UND-FB-FAN

Yes, and Cloyd is a weapon but the offense hides tight ends Offense design (i. e. Rudolph) needs to be better

First Half Yards: Utah 261 UND 92 that is not good at all ... offense needs to get more diversified

Agree completely. Rudolph needs to think really (And I mean really) hard at halftime and get something put together

Studsrud missed Fiedler for a TD on 3rd down play due to pressure ... damn 17 - 9 at halftime ... Still a one score game which is good. UND gets the ball to start the second. Passing game and red zone offense needs to find fire for UND to win. Defense needs to keep it going - need more pressure and another turnover or two

UND's "strength" - the defensive line - needs to watch the ball and stop jumping offsides cost UND there ... damn

First things first ... get it done defense

If UND wins this game, it will be because UND opens up the offense and allows Studsrud to win the game

And no pass called ... in the end, UND still has the lead but UND eventually needs more points

Keaton looks confident with the WR corps back intact ... need to strike the young Utah secondary and get a early 2 score lead!

UND starting off damn good dodged a bullet with Utah holding call and then missed field goal Defense is rotating guys in nicely Need to tackle better though Go UND!

First 3rd down was great: Studsrud to Toivonen! second 3rd down was crap first points of the game, though! lets go UND defense

Pick by Holm! Hell yeah Go Hawks

GO UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA FIGHTING HAWKS

PAC-12 Network

Huge opportunity today for UND's football program. It's certainly not just about the big stage and pay day, but mostly about the chance to elevate UND football to new heights. A win against a nationally ranked FBS opponent would do tremendous things for UND football. Bubba and his team are approaching tonight's game with this mindset, I hope. A win would be spectacular for UND. GO HAWKS

Go UND Fighting Hawks

I fear that the attitude of most on this board mirrors the attitude of the UND coaches and players: Utah 31 UND 3 If UND actually believes they are a top 10 FCS team, and plays accordingly, it will be a lot closer.

There are always areas of necessary funding. Are all FCS programs, including NDSU, now so accomplished that they are complacent in their funding projects? Bubba expressed priority areas of potential funding; that shows dedication to making the program even better, not the contrary that you are trying to falsely spin. Most can see right through your comments as typical Ag school crap. As usual, I hope NDSU fails this season. Good day.

Special teams is a key component of the game. Overlooking it has cost UND in the past. Perhaps time to start using more talented players. Blocked punts and botched punt returns are unacceptable.

If the Fighting Hawks can't open up holes for the ground game, then UND will lose handily. Utah plays in the PAC-12; they are familiar with spread offenses and passing attacks that are far superior to what Studsrud and UND can offer. UND needs to establish the running game if they want to produce any sort of advantage for the offense. Play-action shots are fine, but the running game needs to get going first. I think back to the game against North Dakota State in 2015 and the Stony Brook game in 2016. Without a running game, it could get ugly quick.

CU would be smart to continue to stay out of that endless money pit.

Bubba has done one thing tremendously well: believe that UND is a special place for football. The previous staff had limitations in their confidence and vision. Bubba and his staff have done the polar opposite. It's been tremendous for this program. Great things are ahead.

All fair points; thank you for the analysis! I would say the University of North Dakota's strongest unit is by far their defensive line (and running backs if all 3 are healthy). UND runs a 3–4 base system and UND has 3 units (9 players) of experience and ability at d-line. That will be the matchup to watch closely: UND's defensive line vs Utah's offensive line.

With this game approaching, I am becoming more concerned about the University of North Dakota's ability to handle the environment in Utah. In 2015, the University of North Dakota played in two high-intensity college football environments: North Dakota State University and the University of Montana. Both games ended very poorly for the University of North Dakota. Wyoming is also a consideration from that year. That win remains a promising staple from 2015; of course, that Wyoming team was also very very bad. UND will have to do a much better job of handling the crowd noise on August 31st. If anything, the matchup should prepare the Fighting Hawks for their October 14th game against the University of Montana in Missoula. That game, ultimately, will be more important due to its conference implications. Bottom line: if the Fighting Hawks can prevent big plays on defense and get their three-headed rushing attack going, they may just be able to offset some of the crowd noise and pull off the upset.

The ring situation is minimal in priority but yet disappointing. The University of North Dakota's athletic department is mishandled to some degree. Yes, the budget crisis is troubling, but if funds were properly distributed, the football team would have championship rings. There are still hiccups in various corners of the athletic department, likely attributed to biased mainstays. The University of North Dakota still has work to do in terms of emulating more successful Division I athletic departments around the country. All in all, this situation is definitely not worth jumping off the ledge for. That much is fortunate.