Midwestern Hawk

Players screw up because they are not prepared, doesn’t matter which level it is at. There are obviously some good things that have happened under Bubba and some of his staff, but there are also some massive problems. We began the season ranked 8th in FCS and barely won 5 games, all against bad teams. I truly hope I am wrong, because I like Bubba, but it’s a 90% chance a year form now we are trying to figure out who the next coach will be.

A football coach is supposed to make the sum of the parts more valuable than they are as separate parts. Bubba took a team which should have won 7-9 regular season games (more if it beats NDSU) and we barely made it to 5 wins. You tell me what was wrong and what you think happens next season? It’s not an easy start to the season.

I’m tired of a vastly underperforming program and all the excuses some of you make. Go back and look through my posts over the years, I had the blinders on for a long time.

Yeah I’m the idiot and you think Bubba is just not “lucky”.

Don’t disagree. You have made my point. The Bison are still playing and we haven’t played for almost a month. don’t forget the first fumble happened on a trick play with a sizable lead. How many times had Otis practiced that play? Otis had been awol two weeks earlier for most of that week. I’m obviously tired of being in the top 35 of FCS when UND should always be top 10. I also have lost faith it will happen with Bubba. I’m a realist.

You mean the team we beat in 2019? That team? Vigen has put that team into the championship, we have been recruiting for a month.

I would assume when you say “winners”you are addressing Bubba and the staff? As for Otis he is only about 5-6 “ and 40-50 lbs short of Leupke.

We watched serious game management problems/play calling etc in almost every game after NDSU. Based on that nobody may have had the nuts to inform Bubba how “chicken sh!t” that moment was. I still can’t believe they didn’t call a timeout when NDSU knew what was coming. By the way when talking about programs and taking time and all the rest of the excuses, Brett Vigen at Montana State is in his first season.

Wasn’t aimed at you.

100%. From a roster standpoint, we are largely there, from an in-game coaching standpoint we are not even close. At this point it's about a 90% certainty we will all get all fired up for next August and end up being let down in a major way...yet again. I wonder how much time the staff really breaks down how bad this season went? Do they understand exactly how awful and cataclysmic for the program their collective "deer-in-the-headlights" moment vs NDSU was? The game and the entire season unraveled at that moment. I for one will really struggle watching an SU vs SU tilt in Frisco. IMO either of those staffs would have won using our players vs their rosters and that is the current state of UND football. I think the evidence supporting that hypothesis was on display in almost every game this season.

I struggled watching last night. This all just sucks.

From a skill level, JMU has more talent IMO and its really not that close. NDSU won the game behind their 250 FB. How hard is it to find a 250lb FB who can run a 4.8/4.9 40? Their QB has been in and out of the lineup the last 2 seasons, so he is hardly a "star". A question for our staff is why no HL in the bullpen to hammer games away when we have the lead(MIZZOU ST)? NDSU also kicked a 20 and a 43 yard field goal.(should be automatic in D1 football). As for the play clock? Its home field advantage, and if JMU would have been on their game they would have noticed right away and had the time restored. If the roles were reversed, I have a feeling NDSU would have noticed. There is no "luck" involved in any of this. Maybe a lucky bounce now and then, but overall NO LUCK INVOLVED.

Not sure what your point is here. Stuff like that happens in games alot. I hear the "talent" excuse on SS all the time. Which team had more "talent" in this game?

Its culture, coaching, preparation and attention to detail. The 4th down play vs the Bison this fall is the perfect summary for why Entz & co are going to win their 9th national championship in the last 11 years and our staff has been out recruiting for the last month. They were prepared for every scenario and we were not.

One game in December in the Bubba era. December 3, 2016 vs Richmond. I think most of us remember the story line of that game whether we want to remember or not. I think that qualifies as another "p!$$ed it down the leg".

It just rolls on and on. It was there for us this season and we p!$$ed it down our collective leg. I have a feeling that window is closed for this staff now. Hopefully I’m wrong. Please stop with comments insinuating the Bison get lucky and UND just doesn’t get lucky. Those comments are just flat out embarrassing at this point.

I must have failed. Shame on me for improper use of reflexive pronouns....

You are correct. Last regular season game is 11/19 @ NDSU. First round playoffs would be 11/26, second round would be 12/4, So UND would either need to be a seed or win a playoff game to play in December. So in reality UND wins a playoff game or wins 8+ regular season games and is a seed to still be playing football in December of 2022.

Playing in December would mean that UND either wins 2 games in the playoffs or UND is a seed and hosts a home playoff game and wins that game.

Good news on Chaves making his expectations known and clear. Based on your post, looks like no extension then unless Bubba has a very good season in 2022.

Bubba started as a head coach almost 20 years ago, and personally I don't think he is going to change unless it was forced on him, and even then not sure what that looks like. I am not sure who would/could do that. As you say, the AD seems to be AWOL on this and even the guys on 360(his brother and Kelly) don't really acknowledge how bad some of the game management etc was this fall, at least not publicly. I think Bubba has 2 years left on his current contract, so a decision on that will be forced over the next 12 months. What are the scenarios? Best case scenario(a few of us have to eat our words, especially me) Bubba gets the game management cleaned up, the holes get filled on D, the offense is markedly better and we can kick FG's. UND wins 9-11 regular season games, top 3 MVFC, playoff seed and makes a playoff run. Scenario 2: Same game management but the the rest of the above happens. UND wins 5-8 games Scenario 3: Same game management and the team is not as good as 2021. UND wins 3-5 games. Scenario 4: Same game management, the team is not as good and we start 0-4. UND wins less than 4 games. Top scenario or if Bubba wins 7+ games, he has contract extended and if its scenario 1, I am firmly on board with that. If Bubba wins 6 or less games what Chaves, etc do? Obviously there are other variables my scenarios don't address like crowd size, program excitement level, a victory over NDSU and less than 7 wins, etc. What does everyone think? Is it possible Chaves still gives him an extension this winter?

100% agree with this, Bubba is an awesome person and is a great representative of UND. We will all get fired up right before the fall 2022 season and be thinking about championships and hardware(including myself), but the reality is I would be willing to bet we finish with no higher than 6 wins and more likely between 3 and 5 unless we somehow start the season a minimum of 2-2. Can definitely see a 3-1 finish to the season, just need to get through the first 7.

Here is link to MIDCO signing day special. Some good looking recruits.

Thanks. Glad Morrison is back.. That is big. Larson will be missed.

Here is updated 2 -deep from the SDSU game. Canady, Turner, Larson, Holm and Galvin especially started a ton of games for us over the last 4-5 years. Need some guys to really step up this spring and next fall.