Irish

Two tickets for the Saturday hockey game vs the 18 and under team - Sect. 113 row C seats 1 and 2 - directly behind the goal. $30 for the pair - text 701 740 1607 if interested.

"a key for Shurmur has been tailoring the offense to the strengths of the players available" - Almost sacrilege in the Sioux camp. I'd sure like to hear what people think this would have looked like at UND last year. In my mind it wouldn't look like running a dive into 8 or 9 in the box with our 185 lb running back.

I couldn't agree more with your assessment. I watched most of the game too - and what struck me was the absolute misuse of our talented group of running backs (even with our line troubles). Bubba's endorsement of a clueless O coordinator frustrates me to no end. So many things are possible and still have a ball control clock eating offense. Time for this coaching staff to get a clue.

Same person who passed the ball to them this year - Mr. Nobody. Too busy running the dive to worry about the TEs.

Not for our offense - we counter that with the dive.

You really don't see the difference? Well, great things are on the horizon then because we have the same offense as the best program in the country. How many 1 yard dives on first down did they run - using their 185 pound running back who is an all american when he gets the ball with space? Rudolph backers mystify me.

I hate to say it, but every time I see the Bison piss-pound someone in the playoffs I get more frustrated with Bubba's lack of action after last season. If he thinks he can win at this level with Rudolph calling the plays then maybe he isn't the man for the job.

I hope so but they seem incapable of learning anything. Remember this was their 4th year.

Believe it - that's what we do - a strategy apparently endorsed by Bubba

This sweep is ultra satisfying. Way to go boys.

I'd be much more tolerant and understanding about this train-wreck of a season and Bubba if Bubba hadn't sat for 4 years and watched the worst O coordinator in all of D1 football ply his trade. And it is not because of the run first philosophy. Like I said before, the beauty of a run first offense is that if the D overcommits with 8 or 9 in the box you should have a whole package of plays set to exploit their over-playing. Bubba's decision to keep Rudolph is frustrating and means in my mind that the inability to use our 3 stud running backs effectively, the lack of tight end involvement, no screen passes and terrible play calling is now on him. I would be much more forgiving of 3-8 if the offense actually tried to expand and find a way to open things up. What we saw this year was pure coaching malpractice on the offensive side.

Here's the thing about a run-first offense - The O coordinator should relish it when a team stacks the box with 8 or 9 to stop the run - that means many other things should be wide open. He should have a package locked and loaded and ready to make a defense pay for over-playing. If you won't do that, then you will see 8 or 9 in the box all of the time (sound familiar?). This is not rocket science, just basic High School football. I could not be more disgusted with Bubba for not making a change. On the other hand, I may be too harsh on him for the "team culture" - It sometimes happens even to the best programs - how he handles it this year in the off season should let us know. So far the sideline dancer have not appeared. This year may be the exception for team culture. I hope so. The offense has been in front of his face for 4 years now.

Two different problems - we don't have any scorers up front which makes this a tough season - and although it factors in to the power play misery, we have not put together a decent power play even when we had a first line of absolute studs. Not sure why, but it sure is frustrating.

Even If i buy into the injuries caused the 3-8 season excuse, the reasons I am frustrated with Bubba are his continued endorsement of the worst offensive scheme and play selection I have ever seen and (from what I can tell) poor team culture. Had he taken action with the O coordinator I would at least feel that he "gets it". Now, I'm not so sure he isn't the problem.

Innovation? - what's this strange word you speak of - can it actually be applied to football?

I don't know much about this kid, but I hope the coaches remember that you can be a character guy who works hard on the forecheck and in the corners and still be a high scorer. We need some firepower and smooth passing.

In addition, we seemed to really struggle at puck handling and passing (with a few exceptions) this weekend. We need more skill up front.

Not on the ledge - frustrated, yes. I just didn't see much skill tonight, especially with the puck. They were brutal. And I am not advocating a BU approach, more of a 2016 Sioux approach.

I expected him to recognize a crap offensive scheme when it is under his nose and I expected him to have a much better culture.

Give me all the crap you want, but we sure could have used a couple Blue Chippers out there tonight - you know, guys who can bury their chances or make the good pass. We were brutal with the puck - teed it up endlessly, made an errant half-pass, or skated until we lost it. The seven pass goal of two years ago seems like a distant memory. Add some wooden-head plays - puking up a goal on a break-away less than a minute after we cut the lead to one and get the crowd in it, the stupid 3rd period penalties, and of course Thome's attempt to get an assist. We couldn't think about covering the Union far wing on their rushes and were lucky with a couple of pipes. A sorry showing in our own house.

Totally agree with your concerns. Part of my extreme irritation is that I expected so much more from Bubba. We knew we would get a conservative philosophy, but the total lack of adjustments and play calling on the offensive side were ridiculous - It showed us a coach who was overmatched not only by other coaches, but by his own Xs and Os. Every week he would come out in his presser and state how we "needed to find a way to get better". I'm not so sure that if we increased the assistant coaches' salary he wouldn't just give Ruldoph a raise. I just don't know why we put up with this lack of coaching skill. And not that he needs advise from the fan board, but he doesn't seem to listen to anyone (or has a staff of yes-men).

I could not agree more - I would venture to say that most here don't have a basic disagreement with a ball control offense. In addition to not having the horses, Rudolph has shown absolutely no talent for keeping the defense guessing or for making adjustments. O against D is a big chess match and Rudolph has no feel for the game. There are ways to defend against a run-first ball control offense and one of them is 8 or 9 in the box. When that happens, other things should be wide open. We have shown no ability to exploit any overplaying by the defense. We are utterly predictable. I was accused on another thread of polluting the discussion because I am so totally frustrated with Bubba's decision to keep things the same. How can he watch the amount of game film he has and not see the problems that are right in front of his face? I could not be more upset with Bubba at this point - more than with Rudolph who is what he is and will never see the light. We pay Bubba big bucks to see the light for him.

Watch your comments, the hall monitor is here.

"If" - Rudolph has shown he has no clue what to do with 3 stud running backs and I don't expect him to get smarter over the off season. He also has shown he has absolutely no idea about how to beat a defense that is stacking the box. His go to play against 8 or 9 in the box seems to be Santiago up the gut. So there's that.