UND-FB-FAN

Wrong. My only “go to“ is not to fire all the coaches or recruit a whole new roster. Could different coaches with better players do better? Sure, definitely possible, but that costs money. UND is too tight for that at this juncture. UND needs to look at their rotation. They need to see if there are any players that should be playing more or less. That’s a starting point. They need to take away the opposing teams best player- focus the game plan on that. They need to play more base defense, even if that’s against Bubba’s MO, and focus on a competent shell. That means running more cover 4 and two man under. Give the corners help and make opposing teams earn it. Don’t give up big plays on blown assignments, especially against ISU and USD; if you make those teams try and earn it, they’ll likely falter and turn it over or make a mistake. That’s why their record is 1-7 and 2-6, respectively. Don’t gift their offenses with cover zero blitzes that put our undersized, inexperienced DBs on an island. UND has one player in their secondary that can’t cover to save his life but yet he’s out there snap in and snap out. Senior leadership, I’m told, is why he’s playing even though can’t cover worth a damn. But just my 2 cents. You also could go completely opposite and blitz the hell out of ISU and USD and it could work, but I wouldn’t do that.

Nope. You’re wrong again.

Now that would be a fabulous - and interesting - set of circumstances.

Bubba referenced that in his weekly press conference. Said that was hopefully just a random issue that won’t reoccur.

Oh it can always get worse. Not sure something as simple as alignment is going to fix the issues 8 games into the season.

North Dakota State’s AD represents the MVFC … oh goody … why don’t they just give NDSU the #1 seed now and save them from playing the next 3 games …

Problem is, you lose to either a 1-7 (ISU) or 2-6 (USD) team, and you then ultimately lose your spot in the playoffs. Bubba and UND need to get the job done. No excuses.

He’s a 3-4 guy. He played in the system as a player. A part of our ongoing inbred coaching tree.

I agree, primarily because the philosophy of this Bubba defense is pressure.

Which is why some (most) of the players at UND only receive DII offers. Either they don’t have the measurables or UND gets to them first. Sometimes a bit of both. It’s not media types this, fans that. It’s that coaches look at the measurables: size, weight, speed, and strength and project the kids into boxes. Every once in a while, kids will develop late and/or the intangibles make a major difference, which is why recruiting some of these under-the-radar kids (especially the ones from ND and MN) is still important, but you can’t build your entire team off it. Won’t work. They won’t hold up against the top of the FCS/division I. Even NDSU and SDSU recruit student athletes from Florida, Texas, Chicago, Kansas, Missouri, Arizona, etc.

Assuming he could kick it into the End Zone, I still wouldn’t kick it 5 yards into the end zone if you can’t cover the fast as hell return man. Point is, don’t kick it to him at all unless your coverage unit can get the job done. UND’s kick coverage unit just didn’t have the juice.

It’s frustrating. This 3-4 system brags and preaches on how important the safety position is to it, and yet this is what we get …

The effectiveness of max protect against UND’s defenses over the years suggests UND’s DBs struggle. UND defense very reliant on getting pressure on the QB.

UND to #21 in STATS poll. UND will be at least the 3rd highest ranked team in the MVFC if they keep winning. Playoff bound, should be the goal. Oh, and beat Ag U while we’re at it. https://fightinghawks.com/news/2022/10/31/football-north-dakota-moves-up-to-no-21-in-stats-perform-poll.aspx

Care to stick your neck out?

I don’t want to split here, but it’s not all about execution (and I’m not saying that’s what your saying). The other sideline has coaches playing a chess match, too. Coaches need to put their players in the best position. So when the opposing kick return unit has a player faster than anyone on your team, and they’ve proven they can get to the outside, don’t keep kicking it to him. Or do we just say - kick it to him and players go out and execute? Needs to be a bit of both; players do their jobs, coaches do theirs.

Yeah not sure I agree with Massey. But we will see. I’ll happily eat crow if we go 7-4, as that or 8-3 should be what we want. But I sense 6-5.

FCS STATS poll is the go to. UND #23 before they beat ACU. UND should remain in top 24 if they beat ISU and USD and make playoffs at 7-4. Beat NDSU and UND definitely is in. If this team goes 7-4 and misses playoffs, then there are major flaws in the FCS system, mainly biased influences from NDSU/juice U. Sam Herder being one of them. The 2015 playoff snub still hurts - that came down to quality losses propagated by Wonderful Bob Nielson (another reason to beat USD on 11/12/22) and UND’s pathetic loss to Idaho State in Alerus Center (Idaho State AD was on selection committee that year).

The Laws of Probability

@Sioux>Bison don’t be mad at me, be mad at statistics.

Team is what it is unfortunately at this point. Odds are they go 6-5 and miss playoffs, but everyone stills celebrates Bubba for a winning record here at UND. I would call it a blatant failure considering UND would have two consecutive seasons without playoffs. But possible still to go 7-4 and make playoffs. That would be a successful season. 8-3 with win in Fargo is technically possible but improbable. I’ll be there cheering on UND if they set that matchup up, however, by winning @ISU and vs USD. Can’t miss the opportunity to watch UND beat the bizzzoons for first time in DI era.

I think ISU is better than their record (1-7), but UND also needs to be counted on to win games like this. Again, expectations here are important, despite all the babble on that around here. Let’s not be sandbagging for a letdown. UND football - led by Bubba Schweigert - needs to get the job done against a 1-7 team; after all, you are what your record says you are.

No it doesn’t have to be one or the other. In someone’s fantasy world, maybe there’s a unifying cause, but in reality, it’s a little of both. Can always use more talented student-athletes but also more innovative coaches that are good to great motivators. Lastly, again, my comments weren’t to suggest that the entire team is full of DII talent, but there’s more DII talent on it than there should be. As @iramurphy says in different words to rouse the crowd here, need to keep getting better; recruit better, coach better.

I respectfully disagree. Black on black is a nice change up, but should not be standard for the University of North Dakota.

There definitely are a few highly sought after players on the roster.