UND-FB-FAN

At the FCS level, our backs are average at best. Furthermore, a team with average FCS players will NEVER win the Big Sky conference. We need to improve our talent or the training and coaching of the talent. One of the two needs to happen for this team to compete for a Big Sky title. I'll admit it, before this season I apparently thought this team was more talented than they now show they really are. Big Sky top teams like Cal Poly, Montana, Montana State, and EWU all have very talented FCS players. Right now, UND just doesn't have enough of those type of players. I feel this PROGRAM has all the potential in the world of FCS football, also. But, the program is the constant, while the players and coaches are the variables. We haven't even concluded our first Big Sky season, so I don't want to propose anything too drastic, but variables need to be worked with to change results. Theres no question the first thing needing change is the talent. As the R.Fr and true Fr. classes get older, along with incoming FCS-caliber recruits and FBS drop-downs, this team will hopefully improve and work its way up the Big Sky. As for this season, next two games will determine the season's overall success or lack of.

Lets see how run defense does against EWU tonight, and especially against Zach Bauman and N.Arizona, first. If we can contain NAU, we will hopefully be okay against Montana. As of right now though, that is alot to ask. Have to see some improvement tonight.

The season's outcome from this point forward will be determined by improvement; if the team plays the way they did last week versus teams like Eastern and MSU, they will all be loses and we will be sitting home for the playoffs. Have to see improvement in the area of turnovers and rushing defense if we are to make a run at this thing. Good news is those sorts of things are largely mental, so improvement from one week to the next is very plausible.

Yeah, can't play only half a game against a ranked team and expect to win. Hopefully the team learns from the Cal Poly game and improves for the rest of the season.

I'm afraid your criteria are a bit off - speed is certainly not everything. Sutton is our most accomplished back this season; much more than Miller and Garman. With that said, our RB corps is not to Big Sky standards. We don't have a back that can create if the blocking is not there. Miller, as last week and Portland State demonstrated, is just too small and hesitative if the blocking is not there. Garmin also is of the too small category. I think some major recruits and transfers (FBS and JUCO) need to be acquired this offseason. Just look at some the backs in this conference: Zach Bauman, DJ Adams, EWU's and MSU's stable of backs, etc. Now, do our backs compare to any of those? Absolutely not. In addition to defense, we need to improve the athletic talent at RB. I do agree with your assessment on Mersereau; he can't play the run like Dominique Hawkins and Justin Belotti were able to last year. An underlooked aspect of our running defense this season has been our safeties; we are missing our safeties from last year as far as getting good run support.

Simple Perspective: If we lose this game, we have to win out to make playoffs. That in its self makes this game very important. If last week wasn't a must-win, this week is...well...yeah...

Our defensive alignment is the not the issue, the players' execution within the system is the problem.

Turnovers and run defense. Have to improve both areas.

Absolutely beautiful day in Grand Forks! Days like today make you wish we had a real nice renovated on-campus Memorial Stadium ready to go! Well, hopefully some day. For now, let’s beat down Cal Poly, get some noise goin in the Alerus and have ourselves a great time! Go UND!! I’m off to tailgate!!!

THIS

I'll be attending that homecoming game and cheering on Youngstown St. UND game isn't until 7 pm @ EWU.

If the team keeps winning, I have a very good feeling this game will be a sell-out or at least very close to one. Atmosphere will be awesome.

Mussman admitted in today's press conference that Hanson can make throws that Hendrickson can't; however, a unhealthy Braden Hanson is a different story.

I have family members, who have completely ignored UND football during the transition, come up to me wondering about tickets and are considering going to the game Saturday evening. For the most part, these people don't follow sports largely but the attention on the team the last two weeks has brought UND football back into the spotlight IMO. If UND keeps winning, they will naturally put themselves back into focus and attendance should sky rocket. Should have a lot (10,000+) at this game and with a win, should see a near sellout at the N. Arizona game (homecoming) !!

Right now if you use the Sports Network Polls, the MVFC has an average position of 11th with 5 top 25 teams: 1) NDSU 3) Youngstown St. 13) Illinois State 14) N. Iowa and 25) South Dakota St. The Big Sky has an average position in the polls of 15th with 5 top 25 teams: 2) Montana State 7) Eastern Washington 21) Montana 22) Northern Arizona and 23) Cal Poly If you included the next two teams (1 per conference) you would have UND at 30th and Indiana State at 32nd, which would put the positioning closer with the MVFC avg. place 15 and Big Sky avg. place at 17.5 The major argument for both conferences would be N. Iowa in the MVFC and Montana in the Big Sky. N. Iowa is 1-3 and simply should not be in the polls. This isnt the final season poll, they should be allowed to win themselves back into the poll but not be babied and allowed to stay in the poll just because they scheduled tough - thats just poor logic. As far as Montana goes, I think NAU should at least be ahead of them. There only D1 wins so far have been Liberty and South Dakota, both at home. But, if you compare the two swing teams (Montana and N. Iowa), I'd say hands down Montana is the better team (IMO).

Interesting...makes you wonder

Ha...Ha...Hahaha

To bring them back to reality, thats why

This certainly makes sense, and it goes along with the 'just win, baby' theory; patience young grasshoppers.

Pick 6 to start a game can negatively affect the morale of a football team - starting the game out with a TD and going up 7-0 can have the opposite effect. Yes, Hendrickson has done great, but he's not perfect; let’s give the revamped receiving corps and Oline some credit and maybe consider that B. Hanson would have had just as much success if he had been in there the last 2.

Hendrickson has done extraordinary, don’t get me wrong, but he hasn't been perfect. The pick six he threw last week was the difference in the game when it came to the final score. I think the most difficult thing to comprehend is whether or not Hanson could have produced like Hendrickson if he had he played the last two games instead of Hendrickson. This really is a difficult situation but Mussman has hinted that once Hanson is healthy the likely outcome will be Hanson starting and Hendrickson seeing the field through certain packages that allow him to utilize his athleticism.

That documentary only reminded me how badly this series needs to be resumed. Despite being in different conferences, Taylor and Faison need to schedule each other annually in all sports. The UND-NDSU rivalry was good for so many reasons - the state of North Dakota deserves it.

I'm a fan of Braden Hanson but so far Hendrickson has done an outstanding job, and no matter the decision, the QB position is really not a concern. UND needs to get the running game going and play some defense - that’s where the concern lies.

Even when San Diego State fans have something positive to say about UND and their performance, NDSU dirt boys are the first to try and point out a mistake. That certainly deserves an LOL Real 'intelligent I must say'

Yeah, because Robert Morris and Colorado State are the best defenses in the FCS and FBS, respectively? It really is just not worth it to listen to arrogant NDSU fans, their heads are all way too big.