siouxfan512

What are the chances we see Gersich stick around for 4 years? I am hoping for, at least, 1 more year from the kid, but having a guy like that for 4 years would be great.

well, thats cute.

I sure hope so, because I'm already dropping hints to my wife that we should look at taking a trip to Chicago this Spring. I'll just keep planting the seeds.

Andries would have never picked UND anyway, but you do have to wonder, even if these kids wanted to leave, would some of there other offers still stand? Abojei was offered by Iowa St, but maybe they have filled the spot by now. Definitely interested to hear what is going on with Mafe, since he still hasn't committed anywhere. Same with Rousemiller, as we can always use some more big guys. I believe National Signing Day is Feb1 , anyone know how many more commits we can expect?

Possibly, but I have a hard time believing they didn't know what was going on. There was enough that had been published to give you a flavor of what was going on. Also fair to say that what happened wouldn't have been kept silent from one player to another. That kind of stuff just doesn't stay secret on a team. Even so, its really tough to believe that the players were suspended, but the coach wasn't told why. Claeys would have been kept informed, but rather than talking to his team, he defied his employers, and goes on record in public support of what these kids are doing. That is some weak leadership right there. But lets say these kids didn't know anything at all (impossible the coach had no information), everyone sort of double down with their public twitter rant yesterday. Nevertheless, I think the U is better off without him. He seemed like kind of an idiot from the moment he was hired. Now Jerry Kill is showing off his true color as well. Sorry but these kids protesting the suspension of their buddies, after what went down, (to me), is no better than the kids that were protesting Joe Paterno's firing, after that happened.

Probably a fair point, though its a pretty quiet time on the recruiting front. When does the dead period end?

You understand that the President and AD were going to get fried for this either way, correct? They are in a position to take action for their students mishaps, and once those mishaps are made public the school has to deal with the fallout of the court of public opinion, which translates to school reputation and ultimately dollars for the University. Had the President and AD not suspended the player or fired the dimwit coach, they would have then been criticized for not taking action, and having a weak stance when their players were accused of sexual assault. Given the previous issues this school has had (Norwood Teague; The basketball players videos last year; the Wrestling team's drug incident) the President took a stance (IMO the correct one). These incidents have been piling up for the U, and it causes a ton of public embarrassment. Punishment is not solely dictated by the law, if it was then we could eliminate punishment for drinking in the dorms ... unless caught by a police office, we can eliminate all other University punishment, as these should be dictated by a court. We might as well eliminate the notion of school suspension and expulsions unless ordered by a judge. Sh!t, I should probably stop giving my kid a time out for "not playing nicely with their siblings". But you're right, I'm painting Millenials with too broad of a brush. C'mon Man. Protests and Boycotts are not acting Entitled, a generation of youth (Millenials) demanding free public education is acting entitled. A generation of youth (who took out more loans than they should have) and want their student debt repaid is acting entitled. Protest and Boycotts are great ... when you know what you are boycotting for. Boycotting for your buddies that ran a train on a girl, probably isn't a very worthy cause. Unfortunately, today's youth also tend to confuse the terms Protest and Riot, and half of those that are out there doing their "protesting" couldn't give you a straight answer as to what they are protesting. We're talking about a generation where kids are given "safe rooms" to be in because they didn't get the results they wanted in a Presidential election. A generation who, even when I was at UND, would bring dog and cats on campus during Finals week, to help "de-stress" the students. Good Lord, I know not every single person that is a "Millenial" is like that ... but how soft are we becoming.

The student are not employees, but they still represent the university and receive benefits for playing for the university. They are still required to abide by a certain code a of conduct/ethics. They may not be technical employees, but even that could be argued in today's world where athletes want additional pay/stipend/etc. for playing sports. They can take whatever position they want, but they look like whiny babies boycotting the bowl game, unless they're players were reinstated and they received apologies from the AD and the President (wouldn't want any hurt feelings). Read the article I posted, they act like a hurt bunch of grade school kids. Saying the administration doesn't support the program, despite everything else that is being done to build the program (facilities?!?!?!), despite the scholarship money that these kids (excuse me, young men) are receiving. Honestly, if I was the new coach coming in, I would rather take a bunch of new Walk Ons that a good portion of these kids, that are willing to stand up for their buddies after some pretty disgusting acts were made public. As for the millennial generation, technically I'm a part of it. And no, the stereotypical millennial definition does not apply to everyone, but millennials are stereotyped for a reason. There is a large percentage of this generation that were raised with a Cry Baby, "don't hurt my feelings", "I'm Entitled", "It's my right", "I'll protest/boycott", "I'm offended" mentality. This group of kids is no different. My friends got in trouble, so I'm going to take my ball and go home .... Rather than, my friends did something really stupid, hopefully they learn from it and come back better people.

What makes it even more of a Sh!#t show, is all of the fans and even some alumni that are so upset that Claeys got fired. IMO, the U finally made a smart decision. Players have a party resulting in alleged sexual assuauly (regardless of charges/no charges ... disgusting all around) Players "support" their teammates (and essentially their actions" by boycotting bowl game. (Kind of a middle finger from the players to boosters, donors, fans, etc) Coach supports players, for supporting their teammates, for deplorable actions at a party (Kind of a middle finger to his bosses, and those listed above) Coach and players back peddle and then say they are boycotting the lack of due process ( ) Administration fires coach ... but players and coaches can't understand why ... SMH Players are upset with the school for firing this guy and not supporting him, even though he couldn't support the decisions of the school. Players are upset with the school for moving on from this guy, even though their teammates ultimately put him in position to begin with. Players are upset that their coach is gone after a 9-4 season, but can't understand that coaches are accountable for more than just on field results. NOW, former Head Coach Jerry Kill is upset and states he will never step foot on campus again .... despite being the OC for another Big Ten team ... You just can't make this stuff up! Worth the read! http://www.twincities.com/2017/01/03/gopher-football-john-shipley-whos-to-blame-for-gophers-mess-apparently-anyone-but-the-players/

Maybe we should merge the UNO Mavericks numbers with the MSU-Mankato Mavericks numbers to boost the self esteem of both groups? Just a thought ....

Yep, there is a game on ASN, which fortunately I get in Mpls. I love the second half of the season, about half of the games are actually broadcast on tv. Though the NCHC.tv app on my Roku has been awesome! Just wish there was an app for basketball and football.

Seems strange that Tom Miller can't get clarification on that. Seems to be a pretty straight forward questions that any coach could answer. "Yes, he got the RS and will play next year" or "No, he has not got the RS, but is still pursuing it. As for Clive, does anyone know what the timeline is on getting the RS approval? I would assume the process has to move somewhat quick to allow these kids to plan and register for school, but maybe not.

Agreed, I don't actually want to burn a kids redshirt, and I hope they don't have to. I would prefer to see Taubs come back and have a strong season; but even more so, I just want to see the best player on the field. Hopefully the kid comes back strong next season.

It will be interesting to see who else becomes available from a transfer standpoint. I don't think you want to waste too much effort with transfers, but again, if you can find the right guy to fit the right need, then it is worth looking at. Also want to find a good character guy, which is something I would tend to question from players who protested the bowl, or are looking to transfer because of the Claeys situation. I am for freedom of speech, and standing up for what you believe in; but all too often people (especially young kids) don't understand that there is a responsibility that comes with that freedom. They tend to be a little over reactive, outspoken and unaware of the full scope of the situation before they run their mouths. All too often these kids forget they have an opportunity to play big time football, for a free education; something that is pretty unique to a small percentage of athletes overall. Though, as it goes with the up and coming generation, too many of these kids think this is an entitlement rather than an opportunity. You play for the University, you don't run the University. If you're that high and mighty about how much you disagree then by all means, forfeit, your spot on the team and all of the benefits that come wi I also find it interesting that the underclassmen kid is willing to make comments like that in an interview, but is not willing to attach his name to those comments. As for Leidner, I've never been a big fan; Glad to see him go. Nevertheless, from a purely on the field standpoint, and talent wise, it will be interesting to see if UND or other regional FCS schools benefit from what is going on at the U. An underclassman starter is also skeptical many players will stick around. "I honestly don't think it matters who the coach is," he told ESPN. "People don't want to play for the administration. So I think countless people will transfer if possible. Leidner said he wonders how many players with eligibility will come back. "No one is happy with the administration right now. I don't know who would want to be a part of this program at this time," he said. Really classy response by Claeys too. Solid move to make yourself attractive to other schools. "I won't be up here freezing my ass off, so y'all enjoy the winter," Claeys told Minneapolis TV station KSTP a few hours after being fired.

I'd imagine that any talk that is happening is being done completely over the phone now. I believe Faison already stated how it can be difficult to go through this kind of process when your emails can be made public. So I'm sure anything that is being done is being kept as quiet as possible to avoid media speculation. Unfortunately, with how quiet it has been since the initial report, I'm thinking if something happens, we won't hear any rumors or hints. It'll just get reported when its final. Just a guess though.

Agree so much on Seibel returning punts. There has to be someone else who can catch the ball without making your cringe every time. IMO if the Freshman kicker can outperform Taubs, then pull the shirt. No clue on the kids skill though.

Solution to improving kickoff coverage: Take all of the time spent on punt coverage and remove it from practice (we won't need to worry about it since we won't be punting). Use said time to practice kickoff coverage, as that will be far more relevant after all of the TDs we put up. .... while we're at it, chuck the pigskin.

Actually, I though the Gophers should have looked at Bohl the last time around. I still think he would be a solid candidate. He didn't well in freaking Wyoming. He would do better at the U with more resources, more support and already having a good grip on his recruiting area. Not saying he would have guaranteed success, there is never guaranteed success with any coach, especially when you put them somewhere like the U that has struggled for consistency for as long as they have. I think Bohl has certainly shown he is capable of winning and developing that winning mentality that so many programs lack. Have to look at Les Miles since he is available, and bring a big time name. Have to look at the W. Michigan coach given what he has done. But, I think you could throw Bohl's name into the hat as well. Not saying he should absolutely get it, but he should be looked at.

Personally, I think Bubba should absolutely put in a few phone calls to Gopher recruits, depending on the positions and what UND needs. Normally, I would say if a kid commits, then you can respect the decision, but this is a different kind of situation. I understand a kid wanting to play in a power 5 conference, but as a parent, I would have some serious reservations about my kid going to the U with everything that has happened there over the past several years. Just seems to be bad decision after bad decision. I understand that Claeys may have been somewhat of a fall guy in a bad situation, but he didn't help himself any, in tweeting support of players who wanted to boycott a bowl game in supports of fellow players who were involved in a pretty nasty situation. Supporting your teammates is good and all, but you also need to be aware of the situation. Student athletes have more than 1 set of rules to follow, there is the law, and there is also a student/athlete code of conduct. If the University sees the need to suspend the players, regardless of what comes out of the legal process, they have the right to do so. Personally, I though the players made themselves look pretty dumb and ignorant. I also have to believe that Mark Coyle is not going to let anything tying to a sexual assault, or those types of allegations go without much attention, considering he got the job at the U because of what Norwood Teague did to get himself fired. It amazes me, how much uproar there is over Claeys getting fired. Yes he got them 2 bowl wins (Lets face it, he wasn't winning the Rose Bowl). Yes, he had a winning record (which was still underwhelming, given his schedule. But seriously, there are way more qualified coaches than Tracy Claeys, who was really in the right spot at the right time to get this job in the first place. Altogether, Claeys doesn't come across as the brightest bulb on the tree, and he showed that when he undermined the University that was paying him pretty decent money, by supporting kids that were choosing to ignore sexual assault allegations, in favor of sticking with their buddies. Back to the original point, if there are some Gopher recruits that UND would be interested in, it is absolutely worth the phone call. Probably won't land the kids, but its still worth the call. (Of course, a lot of this depends on how fast the U announces a new coach, who he is, and what his approach is with the current players and recruits) Per 247sports 11 Blaise AndriesMarshall (Marshall, MN) OT6-5.5299 0.8857 23 Eric AbojeiRobbinsdale Cooper (Minneapolis, MN) OT6-4310 0.8422 Top 2 prospects out of MN, both committed to the Gophers, bother with a bunch of FBS offers. Probably no shot at all, but still worth pickin up the phone, given the uncertainty of the situation. Ott wasn't really expected to go to UND either, and while there are both FBS caliber O-lineman and I'd be surprised to see a switch, its still worth looking into. 65 Boye MafeHopkins (Hopkins, MN) WDE6-4225 0.8247 Has and offer from UND, as well as several other FCS schools. Has an offer from MN, Wyoming and Rutgers. There has been some talk about this kid wanting to land somewhere he can play with his HS buddies. Not sure how serious that is, or how important that is, but again hopefully UND is still recruiting the kid. 1422 Eric RousemillerLakeville South (Lakeville, MN) OC6-3285 0.7798 Already has an offer from UND. Doesn't look like he had an offer from the U, but possibly some interest. Hopefully the coaches are still fighting hard for this kid.

Not sure if this was posted elsewhere, but I see that Utah fired their offensive coordinator (not sure why, since they had a successful season; must have been something behind the scenes). They have hired the OC from E.Washington. Will be interesting to see how that impacts both teams, especially since we play both next season. I would like to think UND will be competitive against Utah (though they will need to start the season better that 2016). Purely looking on paper, UND should be competitive though. We retain a lot of talent, with some tremendous new talent coming in. O-line will be much more seasoned. If Studs can start the season well, or get beat out by the new guy (not predicting this at all, just want the best guy to play), then it could be a fun game to watch. Already so pumped to watch these guys next season. Until then, I can't wait for signing day (hope there is an online streaming show again) and for camps to start. Looking forward to hearing how the new guys look; definitely a positive that a few of them are coming in mid-season. Hopefully, everyone sticks around and we don't see any defections.

I'm hoping for a few games where our redshirt freshman can see some late game snaps. Heard some good things about them in practice this year, would like to see them get some situational experience next year.

Probably is too speculative for me

I agree Bubba is at a place he wants to be. That being said, if he has a lot of success and he had the opportunity at a FBS school, he would have to give it serious consideration. Bohl didn't have the roots from NoDak, but he certainly set some roots, and had some success. The strange part was that he left for Wyoming. I though he could have held out for something better. Props to him for having a good year at Wyoming though.

Hawkeyes Look-A-Like Mini Thread: Fran McCaffery Fran Drescher

Actually, the Iowa players looked confused, and reluctant to walk off the court. Pretty much were directed to get to the locker room. Most looked hesitant to not shake hands.