UND-FB-FAN

Very good question. I am not sure. Palmborg and Bakker/Rodgers are competing right there with those two. Nevertheless, from a fan standpoint, you have to love the depth that is developing.

Increasing football coverage is pivotal. I'm happy to hear about the new additions by Midco in that regard. The weekly football program and signing day coverage will help better expose the program to the local casual fans.

Interesting. Brock Boltman looks like a good quarterback prospect, but it is important to have overall good competition at the quarterback spot; Eric Prater should add to that competition. Very happy to hear about the coaching staff addressing the depth at QB after last season. Need to continue to grow ALL positions for this program to continue improving.

Not going to predict a score right now, but just going to issue a reminder that this is UND's first game since last year's embarrassing screw up by the FCS playoff selection committee. If Bubba's squad is as pissed of and anxious to play as I think they are, Stony Brook may have no chance in this one. I'm thinking this is going to be like the Cal Poly game last season; UND explodes out of the gates and wins easily. Leave No Doubt

By all accounts, UND's offense has been looking good thus far in fall camp. Of course, that is reliant on the offensive line being healthy and having the expected starting 5 actually start the game in Stony Brook. Game will be a bit of a defensive battle, but I expect UND to win by a touchdown or two. I'll go with 28 - 14 UND as my way too early prediction (I reserve the right to change my prediction during game week).

I agree with you. The coverage has been great this summer and fall. Everyone has a role to play in getting the Alerus Center regularly sold out! Keep it up, Tom!

Race between Bartels and Heidlebaugh is obviously a close one; however, I'd guess Heidlebaugh wins it based on him being a bit more athletic than Bartels. All 4 running backs are very capable, with John and Brady being a super tandem. Hopefully they stay healthly all year! The WR spot is surprisingly coming along. Both scholarship true freshmen look quite good and FBS transfer Demun Mercer will be capable on the field too. Throw in the incumbents Clive and Stanley and you have a nice corps for Studsrud. Cloyd will be an unreal TE moving forward. He will play a lot this year. As others have mentioned, both him and Pinke will be a great tandem moving forward. The depth at TE and FB is really quite good. Cant have any injuries to the OL. Right now, starting 5 offensive linemen are going to be road graders. They will move people and the drop off will be minimal to last year's line IF there are no injuries or changes to current starting 5 (Stockwell, Bell, Coe, Taylor, Cox). Defensive line and linebackers will be just fine. As everyone knows, DB is where questions lie. Have to get Harris and Tyus Carter healthy and back at CB. Of course, Reyes needs to stay healthy all year - tremendous tremendous player. Arnell and Palmborg both capable at other safety spot. Chris Carter can get the job done as a third or forth corner along with Hunt. I do not think either true freshman corner should be on the field this year; if Holm or Randolph are playing, that does not bode well for the pass defense. Need to have the four "veteran" corners (Hunt only spring ball) healthy and playing! Specialists appear to be the same as 2014: Taubenheim and Bolduc. Same old narrative continues, though: QB, OL, and DBs need to all stay healthy all year and then UND is looking very good. Go Hawks! Serious 2016 Big Sky Conference Champion Contenders ...

I'll just say it: you're wrong.

Never said they will miss the playoffs. Definitely never said that. However, I certainly implied NDSU will eventually cease to go undefeated in the playoffs. There has to be more parity than that.

I guess my disgust with this all is pretty straightforward: once NDSU loses in the playoffs (or perhaps twice over a couple seasons), their expectations and egos will fall to the point where UND will finally be viewed as a viable scheduling target. It's upsetting that NDSU is so conceited that they will lie about their scheduling strategy just to allow them (administration, fans, boosters, etc.) to live in their own dreamland (one where NDSU football is so superior it should function independently of a 100+ year rival). I am fairly certain that NDSU's stance on scheduling UND (has nothing to do with FCS terms; it's purely UND) will change once they stop winning national championships in the next year or two.

NDSU has set it self up for a real nice bandwagon fan dissolution once they start to lose. Why wouldn't you want an annual home-and-home in-state rivalry game that outdraws every other game in both attendance and popularity? NDSU's football program is very good, but there's no question they have a huge target on their back. Not sure when the meltdown will occur, but it is inevitable given some the behind-the-scenes rhetoric. I admit I am horribly biased, but there is a fairly consistent precedent where college football dynasties eventually crash hard. Here are a few theories on what will happen: http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2013/1/9/3855934/alabama-football-dynasty-fall

UND used to play outdoors until 2001, when the Alerus Center became the new home of UND football. Having an outdoor stadium, like UND's former game venue Memorial Stadium, has its advantages when it's nice and warm in the early fall, but the cold winter weather of North Dakota makes the controlled Alerus Center climate hard to beat in November and potentially December. Not to mention, the enclosed environment creates the potential for fans to produce a nice home field advantage in terms of noise.

Given the schedule, ANYTHING less than 8-3 would be a huge disappointment this season. The expectations are high and everyone recognizes that. Now, it's Bubba's job to get the team to embrace that and execute.

It's all a good read: http://www.inforum.com/opinion/columnists/4088887-port-text-messages-show-bresciani-initially-supported-restrictive-media

Despicable. Fargo U's administration sure missed the target on this one. I love to see this made public.

Damn Alabama helemts ... Selfish helmets.....

4 PM on Saturday, September 17. It will be the 51st annual Potato Bowl versus the University of South Dakota and the home opener. Expect a lot of excitement and a real nice crowd.

Agreed. New jerseys with new wordmark will match the helmet numbers better, I would imagine.

Good. That's a positive move in my opinion.

Darn. Great ILB prospect.

Games are won and lost up-front. I feel very comfortable with the defensive front; as for the offensive front, I am afraid there are still way too many questions for me to feel comfortable. Skill position players are finally in place, but will the offensive line be capable? I won't know until September 1st, and perhaps the coaches won't know until then as well. I do have faith that Coach Knauf will continue to develop that unit, but it is demoralizing knowing the offensive line could still perhaps be an issue in year #3 of Bubba ball.

Very good offensive player on film. I see him as being very similar to Santiago. Could play running back, receiver, and/or return specialist.

Very good point.

Thanks for the summary; however, I still think those rankings and ratings are not worth much. Recruiting websites miss players all the time, and for that reason, Bubba's staff does their own evaluations and they trust what they see, not what they hear. The elite camps on campus have been an absolute success in terms of UND recruiting and prospect assessment. Like you mentioned, Santiago, Studsrud, Grady, etc. are not on these lists; exactly why in-person scouting of ALL appropriate regional prospects is the right thing to do.

I disagree. Bubba has fond memories of some of the 70s teams that donned gray helmets and pants. I definitely think this move is more geared towards a throwback look than it is to be contemporary. After all, Bubba is real old school when it comes to uniforms.