siouxfan512

He is really starting to sounds like a UND version of lakes (El Chapo) over on Bisonville. Not all takes are bad, but the repetitive bashing of the whole program gets really old.

Now if I could just remember the important things in life

Was it Mike Edwards?

I remember Big Snack, but I didn't think that was Tank. Wasn't that the kid that ended up going to like Memphis or something?

Can we steal Santiago, Cole Reyes and Deion Harris from this as well?

This made me laugh a little harder than it should have

Fun to have kids like that in the pipeline.

Really liked what I heard about him from camp. I'm sure its just youth vs. a deep receiver room. Would love to see him burst on the season and make a splash against Boise or one of the SUs. If he is going to be a game changer and truly help us win games, then burning the RS seems fine. If he isn't, then I just hope the coaches are strategic about utilizing his 4.

Agreed, but from a different perspective. I don't doubt we will have the game well under control and should be playing backups ... but there have definitely been times in the past where we should get our backups some game time and the coaches just keep running the starters out. I get it is early in the season and you want them game ready, but it also seems to make sense to get those backups game experience for when injuries start popping up.

Do you think undersized LBs and missed tackles are part of the reason we struggle at Safety? Are those guys worried too much about stepping up to stop the run and that is why we see them get burned? Or just too slow and not skilled enough at the safety position?

I don't think the truth burns anyone ... just hearing the same nagging and complaining over and over and over. I'll definitely question the safety position and why it has been so hard for us to recruit someone to fill in and be that guy. I love KK's intensity and energy on the field, but he has definitely been burned too many times over the years. I'm not a football guru, so I don't know if this is simply KK is too slow to play safety or if he was confused by the scheme or complexity of the D. Is it possible he was being asked to do too much because of our linebackers having issues? Really hoping we have someone who can step up and challenge him, mostly because if we don't have someone close to doing that, we will continue to have question marks at the position for the next few years. Also really hoping that simplifying the defense will help him, but I guess we will have to wait and find out. I think it would be great to see KK just step up and be a dude this year.

Who is lowering expectations. I don't care if we win by 1 or 50, I just want to see us win. Obviously I'd rather see us win by a bigger margin than one. I really would love to see a 9-2 team this year with more than 1 playoff win. That should be realistic and achievable. Even if it is 8-3, I'd still like to see us have more than 1 playoff win. (Obviously I want to see us win in Frisco, but I'd take any playoff improvement at this point) SDSU will be very tough on the road BUT we should 100% be going in there with the mentality that we are going to win. If the players don't believe that, they have already beat themselves. Hopefully we will have some success and confidence heading into that game. Same goes for Boise. Bigger and better on paper, but FBS teams get knocked off every year. We should have finished off Nebraska last year. I want a win. I acknowledge the odds point towards a loss (but make it competitive). I would be disappointed to see and absolute blow out. Those games aside, its the NDSU, UNI and even USD games that we need to step up and be tough. Those will be the real difference makers on our schedule. USD may not be a top team in the MVFC, but that game always gets tough, and I believe we are in Vermillion this year.

I don't even remember Grover. I do remember Ketteringham and Zimmerman, and when that season started there was talk about how that was the best our QB room had looked in the D1 era. How sad of a statement was that. There was hype around Kett when he came because he had been a pretty solid looking recruit before going to Sac St. And if I remember right Zimmerman had spent some time at EWU. Those were some rough times.

Drake game can't get here soon enough. Heck the 360 guys pregrame podcast can't get here soon enough. So ready for football!

Wait, you went from saying it was all Tommy to also blaming Bubba? Isn't that just reiterating my point that you can't blame losses 100% on a single person?

Fair, I think we'd all like to see it, but also not realistic.

First, you're picking one game, and yes, he did get help. Not saying Tommy couldn't do more in certain situations, but also not going to lay 100% of the blame at his feet either. a tight game against NDSU is what we should want, especially given that they won it all that year. One person does not win or lose a game. That was also the game where the coaches decided to go for it on 4th on the wrong side of the field and spot NDSU points. If that doesn't have it, maybe that's a W for Tommy even without doing much different. Now if I recall Tommy also had a bad int in that game in the red zone ... can't have those, but they do happen to all QBs. Again, not saying Tommy can't do more (everyone can) but laying the blame completely at one person's feet is ridiculous. It's like blaming a pitcher for the team's bad season ... he could probably have helped more in some spots, and he probably could have gotten more support in some spots. I'd rather look at the bulk of Tommy's work over his career at UND and say he has done more than any other QB we have had in a long time. We have complained for years about getting someone better, and we should always be trying to recruit better, but let's at least acknowledge the improvements that we have seen and made. Second, your post was referencing playoffs, so that was what I was originally answering to: -Destroyed #12 Missouri State in the first round -Lost to #1 JMU in the second round on the road (would have been great to win, but with where the program was at this was not the worst loss either. I'd have loved to see them win it, but as a team we weren't there. Any I don't remember enough of the game, maybe Tommy could have done more, but he was also a young QB at the time. -Lost to #9 Weber in the first round on the road. Game should have been at home but whatever. Tommy threw 3 TDs and our offense put up 31 points on the road in the playoffs. Our D blew this one, plain and simple. I've expected Tommy to get better each year he has been on campus. He isn't a Wentz or a Lance from an FCS QB standpoint, but he has consistently improved and has helped this program become more competitive in his time here. Put any of UND's previous QB's into his place over the past several years and I doubt you have the same level of success. Preseason accolades don't mean a ton, but they do show that other people recognize the kid's talent. I don't think anyone is saying Tommy is a championship QB (yet), but neither is/was Theo Day, Case Cookus, Chris Streveler or any number of QBs over the years, but they were damn good. I'll get off my soap box, but it sounds like you're just griping because we haven't won a championship yet and you want to blame someone.

Maybe true, but c'mon now ... our D was absolutely brutal against Weber. That's not ALL on Tommy. Sure, you'd like to see him hit some deep ball and extend some more drives in big games, but it can hardly all be on him. Lets look at our games against the defending national champs. We put up 35 points and started hot. Defense gave up 49. There wasn't a singular problem there.

That and he is standing in the middle. What a showboat!

How can Tommy be a captain and not be on the Fall poster? Why would we have him captain a team he won't be throwing for when Jerry K. starts taking the #1 reps next week. I don't understand this move by Bubba and Company! (sense the sarcasm before you respond)

Also a fair point. I'm not going to call out Tom, because I definitely appreciate what he contributes, but from a fan's standpoint, I'd definitely love more reporting to ramp up the season and build up the excitement. Maybe a periodic position overview, similar to what the 360 guys do. Can't overstate how much I appreciate what they do to supplement coverage. Look forward to their podcasts whenever they come out.

Agreed, hate to see them stop, but it makes sense. At this point in the year, I just enjoy the constant updates and information. Too much anticipation for the season.

Did Tom stop writing about Fall camp?

I feel like using the tournament as a measure of success is more based on the past than the future. The expectation for me is to always be in the Frozen Four. Hak did it for years and Berry has struggled. I'm not sure how many times Berry has missed the tourney and usually when he makes it, it comes with an early exit. (This is not meant to be a knock on Berry; not bringing up that discussion) BUT given those kinds of issues over the past several years, its fair for "making the tournament" to be a conversation piece. I was definitely nervous at the end of last season given who all we were losing, but given our additions ... my expectation remains the same this team needs to make the Frozen Four. I don't think there is any question that UND has had talent, but they seem to have lacked chemistry. Hope they start clicking this year and really hope the new guys jump in and make a splash.

Its bittersweet. Closer to closing up the cabin, putting the fishing stuff away along with all the other fun summer things. But, we get the nice Fall weather. Football, closer to hockey and kids go back to school. I love fall, just not so crazy about what comes after that.