Sioux Nation

Bet Ferguson and Young are either wishing they had stayed or are laughing at Bubba's and Rudolph's struggles. Or, maybe Rudolph wishes he wasn't such an ass. Someone liked his play calling?!?!? Come on.....you have to throw early rather than waiting for obvious passing situations with the young QB and average OL. Too many time this year it has been run....run....pass....punt. Anyone on this board could call those plays.

Lot of poor play and poor play calling yesterday. The fake punt was not the best coaching decision. Way too many dropped passes. I think Cerriteno had three drops by himself. The other comment is that Walker seems to be no factor. Seems pretty slow and unable to get open which isn't helping the QB's. I will also agree with the post about Garmin. I've been tough on him too but he did run well yesterday. Rumor has it that Bartels is hurt and Molberg may be done for the year. I have heard they may pull the redshirt of the freshman for the remainder of the year.

After reading all of the posts, there are two things that are spot on. First, the offensive line is mediocre at best. It would be nice to see them fire off of the ball and get a good push. Second, Rudolph's play calling is sickening. UND HAD 6 YARDS OF TOTAL OFFENSE IN THE SECOND HALF!!!! I know many on this board defend him because the team "lacks talent". I don't buy that at all. If that is the case, then quit trying to run right up the gut on first and second down! How about a sweep play? How about play action on FIRST down? There is zero creativity. The defense played great and it is nice to see the aggressiveness. Rich and Ratelle played extremely well. So what will Rudolph do against a talented team? I predict Montana State, Montana, and Eastern Washington put 50 points on the board. Most likely fits right into Rudolph's plan because at that point, running the ball will be his best option to end the game sooner.

You are the perfect example of what I talk about when I said there are coaching staff kiss asses out there. Listen, maybe on the occasions I had the chance to interact with Rudolph he was preoccupied or didn't give a !@#$ who I was. You seem to think he's awesome. Regarding Young, yes, I might be biased because I met him early on during his freshman year. Great kid who does everything right and works his ass off. I watch quite a few practices and honestly don't see much difference between receivers. Now, I am no football super expert but I do know quite a bit about the game. I would say the same thing about Bridges. I watch him and don't see any huge differences. And he played last year when the receiving corp was deep. Here's my opinion....the staff recruited these kids and made promises to them about playing as true freshmen. They are the new staffs recruits and they are going to live and die with them. So be it. My new goal is to be as smart as you.

I understand many of you on this board are hard core Sioux football fans. It always amazes me that any negative posts receive so many "Give Bubba a chance" or "Mussman left the cupboard bare". Listen, there is no doubt that this team has minimal talent. I couldn't agree more with you about Rudolph. Probably the most arrogant assistant coach I have ever met. I have followed UND for over 20 years now and Rudolph has the attitude that he "knows it all". At least he has finally started playing a RB with some size who doesn't get tackled easily. The offensive line is not playing well. You can't blame everything on Molberg because he doesn't have much time. Rudolph has his two prized freshmen and JC transfer wide receivers on the field. Are you telling me Bridges and Young don't at least deserve a shot after watching the fiasco on Saturday? This current group of wide receivers drops passes and blocks very poorly if you watched the game. Now, here is where I blame coaches. If Rudolph knows what he has offensively, then game plan accordingly! The defense has played with heart and effort. They do not quit and their first half was solid. Did MSU make better adjustments....hell yes they did! The difference is that the defense was at least in the game. The offense has been inept all season. You can blame lack of talent but that can't go hand in hand with inferior coaching. Rudolph needs to make some personel changes and look at himself in the mirror. As I mentioned in another post, Montana, Montana State, and Eastern Washington are going to be ugly.

How Garman even sees the field has been beyond me since day one. The dude is tiny yet they hand him the ball on dive plays up the middle. He goes down so easy it's embarrassing. Yet for some reason, the same love affair Muussman's staff had with him has carried over to this staff. The kid goes down if someone touches him. Another area where I question the staff is WR. Is anyone impressed by #10 or #5? #10 dropped at least two balls. I really thought Young would see the field this year but obviously not the same type of "Garman love" spreading his way. Defensive line is tooooooo small to play a 3-4!!!

Hambone.....I have heard that RB may be next (and that's not running back)!

UND Colorado, you seem to be high on Young....any word on why he can't crack the lineup?

When Young got here as a freshman, I really thought he would be an impact player. Sadly, it seems like he is now caught in the middle of the coaching change. They really seem to like their recruiting class and want to see them play (obviously). I watched a lot of practices between Spring and Fall ball and thought Young looked pretty solid. Watching Fall ball, it is very evident that they want their recruits to make an impact. I also agree with geaux-sioux on Ivery. He too has paid his dues and has been pretty solid but under the radar in Fall camp. My fear is that with an very questionable offensive line, this team could find itself forced away from their "pound the ball" strategy. If they are trailing in games, they are going to forced to throw the ball and these freshmen receivers may be a bit exposed.

There are rumors flying around that Aaron Carr is leaving the program. I was wrong when I predicted he wasn't coming back but it looks like he really never wanted to come back anyway. Curious why he left since he was projected to be a starter.

I have waited to post until I watched a few practices. I have watched four workouts now. Here are my takes for what they're worth. Agree with the QB statements. Neither one seems to want to separate himself from the pack. They each have their ups and downs. Maybe Saturday's scrimmage will allow one of them to put some distance between himself and the pack. The o-line is a work in progress. They have been moving a few kids around but they are really struggling with exchanges and shotgun snaps at center. Again, agree that this is one area where a solid JUCO would have helped and they didn't get anyone. Running backs have all looked pretty good. Its too bad Jer is so darn short because he is very quick. I really can't say that any one has looked better than the others. The wide receivers have actually impressed me the most given the defections from that group. Some guys on this board are really jumping on Walker's bandwagon. Personally, I think he is good but not heads and tails above anyone else. Maybe just getting hyped because he's a freshman. Honestly, Carr, Young, and McGill have been very solid as well. I love watching Young run block because he really gets after it. I think he and a defensive back got into it during one of the sessions. Carr is very fast and looks to be a nice deep threat. The tight ends looks really solid and are a hard working group. They have to be thrilled that they might actually catch a pass this year. Without too much detail on the defensive side (I am offense biased) I get the feeling we will be MUCH IMPROVED! There is more discipline, better coaching, and a few athletes that should help. The transfer from Kansas looks like a damn beast. Peters may be the odd man out there. It looks like they have been working Hinjosa at nose guard a bit. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, Walker seems to have some issues because he is not suiting up at all (that I saw). I can't predict what the season will be like but I sure like what I am seeing at practice. Night and day from Mussman's debacle.

There are some rumors about Walker missing some games for some reason to start the season. I hope they aren't true. I will also publicly acknowledge that I was wrong about Carr because it appears he is back. I am excited to see the product Bubba puts on the field. I know the boys will carry a more competitive attitude and I promise you we won't see the antics on the sideline that we saw last year.

Dad, I hope everything you say is true. Its very easy for a parent to brag about their son. More importantly, I hope your son brings a high sense of ethics and morals along with his bench press and squat. I must admit that I have to be skeptical how a kid with the talent you describe wasn't part on Minnesota's defense. I do truly hope that their loss is our gain and your son makes you and everyone else proud of his decision. Best wishes and welcome to Sioux Football

Hey Teeder, Would you guess at least 30 boys there tonight? I am impressed with the turnout. There seems to be a lot of good competition and enthusiasm.

Thanks for the link UND Colorado. Given your name, I assumed you'd know some history. I watched the video which was pretty darn good. I'd love to see that on the field for UND. Darell1976...... Wholeheartedly agree with you. I would prefer a program that could survive on pure recruiting. That idiot Mussman and his staff left too many holes to fill through the normal recruiting process. Historically, JUCO kids can be a little risky from an academic standpoint. They are at a JUCO because most of the time, they couldn't gain admission into a four year school. Any time you get a transfer, there are sure to be question marks as to "why" a kid leaves Houston or Minnesota and comes to North Dakota. Regardless, I do hope that Bubba has established some discipline and accountability for everyone on the team. If that's the case, they can bring in anyone they want.

I would guess around 14-15. Hey UND Colorado, do you know any details on Young?

I snuck out and watched the boys throw yesterday at the stadium. I have two observations based on watching a modified 7 on 7. We have upgraded dramatically in the defensive backfield. I don't know all of the kids, but Tillman (from Houston) is the real deal. Granted we don't have anyone running 4.25 but I doubt too many FCS schools have that talent. He closes on the ball extremely well and will make a difference. On the receiver side, Casey Young looked REALLY good. He caught everything including numerous deep balls. He looked quick and created nice separation. I know that Tim Belmore was very high on this kid when he recruited him. My research shows he was the Colorado 5A State champion in the 110 hurdles both his junior and senior years. Personally, I think he was a victim of circumstances last year. Honestly, most of the kids catching balls all looked pretty good. Both QB's threw the ball well with nice accuracy. Can't say one looked better than the other. Two weeks to fall camp!!!!

This is just an educated guess, but we are still short at: OL, DL, LB, and WR. I believe we still have to available spots but haven't heard any recent news.

Here's my opinion....these boys have committed to play football for UND for four to fives years. Until they are 21, booze is not legal to consume. Smoking pot should cost you your scholarship. You have your entire life to get drunk, get high, or get drunk and high. I understand the boys aren't saints and they are going to drink.....its part of being in college. There should be a price to pay if you assume that drinking to the point of stupidity is okay. I respect Bubba for trying to create a team that actually faces consequences for making the football team and the university look bad. Isn't it called accountability?

I am pretty sure my sources early on were correct and Carr is leaving. What makes you think he is staying?

Any update on Aeron Carr? I have heard he might be transferring to run track.

You're right Soo.......we shouldn't expect accountability, hard work, and overcoming adversity. Much easier to quit and move on. Maybe if we see one another you can tell me how your time was at Occupy Wall Street.

There is always that liberal viewpoint. Your comments are exactly what society is about today.....entitlement. So if you get a new boss at work, he or she has different expectations, should you just quit? Or, maybe you are worried that the new boss will find out that you've not worked too hard and just kind of slid by? I'm sorry, but this is real life that these young men are dealing with. As soon as they face some adversity, it's easier to quit than work your way through it. You are right that maybe some may not be a "fit" but my understanding is that not "fitting" in most cases had to do with attitude, work ethic, where they were on the depth chart, or having their scholarship reduced because they aren't earning it. And again, to your point, maybe some just didn't like the new boss and they quit to seek new opportunities. The question that will always remain though is, could they have stayed and changed their ways to actually earn the respect and confidence of the new boss?

Add Aaron Carr to the list of possible "bye-bye". Listen, that previous piece of crap coaching staff turned their heads to a lot of BS behavior. Bubba is not about that.....he's about work hard and have the right attitude. If kids came here under the previous regime and that is now gone, I can see why they don't want to be here. Those that are willing to change will be welcome with open arms. I am glad Bubba and his staff are cleaning house.......keep the kids who want to be here. Makes us awful thin at OL AND WR!!!!