UND-FB-FAN
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Posts posted by UND-FB-FAN
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There is WAY too much emphasis put on metrics at the NFL Combine. QB is all about leadership, poise under pressure and intelligence (both FB and intellectual). JaMarcus Russell was picked #1 overall by Oakland because of his cannon arm. Where is he? Out of the league. And if Brett Favre, who spent his entire life in southern Louisiana (and went to college in Mississippi) can play in the "frozen tundra of Lambeau Field", not to mention road games at Chicago twice a year, anybody should be able to. Let's give Bridgewater a couple of years before throwing him under the bus.
My main reason for disappointment is not entirely on metrics, but rather the fact that I think there were better QBs available at the time the Vikings chose Bridgewater, namely Carr.
Of course, I hope he proves me wrong. Some analysts have compared him to Aaron Rodgers, and although I think those guys are crazy/nuts/gone, I hope they end up being right.
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Yea, I can think of one other guy that had to depend on a glove last season. Here are his stats:
5,477 yards and 55 TD passes
Get real; Manning doesn't depend on a glove. He put together many pro bowl seasons without a glove and certainly didn't have a poor performance which he blamed on not having a magic glove. He probably lost all those playoff games against the Patriots in the early 2000s because he didn't have a glove, right? C'mon man!
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Yes the Big Sky has produced some NFL talent but this kid isnt good enough to play on a bad gophers team so I'm not sure how he could play at the next level.
Depth chart/playing concerns, not talent, were the issue. He is only a sophomore anyways. And how was last year's University of Minnesota football team bad? They went to a bowl game and had a winning record (8-5).
Hinojosa was the no.4 ranked DT in all of Florida coming out of high school. He was recruited by Michigan State and West Virginia, among others. He has the ability.
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Anthony Barr is a good pick right at #9. The linebacker out of UCLA was supposed to be a top 10 pick during all of the 2013 college football season so I have no problem taking him in the top 10. In Mike Zimmer's defense, he will be used to do multiple things. He has a big frame (250 lbs.) plus he is athletic and fast (4.44 40). He will do fine.
Now, on the other hand, Teddy Bridgewater is a bust waiting to happen. His arm strength is average at best, he has a slight build (under 200 lbs.), and likely can't play in cold weather (Chicago, Green Bay, TCF Bank Stadium next two seasons, etc...). Plus, he depends on a glove for goodness sake! He will have to prove me wrong, because I think the Vikings should've gone with Derek Carr with the 32nd pick or waited in the 2nd round/3rd round for Zach Mettenberger or AJ McCarron. Teddy Bridgewater doesn't impress me right now, and I think they somehow found a way to reach again.
I'd give Barr a B+ grade and Bridgewater a C- grade. All in all, I give the Vikings a B- grade on their draft so far. Disappointing....
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Nice to see him have 3 years of eligibility to not only lead the defense but help teach the youngsters that come into the program. Hard work will pay off!!
In light of the NFL draft, let it be known that the Big Sky Conference has a history of producing NFL players if you play at a high level. That means Hinojosa will have an opportunity to make it to the next level if he performs well. Something all potential FBS drop downs should consider if they're thinking about going FCS and which school to go to. The Big Sky can get it done for you.
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At this point, I wouldn't get too worked up over deflections. Earlier on, I admit it was concerning, but now I think Bubba has proven he can easily replace the talent, whether that be via high school recruits or JUCO/FBS transfers.
It's important, and quite reassuring, to note that Bubba has done all this without even coaching a game yet or improving on our losing record from last year. If he can win, and add that to his already impressive recruiting tactics, we could see some really impressive talent influx and performances in the future.
Give it a year or two everyone, and then I believe we'll see UND finally get some respect in the DI football world because of our on the field performances.
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One of Bubba's assistants came from U. of Minn.; that is probably the connection.
That's likely how contact was made.
You can read about what has seemed to happen, including insight from Jordan Hinojosa's father, here:
http://www.forums.gopherhole.com/boards/showthread.php?53809-Jordan-Hinojosa-to-North-Dakota
It appears he went to community college out of high school, then redshirted last year at Minnesota. For no overly apparent reason, Minnesota pulled his scholarship last January. He still played their spring game hoping to impress other coaches. Fans on UM's fan site said he looked really good coming off the ball and he plays with a high motor.
Bubba's family-like atmosphere/emphasis probably was the main recruiting pitch that caught his attention, among other things, like playing time.
Hinojosa will likely be a big-time contributor on our defensive line for years to come, or at least it appears that way.
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CB is a no brainer. RB had a little more to it than just lack of quality recruiting. The attrition of quality backs was horrible. First it was Chappell then it was Murray and the result was a string of RBs who didn't get to mature before being thrown into the fire. Jake Miller should have never had his shirt pulled, same with Garmin. The string of attrition and lack of maturation paired with underwhelming recruiting left us with an underwhelming backfield. Either way, nobody would have been able to run last year. Also, if we had a great back in 2010 that team would have rolled up the rushing yards.
As far as I'm concerned, The only quality backs Mussman had during his tenure were Murray and Sharp, and well, Sharp has yet to play so I really am just guessing.
The others were mid-tier FCS backs at best. Compared to NDSU's DJ McNorton, Sam Ojuri, and John Crockett, we've had no talent in the backfield since going DI.
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@SiouxFootball: Per twitter it appears #UND has received a commitment from transfer DT Jordan Hinojosa of University of Minnesota.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T3F9jNV-Cm4
270 lbs. D-lineman that likely can play any of the 3 d-line positions. Should have at least 3 years of eligibility, maybe 4. From Miami, FL; graduated in 2012: 3-star RIVALS coming out of high school.
Makes 2 defensive FBS transfers this week.
Bubba has this thing going the right direction. Added quality depth at both DL and CB this week.
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He brought in a decent amount of talent, a lot of which was under the radar like Golladay. The bigger problem was lack of player development. I'm not saying every class was awesome because there were clearly gaping holes, but it was defiantly more about his players not reaching their potential.
There were a few positions he exclusively missed on, particularly RB and CB.
Therefore, is it merely a coincidence that Mussman's team couldn't run the ball and stop the pass?
Development was poor on both the O-line and D-line, which is disappointing considering Mussman's former coaching duties. Knuaf and Gigli (o line and d line coach for Bubba) bring experience that makes me think they will be able to shape the units up.
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One has to believe, with the pool of DBs acquired by Bubba, that at least 4 quality starters for the secondary will be on the roster come fall. That'll go a long way in improving the defense and becoming more competitive relative to Mussman's joke teams.
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Hanson would have been murdered against them. Having the best athlete on the field at qb gave us a good shot at winning that day.
Saying Hanson would've been "murdered" against them is way too bold and, in my opinion, incorrect. Hanson would've done fine. The atrocious defense was the problem that day, and well, basically all games since UND has been in the Big Sky. Defense needs to improve. I'm confident it will under Bubba's tutelage.
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I've never been excited about bringing in Juco's or transfers. In our case now, we have no other choice, but we are throwing together a bunch of kids who nothing about each other or our program and doing it in a very short period of time. I had high expectations for us for this year, but I am now scaling back.
It's really disappointing that so many of these guys didn't work out. These were mostly younger guys who should have been the heart and soul of the team in another year or two. There's really no other choice but limp through a few bad years. I just don't see a magic pill in transfers, sorry.
You were quite pessimistic, perhaps overly so, even before Bubba was even hired. You declared recruiting would be a failure, and now you're trying to say next season will be a failure.
In the right situation, FBS transfers and JUCOs can become the main contributors on FCS teams. Look at past FCS teams in the top ten - most have FBS and JUCO transfers. Same goes for Walter Payton award finalists and even winners. The FBS ranks can deliver quality players, both on and off the field, if the right situation arises.
Saying we have "no choice but to limp through a few bad years" is bullsh*t. I'm sorry, but that's all it is. We may have a .500 or 5/4 win season in 2014, but a winning season could easily happen in 2015. It's the nature of college football. If we have the proper leadership, which I now think we do, and we recruit the right athletes, we can make this thing work sooner rather than later.
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You mention the fact that many of these guys didn't have other offers. The fact is that a limited % of all signees in recent years had other offers. I am sure that the following stats are not totally accurate but this was the "known" status at the time of the signings:
Year Signees Other Offers
2011 23 6
2012 24 5
2013 24 6
(I can't get the proper spacing!!)
In many of the last few years, there has been a lot of excitement over our signing classes. I haven't wanted to "rain on the parade" but I have been following UND recruiting and recruiting in general for many years. There are some good prospects each year that don't have other offers but, as a rule, there is normally a good reason (talent, size or attitude) that kids don't receive offers - I think this is a major factor in our recent lack of success on the field and the large turnover of players.
In Bubba's first class, 14 of the 25 signees had other offers. Offers are more publicized now than in the past but I really don't believe there is much credence to an argument that this is a major factor in the larger number this year. Despite the late start this year, I believe we are certainly headed in the right direction!
Again, don't get overly analytical of the exact numbers - I am sure they are totally accurate but they do tell a story!!
It certainly seems like Bubba and his staff will be recruiting top-notch FCS talent, even if it means putting up a fight with the agricultural establishment to the south. Also, I love the fact that they are "always recruiting" and willing to bring in JUCOs and FBS transfers to make the team better. I believe we need that in order to get real competitive talent.
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I don't get this "under talented" thing. Did Muss recruit so many players that were not offered by other schools?
I get poor coaching, but it seems Muss was recruiting the same group of kids other schools were offering as well so I'm not sure about the lack of talent.
Talent was present in certain positions, such as QB and WR, but most of the roster was a joke.
Mussman's regime included horrid position groups:
QB was okay, particularity with FBS transfer Braden Hanson, but the Joey Bradley experiment didnt work out. And last year's reliance on freshmen quarterbacks (note the plural) was a failure.
RB was horrible. Relied on 160 Ibs. D2 runners throughout his tenure. We need DI running backs - they aren't that difficult to find.
WR - bright spot for Mussman
TE - lost in Mussman's pass happy offense; no idea what they could do
OL - couldn't run block at all; were at a disadvantage physically. That shouldn't have happened being Mussman was a former OL coach. Pathetic.
DL - the Bellmore, Devin Benjamin, Ross Brenneman combo was alright, but last year there were issues
LB - Lost physicalness on that side of the ball during the Big Sky years.
DB - Absolutely horrible. UND's passing defense was pathetic during Mussman's tenure. 5'8" 160 lbs CBs gave huge cushions on the WRs and the safeties weren't ball-hawking (few interceptions)
ST - positive. Zeb Miller was a good kicker. Hardin was a quality return man.
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It's quite evident that this team currently does not have the talent and personality necessary to be a top Big Sky team. The coaching staff recognizes that and they're making room for additional JUCOs and possibly FBS transfers. Throw in the talented incoming freshmen and JUCOs already committed and this team will be better off starting next fall.
In the long-term, I am quite confident that Bubba and his staff will recruit top-notch FCS talent, both on and off the field. Mussman really wasn't as good at recruiting as some made him out to be. The lack of the local emphasis in recruiting and player development really was an issue.
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I can't give you specific names, but scholarships are being modified which I guess is an indirect way to have kids leave. I am not surprised. Bubba is going to shape the team based on hard work, accountability, and attitude. Some of those characteristics definitely weren't displayed by some of Mussman's boys. I'm sure names will start to surface soon.
Obviously whatever was being done by Mussman was not working - that includes the players he recruited. Many of the players Mussman recruited were not held to high standards, and as a result, the team suffered.
Overall, in my opinion, the general expectations of the program dropped with Mussman at the helm. To him, it was expected and ultimately okay to go .500 every season.
As a mentor of mine once said, "If you think you're wrong, or you think you're right, you're probably right." In other words, have confidence!
Mussman's teams did not EXPECT to win conference championships, and subsequently, did not put in the work. Attitude and confidence are definitely at the top of the list when it comes to things Bubba can improve upon.
Of course, there are talent discrepancies that need to be addressed from the last few years too.
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Again, next season will see both capable roster additions and further current player development. Losing one's mind over only a spring game is absolutely idiotic.
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We went 3-8 last year! So going 4-8 or 5-7 this season is an improvement that people should not get down on! If we go 6-6, then everyone should get really excited for the years to come because Bubba knows what he's doing!
The JUCO transfers are an interesting topic.
We could easily get 6 starters from them. 2 OL, 1 RB, 2 CB, and 1 S. That could possibly improve this team to a 5 or 6 win ball club.
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What other measure could someone possibly use to say one WR corp is better than another?
Saying UND had the best receivers in the nation seems like one of those things that someone said once and every UND fan jumped on board. If they were the best WR corp in the nation, then they were simultaneously the most under-achieving receiving corp in the nation.
Making the argument that they didn't have a QB that could get them the ball is not valid if you ask me, because there is no way to know how they would have performed, we only know how they actually performed and it certainly wasn't as the best in the nation.
We KNOW how they performed when they had Braden Hanson, an FBS transfer QB from North Carolina, throwing the ball to them in 2012 versus Mollberg/Bartels in 2013. Plus, Golladay transferred UP to NIU, so it certainly looks like they saw big time talent.
WRs are only as good production-wise as the QB and O-line, and if you think differently, you really don't know what you're talking about.
Bottom line: Your assertion that UND's 2013 receiving corps was built-up purely on hype is absurd. Greg Hardin will likely be on an NFL roster this fall; Jameer Jackson was a candidate for freshman of the year for 2012, and Kenny Golladay transferred UP and made big-time plays throughout his freshman and sophomore campaigns. The WR corps for the 2013 squad was big-time; but like I said earlier, the other positions couldn't handle their end of the bargain. End result is a bad football team. Poor coaching didn't help either.
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my main question was to whom had knowledge of the personnel +/- from last year to this one as to how much lbetter/worse we will be than last year. I didn't intend a discussion on who actually ended up having the best receivers in fcs last year. jmho
We'll slowly but surely improve each season under Bubba (at least that's the plan!). He will focus on making this team more hard-nose and physical. That starts with big, strong bodies upfront on the o-line and d-line, but it also is a mindset thing.
With a harder hitting, more aggressive defense, along with a physical-mindset and running game on offense, this team will improve. The top bar for next season is at 0.500, which would be a +3 in wins. Anywhere from 4 to 6 wins will likely happen which is an improvement from last season.
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More depth? this isn't basketball, you only need three. The best receivers in the fcs do not give up on plays.
Eastern Washington was better coached, had a better defense, and had/has an exceptional quarterback. All those things lead to the WR corps looking real good. Not to mention they were winning and their morale was high. The WR corps last year for UND was outstanding. With that said, not much else was even average, which lead to the losses and poor morale of Hardin, Golladay, and Jackson.
Eastern Washington does not have a WR that could transfer to an FBS program; Golladay did that. That's impressive in itself. Wish Golladay was still on the roster, but RJ McGill and Casey Young will likely fill in nicely for this upcoming season.
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So last year, the UND athletic department sold the season on our exciting home schedule. This year peoples expectations are to be a .500 team and not be blown out in the loses we do have!! Yes we do have a new coach and a new system. The die hards will be there. But to the casual fan, a .500 team is not gonna get people to games or create any interest in this team. Not meaning to be all negative, but the attendance issues from last year are deffinitely going to carry over to this year!!
Not if there are big wins and surprises (San Jose State, Montana, Montana State) ...
I'm gonna go out on a limb real early here and say we get at least one win in those above mentioned match-ups
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I believe propaganda similar to what was put out prior to last season would be a setup for failure. This season they are tempering expectations, and rightly so. This team will not be good this year, but hopefully they improve and carry some pride into future seasons.
Not good? Let's wait and see on that. I'm not saying this will be a playoff season, because I don't think it will be, but 0.500 is possible. That would not make the team bad, especially considering the previous season.
I think this team has potential. We'll know more after the first 3 games or so, obviously.
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Spring time for Bubba and UND
in Football
Posted
Apparently you think a lot of things are "silly", so let's have a "serious" talk.
1) You may be able to make the argument that the 2013 University of Minnesota football team was not as good as their record indicated, or that they were an average Big Ten football team as their conference record (4-4) indicated, but they certainly did not "suck". There are different ways to categorize a team besides "suck" and "awesome". After all, they defeated Nebraska and Penn State and only lost to eventual Rose Bowl champion Michigan State by 11 in East Lansing.
2) High school rankings, such as those by Rivals and Scout, may be overrated and not an exact science, but they aren't "silly". They judge talent and ability. Many recruiting coordinators admit to semi-relying on recruiting services such as Rivals and Scout.
3) We ultimately won't know how good Hinojosa will be until we see him perform on the college stage, but he had the high school rankings and recruiting interest, along with his current frame, to at least be considered a potential FCS top performer. As we see year in and year out, if you are a top FCS performer, you will get recognized by NFL scouts and have an opportunity to play in the NFL. See WR Greg Hardin