Northcountry

The really big call, in my opinion, came in the first quarter with the Sioux up 7-0 and Philpot overthrew the receiver on a 3rd and 9, but JB got called for an unsportsmanlike hit and Pitt gets the first down. They scored on that drive to tie it at 7 and instead of gaining monentum it became a punch/counterpunch game. If the Sioux could have maintained the emotional edge through that period and put up another score, Pitt would have been forced to play a different game ---- AHHH the rosy glow of speculation. We all know that games are decided by how teams react to circumstances, not necessarily calls that officials make.

Is it just me, or is there anyone else who is feeling a little disturbed by the direction this thread is taking? These ladies are athletes and , in my opinion, deserve to be treated with a little more respect, decorum, and dignity than what this thread is becoming.

A limited number of tickets in Section 110 (on the 10 yard line) were made available yesterday. The Husky Ticketmaster website is the only one that can/will process the orders. See y'all in St. Cloud.

I agree that kicks out-of-bounds do no one but the receiving team any good. The point that I failed to make was that in game conditions, does the coaching staff have the confidence in the kicker to call a sideline kick? If they have never seen him attempt one or two they have no basis for deciding. I am not trying to alibi for or excuse the kicker for kicking out-of-bounds, only trying to rationalize the thinking that brought the situation into play. I hope the coaching staff has the data it needs to now incorporate kick-off strategies into the game plan. Of greater concern to me is why our quarterbacks seem unable to get a catchable ball to receivers on the "bubble screen". It seems that 2 of every 3 are too high, behind the receiver, or too far in front - for the play to be effective the throw needs to be nearly perfect. As an aside, I see that the Bison have now introduced their version of this play which they call a "tunnel screen" (Travis Lueck's influence lives on).

Not all of the Sioux games are going to be played in the windless, warm environment of the Alerus and off an artificial surface. The kickers need to be able to vary the locations of kicks and the coverage team needs to be able to find the ball and adjust to the return. With games on the horizon at Sioux Falls, St. Cloud, and Omaha it is probably a good idea to have used a variety of kickoff strategies in advance.

Clarification on the punt that Delta State touched: The kicking team is allowed to touch the ball before the receiving team - If they take the ball into possession, the ball is blown dead, if they touch it and don't possess it, it is ruled a "first touch" and play continues. The receiving team may take the ball and attempt a return and at the end of the play be given the option of the result of the return or taking possession at the point of "first touching". However, if the returning team is penalized during the return the "first touching" is negated and the penalty enforced as if the touch did not occur. I believe that Coach Lennon was arguing that the ball was touched before it was grounded and in that case the kicking team would be penalized for kick catching interference - but that rule only applies if there was a receiving team player who could have made a play on the ball, and I don't believe the Sioux had a player in position to play the ball in the air. The Sioux went to their "scripted plays" for three sequences in the game and rolled up big yards each time. Yesterday's script went: bubble screeen right, Roland off tackle left, Roland off tackle right, Strouth on a zone stretch right, then a "dig" or middle slant/curl. I won't be surprised if next week's script contains the same plays in a new order - these plays establish what the defense is giving and what the offense is able to take and gives the offense an idea of what they can to to as the game progresses. Mussman goes back to the script when the defense adjusts and he needs to get a read on their new tendencies. Real "Spy vs Spy" stuff.

It's not a big deal if they (NDSU) are promoting it as a paid for infomercial. If they are offering it in the wrappings of a question and answer forum, however, it becomes a big lie. Every program reserves the right to input on the commentators and announcers, but to CONTROL the content is a different matter. I hope they have the guts to let everyone know that the content of tonight's show is provided by the ministry of information at Pravda West (NDSU).

Actually I think REA was hired to administer all aspects of UND athletics (at least any that hold the possibility of generating revenue). I want to say that this was a tongue in cheek remark, but it appears to be more and more true with each passing decision.

Hoffschnieder did get beat some last season, but in the "bring five" defensive system, he or the other corner are going to be left on an island to defend by themselves. If the pressure does not materialize, it is almost impossible to cover quality receivers one-on-one and for Hoffschneider to come up with 5 picks is pretty impressive in my book.

And since the REA opened who has been UND's athletic director?

Each thing is what it is and I, for one, would not trade a hockey NC, DII football NC, women's DII NC or air team NC for a shot at anything - to do so would dishonor those whose performance made the championship possible. The time may well come that a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the "Big Dance" will be in our hopes and dreams but such an appearance should NEVER diminish what has happened in the past.

Alan was attending a groom's supper for his future brother-in-law and was crossing a street with a group of people when he was struck by a speeding car. One of the witnesses to the hit and run was his father, who was part of the group. Alan's leg (tibia) was broken just below the knee and was repaired by placing a rod in the bone. He is in a plastic brace and is engaged in physical therapy and according to Alan, he plans to play football when the healing is complete. He said the doctors told him that the rod would be removed in 9 - 10 months, so it will be a long process. He says the doctors told him there was no reason he could not play football again.

My understanding is that Brady fully intends to play football, but will probably not be ready for this Fall. It will be another 9 -10 weeks before he can go without the brace and who knows how long before contact would be allowable. The report from his doctors is that the healing is going perfectly at this point and Coach Lennon has committed to holding his scholarship until the final decision on football is made.

Brady Trenbeath pitched for the Cavalier baseball team today (May 26). He went seven innings, struck out 8, walked 9 and got the win 10-7. He wore a brace that immobilizes the neck (called an Aspen Brace). Had some trouble with command of his pitches but threw the whole variety. He wants to play for the Sioux next Spring.

Uh, sioux7, I believe that Vito Perrone was the dean of the (at the time) Center for Teaching and Learning (college of education) in the 1970's. My recollection is that Dr. Perrone was not a real football fan and spent most of his time writng articles for scholarly journals theorizing about how schools should operate more like permissive families and that children should be allowed to "discover" the truths in life rather than being taught them. If my aging and failing memory serves me, I think that he went from UND to one of the Ivy League schools (not in a football capacity) - Princeton seems to come to mind.

I am only seeking consistency in thought - personally it doesn't matter how the anthem is sung or played (Jimi Hendrix was great), if the crowd (ala New York) begins cheering before the end, or if a crowd intones "Home of the Sioux" at the finish. I only think it is important that we hold consistency as our standard of thought.

My all-time favorite is quarterback Tom Biolo who wore number 42, used athletic tape to hold his thigh pads in place, was also the team's punter and engineered some very ugly but impresseive wins over some very good teams (Portland State, NDSU, Northern Michigan, and at one time had the Sioux ranked #1 in the nation).

I talked this morning with a person very much in touch with the Cavalier sports programs and it appears that it will be about a year before a definitive prognosis can be done on Brady. He was of the opinion that there would be no doctor that would clear him to participate even after that time. Brady is planning to enroll in the premed program at UND and the first neurologist he saw apparently told him that if he was serious about a career in medicine that he should glue his behind to a seat and forget about athletics. I haven't had a chance yet to talk to Brady or his parents, but this source is the next thing.

This is almost exactly the same thing that happened to Josh Olson when he went to Juniors after high school. It is not the first time that UND has backed out of a committment to a player and probably not the last. Josh by the way, was called up for 5 games by the Panthers recently and according to reports, played very well.

For the Tech (or any visiting goalie): Hey _____, We'll leave the light on for you.

I get as impatient as anyone with the Sioux offense and often say things in the moment that I realize were wrong when given the chance to reflect. I think that Chris Mussman is a tremendous coach and any team in the NCC would be instantly upgraded if he took over their offense. To make a statement like that and not support it is unworthy of this board so here is my rationale: 1) Offensive linemen that are perennially among the best in the nation. Every season there are 1-2-3 linemen on All-NCC or All-American teams. This doesn't happen by accident. 2) Adjustments on offense to fit the personnel. Jed Perk(?)sp could run inside/outside and the sweep and stretch plays kept defenses honest. Mahmoud, Roland, Strouth are more one dimensional so we see more of the "bubble" as a long handoff replacing the sweep and stretch. If one thinks of this as a running play, it takes on a new perspective. 3) Schemes that allow quarterbacks to minimize risk and maximize success. Klosterman was very mobile and plays and patterns could take longer to develop; Bowenkamp is better in th pocket so patterns are quicker and shorter - the success of both speaks for itself. 4) Player improvement. Look at how much Bowenkamp's interception ratio and completion percentage improved - he did not do this on his own. Look at how precisely those undersized (except for Lueck), speed challenged receivers ran routes, caught passes, and piled up yards - then compare them to the "game breaker, deep threat" duo from the team to the South and ask "why were our guys better than theirs?" Any coach will honestly tell you that you need players to be successful, but sometimes it is coaching that makes the player and Chris Mussman is, in my humble opinion, one hell of a coach.