UND-FB-FAN

To say "nothing" is a stretch, but I see where you're coming from.

That's a fair point. UND doesn't have that quarterback depth yet. Unfortunate since quarterback depth was already a concern last season.

Those obviously weren't real passionate UND football fans. If they were UND football fans, they would've been in attendance during the biggest home game of Bubba's head coaching tenure vs. Weber State. Trend appears to be that people show up early in the year when the weather is nice and hockey isn't being played yet... then boredom, hockey, and deer hunting take over.

Mollberg is a tight end, Bartels and Heidelbaugh are both backups and Bartels can't run effectively at all. Studsrud is by no means a big guy out there when you compare him to linebackers; he takes a pounding. Lastly, for those who fail to look at the big picture, both 2016's and 2017's recruiting class has a quarterback barely pushing 6 foot and well under 200 lbs. I just am concerned about their longevity if they are ran at the same rate as Studsrud, which is a beyond reasonable question in my opinion.

If you want to run the quarterback, then you better have a guy who can take the pounding. Yet UND continues to recruit quarterbacks that are 5'11" and 165 lbs. Not a fan of this at all. Disappointed in this, actually. Oh well, injuries happen. Next man up. Defense, special teams, and running game needs to be clean the next week or two ... or else Coaches need to get them ready to battle.

Agree. Numbers favor MVFC. I like numbers and facts.

NDSU wasn't nearly as popular then as they are now. They just weren't; they weren't coming off five consecutive FCS national titles and countless wins vs Big 10 and Big 12 teams. The scenario you offered does offer a glimmer of hope, but it still isn't the same situation as what we have now. No need to shut the thread down. UND has plenty of things they can improve on their own end. For starters, keep winning and get a big-name win in the playoffs (e.g., South Dakota State, Montana, or even, dare I say it, NDSU). Remember, UND doesn't have an annual opportunity to gauge themselves vs NDSU like they did during the NCC days - which hurts perception. The one chance they did get recently was a flop and didn't help shift any NDSU bandwagoners over to UND.

Yes.

Well, if seeded, great - no worries. If UND isn't seeded, then UND needs to LEAVE NO DOUBT and make sure to outbid teams like Western Illinois and potentially SDSU, whose pockets are being just speculated on at this point.

I think we have to understand the population of this area - there aren't enough football fans to go around between both UND and NDSU. 15 years ago, when UND was dominanting in D2, NDSU football was not a hot ticket, especially compared to today. That left a large number of football fans open to coming to UND football games. Now, the vast majority of people are on the NDSU bandwagon. It will take time for UND to build up its fan base, but it is also unprecedented in terms of NDSU having this type of success during the Alerus Center era. NDSU needs to become less popular for UND to build attendance. I mean, let's be honest, there's not 2000 to 3000 UND football fans in hiding someplace Grand Forks. Now, UND can create that number out of casual fans with continual winning. Also, it's worth noting UND still doesn't have any big name wins this season. I heard several people on Saturday asking "where is Weber State?" or "how good are they?" Name recognition of opponents is still lacking in the Big Sky. UND needs to beat teams like NDSU and Montana - which all have local recognition - in order to spike in popularity. This is one key reason why a move to the MVFC should be largely considered; it would benefit locals and ultimately attendance. What better way to boost attendance than to host NDSU???

IF UND WINS THEIR NEXT TWO GAMES, Faison needs to bid appropriately, which means UND should be hosting a home playoff game (vs WIU or whoever). No excuse Faison if you understand the importance of football to a college athletic program. IAC said to increase funding to all programs so why not start here?

It is really convenient to blame the poor attendance on the football product on the field, but I'm afraid it isn't that simple. The exodus to Fargo for NDSU gameday is one important issue right now. Oh, and by the way, NDSU plays "boring" ground and pound football with solid defense but does fine with attendance. There's a perception issue. The diehard football fans with no specific allegiance go to NDSU football games. Many "UND fans" yet stick to only hockey and then, dare I say it, cheer for NDSU football. UND needs to create more UND-specific diehard football fans, which will take time and wins. NDSU has a bunch of butts in the seats AND people who stand all game and make noise. I guess you can have it both ways. Who would've known?

You guys are funny. Mollberg - the guy who hasn't taken a meaningful snap at QB in over 2 years and hasn't practiced with the current offense as a QB for a year - is in the discussion? That's embarrassing. You all know better. It would likely be Bartels if Studsrud can't go based on #6 finishing vs Weber State; however, I'd like to think Heidlebaugh should be the choice since Bartels couldnt get it done last year. Either way, I'm disappointed that Bubba doesn't bring in better QBs. The Edina kid he is bringing in for next year looks a little iffy too (small kid).

Couldn't agree more. I witnessed all of this. The 4th down noise with UND on offense got me the most pissed.

Need to win the last 2 regular season games. Would be huge for playoff positioning. Go Fighting Hawks!

I don't completely agree with you. Anyone can "call" a great game if they have the "horses" as you say. It's what coaches can do when their talent is "middle of the road" that describes them.

Absolutely. Just idiotic that this hasnt been drawn up and executed. There are several times where if Santiago, not Toivonen, had received the jet sweep, UND would've scored.

Embarrassing. UND deserves far better. UND obviously needs to continue winning for attendance to progressively improve, but the Alerus and UND marketing need to stay on their toes and keep innovating also. Last night, I got in a friendly argument at a local establishment with some "all North Dakots fans"; that is, they cheer for both UND and NDSU. They couldn't understand why I was hoping UNI would beat NDSU; my answer was simple: recruits can't play for both schools. If we want to see UND increase in popularity, NDSU has to drop some. Perhaps the best way is for UND to just beat them head-to-head. That opportunity may be coming ...

I do not agree. Oliveira is a powerful, physical back that plays more into UND's style (heavy personnel running game) than Santiago does; they need to keep the 50/50 split going.

Of course, from a reality standpoint, if EWU doesn't lose the rest of the way, that proves they will be damn near impossible for UND to beat. EWU has a darn good team ... easily could've beat NDSU in Fargo.

Yeah, the defense was far more questionable than the offense vs Idaho State. Hopefully the return of Cole Reyes sparks that unit on Saturday. Oh, and also being home and playing with crowd noise! GET TO THR ALERUS ON SATRUDAY, MAKE NOISE WHEN WEBER STATE'S OFFENSE IS ON THE FIELD, AND DISRUPT THEM! Go Hawks!

Been keeping an eye on this kid. He would be a great addition to UND's football family.

Odds are stacked against him. Heidlebaugh has a better shot than Bolinske, in my opinion.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/sports/und-football/4144628-und-football-playoff-picture-starting-take-shape#.WBDS-s2bH0o.twitter Damn right! Go Hawks! UND Proud!

Marketing is picking up - 11,000 at the Alerus this Saturday. Close first half, crowd noise/defense/running game closes it out in second half: 38 - 17 UND