iramurphy

Yet a couple former All-Americans and a number of coaches disagree with you. Danny Freund said that he wanted to find ways to get him on the field 2yrs ago when Schuster was our starting QB. Are you that delusional that you think so many others closer to the program think Simon will help them. What do you have against Simon?

I said I have “friends and relatives” who went to NDSU but are great UND hockey supporters. That’s not just when they win, it’s because they are hockey fans and NDSU doesn’t have a hockey team. That doesn’t make them “front runners”. The friends that will cheer for NDSU when they are in playoffs just cuz they are an ND team is different I guess one could argue that is “front running” but I’m not sure I agree. To me “front running” would be cheering for your rivals, rather than your own team because they are better. I’m not sure not caring about who people cheer for would mean I don’t understand the rivalry. I’d be surprised if there is much you could tell me about the UND-NDSU rivalry that I don’t know or have personally experienced. That includes financial manipulations, funding shifts, recruiting issues for both athletes and otherwise, letting an NDSU head coach know he couldn’t be on the sideline during a HS football game. A tractor tire being rolled from the top row of the bleachers through the student section toward the UND bench during a UND-NDSU MBB, a half court brawl between UND and NDSU FB players at halftime of a MBB. I’ve experienced the “rivalry, tradition, legacy, history etc” up close and personal for many years. I wouldn’t assume that because I don’t care if someone cheers for NDSU when they aren’t playing UND, that I don’t have a complete and thorough understanding of the rivalry and the ramifications of it.

Our starting QB is front and center. He doesn’t care if a teammate is featured in a photo or an article why should you? This isn’t about playing time or who starts. It’s a great article that provides a window into what some of the key components of successful programs are. There is nothing in my comment nor in the article that detracts from the other QB’s. At every level, except maybe fantasy FB (so you obviously never learned how to appreciate the guys who don’t start, or don’t play much, but rather than quit, keep working their ass off to make the team better) these are the players we usually don’t hear about. Your comments are a window into your character. If you wish, I can give you a hint as to what Simon’s teammates would say about you. (They make fun of fans like you).

The Romfo boys are a great college sports story. Small town twins whose greatest obvious assets out of HS were they were winners and good athletes, although undersized. I don’t think you have a clue as to the challenges these guys faced as PWO’s coming to play at UND. Your unhealthy fixation on Simon doesn’t make sense. He didn’t make the decisions to become the starter. He worked his butt off to get to that position. Now Jerry has worked his butt off to earn the starting position. It’s obvious that Simon is still doing whatever he can to help the team. If the time comes I would expect he will be able to step in and show that he is a better QB than he was last year. Regardless, your persistent negative comments are unwarranted this year. I would hope you now realize that even Jerry will miss wide open receivers for a TD at times or one bounce passes to receivers at times. (Please don’t post of them 20 times on ss.com). That doesn’t mean Jerry shouldn’t be QB, it means it happens to all QB’s at all levels. Who cares about whose picture is where? They did an interesting article on Simon who has played well when he has been in. It’s clear how much respect the coaches and his teammates have for him. Championship teams need guys like this. It’s part of learning to win and building a consistent winner. Guys who may have more physical abilities get motivated to do better when they see teammates doing everything they can to help the team. Give that some thought.

I’m not sure what you are trying to say regarding “front running” but it doesn’t matter. I have friends and relatives who went to the Ag school but are great UND hockey supporters. I have friends who will cheer for them in playoffs if UND isn’t competing. Who cares? It doesn’t affect me nor does it bother me regardless of why they do that. They don’t send them money.

Yeah. Chatted with him. Asked him about Carter and he says Carter really likes it here. I always remind him he wore my number. He made the tailgating rounds with Mike Manausa (sp?).

With all due respect, without the UND hockey fans who are NDSU fans for other sports, we wouldn’t have the hockey following that we do. There are a number of UND fans that cheer for NDSU football when they aren’t playing UND or when they play for National Championships. Most sports fans like to identify with a winner and some are just proud of anything that is positive for N. Dak.

I believe many PWOs will be “PWOs”.

Nice cheap shot. Neither Feeney, nor Jerry, nor Simon, were ready 2 years ago. Many people thought Feeney would start last year. Some thought Jerry would. The staff decided Simon gave them the best chance last year. Coaches have decided Jerry gives them the best chance to win this season just like last year when they thought Simon was the guy. They don’t play someone cuz of where they are from. Rather than continue the recurrent complaints about last year maybe give it a rest and focus on how Jerry can help his receivers be better and lead a team with an experienced oline, a bevy of good receivers and RB’s to a successful season.

“Obviously a Bubba decision”? At this level that’s not how it works. Those decisions are staff decisions. Regardless of who made the decision last year, it has nothing to do with this year. Kaminski is starting Saturday because the staff feels he gives this team the best chance to win.

That is a rumor. It depends on what we mean by $50,000. If you mean in addition to the extra expense money allowed by the NCAA and Alston/701 initiatives, I would bet that isn’t accurate. If you consider these athletes can obtain around $3000 for expenses, which UND gives, and whatever the Alston max is ($8-10000?) each year, that is around $10,000-$12,000 per year. The Alston money is dependent on grades, leadership, community service. That can be around $50,000 or a bit more for a 4 or 5 yr college career. JTJ and a select few may get a bit more. UND’s philosophy at this time is to provide enough for athletes to be able to pay for the usual extras for college students and enough money to help their parents get to games. I golf occasionally with one one NDSU’s biggest and wealthiest boosters. He hates the NIL and portal. He said they don’t give NIL money to incoming freshmen. He said they have a year to prove themselves as athletes and students. He said that includes their incoming star qb whom he had met.

All of what money? How much do you think he is getting?

Good question. I’m not sure my answer will be any better than yours or anyone else’s. As you and most here know 3-4 def needs 3 down linemen to occupy 3 and hopefully 4 offensive linemen to keep them off of the 4 LB’s. They also need to plug up the middle against the run and create gaps against pass defenders to allow blitzing LBS or DBs to pressure the QB. The LBS need to plug gaps against the run and the outside guys may often have outside contain. Those LBS need to cover TEs RBs and slot receivers depending on your secondary coverage. As far as Cover 1 vs Tampa or Tampa 2 I didn’t pay close enough attention to comment much on how Bubba typically deployed them. The big concern was our DBs didn’t seem to close on receivers as they crossed into their areas of responsibility as well as we would hope. the 4-2 obviously has 4 linemen with DEs who are playing the edge position. Our edge guys can hopefully put pressure on the qb or shutdown the outside game against the run. They may also need to cover the TE or slot receivers depending on where our 5th DB is. I would guess if we can do some twists on the LOS and bring pressure from one of our 5 DBs and disguise our schemes we can be a tough defense to adjust to. I don’t know how they will deploy our secondary but they will all need to tackle. Their work in the film room and meetings is so whatever the coaches are seeing from the box is what the players are seeing on the field. We have a couple of guys on this forum who played DB around the time Bubba coached defense and Schmidt played/coached who could probably give a better answer. If I had to guess, I think we will tackle better and be quicker this year. Offensively, so much depends on QB and whether or not we can protect the ball. We certainly have weapons. But that wasn’t your question.

Beating KState would be a major upset. I think I can summarize some of the obvious things we need to stay in the game. Special teams must have solid kick and punt coverage and avoid any long returns. No missed tackles. Hopefully our kicker can put KO’s in the end zone. No roughing punter or kicker penalties. No blocked punts. Hang onto FB on all punt and KO returns. No mental errors. Defensively, figure out how to cover KState TEs and backs out of backfield in passing game. Keep receivers in front of our defenders. That means our zone coverage guys need to get on receivers as they enter their zone. That is a tough challenge for most teams at all levels if opposing qb’s have time to throw. Defenders need to stay home on defense and not over pursue/run themselves out of the play. We can’t miss tackles and we can’t drop potential interceptions. We can’t have missed tackles. We have to avoid mental errors and we need to avoid personal fouls, unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Our new defense has to maintain outside contain while still getting pressure on the qb. Offensively, we want to run themselves FB but we will also need our short passing game. It’s tough to protect our qb against good FBS teams cuz even their big guys tend to be fast. Deng Deng can be a weapon with his size and athletic ability wherever he is on the field. Hoskins has the speed and quickness to make guys miss and can break tackles. He and Seidel can be tough to cover on wheel routes. We need to involve our TE’s especially as safety valves. If we have time to throw we have receivers who can get downfield. No fumbles, no dropped passes. No mental errors including personal fouls, unsportsmanlike, and delay of game penalties. The running game is expected to be our bread and butter. I think we have 5-6 guys who can be effective RBs but the key in addition to QB is our oline going to be a dominant force for us this year. I don’t know who will be the qb and, like last year, I don’t care. The QB who plays is obviously the guy the staff thinks will give us the best chance to win. Whoever it is needs to protect the ball and move the chains. New Year, new era, Go Hawks!

Nice start to the season for our soccer team. Beat Eastern Washington 4-0 today. They are now 3-0. Play Jamestown Sunday at home.

Jayden Sonnenberg is a 2026 recruit from Frazee, Mn, so she can’t sign yet. I believe she is the commitment Hutter referred to in his Monday.

I don’t think that if you sat down with the coaches, you would listen to them explain how decisions are made. Believe what you wish. If it makes you feel better, the head coach is responsible for all team decisions and subsequent results.

Some of us may know who chose the starting QB. You can think what you wish. Where did you get the idea that it was the decision of only one guy? Whoever starts at KState, means that is the guy this staff decided will give them the best chance to win. It has nothing to do with last year’s decision.

Sonnenberg?

I would agree that if Simon starts it it would be because of dramatic improvement from last year. I think the same could be said about JK. It seems none of them have yet shown the consistency needed to clearly grab the lead, it will be a “work in progress “ and I would include SR. I considered his entire season last year as a “work in progress “. Just my opinion.

I believe Rudy made the comment to another player. Either way, it was a reflection on Rudy. Regardless of anything else, you don’t do that to a player who ruptured his Achilles playing for you, without giving him a chance to return. Although I have heard (second hand) that JK is leading the competition to be the starter this fall, this staff is giving SR a chance to compete. Mollberg should have been given the same chance after his injury. That ship has long sailed so it no longer matters. I don’t care which of the 4 guys they choose, it will be whomever the coaches think gives this team the best chance to win. I believe it’s a “work in progress” no matter who starts.

If you don’t know who made the decision by now, I doubt you ever will. It wasn’t one guy. At this point it no longer matters.

Feb. 2025 Article in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reported the University of Wisconsin study comparing high school football players who wore the guardian caps vs those that didn’t during practice. Over 2600 players from 41 schools were involved. 33 kids who wore the caps suffered concussions vs 31 kids who suffered concussions but weren’t wearing guardian caps. What has been shown is that wearing the caps can decrease the impact force but doesn’t decrease concussions. There was no statistically significant difference in concussions in those 2 groups. Because of the increased size and speed in college and professional football players it can’t be assumed results would be the same. There is some early evidence that the caps may decrease concussions in NFL players. However, there is still no conclusive evidence whether or not guardian caps decrease concussions in college or professional players.

Add to list of 2026 offers: Jayden Sonnenberg 5’11” C/G from Frazee Mn. (She was offered before start of her junior year) Very athletic, plays guard but also plays center. Decent 3 point shooter.

On paper, that would be a great option. Maybe a little early for that decision. I would guess coaches are still evaluating which lines are developing a chemistry with each other, which guys have the ability to make teammates better and what combos give this team the best chance to win.