UNDvince97-01

OK, everybody needs to settle down a little. Yes, it was a bad loss for the team, and if they were to play them again tomorrow, they would probably win. Turnovers proved to be the end of them. To those people that are already writing off UND for the season and the playoffs: have some faith and pride in your UND football program. Some people are on here remind me of vikings fans. If you are already jumping off the wagon after 2 games, good riddance, and stay off. I cant stand people that dont know how to endure one tough loss. You know what, they may lose every game the rest of the season, who knows? Even if that happens, I will still support them. I guarantee if they were to win out for the rest of the regular season, the same people that are jumping off the wagon will jump right back on. That is complete BS!! One loss is not the end of the season, especially this early. I feel that the loss in 2001 to UNO proved to be the spark that UND needed to win the title. The team felt defeat once, and didnt want to feel it again. This ended up being a motivator in the long run. Sometimes you learn the most while enduring losses. I know UND will come back strong in the upcoming weeks. A proud UND Alum

UND 92,96 you are right about there being 6 teams from the midwest in the top 25 poll, none of them being UND, while UND is #4 in the midwest power rankings. The other people that vote on that poll dont see the midwest region teams or pay attention to the midwest games like Harlin does. Jeff Harlin is "The" midwest bastion of football knowledge, and he takes alot of pride in his job. I totally respect his opinions of d2 football, especially in the midwest. Frankly, I am not surprised that UND wasnt in the top 25, especially after coming off a 5-6 season. However, I knew Jeff would still take them seriously, and that one bad year would not affect how he sees the UND program and their coaching staff. To be honest, I really dont care about the national polls when compared to the regional polls. All that matters at the end of the season is how you fare in the region polls. Jeff does a very good job with his columns, and I think that a 4th rank in the region is not a farce. He is the most credible source of information in the midwest, in my opinion. I know that YOU arent saying that is a farce, but that's just my take.

Jeff Harlin of D2football.com has picked UND to finish second in the NCC behind conference favorite SCSU. He also has them in the 4th spot for the playoffs in the Midwest in November. I think I agree with his picks for the conference and for the playoffs. I think that if they get on a roll, they could end up finishing 8-2, which would be good enough for the playoffs I hope. We'll have to wait and see, of course, but I just think anytime you a defense with our scheme and coaches, you are going to have a chance at winning. Hopefully they come through. I can't wait till football season and the first UND game.

All indications from the coaching staff are that Desautel has alot of potential. Physically, he could definitely be a great player at safety. The toughest part though will be mentally for him, especially in the sioux "D". He has come along a little slowly with the mental part of the game (making checks, making correct reads, etc) but that is expected for every safety in the system. As far as comparing him with Kelly Howe, it's way too early to tell. Physically, yes you could compare him with Howe because of their frames, but mentally, it's not even close to comparable. Kelly was a field general on the field, knew the defense in and out, and had alot of other intangibles he brought to the table, not to mention his natural ability to just flat out make plays. Give Desautel some time- which he will get this year - to develop, and we will see a much improved player by next fall. Most of the learning happens in the first year of eligibility. Playing behind Stratton, Bransted, and Gagner will be a blessing in disguise for him this year. He has great potential.

I'm sorry but, if UND finishes with 1 loss, and NDSU finishes with 3, UND should go. However, if NDSU beats UND, and NDSU has 2 losses, and UND has 1, then maybe you have a case that NDSU should go. You know what, though? All of this is just pure speculation, and i am sick of talking about it. Everything will be settled on the field soon. God, i can't wait until football season!!

Bison Kent, you are right, sometimes UND does schedule pansies for non-conference games. One reason is that teams just dont want to come to UND unless the money is PERFECT. another reason is to stay healthy in non-conference so that they can whoop NDSU's butt during conference play. which, they have been doing since the early 90's consistently. if your starters are out in the second quarter, then there is less likeliness for injury. but it is a double-edged sword because you arent getting "quality" games and opponents early, which effects how you play down the road, and can effect your ranking in the region at the end of the year.