Irish

Friday - Drake Saturday - Mark McMillan

This shows the difficulty of finding a defensive scheme that works when you just plain don't have the talent. Play tight and they go around you - play loose and they pick you apart. Add some missed tackles and you have a team that gives up 500+. I felt that they came out with some passion on Saturday, but that will only take you so far. The tackling was once again atrocious. I have never seen a team tackle so poorly. I think that all of the defense knows how to tackle. However, it looks like they just can't play at the speed of the Big Sky. Doesn't matter what the D coordinator does, he can't make these guys into DI talent. This is going to be a long fix. I hope we don't lose game atmosphere and fan enthusiasm before we get squared away.

In my opinion, the game was lost when we had them 3rd and 1 in their territory with momentum on our side. Pass, Punt. While we had a great punt, we put our defense on the field to give up a backbreaking drive. We make this first down and potentially score and it's a different game. This call is vintage Mussman.

That call is vintage Muss

5 Missed tackles and a face-mask for a first down on that play - so much for the D coming fired up and assignment sharp

What I was trying to say is that I wish we had tried this way earlier - I know there is more football to play

Agreed that this is a logical tactic - only problem is that we are going into game 7 not game 2

The problem with this program lately is that it has been neither great nor horrible (except for some notable games). If it was great, problem solved - if it was horrible, changes would be made to right the ship. If we don't win this week I suspect we will win other games this year and show flashes of good play that will be just enough to continue the course. It isn't horrible play that will do in this program, it is mediocre average play year after year. Many people's expectations have already started to be adjusted accordingly.

North Dakota is a small state - those of us who live here have to co-mingle with the fans of the farmers down south - we even have to put up with their trolls on this board. Even though we don't play them, we are often in comparison. It has been a long day already at work. While I don't expect us to be at the same point as they are, I don't expect what I saw on Saturday ever. We have had 5 years to prepare for the Big Sky. We need to raise expectations and right soon or we are in for years of mediocrity - remember how long it took us to recover from the Burns era.

We need to sit the defense down and tell them in no uncertain terms that if they don't want to go out and smack someone they can ride the pine - I'd rather lose with attitude playing second and third in the depth chart than this death of 1000 cuts. I think the defensive play is the reason why fans are so frustrated. We are used to Fighting Sioux Football where win, lose, or draw, you knew you were in a football game. Right now, the buck stops with Muss. I'm not sure who was responsible for recruiting the defense, but we are clearly in over our heads at this division. It's hard to tell if this is a failure to recruit, a failure of our scheme, a failure to adjust, or players failure to execute - probably some of each. I'm not sure I see a fix this year - we are preparing for game 7 - nothing has improved significantly so far. I just know that we are a long ways from where we need to be in order to compete at this level.

Rocco

Knight

Any of the several games where the crowd was able to chant Kaanguus, Kaanguus - and Kangus was pouting and sitting in his goal swatting a puck out

Anybody else think that we don't have the horses up front to play the 3-4? If the linemen can' hold and occupy the O line, you're gonna have a bad time. Linebackers need to be mobile and hostile (in the Digger Anderson mold). I'm not sure that a different formation would be the answer for this defense, but I'm starting to think that the 3-4's time has passed. It was put in to stop the Bison option, and didn't look like an option stopper yesterday.

Careful what you say or green_sioux will accuse you of knowing more than the coaches

Is this Mrs. Mussman?

Wow - apparently my comment has been irritating you since July - I'm glad you finally thought of a fitting retort - the always popular "you think you know more than the coaches". I'm not the only fan that has been frustrated with some of the game decisions and some of the transition. He still needs a signature win and a breakout season in my opinion. So far so good this season, but we do have a defense to get on track. In my mind, the jury is still out. Since this is a fan discussion board where people express their opinions, I guess you will have to learn to try and deal with that.

I'll admit to criticizing Hak in the past for some issues, but team discipline isn't one of them. There is no doubt in my mind he's acted appropriately on this matter. I am amazed that this thread has taken on a life of its own. Hak is in a position to know all the facts on this. Let's trust him and move on to a hockey discussion that involves ice and skates.

Wow - Faison had done some pretty competent things as AD - The Big Sky is one, but he seems to be completely oblivious when he comes to hockey. The new conference started out with such hope, and has been nothing but disappointing since. First St. Clown instead of Notre Dame, then the disastrous (to us) TV contract, not this. I thought once we got the cream of the crop (less St. Clown) in a conference with us, we would do away with the old WCHA politics of the inmates running the asylum. Apparently not. I thought we would commit to excellence from top to bottom and eliminate the rush to mediocrity that seemed to permeate the WCHA. The officiating was one of the biggest frustrations. Guess not. We must not have any say in this league. Time for Faison to stick up for UND.

In trying to pack the Alerus, the first group that I would try get to show up is our defense.

Couldn't have said it better - Moral victories instead of real victories get old after a while

I think I should feel better about this game than I do. Once again we fall short - Where did our defense go all of a sudden? It has been long enough - Time for Muss to give us a complete game and a big win.

Which brings up the question - why haven't we recruited talent like they have - I know we have some QB talent now, but this is the longest QB dry spell I can ever remember. We have some work to do, both on the field and getting people in the stands. This is a pivotal year. Hope we can come through.