UND-FB-FAN

No question Tibesar would be a great hire, but I'm not sold on the athletic department's willingness to pay him the $200,000+ that would probably be required to acquire him.

Most of those you mentioned are defensive players, so I can see your point. Our defense has really improved from last year to this year with those young recruits…

Other than Golladay, nobody in the last couple classes has been phenomenal. Not to mention those players from those classes are frustrated with the coaches and unmotivated due to the current situation. The next class will likely be much worse than that of the last two years if Mussman and his staff remain.

I think Faison has handled his responsibilities fine, and given the additions you mentioned, he has helped move this football program forward. With that said, the most important aspect of a football team is the coaching and recruiting. In my mind, if UND finishes with a losing record, it's up to Faison to do the right thing and hire a new coach who can instill confidence and recruit top FCS caliber student-athletes. Mussman does not cut it, in both the leadership and recruiting departments.

99% of the candidates wouldn't be available until the end of the seasons regardless; however, that's still not the reason Faison hasn't done anything yet. You can't hire a new HC mid-season. That's essentially never happened because the coach needs time to hire his own staff and implement his own system.

I too question what Faison and the athletic department are willing to pay the next head coach, that is if Faison does indeed do the obviously required thing and remove Mussman and his staff. I hope they get a 200k+ kinda guy but that depends on how much Faison is willing to commit to the football program. So far there has been no indication that Faison wants UND's football program to be a top 3 Big Sky program.

I agree 100%. This current staff is a joke and they're the primary reason this program has been run into the ground.

Relieve Mussman of his duties now and promote Kotelnicki to intern HC to let the players and fans/alumni know that these kind of performances won't be tolerated by Faison and the athletic department and change is coming. At the end of the season, clear out the staff and hire a coach who has been apart of a winning DI program, whether that be as a coordinator or position coach.

They're understandably frustrated, just as the fans and alumni are. A lot of "I'm done" and "so sick of this" kind of stuff.

UND may not be the most talented football team in the Big Sky, but there is absolutely no reason this team should get blown out consecutive games at home! This team, if properly coached, should be able to COMPETE with nearly any FCS school at home. The fact they can't compete with the schools in the conference-the same ones we will see year in and year out- is absolutely unacceptable. The effort isn't there cause the team has quit on Mussman. The goofing off on the sideline is simply proof of the lack of disciplines. I'm glad Faison noticed this; he'll make the correct move if this continues. Only question now is whether or not it's mid season.

If McGhee is playing, it will be a very difficult game, if it wasn't before. UND coming out on top of this one would be a very good win. Doesn't look good though.

I can't speak for the whole team, but some of it, yes.

Because the players themselves don't respect Mussman. Players at NDSU are terrified of/respect Bohl to death; that's definitely not the case at UND. Hard to have success when the soldiers think the general is full of himself and doesn't know what he's doing.

Not gonna try sugar coat this, I HATE that UND is all about hockey. If anything, I would love for football to be equally funded with the hockey program, but that'll never happen. NDSU having success at the FCS level this season already has had more national exposure than UND would have with a national championship in hockey. I guess I just see it the same way the nation does: football is #1 and basketball is #2. Nevertheless, I'll always be loyal to my alma mater. After all, I did not decide to be a part of UND just to be a sports fan, but rather to get a quality education.

Facts, buddy. UND's men's basketball went 12-8 in the conference last year and were third, not last. They actually had the best conference record for a league newcomer and almost made it to the conference tournament championship game.

If UND can come away with a win, it would show well for the coaching staff. The Montana game was tough on the players and coaches, as well as all supporters, and if Mussman can right the ship with a victory vs. MSU, then that will show well for Mussman's leadership. Now, if UND loses, it just shows this team can't beat an MSU team desperately missing their starting QB, our defense is what it is, and perhaps the team is still in the dumps after the UM game.

Heart is telling me yes, but my head is saying no. At the end of the day, I need the defense to prove me wrong. Montana State 42 North Dakota 31

So a week after we get embarrassed at home against Montana, I watch NDSU get recognition and major promotions on national television. Proud for the state of North Dakota and excited for basketball season though!

Absolutely, well said.

Yeah, I think outstanding is a bit of a stretch, especially since we haven't played the majority of the true freshmen and only a selective few of the redshirt freshmen. Don't know what those classes can be until they see consistent playing time.

The transition made recruiting more difficult, there’s no question about that, but if you have a good recruiting staff, you can still bring in good players. During NDSU’s transition, they collected several very good players, even a few which went on to play at the next level. UND and Mussman’s staff have performed horribly in the recruiting department and I don’t think there’s really much debate to that. Just look at our team’s make-up and you can see where the recruiting flaws are. QB: Two great freshman players with loads of potential, but where are the upperclassmen? Having a junior or senior who wouldn’t make a ton of mistakes is always a great asset! HB: Our starting RB is 160 lbs…enough said. Solution: A couple guys actually over 200 lbs! FB: Had to convert a linemen to FB because our projected starter quit the program. And we can’t seem to run the ball… probably more on the OL though. OL: Can’t run the ball. Several procedural penalties. Produce no push! Need some NDSU/SDSU type guys who can push the pile. WR: A+ DL: Other teams run the ball at ease. No penetration! LB: Defenses run the ball, can’t cover anyone, can’t produce turnovers, limited emotion, the list goes on…Need some “Football Players” that love contact and just make plays by always being around the football. Digger Anderson-types please... DBS: Can’t cover anyone, no interceptions, etc. 160 and 170 lbs CBs won’t get the job done. Need both more physical and more athletic guys back there. K: A P: Great young talent I know this is very generalized, but several recruiting hole are quite evident, particularly with the offensive and defensive linemen. Some of our starters belong in DII football, not the Big Sky Conference!

A combination of acetaminophen and caffeine won't be necessary, but thanks for the gesture. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to supporting the team against Montana State a week from Saturday. After all, I have mentioned before on here that I believe the team can make that game competitive, and even if the team loses two more games, they could still have a shot at the playoffs with a 7-4 record. In a more realistic sense, the chances this team records 7 wins largely falls on the potential improvement of the defense and overall discipline of the team. With the way the team has played thus far, I don't see it.

Likely will focus on how we got ran over by SDSU and absolutely destroyed by Montana. So yes, it should be a nice reminder …

Unbelievable. Open against Texas A&M Kingsville with 11,000 but this play-off eligible hyped-up Big Sky season we open with 9,000. I think this indicates how important consistent winning is to attendance. And also how much this program has descended over the past 5 years. When the season's over, I know what I want for Christmas...