UND-FB-FAN
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Posts posted by UND-FB-FAN
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Didn't realize we were having a politically correct conversation. Someone should tip their hat <in electronic fashion> when that's agreed upon.
I'm disappointed the young man has left; there's always roles for players that aren't starting, especially guys with starting experience.
With that said, Brown was not performing at the level that should be expected moving forward.
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Chris Brown no longer with the team.
Mussman recruit; was not a top player by any means.
It's disappointing that he would quit, but perhaps the fact that he's a Mussman recruit says it all.
Watch for Bubba's recruits to continue to fill starting roles. They are young now, but in a year or two, watch out.
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I disagree in that we should shrug our shoulders and say we suck, nothing we can do.
To say we have to wait for more talent isn't the best plan for this year and for this group of Seniors. Good offenses find a way schematically to produce, and sometimes regardless of talent. NDSU was more talented and that is going to happen in the Big Sky, too, so let's figure some things out rather than saying our guys suck too bad to do anything about it.
I agree that it isn't all on the talent; however, most of it is.
With that said, Rudolph and the offensive staff need to gameplan and call plays with some ingenuity. They can't be so predictable and they have to do a better job of getting playmakers (John Santiago, Josh Seibel, Iwarri Smith, Clive Georges when he comes back etc.) the ball in space whenever the offensive line can't get the power running game going.
Last Saturday against NDSU, when the offensive line was struggling on first and second down, it was time for some quick plays to the outside to stretch the NDSU defense horizontally a bit.
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Jer has always been a good running back. He didn't get the ball his senior year until it got to the point where they had to play him. Imagine what he could have done if he had the ball all year? But no of course the coaching staff went with Simmons because he was their guy and even switched a linebacker to RB and gave him carries before Jer got his chance. Also Mussman never really gave Jer his due either, went with Jake Miller and others or just passed the ball 50 times a game. He finally got his chance with 3 or 4 games left to be the feature back, and look what he did, that didn't just come out of no where he has always had talent. I'll give the o line from last year some credit. But also with Keaton being thrown into action last year, he clearly wasn't ready and we had to run the ball a lot to try and have some kind of offense. So when you run the ball 20-30 times or more a game then I would give Rudolph most of the credit for giving Jer all the carries. I don't think it was because of good O line play, he had to run all game.
Jer Garman was not a good DI running back. Maybe at the DII level, but not at this level; he didn't have the size nor the strength to be considered a good DI running back. Look at the top Big Sky Conference running backs over the past few years, or the RBs that NDSU has had during their championship streak; Garman doesn't compare to them. He benefited from decent blocking and poor competition at the end of last season.
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Mussman's offense put up 600 passing yards (thanks Braden Hanson) against Montana in 2012). Will we ever see a performance like that again? With this offense...no way. Mussman didn't win games cause his defense wasn't good, we have just the opposite with Bubba. Hopefully there will be a happy medium soon.
That 2012 Montana team was average at best. Let's stop praising Mussman's teams as if they had unstoppable offenses. If UND's offense was so good in 2012, UND would have won more than 5 games.
Bubba believes running the football, maximizing time of possession, and minimizing turnovers is the best way for UND to play offense considering the regional recruits. I agree with that mindset; there are not very many DI skill position players in North Dakota and Minnesota but plenty of offensive linemen/tight end types. With that said, it will still take time for Bubba and his staff to build up the roster with upper-tier FCS players.
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To me it was a personnel problem. There were a few players on Saturday that looked the part that ndsu was playing, but not nearly enough. They are just playing a different game.
Bubba needs a lot more time to get that many quality players in the program and build tradition.
Agree. Let's call it what it is. UND doesn't have enough quality starting offensive linemen yet.
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I'll say comparison is not the solution.
Is the UND football team as good as they can be right now?
Are they performing to the level that they expect ... of themselves.
When every guy on the team can answer "yes" and it shows, then you start comparing outside.
No football team is ever as "good as they can be right now".
Hard work and subsequent improvement is always possible; therefore, striving for continual improvement is crucial.
UND's prospective recruits will compare UND to NDSU, so although it sounds nice to say comparing is not the solution, decisions based on comparisons are going to happen.
Bubba wants UND to be the best football program in the Big Sky Conference, but in order for that to happen, UND may also have to be the best team in the state of North Dakota.
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This long ago became a moot issue, but as you repeatedly post praising the scheduling of this game, I've gotta ask again: What did it accomplish exactly?
Interested in making the playoffs? By scheduling this game, UND effectively locked itself into a 5-game home schedule for 2014-15 and put the team on the road in a hostile environment against a very tough opponent. Not exactly the recipe to help a marginal, rebuilding team claw its way back into post-season play.
Want to "get the rivalry going again?" You might feel this game pressures the AC by making it look "petty and selfish," but more likely the administration there saw an easy way to fill its home schedule on the cheap and at the same time satisfy the pressure from some quarters to see UND and NDSU on the same field again. Never have I heard any enthusiasm expressed by the AC braintrust to renew the rivalry in football, and Faison was quoted in print last week as saying there's been no discussion at all about further games. This contract -- 2 games spread out over 5-6 years -- effectively defers any renewal of a regularly scheduled rivalry for at least another decade.
Does the team need "a measuring stick to put the fire in the belly of the players?" Based on the play I saw Saturday and in the second half v Drake, I'm afraid this team may get plenty of motivation from the likes of Portland State, Montana State and Montana as the season progresses.
Unfortunately, it appears a large segment of this fanbase -- and maybe its head coach -- remain unable to define this football program in any way other than a comparison to the school 75 miles down the road, and UND football suffers because of it.
The similarities between UND and NDSU (e.g., same recruits, proximity, same regional fan base, etc.) will always keep NDSU on UND's radar. To just ignore NDSU and their success would be ignorant and closed-minded, and as a result, UND would remain complacent in their own little bubble. This game needs to be played, primarily due to the history and proximity of these two DI FCS program. Also, as far as Bubba's thinking on playing it now, it needed to be done so that the players and athletic department could get a realization of what it's going to take to get to the top. UND has a ways to go, and by playing the game and experiencing the atmosphere that NDSU football has built, Bubba has plenty of examples to use as teaching tools.
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Let's not make this too complicated. If you're going to base the offense on running the football, you have to have a good offensive line. Right now, UND has a poor to below average offensive line.
"Trying the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity."
It may be time to try new players. Insert Cox into either Boas or Miller's spot and perhaps even think about playing Elijah Grady. It's may be time to replace the "hogs" who simply don't fit the mold as far as a smashmouth DI offense goes.
If UND's offensive lineup goes unchanged and predictably struggles on Saturday, I'll be disappointed in the coaching staff's inability to make adjustments. Fortunately, UND may be able to keep their offensive unit intact and still be effective, because UC Davis won't be like NDSU's defense. With that said, Drake wasn't supposed to be that effective defensively either...
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Mussmans teams had better offenses.
Mussman's teams also couldn't win (averaged 4 total wins per season as a member of Big Sky Conference). If Mussman's offenses were so good, they would've won more than that.
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But, we laid an egg on two consecutive saturdays. That is what is unacceptable. We need to start being competitive in every game. Our D is on the right path and our front 7 is the real deal. Our offense just needs to start clicking or our D may not hold up all season. We need high standards as fans, its a good thing.
That's easier said than done. I mean, we're talking about an entire unit here; when you have a good defense but a bad offense, that equates to an average football team. Right now, UND is an average football team (5-6 or 6-5). Until the offense comes together, they wont be a playoff caliber squad. Fortunately, I think the offense has the potential to improve during the season, and with that, the team could perhaps reach the 7 win mark and possibly the FCS playoffs.
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The reason I want Mollberg to play, when he healthy, is because he can do things that Studsrud will never be able to do. Studsrud throws a nice ball but he can't make all the throws, I've seen a lot of one hops to guys on the sideline routes. Mollberg can actually spin it out to those guys with enough venom. And for those of you saying Studrud has played really well I totally disagree. I get nervous when he passes because he stares down his primary read worse than Dante Culpepper, and he had Moss. I realize that we need better playmakers on the edge but we also need a qb cabable of progressing through his reads and making the throw and being able to handle the pressure. Joe was clutch last year against Montana, big time. He's the guy we need to play.
Pulling our starting QB after a 2-1 start is not the answer. Going back and forth does not promote chemistry and rapport, and Bubba wants this to have long-term perspective as we are building up this program, not just this team. The only true bad offensive play is a turnover, and Studsrud has thrown zero interceptions and led the team to zero turnovers in the two road contests of 2015 thus far.
I EXPECT Studsrud to bounce back at home against UC Davis. If the running game gets going, and receivers are running wide-open on pass plays, and yet Studsrud can't capitalize, then there may be issues. However, in the past 6 quarters, there hasn't been any resemblance of a solid running game and WRs haven't been gaining separation to help out the QB position. You can't put poor QB play all on the QB himself; its so much easier to play that position when the people around you are contributing.
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Tough loss In Fargo but we are still 2-1 and the real season starts this weekend. Big Sky is wide open. There is not a team left we can't beat and not a team left that can't' beat us. they can get to 3-1 with a win on Saturday and the easiest way to make people forget about NDSU is to go out make some noise in the conference and get into the playoffs. this team can go 5-3 in conference, but they could also go 3-5. Need to show up each week. Starts Saturday.
Very true. Most Big Sky Conference teams would lose handily to NDSU in the Fargodome as well, and even with that thinking, its time to move on and start thinking about the Big Sky Conference season. UND has an excellent opportunity to start the season 3-1 and 1-0 in the Big Sky Conference; that's certainly a step in the right direction.
Everyone get out to the Alerus Center on Saturday and support the UND football squad; they deserve support as they still have the opporunity to accomplish their #1 goal this season: win the Big Sky Conference and receive an automatic bid into the FCS playoffs.
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When you see 4 yards of total offense in the 3rd quarter, people should be called out, coaches and players.
Absolutely. The whole unit, coaches and players, did not do their job on Saturday. Changes need to be made, but they need to be more than just switching out the QB. The play-calling, offensive line/blocking scheme, skill position players, etc. all needs to be analyzed so that this offense can start developing. Last season the offense was horrible, and if the offense hits another season-long dry spell in 2015, it will look like the offensive coaching staff is an issue along with the players.
With that all said, I do think there is something to the fact that the offense is young and maybe just more game experience and upcoming talent via recruiting is needed. Continuing to work hard and patience is a virtue.
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Let's make a QB change after only 6 quarters of poor football? That isn't a large enough sample size, in my opinion, and I would hate for the coaching staff to make an impulsive irrational decision this early in the season. Also, for those who appear to have forgotten, UND does still have a winning record.
The offense has been horrible in the last 6 quarters, but changing QBs isn't going to help if they're constantly getting pressured and hit or the WRs aren't breaking free and doing their jobs. There's more than one position on offense that makes it go, and right now, the offensive line, WRs, and RBs need to play better, particularly the offensive line.
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What people watch is their own prerogative. I also care about FCS football, which is lower level football. NDSU's lower level football success is not comparable to UND's division 1 hockey success. That is all.
Remind me again, what's the most popular sport in the United States of America? How about the second most popular?
Answer: not hockey
Relatively speaking, college hockey gets zero national coverage. Having a very good football and/or basketball program does way more for any NCAA institution, including FCS football. FCS football produces a medium for national coverage, and to just ignore that is completely short-sighted. NDSU's success in FCS football has produced a following that completely rivals UND hockey and its following. Failing to strive for excellence in terms of UND's FCS football program would be an absolute mistake.
If you can't handle the truth regarding hockey and its following, turn your attention to Canada, because the last time I checked, UND is still south of the border.
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Obviously, what was inherited was quite different. But, I think it's fair to bring up that NDSU's staff is in their second year together also.
Quite different? What was inherited was night and day different. One coaching staff was fired because they were incompetent whereas the other left willingly because they were doing so well.
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Just made it back from Fargo. Tough game with both the lopsided score and the injury to Arnell - my thoughts are with him and his family.
Today showed the amount of work that UND and Bubba have left to do: they have to increase talent but they also have to aspire to build the Alerus Center atmosphere up to what Fargo has - it's pretty special.
Defense did did some good things, but the UND offense did nothing. With no ability to move the ball, the game snowballed in the 2nd quarter. Defensive secondary and the entire offense needs to improve with BOTH better coaching AND better players. Significant disparity between UND and NDSU is still quite evident.
Best UND performer in today's game was P Mitch Meindel, but I can't say that the special teams were solid because kickoff and punt coverage was not good.
Bubba, his staff, and the student-athletes need to just get back to work and use today's game as a measuring stick in terms of UND football's expectations. It won't be easy, and it won't happen overnight, but it can be done. UND is 2-1, not 1-10; it's still very possible that UND improves off last season by winning 6 or more games this season. Keep the faith and support coming! Yes, right now UND football is horrible offensively and only part ways there with overall depth, but the program is only in year 2 of Bubba Ball and it's where the team goes from this that matters the most.
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The arrogance of Fargo and NDSU has what's good for them coming.
Go UND!
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Another thing on this game. I'm hoping someone from the Alerus and the athletic dept take some notes on how to do the game say atmosphere. From the intro to the various things to get fans involved the fargodome does a good job with a football game to make it an event.
Absolutely. Couldn't agree more.
UND and the Alerus Center need to step up their production game, as far as team introduction and in-game atmosphere goes. The Alerus Center has those big fancy video boards, so they need to use them! There is so much untapped potential for the introduction; in-game atmosphere does depend partially on the team executing and producing, but there's deficiency there also.
UND and Alerus Center need to do better.
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Agreed, definitely can't turn the ball over against a more talented team. I don't see the Bison turning the ball over much either, but we can't be dropping interceptions like we have been.
Exactly. If Wentz gifts the UND defense with even just one poor pass, they need to make NDSU pay and catch the damn thing.
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To add to this, UND needs to run the ball effectively and HOLD ON TO THE BALL. Turnovers will kill UND in any game considering how they want to play. Only way UND wins this game is if they win the turnover battle. That means the offense needs to run the ball and hold on to it, and the defense needs to come up with turnovers when they present themselves.
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Spoke to a Drake fan after the game and he said Drake will beat South Dakota. Said North Dakota was too strong to beat. Fundamentally but not athletically, Drake might be the best team we face.
That's hard to believe. We'll see how Drake does against South Dakota; if Drake wins, it will make UND look a little better, but by that time the UND vs. NDSU game will be giving us more valuable information anyway.
I sure hope it was more of a case of Drake doing good things rather than UND doing bad things. Unfortunately, I think it was more of the latter.
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Games aren't played on paper. Nerd stat data doesn't score touchdowns or make tackles.
Thanks for trolling.
Exactly.
There's a reason they still play the games.
Looking forward to the game on Saturday. Go UND!
UC Davis: Big Sky Opener
in Football
Posted
HOW they get these young playmakers (John Santiago, Iwarri Smith, etc.) the ball is also important. I think the powerback types of Olivera, Norberg, and Arrington need to be playing with the power running game whereas Santiago and Smith need to play in more open space and even some out wide. This would allow the team to run power and then counter with bubble screens/quick passes to the outside to keep the defense honest.
All in all, regardless of the player, I just want to see Rudolph call more plays that swing the ball out wide in order to take pressure off the struggling interior offensive line. Once defenses are playing more honest, then the power running game will hit some big gainers.