Old School Guy

A QB needs to be able to improvise. If Zimm was getting yelled at for making plays that kills morale. Hell when i coached Pop Warner my QB had the ability to audible or switch the play from the strong side to weak side or vice versa if he saw something that was available by simply tapping his helmet or leg while making eye contact with his receivers and RBs.

Good observation. I wonder if Kett has the autonomy to check off the "hot" receiver if he sees a mismatch?

Kett started to notice the rush. It's hard but the QB has to be able to look past and ignore the rush. He didn't trust his blocking and his feet froze many times. Bubble screens and dump offs to the RB in the flat slows down the pass rush, but we didnt try much of that the last few weeks. Brady caught a nice one late against Portland State but it was a rare occurrence that we even attempted it. I know I am in the minority but Harris was faster that most of the other WRs. I think his skills could have stretched the field with a 6' 3" frame which could have help the passing game.

QB sets up shallow because our route tree is not designed to have have guys run routes beyond 30 yards, so he is expected to get rid of ball quick which means he has to time to go threw progressions. The bad part, defenses can keep everyone within 15 yards of the LOS. which hurts the run game and nullifies the passing game.

I wasn't able to watch the game this weekend. But from reading the comments today, I get the sense the program took a step backwards with the loss to NAU. Not to pile on, but I was impressed with Zimmerman against Montana last year as I said before; disappointing that he didn't take any meaningful snaps this year. But, it appears once Kett decided to come to UND it was his job going into the season no matter what. Bubba needs to know its okay to sub a guy out who may be struggling. Its not like the NFL where you pretty much have to trade or release the starting QB if you decide to make a switch during a game. My other concerns is the injuries and our inability to finish games when we were leading late in the game. If UND wants to compete at the top of the pack in the Valley Conf., money needs to be found to fund a legit nutrition program; and the strength program needs to improve. I think we had speed guys on the roster being wasted and player development appears to still be an issue. Finally, I heard there is no sled machines in the weight room. If true, that's astounding to me. Having a strong core and base means everything as the season progresses.

The fact that we are still blowing leads on the road tells me two things: We have the talent to play with most teams on our schedule over the past 4 years. But, we are not comfortable being a lead dog. In 2015, we had Weber St down by 5 (24-19), with the ball near midfield, they had two timeouts and there was about 5 minutes on the clock. On first down, instead of running the ball to get the clock rolling we tried a naked boot and our QB gets strip sacked and fumbles. They run the ball back to the 10 yard line or so. And the rest is history. Clock management and being able to force the other team into panic mode is not something we've been able to do late in games. Oh, I almost forgot, we also missed a short 30 yd field goal in that game.

The wide gap punt formations puts the kids at a disadvantage. Lineup normal tighten the splits with only one upback. The upbacks were overwhelmed and distracted by the A and B gap rushers, leaving guys coming with a full run at the punter unchecked off the edge. If our guys are not blocking punts in practice all day, everyday, something is wrong with our punt block and punt protections.

Gotta be able to feel the game and run when needed.

I didn't say better but he looked damn good against Montana last year. He has better feet and I think he is a better runner when the situation calls for it. He reads the field better; Kett locks on a receiver pre-snap. Even the commentators noticed it.

Zimmerman is on the sideline. The kicking game is a joke. Same as last week.

I said it year before last, blocked punts are as a result of the blocking scheme. Not the players. We have 4 guys releasing on the snap so its 8 against 6. We are turning two guys loose on every single punt.

I wonder if Maag can kick too~

Maag is a beast!

Bubba must have owed someone a favor to offer the kicker a scholly. To boot, pun intended, he misses extra points indoors with perfect weather conditions. WTF! Other players blow one or two plays and they are benched. UND needs to have open tryouts on Monday to any student (male for female soccer players) to find a kicker.

No, not necessarily a speed issue as much as a confidence issue or responsibility issue. D-backs are usually taught to play pass first which means be sure the ball carrier has passed the LOS before selling out to come up to provide run support and make a tackle. The other issue is, some guys ain't about that life so, when a ball carrier with rocks in his pocket is coming up field, some guys are hesitant to come down hill. Both factors contribute to a ball carrier getting a 7yd gain before a d-back gets there. The other question is: where are the LBs? If a d-back has to come make a play, that means the LBs are on skates or caught up in the wash because the linemen are in their lap or they made a false read or misstep and are now out of position to make the play. .

The student section support is hit or miss as the season progresses. The one thing I've noticed for years is the fan base sits there quiet and disengaged like they are at funeral. Sporting events is one of a few times in life where you can stand, yell, clap, stomp, cheer, laugh whistle, heckle (within limits) boo (when warranted) and just enjoy yourself. Most of the "fans" are that are in attendance just sit there as if they are in the waiting room at the doctor's office as if they are waiting to be entertained. That lack of enthusiasm makes it easy for our opponents to function. Wake up fans! Geez. As for the play on the field. We needed some guys to step up late in the game and say, I'm going to put the team on my back and win this damn thing. That didn't happen yesterday. The special teams/kicking game is a joke. Period. The decision to blitz Evan off the corner in the red-zone and leave #3 (who demands a double-team as soon as he steps off the bus) wide open for an easy score, was baffling to me. The safety was late getting there, and a safety can't cover that kid any way. That was the back breaker. IMO. Kett has been mostly good this year but there have been quite a few times, when I thought to myself, Keaton would have used his legs in that moment to pick up a first down, extend a play or run for a score. Zimmerman is what you get if you combined Keaton and Kett. Give the kid some reps.

Yes, Blubaugh came in for one play, got dinged and Harris right back in. I notice since Bubba's been there Harris rarely rotates out. Is that because the is considered a "shutdown" corner?

And can someone please explain why Deion is out there in man coverage with no help over the top. Nice kid, athletic kid but he ain't Deion Sanders. IDS was licking their chops on that last TD drive the minute they saw Deion in press coverage with no help. Do we have a nickle or dime package?? Just wondering.

I watched a couple of our guys getting knocked off the ball while taking on double teams when IDS was gashing us up the gut on running plays. Why don't our guys drop to their knees to neutralize the double team? You do that or get skinny and take on one of the blockers, not try to take on both of them and get put on roller skates. Just wondering.

I used it last season and I did have to identify my satellite service provider. But once you do that, all you should have to do is go to the ESPN.com. Click WatchESPN. On the upper right hand in the corner there is a round icon (black/white). Once you click there it was ask for the email or login ID and password. From there, you select the desired programming by filtering the date, event, (don't on click ESPN+). Click on "Watch". I watched UND Eastern Washington game last year with no glitches. I watched the game from yesterday again today.

Go to Watch ESPN and setup an account online. ESPN3

Last week, we could not pass, or stop the pass. What a difference a week makes. The team stood up and won with pass D and a nice TD toss in crunch time to get the go ahead score. Tank's run stop late in the game was huge. The DBs balled. The kicker delivered. Rudy called an aggressive and impressive game. Long passes and underneath crossing routes. It was humid as heck but that's life in Texas. To put icing on the cake: a trip to Whataburger! "Today was a good day." Ice Cube

If you are FBS qualified, they will find you. I like John's grit and he is a really good football player. Brady came in and worked hard and carved out his own impact versus being lost in John's shadow. I think there are a few guys on the team that could play at a lower to mid-tier FBS team but not many on our roster. Most that play at the FCS level are considered either a little under-sized or a step or 2 too slow in the 40 the play at the FBS level. But, that doesn't they are not good football players. As we have seen recently, some guys in FCS can make it to the next level. Wisconsin Badgers have boatload of homegrown kids on the roster. I said it before, its about the level of competition that you compete against. Elijah Grady looked like Bo Jackson on his Hudl tape and should be a solid NFL prospect at this point had he stayed at UND. But looking at his Hudl tape, most of the kids he played against in high school had no business being within 5 miles of a football field.

A WR's height doesn't mean he is a good WR. Just like a strong arm QB doesn't mean his is able to effectively place the ball. A fast RB also has to have vision (see holes before or after they open) and see running lanes that others cant see while on the move. There is a reason you don't see track stars and tall basketball players on a football field on regular basis. All take developed skill and natural ability. But being a good football player takes a whole different skill-set. We will win and lose with the players on our bus. Period. They just need to keep working to overcome shortcomings and to take advantage of our opponents mistakes when they present themselves. A good team will force their opponent into making mistakes by creating mismatches and creating in-game stress which is not easily adaptable.

I would like to see Zimmerman get some snaps if the passing game is stagnant next week.