Irish

I can see why he wasn't happy - everybody knows that against 9 in the box our preferred method of attack is to pound our 185 pound running back.

If this happened it should be the final nail in the coffin. I'm really worried Bubba won't cowboy up and do what is necessary.

What ever happened to recruiting the best players available and adjusting your schemes a bit to accommodate them? We could still have an overall philosophy, but be much stronger as a team. The current running back situation shows this - even with the O line injuries, we have three of the biggest stud running backs we have ever had and are using none of them effectively. If anyone thinks that splitting out Santiago and getting him the ball in space is "putting our defense in a bad spot" they are delusional. We could split him out and still have two absolute horses lining up in the backfield. Instead, we have a scheme that consistently lets teams play 8-9 in the box with impunity and try pound pound our 185 pound back up the middle. The entire staff has shown Zero coaching chops this year. What would our recruiting pitch be to a star passer coming out of high school? Come to our school and we can sure use your talent on those 3rd and 8 downs? How about a star running back - "We are a run first team, even if it means plunging into the middle of a 9 man front - I hope you can move the pile a yard or so. We won't try get you the ball in space because everyone knows that the offense is just a mechanism to allow the defense to rest up."

Many assume here that Bubba has the introspection, insight, and stones to make some very needed changes. I'm not so sure about any of those 3. He sure hasn't been a font of flexibility and adaptation this year.

Repeating the same mistake - that's what we do.

Better question - can he get some scorers here?

I've been working out at the training table. I've been specializing my training for the 1 yard run though.

If you tape me up I am still good to run the the one-yard dive, the jet sweep, and the double reverse.

I am less confident, but still hopeful, that changes will occur, mainly because we have not seen one ounce of adjustment so far this season. I'm not sure what bolt of clarity will hit the coaches when the season is over.

The big question is how much of this Bubba will actively try to fix. He seems to be complicit in our having little flexibility and in supporting our pathetic offensive strategies. Will he have the insight to make the needed changes?

If you were a young stud running back would you want to come here? We have 3 and are using none correctly and have shown signs that we will never change.

We do not have the will to demand a consistently winning football team. By we I mean the University, the fans, and the community. At different times, we have spent up to 10 years streaks wandering in the wilderness before things are righted. The fact that Rudolph is still OC convinces me of this along with our long past history. Fargo has the Teammakers and we seem to have the Good Old Boys Club. This season, in my opinion, has exposed serious weaknesses in recruiting, team culture, and mostly in coaching adjustments. I am so tired of being a distant second in North Dakota, and I hope others are getting there also.

Get over it - It was an electric crowd that many schools would kill to have. College kids are, well, college kids. As for Sioux forever - suck it up, buttercup.

Agreed, but only if you include the horrendous play calling.

I'm sure his protocol works great for some - sounds like he is a one size fits all guy though. My other point is about Bubba - I am not sure if I trust his ability to honestly evaluate things and make appropriate changes. We have seen a strange stubbornness shown in our game planning this year. Rudolph has been with us since the beginning, for example.

It is sad to say, but with all of the injuries and now legitimate anecdotal comments from people who have been there about need for changes in the strength and conditioning program, I can almost picture Bubba with his fingers in his ears shouting LA LA LA.

For those who have coaching/college football experience (and armchair coaches also) - What in the hell kind of conversation and planning has to happen between coaches after watching game film for 7 weeks for us to come up with this offensive philosophy and play selection week after week? Can they not see what is right in front of their faces? I am baffled at the lack of adjustments and overall game plan week after week coming from a group whose job is to study game film and come up with a plan. How can this group not see what is so obvious to all, especially given the results. I am truly baffled. Any insight other than a serious stubborn issue that blinds the coaches to reality?

I admit to some drunk frustration posting after watching us make another goalie look like an all-american. I still maintain my main points - This team doesn't have a lot of firepower at the front. Gersich has been almost invisible and the Europeans have not taken that next step. Even on Saturday, most scoring was on the power play and driven by defensmen. We have potential, but some guys need to step up their game. We could certainly use a top end finisher and playmaker such as Boeser on this team. Watching us shoot into the goalie's chest time and time again is very frustrating to me. The season is young, but some crisp passing and well placed shots would be a huge benefit to us. As to recruiting, I maintain that we are among the top 2-3 programs in the country with several great selling points - the best arena, the best fans, a proven winning record, and a proven record of developing NHL players. Not saying at all that we should get every recruit, but we should have the inside track on some studs. I, too, am basking in the warm glow of beating the Gophers, but I fear all of our scoring kinks are far from worked out.

I never said we don't have talent - what I said is we don't have any high-end scorers - Take the championship year - we needed what Boeser brought. If others can develop the scoring I am fine with that. However, about half of our games this year have been painful, shoot in the middle of the goalie affairs. Some returners need to get a scoring touch.

Nice hard-working victory by the team tonight - always nice when it's the Gophers. If they keep this up we will be a force.

One person might be and another one might enable him.

Bubba is a promoter and a rah rah good old guy, but I'm not sure he is much of a game coach. The OC and his calls are squarely on Bubba - this has been going on too long.

I would submit that he has learned nothing in his entire tenure.

Not advocating a BU approach, but some scorers would be nice. There is no reason a program like ours can't bring a stud scorer or two every year.

I thought the overall effort was outstanding, but it doesn't appear we have anyone that can either give a slick set-up or finish. For me this was a very frustrating game to watch.