UND-FB-FAN

Where’s this second playoff win? Hypothetical home playoff win against Weber? Not convinced it would happen. Staff pissed their pants with a 24-7 home lead against Richmond in 2016 as the #7 seed.

Every season will include a road game against a good program, like NDSU or SDSU. UND needs to learn to beat good teams on the road. UND only beat cupcakes this season.

I respectfully disagree. best players need to be edge rushers (OLB) and corner. Also simplify the defense so the safeties can fly around and make plays, not sit there and overthink every damn play. With great edge rushers and corners, you’ll see a lot of strip sacks and interceptions; forced turnovers win games. There were no turnover producing studs on this year’s defense, and that hurt. The turnover differential was not in UND’s favor. Sure, the offense protected the ball fairly well, but not nearly enough turnovers on defense. That’s a highlighted issue for sure.

You don’t win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket.

UND went 2-1 in “toss ups” which is good obviously. Based on that, I suppose UND had an above average season. In order to have a good to great season, need to buck the trend and beat NDSU and/or SDSU in the future.

Complete overhaul on defense. Don’t get complacent on offense and special teams. If you can get a talented player in the portal, you get them. Obviously the priority is defensive back (corner and safety), but linebacker, defensive line and kicker also important. Hoosman is gone, so grabbing a talented running back also not a bad idea. Need more talent at receiver. Losing Zavalney, so grab a talented tight end if able. Another offensive line body for depth is fine also. Would you consider a project QB with good arm strength and speed as a project behind Tommy? Point is, UND football needs to get more talented. Self scout and grades will dictate this, as the defense and a couple offensive positions are not getting good on-the-field grades …

Just won’t happen. Bubba is too stubborn and loyal to the 3-4. Goes back to Roger Thomas and Dale Lennon. It’s all Bubba knows. Bubba is in the twilight years of his career; he won’t learn and implement anything else. Bottomline, coaches and schemes will be staying the same. Is it the best strategy? Of course not, it’s lazy; but the 7-5 record and playoff berth will give them and Chaves the justification to do it. Keeping everything the same is also the cheapest strategy, therefore it’s most likely to happen. Best hope is an extensive overhaul via the transfer portal, because currently the talent level of the roster is not good enough to win the conference, and certainly not good enough to dream about winning an FCS title. Again, despite the crap I get from clueless posters, the roster has too many DII players on it. Beyond scheme and Xs and Os, if Bubba and his staff can’t secure better players, then recruiting is also an issue for this staff.

Okay SlowBrain

Well, first off, that is a major question, but there should be no doubt better coaches are out there. Starts with what you have to offer contractually and financially. It then takes an extensive search to narrow that down and come up with the guys that are interested. If you look at what Bubba is currently making, there are a ton of FCS coordinators and DII head coaches on the potential list. I personally would go with an up and coming DII head coach, or a coordinator off the SDSU or NDSU staff. Top DII programs include Ferris State, Angelo State, Colorado School of Mines, Grand Valley State, Indiana (PA), and Shepherd.

To be fair, the writing was sort of on the wall that he would be successful. NDSU just has higher expectations for football than UND. Bohl had back-to-back 10-1 seasons in ‘06 and ‘07. Bubba hasn’t produced anything close to resembling that degree of success. closest thing would be a 9-3 season in 2016, which included a blown 24-7 playoff game lead, and then a follow up 3-8 season in 2017.

UND has one playoff win in … wait for it … 9 seasons! Bubba has definitely reached his ceiling. Hiring someone from a successful program, whether that’s NDSU or an ascending DII head coach, just getting new blood at some point is wry important. The current style and culture of the UND football program is certainly not championship caliber. @iramurphy will defend the staff, but the honest to God truth is there are far better, smarter people out there that UND could hire at the same rate they have Bubba currently hired for. The coaches salary pool still needs to be improved, though, no questions asked.

Completely agree. When reading the question, Craig Bohl for NDSU came to mind for me also.

It’s a season with an asterisk for several reasons. - less teams participating -players opting out - games canceled Without that spring season, UND football has had an average at best last four seasons. Despite that, the head coach still received an extension? What the hell?

So sad… and disappointing

Holinka failed to maintain and coordinate a competent defense. The complaints need to start and end with him. Obviously the players weren’t good enough either, but there were enough upper class men that the scheme and motivation/leadership needs to be put under the microscope. Obviously the secondary - other than CJ Siegel - was poor all season. The front seven also lapsed as the season progressed, unfortunately. Not enough strength, and as @geaux_siouxsays, nastiness up front.

Yeah, it will be acceptable. Because hockey, you know. On to year 10…

Sure, that’s true, but you’re going to have to play and win road games every season… need to do better on the road.

Yep, defense is awful. Tells you where this program is at. Danny Freund is an Up-To-Date contemporary coach that can motivate his guys. Bubba, the ol’ game manger and former DC, is way out of bounds. Holinka is in over his head. The defensive staff is inbred and not with it. Either Bubba retires and Freund elevates to head coach and makes changes to the defense, or Bubba makes some hard decisions and reshuffles the defensive staff. Also, defensive player skill level and strength needs to desperately improve. Bottom line, need new blood on defense, both coaches and players.

Danny Freund and the offense is okay. Can perhaps win with it. But the defense - and even the special teams - is no where near championship caliber. Disappointing since UND is led by a defensive background head coach. If the correct changes aren’t made, including to both coaching and players, then this defense won’t get it done. Hit the transfer portal hard, and consider some defensive staff changes. Please, please, please.

Major kudos to Danny Freund and the offense … once again. The defense - which includes Bubba and Holinka - remains the issue. Major changes need to be made.

Absolutely. I’ll take a winner in DII wanting to ascend versus someone with UND ties or mere average success as a DI coach.

Yep unfortunately. UND don’t pay sh*t to their football coaches. We expect more, gotta pay more.

UND got screwed on the bid war. No doubt. Game should be in Alerus Center right now, but bottomline is UND needs to learn how to win big games on the road. They will be on the schedule each and every season. At this juncture, big road games are guaranteed blow outs and disappointments for UND. Really, it’s always been that way under Bubba. Long ways to go to be a true championship contender.

Not on Kostich though. “He already did his work”. It’s on the players. His hands are clean from recruiting them and developing/teaching them.

On the surface, 7-4 and playoffs looks like an improvement. But anyone who follows the program knows the games against the powers (NDSU and SDSU) were actually worse than in 2021. And 2021 was just a petty collapse from the spring season’s progress. One step forward, two steps back.