UND92,96

I used to be one of the more avid UND basketball fans around, but admittedly lost some interest in the past few years. However, I am as enthusiastic about the future of UND men's basketball right now as I've been in 20 years. This was a great win tonight, and I suspect people will start taking notice and the attendance will greatly improve.

If he's not playing even with Goodman out, you kind of have to wonder whether he is going to see much time this season at all.

Mitchell did start.

Former UND great Don Gulseth has passed away. http://www.fightingsioux.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=13500&ATCLID=205337879 Condolences to his family.

https://www.nmnathletics.com//pdf8/800060.pdf?ATCLID=205337765&SPSID=58640&SPID=6399&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=13500 Muss named coach of the year. Hardin, Jake Miller and Hendrickson are first teamers, and Kleason, McKendry, Wisthoff, Zeb Miller, Brenneman and Belotti are second teamers.

You bring up a valid point regarding Goska's running ability. We didn't see much of it this year, but teams knew he had that ability from last year's film and had to respect it. One of my concerns with Bradley is that we didn't really see much from him to suggest he can be a running threat. I think you really need a quarterback in this day and age who can buy time with his feet, and get you a first down now and then by running. Hopefully Bradley has that ability and just didn't display much of it through six-plus games.

I think it was a little more than Bradley having one bad game. I believe he only threw for more than 150 yards once, averaged just 122 yards per game in the six and a half games he played, completed just 52% of his passes and threw just 3 td's. By contrast, Goska averaged 222 yards per game in the four and a half games he played, completed nearly 60% of his passes and threw 9 td's. It seems weird that the guy known as a running quarterback had significantly better passing numbers than the guy who was brought in to be the passing quarterback, but I fully acknowledge that Bradley could very well improve with another year in the program.

UND finished a very respectable 28th in FCS in total defense, and an impressive 4th in rushing defense. The pass defense? Not so good--108th out of 124 teams. It seems difficult to understand how a pass defense could struggle so much considering the pass rush was actually very good this year. With the loss of both starting safeties and one starting corner, I wonder whether things are likely to get any better next year?

That's a fair point, but stranger things have happened. Case in point, Ryan Tannehill at Texas A & M. He went from walk-on receiver to possible first round draft pick at quarterback. Had the starter not gone down with an injury last year, maybe he never moves from receiver?

You could be right. On the other hand, Tom Miller of the Herald opined in a live chat two weeks ago that next year's starting qb likely isn't on the current roster. It will be interesting, that is for certain.

Here's a crazy thought--with good depth at receiver, and such a need at quarterback, why not consider taking a look at Blair Townsend this spring at quarterback? He's got good size, he can run and his passing numbers at Coon Rapids High his senior year were pretty amazing--2300 yards, 70% completion percentage, 30 td's.

QB Returnees are Bradley and Comes. Incoming freshman is Mollberg. Possible early defection is Hendrickson. Seems likely at least one more newcomer will be added--probably a transfer. This position is the biggest question mark heading into 2012 IMO. RB Top three backs return in Miller, Sutton and Garman. Newcomer will be Sparks, and perhaps Butler if he is recovered from his injury. Shaugabay possibly moves to FB? Magstadt should be primary candidate to replace Solum at FB. WR Hardin, McGill, Townsend and Ivery lead a nice returning corps of receivers. If somebody can be found to get them the ball, this will be one of the better groups UND has had. TE Wisthoff and Nichols both return. Wisthoff being the primary blocker and Nichols being the bigger receiving threat. OL McGurran, Lynch, Kleason, Deneui and Gillson return with varying degrees of starting experience, and Walker played a lot this season also. Will be interesting to see who may challenge for playing time from the current group of red-shirts. DL Benjamin, Brenneman and Nelson return as staters, and Cummings and Henson also played a lot. This group should be one of the strengths of the team. OLB Andrews will be a returning starter, backed up by Finley. Bennett should start on the other side. Jablonski also received considerable playing time this season. ILB Both starters graduate, but Goodman and Otto should step in. Peters should be one backup. CB Brown will be a returning starter, and presumably Mackey and Hall will contend for the other starting position, with a number of red-shirts looking to challenge. S Three seniors graduate, with only Mersereau and Carr returning with any experience. Again, several red-shirts could contend for time. After QB, the secondary appears to be the biggest question mark heading into 2012. K/P Miller and Cameron both return.

IMO, Goska's best game was last year against Lamar--229 passing yards, no int's and a td, and 95 rushing yards and a td. 324 total yards is probably too much to ask today, but 250-plus total yards would be huge. The running game has struggled the past few weeks, so we may need more running by Goska, either by design or scrambling.

Josh Murray in 2008.

What's the best site to check for open dates for FCS schools? I checked the American Football Coaches Association site, but there wasn't anything there for 2012.

That's what I was thinking also. If we can get over 10,000 on Saturday, given how attendance has been the past couple of seasons, it would probably be considered quite good. And with roughly 7700 tickets apparently spoken for right now, that seems like a decent possibility.

Sandusky seems more like a Lionel Hutz client. Judge: Mr. Hutz, do you know you're not wearing any pants? Lionel Hutz: What? AAH! I move for a bad court thingy. Judge: You mean a mistrial? Lionel Hutz: Yeah... that's why you're the judge, and I'm the law... talkin'... guy.

I'm thinking a lot of the old people probably moved into apartments once taking care of a house became too much work. Big mistake, as it turned out, once rent became cost-prohibitive. The next issue will be property taxes in Williston. Higher values=much higher property taxes.

You're right. Screw grannie. She should have had the foresight not to sell her house if she wanted to stay in Williston.

According to a tweet by Wisconsin Sports Network, UND has offered Kettle Moraine LB Jake Rademacher.

I have no issue if somebody builds a new building, or if somebody moves out of an existing building. In that case, go ahead and rent it for whatever amount the market will bear. I'm not even especially bothered if the able-bodied non-oil patch workers are priced out. But to essentially kick out old people? No. That's just wrong IMO. Some form of rent control perhaps could have been enacted in Williston to prevent all the retiree renters from being priced out of town, but it's too late now.

USD's starting qb played last week, so his injury from the Cal Poly game must not have been serious.

I read a similar story in the Williston paper a couple months ago. I don't know how those landlords live with themselves.

I remember a few years ago against USD when UND ran a lot of wildcat formation with Josh Murray taking the snaps, after seeing very little (if any) of it prior to that game. It was quite effective. My hope is that we see something similar, i.e. a completely new wrinkle of some kind, on Saturday as obviously the offense has struggled quite badly since the second half of the UNC game.

It seems this is the first season I can recall where you could legitimately make the case that UND has been a better road team than home team. Regardless of the caliber of competition, I'd say a 3-0 road record vs. FCS teams is quite good.