iramurphy

Good size (6' 2", 210 lbs) and great athlete. He has a great arm and can make all of the throws, Runs well and has decent speed. Probably better QB than what we have right now. Gophers did recruit him then backed off when they got a commit from the kid from Makato. Bison went after him hard and even though he verbaled to Mussman last night, Bohl still contacting him from TCA yesterday. He is a great prospect and if he develops and adjusts to the speed of the college game could be one of the best ever at that position for UND.

The AC is pretty good again this year. They beat a terrible Gopher team again. If they improve every game and stay healthy they might be able to make a run at the FCS Championships. If they can run on teams they can be tough. Passing game has to continue to make big strides like they did this past week. We played a weak team and next week play a very good team. If it makes them feel better we will have to play our best game of the year to beat S. Utah. The Gopher/ AC game is over, move it to the archives. Doesn't really matter to UND what they do? We need to continue to upgrade out talent and we are doing that, We need to be ready to compete and win next year and this should be our last difficult year. We are bringing is better kids and stealing the Mollberg kid from them when their media was claiming he was headed their way is a big step.

Mollberg threw for 2 td's and ran for 2 td's in just over a half against Staples tonight. Sioux coaches attended until first team pulled early in third quarter.

You are all correct in that until he signs, which isn't until February, a Big Ten school, Notre Dame etc. could recruit him away from us. I overheard him tell one of his friends he is commiting to UND. If Iowa offers, I am sure he will consider, but it wouldn't be automatic he would go there. In the meantime I would consider him a UND commit and he turned down the Agricultural School in Fargo (some of whose fans have been stating if he doesn't go to Iowa he was a lock to go there). He plans on attending the UND game this weekend.

Mollberg is a UND commit. Informed NDSU last night he won't be going there. Will be at UND game this weekend. Great job by UND staff recruiting this guy.

Iowa is looking at him as a QB. He has a great arm and can run. He threw for over 1000 yds and ran for over 1000 yds last year. 6' 2 1/2" and 210 lbs. Great HS BB player at either shooting guard or small forward. Will likely average 18 or more ppg this BB season. He doesn't get great protection so he has slipped under the radar a bit and his ankle injury kept him out of first game and limited in second game. Didn't run much last week against TRF but threw for 3 TD's. TRF probably should have won. They put a lot of pressure on him and we couldn't run against them but he wasn't running much. Iowa had him down there and were impressed with his arm but wanted to look at game film from early games this fall. NDSU has good young QB's there but they are recruiting him very hard. BHS coach last year was impressed when he threw one about 50 yds into a strong wind at their place. He catches the attention of the fans with his arm. Has strong arm but throws a very catchable ball. Getting close to 100% with his ankle.

I don't think he would announce a commitment until he is sure where he will go. He may give a "soft commitment" meaning he would go to UND if Iowa doesn't offer. I would guess that would be between him and the coaches. I am sure they would like to be able to use his commitment as a recruiting tool for this class. Labatt could be an outside linebacker but I would guess more likely an H-back or fullback. He is 6'2" 210. Very good HS player. NDSU is looking at him I have not heard they have offered. These guys are good friends and both excellent BB players and athletes.

Considering he will be attending the UND game this weekend I would say don't bet on an NDSU signing. His teamate Brian Labatt is also going to be at the UND game this weekend. UND has an offer to him also. UND is still the flagship University of the State of North Dakota and if one wants to consider tradition UND has dominated the FB series with NDSU. If you wish to look at what is most recent UND won 10 of the last 13. If you wish you can find a period in the 1960's and 1980's when NDSU dominated the series. Mollberg won't be playing for those teams. There is a good chance he will be leading UND from the transition and a shot at the first Big Sky conference championship within the next 6 years. Pretty good place to put yourself if you want to place yourself for success. UND runs an offense where he can excel and UND offers what he wants academically. He is leaning toward UND folks. Iowa isn't out of the picture. I don't know why the guy from the AC was commenting about our schedule. They are through the transition and still playing teams like St. Francis. I am not sure the Gophers are a lot better but should be able to give them a game. That guy also forgets some of the creampuffs they had to paly during their transition but as I said this kid will be choosing a school that best positions him for success in the future not based on what either team did in the past.

Big win for the Sioux. Hopefully we can get the following for VB to continue and be part of the VB success. UND should have the band there for home games if they haven't and try and build on what they had at the NDSU game. Parent of UND Freshman spoke with me yesterday and said their son went to VB game and it was a blast! Also went to first FB game and said the students who went also had a great time. Good sign. The rest of the student popualtion needs to get on board and make these student events. Doesn't matter so much who they play each weekend as long as it becomes the place to be for students.

Hard to say what would make me so benevolent to one of our friends from the south who worships the large, dumb, matted furred, stinky, four legged beast of the plains. I had a cup of Folgers coffee with Equal and a Creamer. You should be able to get that at your local General Store. I also had a caramel roll from Nootzy's in Dent, Mn. That would be the thing that sweetened me up a bit. You could have those flown in to Casper, then put on the next Stagecoach out to where it is you live in Wyoming. They would be a great hit at your next yard party. If you are hosting a pre-game party to watch your game against St. Francis (that is the Catholic College for wayward altar boys that you play this week) then I don't think they will get there in time.

For an NDSU fan you have been pretty reasonable so at least one of us should return the favor. I think you are selling your FB team short. I don't think a FB game would be a blowout. I think you guys could hang with tthe Sioux for at least the first half and the game would stay realatively close this year. Although your first two games are against a couple of marshmellows, so it is hard to gauge, you had a good finish last year and enough kids back that I think the Bison wouldn't get "blown out". Remember UND is still in transition and are still building toward the future. Within the next couple of years, I would say you may see the traditional UND excellence especially with UND being in the Big Sky. The last 13 games where UND won 10 of those 13 games were so long ago that shouldn't influence your opinion that UND would blow out the Bison. Don't give up on them so soon. Scheduling all sports including FB icould work every year if the AD's would make it happen.

Pretty obvious this guy is an arrogant ,self serving politician, doing everything he can to keep his name in the media. If I were on his staff, or were I the state GOP chairman, I would remind him that this is the type of foolishness that loses elections. This hurts UND and our image and undermines the authority of the UND president to do his job. As noted by other posters, Kelly's response was perfect. and showed respect for the legislative process as well as the NCAA ultimatum. Other legislators and the Governor have indicated they will repeal this misguided and flawed legislation. What Carlson thinks he can gain by his recent comments is beyond my simple mind. I believe it does reveal his contempt for higher education in N. Dak. He should not be re-elected, nor should he ever be elected to higher office. He seems to forget the problems they let occur at NDSU occured on "his watch" as a legislative leader and he did nothing. I believe what he is doing now is an intentional effort to hurt UND, Kelly and UND atheltics.

UND is a hockey school in the winter. UND is a FB school in the fall. When UND WBB and MBB is playing well we used to get great crowds and will again. When UND finishes the transition and starts competing against the Big Sky, and FCS teams the attendence will go back up for FB but UND will need to be competitive and will need to compete for Conference and National titiles. UND is a hockey school to the hockey fans. To most UND alumni, UND is UND and we tend to be UND fans whether it is FB, baseball, track, swimming, or aviation competition. We have a good number of hockey fans who cheer for NDSU in other sports but drive to GF for hockey. Hockey fans have their own culture special to hockey starting with mites on up to the pros and UND is no different. IF UND hockey loses its edge we will see the attendence drop. I don't see that happening is the near future but its the nature of the beast and the modern fan. The Alerus can be expanded if necessary, the new indoor track and FB indoor practice facility will be a big boost to the program and to recruiting.

I would agree

Carlson has no authority to demand these folks be arrested. The SBoHE did what needed to be done. There seems to be evidence that the legislature didn't have the constitutional authority to pass the law in the first place, but I think this is Carlson just trying to keep his name in the media for awhile longer. UND will retire the name and nothing will happen to either SBoHE members or UND officials. The SBoHE, out of respect for the legislature, has worded their intructions to UND such that UND will resume the process of retiring the name without actually raising the issue of whether or not they are "breaking" the law. Don't forget, the meeting with the NCAA and everything else the Governor, Attorney General, and the others did could have happened without passing this legislation. All the legislation did was tie the hands of UND and the SBoHE. What happened at the NCAA meeting was what Kelly and Faison had warned would happen when they testified before the law was passed.

Is that ever a good idea. What the hell would that accomplish? Kelly is no more resposible for this debacle than you and I. We were here when all of this came down and he wasn't. Cowboy up and admit we just didn't get the job done. This is the kind of crap that will hurt recruiting and make us look like a bunch of middle school kids who didn't get to turn the lights down at their first boy girl dance. Don't suggest we do something that makes us look pathetic to the rest of the world. If you have a problem with him make an appointment and go talk to him.

Are either you or Al are in the inner circle of the Big Sky Presidents??? The fact that anyone at this point in time would put Big Sky membership or scheduling for our athletic teams (including hockey) in jeopardy over this tells me your priorities are mixed up to put in mildly. The Big Sky won't be affected by any lawsuit or injunction. Othere teams won't have to schedule us based on a lawsuit or an injunction. Kelly has always been honest as far as I can see and perception, rumors or inuendo don't change that opinion. Doesn't mean there was no room for improvement but the fact is he was smart enough to see we have been screwing a dead horse. If Al Carlson has nothing better to do and he thinks this will get him a few votes, more power to him. If you want to get in line behind Al go ahead. I always thought the only legal action with some clout would be Native Americans taking legal action against the NCAA because they are discriminated against as a culture in that schools can't name athletic teams after them but can with caucasian cultures such as the Irish, Nowegians, Germans etc. IUND will stay out of it and proceed with retiring the name. If some Native group has success with the NCAA then we can always reconsider, but don't put UND athletics at any disadvantage by wasting anymore time on this issue. We need to focus on recruiting, building facilities, educating our students and winning championships.

That and the problem with scheduling. Have you noticed the list of schools who won't play us gets longer, not shorter.

I have no problem with what Goon says. He didn't refer to Kelly "soiling himself". I think the events recently have shown that Kelly and others (including those at the SBoHE ) who supported the name realized that the NCAA agreement was a done deal and there was nothing that Kelly would accomplish by chasing windmills or waving his sword. Comments that Kelly would "soil himself" is a cheap shot. One might infer from that comment that someone is calling him a coward. He also has no oportunity to defend himself. I believe it fits your definition. Criticize the guy if you wish but if you wish to call him names or make those comments tell him in person. I have seen no evidence that any of this would cause him to "soil himself" nor has he shown cowardice. He works for the SBoHE and they gave him his "marching orders". I don't think he is dumb enough to defy those instructions to placate people on a blog. He has a much more important job to do. The time for the president to act was during the Starcher, Clifford, Baker and Kupchella years. The NCAA didn't waste much time with the Governor, Attorney General, Kelly Faison, Carlson and whomever else went along for the ride. You really think Kelly could have done more by himself? If you do OK and we might just disagree.

That's a cheap shot. He just did a great job with a potential recruit last week when he was getting ready to make the wasted trip to the NCAA. I never once felt he was happy about the NCAA's decision but it was a done deal before he arrived here and he was told that when he got the job. He wore the Fighting Sioux logo last spring. Most of us could see we were screwed unless the tribes stepped up to the plate and one of them didn't. Blame them and their tribal council. It is past time to move on. Once the decision was removed from UND's authority, we were screwed. UND and the State Board supported the name and logo log after it became apparent we no longer controlled the outcome yet UND officials and the board have been ripped and criticized whether they have had any real involvement or not. I guess we all at times need a scape goat to direct our frustrations but it is time to move on. There are an awful lot of people who are impressed with Kelly and want him to be allowed to lead UND for the next few years. Doesn't mean I agree with every statement he has made nor every step he has taken but it is time to let it go. I will never do any business with the Standing Rock Tribal council nor ever set foot in their Casino and I doubt they care what I do but that was that organization that had time and could have made the decision that would have allowed us to keep the name.

Training facility is now a reality. Not sure about one or two phase but watch for news in next month. Hopefully will be able to break ground this fall but haven't heard. There will be no facilities in the area better for FCS level FB and UND will have facilities to rival many FBS teams.

It seems that in the letter from Evans she points out that just because the "victim" is accused of making false statements, and is accused of lying, and doesn't return for a hearing, she isn't guilty. Shouldn't the same standard be applied to Warner? Was he ever found guilty? Just because he was accused doesn't mean he is guilty.

Pretty clear this wasn't said. How you get from his statement to your conclusion is similar to what happens in the media and with blogs. People may infer or conclude whatever they wish without evidence then discussion continues based on a mistatement of facts.

Here is what we still have going. First of all ,I think we will be in the Big Sky. Either the NCAA will change their mind (I don't see that happening) or we will drop the name. Mollberg and his family aren't stupid. He wants to work with special needs kids. UND has a minor in special ed. NDSU has nothing in special ed. Usually one would major in either early childhood ed, elementary ed, or secondary ed with with a minor in Special Ed., UND offers a masters in special ed also. At NDSU if he wants to major in elementary ed. he gets his degree through Valley City State. His parents are teachers. Unless they and Joe have lost their minds or he has decided to major in Agriculture, Pharmacy or Engineering (I didn't cover everything) they don't have much else to compare with the quality of academics UND offers, especially business and accounting, nursing, Physical therapy, athletic training, medicine law, geography, aviation, etc. and clearly UND offers more to a future educator. His parents are two hard working innovative educators and although they all are likely attracted to the thought of only having to go to Fargo for games, I am sure his Dad (who played at Minn Duluth) sees the opportunity at UND of playing as a redshirt freshman or Soph vs playing behind Brock Johnson, then the Bismarck High kid then Wentz the 6' 5" QB coming in this fall from Bismarck Century. I have been told Bohl talks to the kid frequently (which is a violation of NCAA recruiting policy , unless the kids calls him) and I am sure hasn't discussed much about academics with the kid. They will likely tell him they can offer more than UND can academically and expect him to adjust his major to fit their programming. If he and his folks believe that then they aren't as smart as I thought. I would bet that Bohl has also pointed out to him and all recruits that are considering UND that UND won't have a conference and will be sanctioned by the NCAA. I would too if I were in their camp. That won't happen by the time Joe plays at UND so it is a non-issue for him. He has a great opportunity to step in at QB and lead UND into the D1AA or FCS division and that should be pretty exciting. The tradition of UND QB's is long and storied. He can be one of them and have a special place in the history of UND FB.