iramurphy

There certainly are limitations based on the personnel "package" on the field and the spread has options built into the package based on the defense but I strongly disagree that "no spread QB has options to call plays". If that is the case I would want a new QB and also want to evaluate why we aren't developing our QB's to do so. That to me is Rudolph's weakness.

Every good college QB across the country. That is why they watch and study film. I was told that Studsrud has not be given a lot of options and there seems to be a weird control issue. . Coaches can't handcuff a QB by making them afraid to audible to whatever the QB thinks will work based on his feel for the game and also what he reads looking at the defense. Putting backs/receivers in motion often gives the QB an idea of what the defense will do and that is why QB's at the college and pro level are expected to make the correct audible. If our QB's aren't comfortable doing that then we having a coaching communication problem. If Studsrud is as good as you seem to think he is then the coaches should have been able to develop his skills to the point he is like a coach on the field and should veto any stupid call from the OC. I think Studsrud would call a much different offensive game had he been allowed. He has his limitations but I don't believe being stupid is one of them.

I believe he will be gone shortly. He should be first to go. Rudolph should be next. We need a QB coach. That has got to be a top priority. We haven't been able to develop our QB's. Rudolph's assessment of who has the most potential has never been good from day one. Not just recently overlooking Zimmerman but Studsrud hasn't developed under Rudolph. What he has accomplished hasn't been because of the coaching. I would be willing to give Freund a shot at QB coach but not OC. Kostich shows promise and I would retain him. Kids like him. Special teams need to improve but before I would dump Kostich I would need to know more about how much time they spend on special teams each week. He is a good recruiter and I have heard good things about him.

People on fan boards aren't always very good evaluators of talent and no one can evaluate an athlete from the little they see on one of these social media clips. All college athletic teams have these blogs where fans can talk smart and pretend we have all of the answers. CJ will have the opportunity to get a great education and Bubba and his staff will give him every opportunity to succeed. Hopefully he will have a great career and have great time in college. There are a number of very good young athletes on this team that are going to get things turned around again .Thanks for your post.

The QB always has the last word. Doesn't matter what the coach calls if the QB reads a different defense or disagrees with the call he should change the call. If he isn't a wwell establisehed QB and doesn't have a good relationship with the OC and head coach he may end up on the bench.

I believe you will definitely see a new O-line coach. I know Bubba has been hearing comments similar to those on this blog about a change in OC. I don't believe in changing anything until season is over and then changes should be made right away to get new people in and part of the recruiting process.

Of course it is easier said than done. Success isn't always easy and I think sometimes the easy way gets us only part way to where we want to go. We too often piece-meal what we need to get done. Engelstad didn't do that with the arena. It is time we realize that there is a whole different level to which we should aspire to. In our athletic world, I believe this is what it is going to take. There are people like that out there, but will one of them apply?

Whomever we decide on they can't be a FB guy, MBB guy, hockey guy etc. they need to be a University of North Dakota guy. They need a vision and strategy that includes FB, VB, Hockey, Soccer, MBB, WBB, Track, the students, the GF community, the UND Alumni family, the State of North Dakota and the region. We need to upgrade our facilities and then evaluate and maintain or upgrade regularly. We need to engage the students and keep that relationship high on our priority list. We need to reach out to our faculty and staff whenever and where ever we can. We need to work hand in hand with our Champions Club and the Alumni office. We need a strong relationship with the city, county and Chamber officials. The job will require a dynamic leader will the organization skills to lead a team in order to accomplish these goals and help grow fan support and donations. This team will need to run a balanced budget with the ability to adjust to the changing political and economic climate and changes. We can no longer stall or delay our decisions or progress because of poor planning. We can't delay improving coaches salaries and we need to get phase 2 going on the practice facility. Our women's programs must be properly funded and supported. Those athletes should feel as they are an important part of the UND athletic department and experience. Their facilities should be second to none. We need to upgrade the marketing for the athletic teams and for the University. Anyone who interviews for this job and doesn't have these basic ideas in mind isn't ready for the job.

What goes on at the AC doesn't threaten what's in the best interest of the University but we must not ignore the success and failures of our friends to the south. Your one school comment is something only an ignorant moron would say. UND isn't going to waste anymore time on the old name and logo. Who cares if some take more time to move on. We cheer for success of the team and athletes not a nickname or logo. Nothing UND can do about it and there are a whole host of people who can be the scapegoats but it no longer matters. I believe the contract for the Engelstad arena gives ownership and control to UND with all profits going to support UND athletics . For some reason I thought it was 20 yrs after it opened but I would have to look it up. Doesn't involve Fargo. UND is a state institution and I understand the role of the legislature and SBOHE. Unfortunately the state could mess with UND funding by redirecting other funds if the arena is providing a large financial bonus to UND but the arena wouldn't be directly run by the legislature, Fargo folks nor UND haters.

The MVFC issue is settled so there is no reason to kick that dead horse. I agree we need to have the mindset that we win. I believe most of our fans understand that. I wouldn't look 70 miles south. They have a very different community and support system. They are a community of almost 200,000 people. They receive tremendous financial support from local and regional businesses who often times are not Alumni. Three of their most generous contributors are UND grads. (Mercil, Barry, Ingstad). UND's support strength is our alumni. We have a number of area businesses who are also very generous supporters but their aren't enough of them. We need to be evaluating every possibility for our programs including level of play and conference affiliation on a regular basis. Hopefully Kennedy has that in mind. He does have an affinity for what the AC is doing. I believe we need to pay attention but that wouldn't be my blueprint. We need to do it better. We need to consider the cost and options of moving up in FB. That wouldn't be possible right now and maybe not in the future but if we aren't positioning ourselves for that possibility we will be left flogging the dolphin like we were when UNI, Montana, Montana State moved up , then later the Su's. We need a vision and long term strategy that includes better support and sustainable support from out Alumni association. There is no reason we don't have the Phase 2 part of the Sports facility going. It will also take a commitment from our present donors to maintain and hopefully increase our present support. We need to put the name and logo crap to rest. That ship has not only sailed it has sunk. One of the reasons it won't ever come back is that no one in their right mind wants to deal with tribal governments. They can completely change over night. Happens with our own government elections. We also need to stop the crap about hockey vs other sports. There are many fans of neighboring schools in other sports who are loyal UND hockey fans and we need them. We also need to make sure the transition of the Engelstad arena to UND goes smoothly and we remain sensitive to the Engelstad family and are respectful of their opinions and input. Lots of work to do but lots of opportunities for success.

Are you drunk again? He didn't burn any bridges. He is a viable candidate. Josh Morton is another viable candidate. Purpur would be, but I don't think he is interested. Rob Bollinger would be another.

I would respectfully disagree. Maybe a handful of people claimed they wouldn't support UND because of these guys. Blaming stuff on Mussman has gotten a bit old. I'm not defending him as a coach, but he wasn't given the resources to transition to the FCS level. He has been the whipping boy on this board for way too long. The guy is long gone. Faison's job wasn't to raise funds. He had a number of issues to deal with including a financial mess. The athletic department was also in a transition to FCS and was not given the resources to make that happen as quickly as we might have. Faison was not charismatic and certainly people who felt they were important to UND athletics never seemed to get the schmoozing they wanted from him. I was disappointed in his lack of interaction with fans and boosters. He did some good things in difficult times. I liked him better than Bunning. He had nothing to do with the Fighting Sioux issue. None whatsoever. It was a done deal before Faison got here and it was a done deal before Kelly got here. We wasted a lot of Kelly's time kicking the proverbial dead horse.

I do not believe the money was in place. When the University was asking some of us for money, they weren't even close. When Sanford offered the $10,000,000 and Altru then came up with their $10,000,000 the money was there for phase one. Not sure where you get the info about all of the people pulling out when Mussman was hired but I was told we had a long way to go to get the necessary funds. As it has turned out the $10,000,000 Sanford gave to the AC has turned out to have been only the first part of Sanford's support. I believe phase 2 would have been started had we sold our soul to Sanford instead of Altru. UND-FB-Fan is correct. Faison was not the fundraiser. The Champions club staff was and is.

For someone calling for others to lose their job aren't you a little thin skinned? Personal criticism? What "personal criticism"? I asked you a bunch of questions. You let me know when you are going to teach me about sports medicine and I will buy the beer and be an attentive pupil. Then I will sit you down with Dr. Mann or Dr. Greek and buy the Scotch and we will all be attentive pupils. Let me know when your class starts. With a season like this you are correct in stating the entire program needs evaluation. The program needs to be evaluated all of the time regardless of wins and losses.

So do you know anything about sports medicine? What are the responsibilities of the sports medicine staff? How do they interact with the coaching staff, the athletes and strength and conditioning coach? Medical staff planning? What the hell are you talking about? Isn't this the same medical staff that takes care of the other UND athletes? Which type of injuries are you referring to when you refer to "this type of injury situation", Doctor? Who should lose their job and why? Be specific please. I think the injuries are certainly a factor and I think the coaching staff will review the season and where mistakes were made and how to improve, just like they do after every game. Bubba will need to decide if anyone needs to go at the end of the season. Typically, the strength and conditioning and medical support has a year end review as well. I'm sure they all would appreciate your expertise. Are you willing to donate hundreds of hours as a team physician to upgrade what our staff does or is that something you really know nothing about???? I don't know anything about the players conditioning how do I find out, or do you have inside information not available to others? Maybe you know what you are talking about but I would need to be convinced.

This kid is a future Hall of Famer. Has all of the tools and a great work ethic. Fun to see him make all of the ESPN types uncomfortable with his Christian beliefs.

I didn't actually accuse you of being a stoner but because I responded to your post I guess it was implied. I am sorry for that. When people are posting as if marijuana use is benign and the post about it being no big deal for HS and MS students then there is a definite disconnect with reality. I doubt you can teach me anything about the present drug and prescription drug epidemic this country faces. I see it every week and it includes people of all races, professions and backgrounds. I also disagree that people are "helpless victims of addiction" but that isn't to minimize the problems of addiction and withdrawal. In my experience as a military commander and physician there were very few soldiers that I dealt with who were using steroids. Very few of the law enforcement personnel that I have worked with use steroids. People pay the price for drug use daily through lost jobs, family breakups, crime, and the health problems they suffer. The legal issue are often the least of how they suffer. Alcohol isn't benign either and has killed more people than marijuana but people driving stoned have also been in fatal accidents. The medical literature is only recently starting to report the results of legalization of recreational marijuana. I have seen anything good yet. Back to the subject, if what I heard last weekend is accurate, it isn't believed this is a widespread problem on this team.

There is a difference between treating and healing. There is no evidence that I am aware of that necessarily heals TBI but there are some studies that showed decreased mortality in controlled studies with marijuana therapy. There is a difference between mood altering drugs such as alcohol or marijuana and other life stresses. There are certainly a significant number of marijuana users in sports. If you stoners think it is a benign drug you are mistaken. Alcohol isn't a benign drug either. Medical studies marijuana is the most commonly used illegal drug in the US. You can become addicted to it and you may have withdrawal if you stop. Obviously that is associated almost exclusively with heavy users. It is associated with other drug use. Long term heavy use can cause insomnia, anxiety, paranoia, and altered time perception. A Duke University study showed people who started using as teens and continued to use as adults "lost an average of 8 IQ points between ages 13-38. Those who quit pot as adults didn't regain what was lost. It can cause respiratory problems, increased heart rate. It can cause adverse effects to brain development in the fetus when pregnant women use. Heavy use can lead to hallucinations, paranoia and worsen schizophrenia. There is supportive evidence that support the idea that marijuana is a "gateway drug" but the majority of users do not progress the harder drugs. You and a couple other posters are either misinformed or have already lost you 8 IQ points if you think this is a benign drug. To even insinuate that it is no big deal for HS or MS kids to use is stupid and wrong. I will say that spouse and child abusers are seldom stoned on pot, they are usually alcohol abusers. Other than that if you are using this crap you aren't very smart. I have seen it become a cancer on athletic teams. When something goes wrong the teammates tend to blame the drug users and the stoners get defensive and it causes a divided locker room. To many kids lose focus and forget why they are here. Back to the subject at hand, I believe Bubba and his staff will do their best to identify the problem and deal with it. I hope we help these kids get good legal advice and try to get them back on track for their degree.

If you aren't embarrassed about this then I am curious what it would take. Like it or not, this is a team and the team represents the University in maybe the most visible venue, intercollegiate athletics. What we do as a FB player is a reflection on our teammates, our coaches, the University and our families. I have no idea what the outcome is going. The Poole kid and now these guys arrested based on evidence they were selling dope is a major problem. These guys are a bad influence on teammates and if others on the team know this is going on, it creates a divisive atmosphere and can become a cancer. I'm not "putting this on the Captains" but there is a breakdown in communication somewhere if this is going on. The Captains are supposed to be the communication link between the players and coaches. That isn't easy and requires leadership. For those of you who claim this is no big deal you haven't a clue. A felony conviction for this or any other offense is a serious blemish on these guys records and can adversely affect them the rest of their lives. Some felt Taylor had a shot at the NFL. They will overlook a kid smoking pot but most won't want anything to do with guys with felony convictions for drug dealing if that is the outcome. One of the dumbest posts I have ever seen on these blogs was the person who thinks it is no big deal that HS and or MS kids are using even if "only" marijuana. Those kids have more problems with truancy, lower grad rates and more emotional problems. They are also more likely to graduate to other mood altering drugs than the kids who abstain. This isn't jumping ship nor lack of support for Bubba and it's not fickle. It's being embarrassed about the shi@&show this season is turning into.

FB has become an embarrassment to the University. No excuses. Why the hell do we need to provide athletes with expense money if they are going to break the law to earn extra dollars? Where the hell are the team Captains and team leaders? If they didn't know this was going on they shouldn't be team leaders. What a mess.

Agree but that is a weakness that the coaches and many on this board prefer. Bubba wanted a guy who can "read defenses and hand the ball off". Keaton can do that and for the most part he has minimized turn overs. He isn't a guy who can carry an offense. Our receivers also need to quit dropping the damn ball. It doesn't help when Keaton gets on a roll if they aren't catching the ball. I always watch receivers when they are warming up or playing catch as the QB warms up. Ours don't tend to look the ball into their hands then tuck it in. One of the basic fundamentals. When they do it every time with every pass they catch whether in practice, games or on the sideline it becomes a habit and you don't tend to drop the ball. Try it yourself. I bet you catch the ball better. Coaches and QB's should always insist their receivers do this. When running patterns they also need to be in the habit of turning up field after the catch and tuck. Our guys haven't been doing that very well in warm ups nor in games. Passing game must improve. We also need to diversify if you want great QB's to come here. How many are going to jump at the chance to read the defense and hand the ball off. Receivers want to go where they will get the ball thrown to them. Our strength is our running game but we also need to be versatile enough to pass not only when we need to but when we want to.

I would respectfully disagree. If you watched him play HS FB one would asking questions and it would be more than a "second thought". People ask questions about a lot of backups, freshmen and redshirts. They are all legitimate questions. The kid has excellent potential. You are correct about the 2 guys ahead of him, but there should be an opportunity to give him reps when we are getting blown out like we have been. Also Gundy's idea of reps at Fullback make sense. I don't think we always take advantage of opportunities to get other kids playing time.

Strength and conditioning should be customized for the sport and for the position.

Doubt many if any of these guys are on Statins for Cholesterol and the muscle issue is a potential side effect but it is rare. There is a group of antibiotics that can cause problems with ligaments but they should not be used routinely. The supplements are unknowns cuz God only knows what is in them. Creatine can cause muscle cramps and possible strains/pulled muscles. All of these should be something discussed with athletes and monitored by our athletic trainers.

To assume the injuries are due to something missing in our strength and conditioning would be a mistake. For example, about 70% of all ACL injuries are non contact injuries. There are multiple factors as to how and why that is the case. One would need to look at each individual and then the situation and mechanism of injury. Some of you folks seem to forget that only last year some were complimenting our strength and conditioning program for how they had helped turn the program around. I believe the modern day philosophy of "if we don't get what we want, find someone to blame" has been applied here. The situation this fall is a result of a number of factors, many outside of the control of coaches and players. I believe most of these injuries fall into that category. Sometimes stuff happens. There is no reason to fire someone because of this years injuries. I am not saying that I know enough about our strength and conditioning to comment other than it isn't fair for us as a bunch of rubes to start blaming.