UND-FB-FAN

I agree with the hometown advantage; this thing won't be a TRUE competition. Mollberg already has the job wrapped up. Mussman said Mollberg was their #1 recruit a year ago - I translate that into "he gets the job".

The offensive line does need to improve in run blocking. With that said, Sutton was the best back on our team last season (with the possible exception of PJ Sparks, but there's no way to know since he didn't play). 170 lbs. RBs are not going to work well every down in the Big Sky - the defenses are too athletic and physical. That's why Jake Miller and Jer Garman are nothing more than 3rd down backs in the Big Sky, and it's also why the 220 lbs frame of Sutton made him our best back last season. Just look at the statistics; Sutton was far and away our best running back last season in terms of performance. Another concern is durability; look at what happened to Miller against Northern Colorado when there was no Sutton to spell him (and that led to Garman being our short-yardage back on the pivotal 4th and 1). Next season, Sparks and/or Patrick Sharp need to emerge or it could be another year with a limited running game. EDIT: Miller had 543 yards last season compared to Sutton's 467 yards rushing; however, Sutton had almost the same yds/gm as Miller (49.7 yds/gm for Miller vs. 46.7 yds/gm for Sutton) and Sutton had 11 TD versus Miller's 2 TDs. Of course, Sutton was used more as a goal line back than Miller.

The only game action Sparks saw last season was mop-up duty against SDSMT, but I'd say he looked the best out of all of our RBs in that game. His first career carry went for 45 yards! Miller had 178 yards that game but he broke a couple long ones with the first unit; Sparks was with the 2nd and 3rd team. I feel Sparks is our best all-around back right now heading into spring ball.

http://www.winonadailynews.com/sports/college/article_e3831610-7195-11e2-95d4-0019bb2963f4.html It appears Clark simply just chose to attend a smaller school due to personal preference.

Jake Miller won't do anything against top teams (see Montana State and Eastern Washington). He's a track star trying to play D1 football. If the running game is going to get going, PJ Sparks or Patrick Sharp will have to breakout. JJ Robertson is faster, stronger, and more talented than RJ McGill. I could see McGill playing more due to seniority, but since McGill is coming off an injury, I really wouldn't be surprised if Robertson completely takes over McGill's slot position.

Mussman hasn't done anything to deserve credit. I respect those who believe long-term tenure leads to success because that's one thing, but don't defend Mussman for something he has yet to accomplish or demonstrate. Hopefully that changes this season.

Offense: PJ Sparks (if he's played) or JJ Robertson Defense: Mike Edwards

I'm very happy for Mr. Mannausau - he's always appeared to be a class act throughout his time at UND. I believe his work will continue to push the Champions Club in the right direction and his influence on the football program in terms of funding and support may be very significant. Also of note, the coaching search to address the defensive coordinator spot will be an interesting one to follow. Will they pick up a highly-qualified outside coach to immediately coach the defense, or does Mussman promote a coach in-house to the D coordinator spot?

I'm not quite sure this is decipherable.

To just split on this road series would be fine, but lets see if we can knock off the Griz on Saturday!

Looking at his twitter, it appears Opara is a done deal. With that being said, the reasoning behind no announcement is strange to say the least. Perhaps there was simply a paperwork issue of some kind. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZ9f2Gg0Yg Whatever the details may be, he is a good football player and he could really help out our secondary.

Sounds like a great idea if it could ever get organized.

There will be new white jerseys and pants for this season. That means at home the team could wear white pants with the black tops or white jerseys with black pants on the road, if you're looking for a change up from last year. With that said, similar style Kelly green jerseys and Kelly green pants should be around for the 2014 season, which will give the team quite a few different uniform combination options.

Considering last year's inability to consistently run the football and stop the run, upgrades were needed at the line of scrimmage. I'm quite pleased the coaching staff made an emphasis to address that area by bringing in plenty of quality offensive and defensive linemen.

I don't agree. The Chicago metro area has always had an abundance of DI talent, but many kids who do not end up in the Big Ten do not end up anywhere at all. That is why recruiting kids who have their eyes set on Illinois, Northwestern, Purdue, or any other Big Ten school might payoff in the end when they’re eventually not offered a scholarship. As an FCS program, recruiting Big Ten potential players is a great recruiting strategy because not all of those players can be offered scholarships. Chicago happens to be one such area where more talent than possible Big Ten scholarships exists. And because recruiting is an inexact science, many kids who are not offered can end up being just as good if not better than the ones who are offered by Big Ten schools.

Its a great start for an intro video, but it needs to conclude with a better pump up song to get both the players and crowd into the game more. "Back in Black" by ACDC doesn't have that pump up factor - its not too early to start brainstorming for some ideas!

Connor O'Brien plays with passion at the OLB spot, what a get!! http://www.ncsasport.../connor-obrien5 This Illinois group is shaping up nicely; pair them with last year's group from Illinois and I think its fair to say we have found a gold mine in Illinois! We have to keep hitting the Chicago area in the future!! As far as this class as a whole, it's fair to say this may be our best class from a pure talent perspective ever! Now, whether or not that pans out on the field is another story, but you've got to be excited about this 2013 class!

Sharp is the better back relative to Gray, period. Sharp runs lower, has a better build (thus has potential to play over 200 lbs, which is what UND needs in their future RBs), and is probably even faster than Gray. Gray had that odd elongated stride, if I do remember correctly. With that being said, it wouldn’t be a bad thing if both of them were brought in because UND needs talent at the RB position, but Sharp is the better RB prospect of the two.

I agree - UND hung around but ultimately Weber State's depth and front court play was the difference. It was good to see Brekke get some minutes but it will take a couple of games at the least to get him back to where he was before the injury. In order for UND to reach the team level of the "Montanas" and "Weber States", they need to improve front court depth and overall play. Wilmer just doesn't cut it and tonight was Brekke's first conference game; just another reason not having Alonzo Traylor and Jaron Nash eligible hurts this team tremendously. At least their presence is something to look forward to next year. As far as that broken basketball hoop goes, I didn't notice it but it doesn't surprise. At this time of year (hockey season) UND puts all other sports on mute. It really is upsetting and an embarrassment if you're not a typical "only UND hockey" fan. I guess that's why I have my doubts regarding the current direction of both the basketball and football teams, despite trying to convince myself otherwise.

Considering Robertson's potential given his initial signing with Illinois, this is great news. It means he hasn't slowed or weakened since high school and he's ready to contribute right away. Due to the current WR corps, I'm not sure he'll get that playing opportunity right away in 2013, and the only variables to consider now are the QBs and O-line. I have confidence either Bartels or Mollberg will rise from the competition and prove to be the guy, so ultimately it comes down to O-line play. If Mussman and the rest of the coaches can come up with a cohesive and effective O-line combination, then the 2013 team has a chance to be really explosive with the passing game. Now, with that said, in order to win most of our games in 2013 the defense has to be the real improvement from last season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZ9f2Gg0Yg I'd have to agree. We could sure use a CB like him. If not him, hopefully there's somebody out there we end up signing. CB is quite possibly the weakest area on the team.

Those are all great things to hear!! Hopefully Labat can be a solid contributor for the defense in 2013!

Given the time of year it is, there has been a lot of attention on the construction of UND’s 2013 recruiting class. With that being said, the improvement of the defense in 2013 will largely rely on not this year’s recruiting class, but rather last year’s class. So, I decided to take a look at some redshirt freshmen who will have an opportunity to play on defense in 2013 year, and hopefully, be a part of a defensive rejuvenation. Defensive Line DE Alec Carrothers , 6-3, 240 I think Carrothers has an opportunity to see significant playing time, if not start at one of the vacated defensive end spots. I would expect him to be around 250+ by the start of fall camp and that makes for an intriguing prospect. Also, a word of caution in that we are losing three starting defensive linemen from the 2012 team – it will not be easy to simply plug in younger players and improve. With that said, Carrothers has the potential to be a real good one during his time at UND. NT Mike Edwards, 6-2, 290(++) Edwards has been receiving a lot of praise since his surprising and impressive play last fall. If it wasn’t for the 2-deep depth at NT with Benjamin and Henson, he likely would’ve got his redshirt pulled. Like Carrothers, he has an opportunity to be a major staple of the UND defensive line for the next 4 years. However, also like Carrothers, he is only a R. Fr. so it is important to understand he may not be overwhelmingly dominant right away, but for UND defense’s sake, everyone hopes so. ++ - Edwards is listed at 290, but that is a bit of an understatement DE Devon Hall, 6-3, 245 Hall has the size to contribute next year, but I’m not quite sure he is in the same category as Carrothers and Edwards. Like Carrothers, he likely has put on some weight and hopefully he can contribute some in 2013. * Although these three freshmen are talented, it is important to understand last year’s line was held down by three seniors. Because of that, I wouldn’t expect too much improvement immediately in 2013, but over time, the line could reach a level of play that is quite acceptable. In no particular order, Spencer Cummings, Aaron Hartung, Ben Henson, Seth Stanchik, EJ Welch, and Kyle Woodsmall will all be in the mix as well, so the DL has an opportunity to improve from last year due to simply increased experience. Linebackers LB JD Allen, 6-1, 195 This guy has his roots in Texas football, so I believe he has quality potential. In his case and all the other freshmen linebackers, playing time won’t come easy in 2013 due to a plethora of seniors and juniors at the linebacking corps. LB Brian Labat, 6-2, 200 A teammate of Joe Mollbergs back in high school, Labat is similar to Allen in that he has potential to be a good one at UND. In 2013, however, his playing time will be largely on special teams. EDIT: It appears Brian Labat has been really excelling during his time at UND thus far, both in the weight room and more importantly the classroom. There may be more opportunities for Labat this fall than I originally anticipated. LB Taj Rich, 6-2, 215 Rich could be a leading candidate to step in and fill Dominique Bennett’s, Damon Andrew’s, or Cordero Finley’s shoes after the 2013 season. He has the ability to be a good pass rusher from one of the 3-4 outside backer spots. *The freshmen linebackers have potential, but in 2013 the LB group will belong to the seniors and juniors. Last year, the LB play was not where it needed to be, but I have the upmost confidence that this group will return with valuable experience and improved play. The group for 2013 includes Damon Andrews, Dominique Bennett, Cordero Finley, Derrick Goard, Garrison Goodman, Brian Otto, and Ben Peters. With all of those experienced players returning for 2013, it’s hard not to expect increased linebacker play. Defensive Backs S Ryan Cain, 6-0, 190 Cain could see some valuable time at the safety spot next season. The starting spots will probably belong to Will Lewis and Baylee Carr, but including Cain in the rotation could largely improve the secondary. S Javen Butler, 6-2, 190 (sophomore) Butler will actually be a sophomore in 2013, but since he missed an entire semester, he has been a little behind and I consider him more a freshman for 2013 than a sophomore. If Butler can play along the lines of the reputation that preceded him back in high school, he could really be a difference maker. He has the size and ability to be a great run defender, and given last year’s run defense, having a good run support safety could really help out the defense in 2013. CB Dan Konowalski, 5-11, 170 Konowalski has an opportunity to help out on special teams in 2013, but he likely won’t see a lot of CB time until 2014, when Chris Hall and Chavon Mackey have departed. *The CB spot is quite cemented at the current time, which is somewhat of a disappointment given last year’s often horrific corner play. Jr. Daryl Brown along with seniors Chris Hall and Chavon Mackey will likely get most of the playing time. Wild cards include So Chris Brown, So Dwayne Brown, and So. Rumeal Harris – it would be a very good thing if one of those guys could step up and surprise. The safety spot is where we could see some new faces in the rotation. Cain and Butler will likely rotate in behind Carr and Lewis, but perhaps even true freshman Cole Reyes will see some time there. Nevertheless, this defensive secondary unit has to improve given the passing ability of Big Sky teams. Overall, I feel the experience coming back at LB is a huge strength for the defense in 2013. Hopefully, the LBs play like a new confident group, and the 2013 redshirt freshmen were the missing pieces needed to get higher quality defensive play.

Wow! Way to go Troy!! Good win.

Hopefully they can hang on; splitting this road series wouldn't be the worst thing. Also, this webcast is great - really good quality relative to most webcasts on Big Sky TV.