season.

So he cost UND the game as much as the running into the kicker, punt block, and dropped passes? I always think back reading these forums and all the doom and gloom about Dale Lennon's call to go for two and the win. UND gets it and wins the game but if they didn't would people have talked about how inexcusable the call was and that he needs to be fired. I will contend after watching the game again, Rudy called a good game outside of the reverse and if the WR hang on to the ball UND scores one of two more times and win the game in spite of the special teams disaster.

I went back and watched most of the second half of that game and the only questionable play call was the reverse which is a boom or bust play and a really bad call considering the run pass balance had been good and having success. The numerous dropped passes killed the offense and the real reason we lost was on the special teams. The running into the kicker penalty which led to a TD and later a blocked punt. Hate Rudolph all you want but to lay that game at his feet is BS.

My assumption is that Bubba is always evaluating his staff and he will look at the entire picture when he decided to retain or let people go. I am not on the bash Rudolph bandwagon but it seems every game we have a some absolute head scratcher play calls. Maybe he is trying to be clever and it doesn't work because that does happen with all OC's sometimes but it seems to happen a lot. Like the draw on 3rd and 10 which he has called plays like that in the past and it has worked but I didn't like the call because the passing game looked pretty good at that point and the run game not so much. You can run the football without being a true power running team but it requires a real threat in the passing game which UND doesn't really have. The WR's have gotten better the last few years but I don't think we have played a team in which the opposing coach would be willing to trade WR groups if you asked them. Rudolph did adjust the running game some by putting more zone read (not certain it is an actually read) so allowing the QB to run. I would run Brady and JJ and just put John out in the slot because as explosive as Santiago is it seems he makes a big play or loses yards and in any offense it is tough to get out of 2nd or 3rd and long consistently. If the offensive line play and blocking by everyone in general was better I would revise my opinion about John in the backfield.

Yeah email him at the end of the season but I still don't think it will do anything to help him decide whether or not to fire someone on the staff. He isn't that type of person from my dealings with him, but I haven't talked with him in a long while.

Not a big deal, just isn't a good idea to harass coaches in season because you all can't get over yourselves and think what a random fan thinks about his staff matters to him. If he would choose to fire someone based upon fan emails then he really shouldn't be a head coach anyway.

I never mentioned anything about Faison but his case is different as he isn't coaching a team in season right now.

First of all it wastes his time during a very busy time of year for him. Second do you actually think Bubba is going to take into consideration what random fans think when they have little actual information about what is happening in the football offices. If you want to email maybe save it for the end of the season but it is still a waste because as fans we don't know or have the expertise to discuss the topic with him. I would bet Bubba has people in the football profession he trusts and can ask if he wants an educated opinion on the topic. If Rudolph gets fire it isn't happening now, it will be the end of the season and it will not be decided because some message board titans spams his email inbox.

That is a horrible idea, lets all spam the head coach in hopes he will fire the OC.

Couldn't get it to work with my browser. Updated that and flash restarted the PC and still didn't work but it eventually did so maybe it was just that my subscription wasn't active because it would play the commercials and then give me a notification that the video couldn't play on my computer. It doesn't really matter because I eventually got it to work. I tried the app and it wouldn't play either but I finally got it to work with chrome on my phone. I couldn't get the app to load anything.

It's funny I bought the NCHC subscription today but it was a pain in the ass to make it work. For the money I paid it should be plug and play and not panic mode trying to make it work 30 minutes before game time.

That game makes reminds me of a lot of UND hockey games from the past. Out play the opposing team but can't score mainly for two reasons, the other goalie is good and UND couldn't hit the net.

This post makes you seem like maybe you are not the "Old School Guy"

The injuries do matter a lot, but that isn't the only issue. The staff has focused on defense and that is the philosophy and generally put much of the teams talent on that side of the ball. With Mussmans recruits in year one after a late hire the defense was dramatically better than it is now. This staff is either struggling to recruit the right guys or they aren't developing the talent. My opinion is the team is a little soft and doesn't play with the discipline or aggressiveness they need in order to be successful. We can put a lot of the issues on the crazy injury situation but UND has taken a step backward in several areas that have nothing to do with some key players getting hurt. All the stunting and blitz calls are great when they are working but at some point you need to have sound fundamentals and just beat the other team and we aren't to that point. It is my personal opinion but I would rather see a team be great running a base defense and not stunt as much. I have always felt all the crazy blitz and stunt calls on almost every play is just a Band-Aid and you are hoping the opposing team doesn't find the weak links. QB - solid RB - good WR - below average (we have gotten better, but compare the group to any other big sky team and we are lacking) OL - young and below average (we need a dominating OL) DL - disappointing and not performing to expectations LB - young undersized and not getting the job done DB - Good and Bad but generally disappointing when I think of one key player It's on the players and coaches to fix the issue but right now it is seems pretty clear they don't believe in themselves and that has to change if we are going to see some improvement moving forward.

I think that the Bison have a lot of fans in the closet! seinfeld.mp4

They have got it handed to them the last two weeks. Some of it is scheme as well though, I have watched the DL stunt out of plays a lot which means the player is struggling but the staff is getting out coached and is putting them in bad spots. I think Schmidt needs to do a little self scouting and break some tendencies. That being said it's really hard to stop the run when pretty much every RB is getting 2 and 3 yards after contact. Lot's to fix in the run defense right now!

Actually never even met the guy as I haven't lived in the area for a long time. You are just a d-bag that can't seem to get past one thing which isn't even close to the biggest issue right now. I tend to have coaches backs more often than not because most fans are clueless about what actually goes on beyond game day.