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Holinka failed to maintain and coordinate a competent defense. The complaints need to start and end with him. Obviously the players weren’t good enough either, but there were enough upper class men that the scheme and motivation/leadership needs to be put under the microscope. Obviously the secondary - other than CJ Siegel - was poor all season. The front seven also lapsed as the season progressed, unfortunately. Not enough strength, and as @geaux_siouxsays, nastiness up front.

Yeah, it will be acceptable. Because hockey, you know. On to year 10…

Sure, that’s true, but you’re going to have to play and win road games every season… need to do better on the road.

Yep, defense is awful. Tells you where this program is at. Danny Freund is an Up-To-Date contemporary coach that can motivate his guys. Bubba, the ol’ game manger and former DC, is way out of bounds. Holinka is in over his head. The defensive staff is inbred and not with it. Either Bubba retires and Freund elevates to head coach and makes changes to the defense, or Bubba makes some hard decisions and reshuffles the defensive staff. Also, defensive player skill level and strength needs to desperately improve. Bottom line, need new blood on defense, both coaches and players.

Danny Freund and the offense is okay. Can perhaps win with it. But the defense - and even the special teams - is no where near championship caliber. Disappointing since UND is led by a defensive background head coach. If the correct changes aren’t made, including to both coaching and players, then this defense won’t get it done. Hit the transfer portal hard, and consider some defensive staff changes. Please, please, please.

Major kudos to Danny Freund and the offense … once again. The defense - which includes Bubba and Holinka - remains the issue. Major changes need to be made.

Absolutely. I’ll take a winner in DII wanting to ascend versus someone with UND ties or mere average success as a DI coach.

Yep unfortunately. UND don’t pay sh*t to their football coaches. We expect more, gotta pay more.

UND got screwed on the bid war. No doubt. Game should be in Alerus Center right now, but bottomline is UND needs to learn how to win big games on the road. They will be on the schedule each and every season. At this juncture, big road games are guaranteed blow outs and disappointments for UND. Really, it’s always been that way under Bubba. Long ways to go to be a true championship contender.

Not on Kostich though. “He already did his work”. It’s on the players. His hands are clean from recruiting them and developing/teaching them.

On the surface, 7-4 and playoffs looks like an improvement. But anyone who follows the program knows the games against the powers (NDSU and SDSU) were actually worse than in 2021. And 2021 was just a petty collapse from the spring season’s progress. One step forward, two steps back.

Can get away with it when no defender is anywhere close to the receiver.

He better know how to recruit and teach.

Oh, yes, for sure.

NSIC DII players all over the roster, average coaches. Consistently losing big games by double digits. But hey, can’t mention that or acknowledge that around here without never-ending backlash. Facts are only welcome if supportive. It’s how it goes, though. Toughest strength of schedule, but blow out loses against NDSU and SDSU?

Here at the end of the season, we witness a descending program, not an ascending one.

I agree with you. The other posters on here, who I won’t name, are the ones who post weights and guessed on 40 times somehow thinking that will get us to ignore UND’s average at best record over the last handful of seasons.

I agree. Reality of FCS football … you can’t hire a lifer. Bubba wants to be a lifer. In other words, perpetually average.

Won’t fix the game management issues. I’m afraid what needs to be done is what I can’t mention on here, or else fire with rain down.

^Fixed your post

Don’t worry, ya’ll. It’s only on the players, not the coaches, who recruit, plan, teach and instruct on the game. Thankfully there will be different players next season.

And don’t get me wrong, this lack of physicality extends to the defensive side of the ball, too.

Bubba joined in 2014 and vowed to make UND a physical team. Fast forward to 2022, playing a playoff game in the snow, and we’re throwing the ball with the back up QB on 3rd and 2? Im over this vision. It’s lost. Wanna championship? Make the hard decision and face reality.

But it’s not on the coaches, who apparently can’t instruct discipline or the fundamentals of football. It’s just the players, and only on the players, for consistently making mistakes. With all that said, UND was the least penalized team in the country. Bigger issue is how the team performs (or doesn’t) in the big games. Playoffs counts as a big game…

That stride you are talking about is what separation is. There are athletes that can read coverage and are quick/fast. Nice combination, exists more commonly than you would think, but it’s high in demand.