homer

Wow, you beat a team who won 2 games last year against some powerhouses. I can't imagine how good you'll be feeling after beating a 1 win team from a year ago next weekend. Thanks for stopping by though.

But he was able to complete 5-10 yard routes, which is something we couldn't do middle to end of last year. A QB can watch film and improve on his situational awareness, he can't suddenly develop the arm strength and accuracy I saw last night that we were lacking last year. It was the first game and his WR's were having a tough time hanging onto balls that were nicely thrown. The kid had a lot to prove last night, a poor performance and a lot of people would have walked. His first game in a new uniform, I'll give it a passing grade.

Wow, all I can do is shake my head. I think your going to get ripped cause of the misinformation in your post, not because of your opinion on the subject. Probably a good idea to wait until we are actually in the Big Sky conference before judging the nickname idea. Crowds like this and worse are what you can expect without the Big Sky Conference.

Did anyone listen to the game on the radio? How was Jack Michaels? I listened to some pregame on the way to Grand Forks and I really like him as the voice of our team. His pregame interviews were great but I'm curious as to thoughts on the play by play.

I disagree, if we are physical enough we will do very well in the Big Sky. Unless we have the athletes, spreading it out will play right into the teams in that conference.

Thoughts from the game. Offense -Happy with the QB play. When he got time, Bradley was effective, threw an accurate ball and made good decisions. -RB's were great. Ran hard and each made the most of the opportunities given to them. I too would have liked to see Garmen more but when you have a back averaging over 7 yds a carry and the other at nearly 5 you have to stay with whats hot I guess. WR's/TE's, CATCH THE BALL. McGill looked good, he may be able to complement Hardin but we could use a third. OL- I'm guessing next week we are going to see a ton of blitzes cause we sure didn't do a good job of picking them up. I'm sure film will put some of those on the QB but either way, I suspect there will be more next week. Defense Front 7- Its a shutout. I don't agree with the earlier comments about being a bend but don't break. Bottom line was we didn't make plays. We blitzed a fair share, had good pressure and than lost contain. Their QB made some plays when he got out of the pocket. I'm also guessing next week we see some rollouts and bootlegs. Bottom line is we have to make the plays when given the opportunity and holding contain is part of that. I taped the game last night and I don't think I'm being unrealistic when I say the opportunity was there for 5+ more sacks we just didn't convert. Secondary- We've always had problems with the quick 3 step and last night was no different. We had some breakdowns in coverage but one thing I will say is that our secondary is pretty physical and last night made sure tackles. Next week will be a test, no doubt about it.. Hope the boys are up for it. Special Teams- 3 for 3 on FG's, blocked FG, nice punt return on first punt, some big hits on kickoff cover, and some punts that pinned them deep in their territory. Overall I would say a pretty good debut for Kotelnicki's group. Overall- A win is a win. This game should have been won by a wider margin than 16-0, if we made some plays. No one has anything to be satisfied about and I'm still thinking about a 40 point loss from last year to Idaho that should be on everyone's minds. And, I'm just really glad the season is finally here.

Looking forward to tonight. I'm bringing my son to his first Sioux football game and it will be the first home opener game I've been able to attend in some time. I'll take UND 27-10.

Buddy, you need to settle down. Wyo shares the same thoughts of Carlson as many of us on this board and has stated it here and elsewhere. Because he is not a UND grad doesn't mean he can't have a thought on the issue. NDSU really hasn't done much to screw this up so I don't really understand where you are coming from with that comment, unless you are trolling or trying to stir the pot even more. You seem to be the only one who brings NDSU into this conversation.

I absolutely agree with you. Also, was driving through Dickinson last weekend and saw a letter to the editor from Mike Schatz a representative from New England talking about how he cannot support the law change as he feels it takes away our freedom of speech. I wonder if all the delegates from Carlson and Schatz's districts are going to be the ones purchasing season tickets and donating money to the athletic programs if the sanctions get placed on us and our athletic teams feel the immediate effects?

The thing is if you do send an e-mail don't expect any form of response, (Unless your extremely classy and threaten him in your e-mai. Than it will be front page news and your response will be from the highway patrol. ) I live in Carlson's district and sent him an e-mail before the original vote expressing my concerns as an alumni and former athlete. Didn't get a response via e-mail so I tried placing a phone call and low and behold my message was not returned. I urge people to write well thought out e-mails but don't expect any form of return correspondance unless you are holding a pen or a microphone and can get him some media attention. It really shows what his intentions are in my mind.

Great scheduling to put it on a Thursday night instead of a Saturday of Labor day weekend. I'll go with over 10K, I'm bringing 3.

I appologize for the thread drift guys. Scrimmage looked good today. Bradley looked good. Shaugabay made some good plays as well. Offense as a whole looked impressive. Hopefully its a sign that the offense has improved as they made some plays they didn't make last year. Again, sorry about earlier.

According to the most recent SFI tweet Taj Rich appears to be the commitment. Good news and thanks for the update guys.

See post 171 above to answer you question. Bamba was kicked off our team. Violated team rules. Our disciplinary actions taken at UND aren't tied to a players talent level like it is a little further south. Thanks for your interest in UND football.

I agree with this. If we don't have a QB who is able to seperate himself from the pack after preseason and a game, we are in trouble. Goska and Hendrickson had their tryout last season and it was hard to watch. I'd give the new guys a shot who are going to be here for 3 and 4 years respectively and see if they are the answer. Let's see what we have an plan for the future.

It goes hand and hand with pressure like Sic said. Last year we didn't get any. If the qb has time it doesn't matter if your playing bump at the line or giving a 10 yard cushion, your not sticking with a guy for 4-5 seconds. Someone, will be open. Now the quick one step drop and throw it out the WR at the edge, that I hope to see corrected this season. That had everything to do coverage and the cushion we were giving but it also has to do with some youth and confidence at the corner position.

FSSN is available in every city statewide and has televised many Sioux sporting events in the past. I won't watch a Bison game just cause its on NBC, the casual fan may watch but he may also watch FSSN. I guess I'm failing to see the big deal. Like someone said earlier, their game on FSN and the Big10 Network is a nice get.

There are 3 UND games I can watch here in Colorado. I don't get North Dakota NBC here. Fox College Sports obviously isn't a huge name TV station, but its nationwide and gives alumni a chance to see the team in action from anywhere. Add in our own statewide television station and UND has a television deal that is very good for a school our size. It beats the hell out of 3 statewide broadcast games.

I have heard some really good things about Benny Boyd and the addition he will be to the coaching staff. Welcome to UND Mr. Boyd. We're glad to have you on board.

Thanks for the update. That kid plays with a great motor. He'd look very good playing in the 3-4 as he fits the mold of the very athletic LB's we have had in the past and have recruited the last few seasons.

Well said Bin. +1. I couldn't agree more. I know some think that these two don't care about whats in UND's best interest, especially regarding one certain issue, but with them getting us into two great conferences (3 if you include women's swimming to the WAC) and the schedules that Faison has been able to put together for other sports they have been more proactive for UND athletics than the last 2 AD's we've had at UND combined. They are putting out teams in spots where we can be competitive and more importantly they understand the importance of television opportunities and how they can have a positive affect on the school as a whole.

I'm not sure but you can not question that kids desire and love for the game. Those are not bad guys to have on any team as they lead by example. I hope he gets his chance and enjoys every minute of it. Regarding us needing a DE I was thinking yesterday hopefully the DE out of Waphaton is one of the added recruits to last years class. We are thin and young at that spot and getting someone with some game experience to provide some reps and competition would not hurt. While I think a few of our young guys are very capable, our DL play is so important to the success of our 3-4 scheme.

++++++ Well said CAS. This is something that should have been addressed years ago. Instead it was always a statement saying we will not change the name so deal with it and nothing was done and no consequences were given. Now, UND is looking for something and faces serious consequences if they don't change it. The current leadership at UND has to do whats best for UND now and going into the future. They are playing with the cards they were dealt by others in the past who did nothing to improve relationships.

bin, don't go throwing facts at an opinion piece.

It doesn't take much to see how badly they wanted the Big Sky and how happy they would be to see us not in it.