UND vs Valpo

[Oxbow6]

Bottom line...enough with all the talk around here Muss and his team must produce this year and take some big steps forward. You want to generate interest in UND FB and keep it going thru the season...beat the Jacks, beat the Griz and beat the Cats. Even winning 2 of those 3 would be a big step in the right direction. Going 1-2 or 0-3 isn't going to cut it.

[Hambone]

Bottom line...enough with all the talk around here Muss and his team must produce this year and take some big steps forward. You want to generate interest in UND FB and keep it going thru the season...beat the Jacks, beat the Griz and beat the Cats. Even winning 2 of those 3 would be a big step in the right direction. Going 1-2 or 0-3 isn't going to cut it.

I feel that if they go 1-2, they are still going to be in decent shape, as EWU would be the only game left I would say would be "tough" to win. Not saying UND would be favored in the rest, but the rest are a lot more manageable. Of course, from a fan support perspective (which you were going for) I tend to agree. Especially 0-3.

[UNDColorado]

My goal is to go 2-2 in our first four games. I think that is realistic and would put us in a position to have a great rest of season.

[Oxbow6]

I feel that if they go 1-2, they are still going to be in decent shape, as EWU would be the only game left I would say would be "tough" to win. Not saying UND would be favored in the rest, but the rest are a lot more manageable. Of course, from a fan support perspective (which you were going for) I tend to agree. Especially 0-3.

2-1 vs those 3 would put them at 4-1 (probably) heading to the EWU and with hockey in town that weekend as well could be a huge crowd for the EWU game.

[SiouxVolley]

Ira, this is what I was referring to. Then the ensuing two pages of hockey talk.

I too wish more hockey fans would spend the fall backing the football team. If they did UND would easily average more than 10,000 fans per game.

When NDSU was playing Valpo as their first "DI" game in the FDome, that whole fan base was celebrating that game as a huge DI game, even though it was one of the bigger jokes of a game since the FDome opened. (Essentially playing a DIII non-scholarship team and then wrapping it up in as a high powered DI game). Funny the contrast between fan bases: bizon fans strictly followed the lines Gene Taylor scripted them (Valpo is a tough football team, DI is a huge deal, blah, blah, blah) while UND fans care about the truth. I prefer the truth, and not for the fan base to embrace all the b.s. that an A.D. like Taylor scoops out of his sheds.

[Oxbow6]

My goal is to go 2-2 in our first four games. I think that is realistic and would put us in a position to have a great rest of season.

That's 1-2 vs the big 3 in Sept. Again IMO that won't cut it.

[Bison Dan]

When NDSU was playing Valpo as their first "DI" game in the FDome, that whole fan base was celebrating that game as a huge DI game, even though it was one of the bigger jokes of a game since the FDome opened. (Essentially playing a DIII non-scholarship team and then wrapping it up in as a high powered DI game). Funny the contrast between fan bases: bizon fans strictly followed the lines Gene Taylor scripted them (Valpo is a tough football team, DI is a huge deal, blah, blah, blah) while UND fans care about the truth. I prefer the truth, and not for the fan base to embrace all the b.s. that an A.D. like Taylor scoops out of his sheds.

Total BS. Nice try.

[BigGame]

I think we will be improved overall this year but looking at the roster I expect a bigger jump next season. Having a QB with a year under his belt and it seems the last couple of recruiting classes have been much improved and I think it will show on the field.

I still think if the team plays to it's ability and the defense is improved I could see 3-1 after the first 4 games but I could also see 1-3. After all these are some of the elite teams in the nation North Dakota is playing.

[SiouxVolley]

Total BS. Nice try.

My personal favorite spin job by Taylor is when went on and on about how NDSU football has no control over walkons, which NDSU recruits. The Forum and the blind fans just sucked up the answer as truth in the Best Buy case, minimizing football exposure to more felonies. NDSU actually announces walk ons in their press releases for football. Can't be a more brazen liar than Taylor has achieved.

[Oxbow6]

I still think if the team plays to it's ability and the defense is improved I could see 3-1 after the first 4 games but I could also see 1-3. After all these are some of the elite teams in the nation North Dakota is playing.

And I would like to hear someone say that about UND...soon!

[JohnboyND7]

When NDSU was playing Valpo as their first "DI" game in the FDome, that whole fan base was celebrating that game as a huge DI game, even though it was one of the bigger jokes of a game since the FDome opened. (Essentially playing a DIII non-scholarship team and then wrapping it up in as a high powered DI game). Funny the contrast between fan bases: bizon fans strictly followed the lines Gene Taylor scripted them (Valpo is a tough football team, DI is a huge deal, blah, blah, blah) while UND fans care about the truth. I prefer the truth, and not for the fan base to embrace all the b.s. that an A.D. like Taylor scoops out of his sheds.

I have a poster from that game....back in like '03. A team starting their transition marked it as their first D-I game....I don't know if anyone was claiming Valpo was a tough team or anything at the time but if so, they were wrong.

[82SiouxGuy]

Total BS. Nice try.

You do know that nobody on this board believes anything you say. Just because you say it's BS doesn't mean that it actually is BS. Try going back to BSville and looking back, you will see that a lot of people believed that it was going to be a close game.

[UND1983]

I remember if fondly. The Fargo media machine stopped just short of saying Bryce Drew was coming with and may be playing QB.

In all honesty it was one hell of a sell job - the fans really thought that was what D1 football was about that night.

[SiouxVolley]

I have a poster from that game....back in like '03. A team starting their transition marked it as their first D-I game....I don't know if anyone was claiming Valpo was a tough team or anything at the time but if so, they were wrong.

The Minot sportswriter at the time actually want as far as saying NDSU polished up a turd as a real DI team, making a mockery of the whole DI move. "A wonderful D1 evening was had by all, with their D1 soda's, in their DI chairs, in a D1 bldg" mocking the media environment in Fargo. Bison fans were livid at the Minot newspaper, demanding a retraction and resignation of the writer. How dare a Minot sportswriter criticize their own D1 orgy which was taking them to international fame?

[JohnboyND7]

The Minot sportswriter at the time actually want as far as saying NDSU polished up a turd as a real DI team, making a mockery of the whole DI move. Bison fans were livid at the Minot newspaper, demanding a retraction and resignation of the writer.

Well, I suppose when you are the trailblazer of as far as Division All-Sports, you will be right about some things, and wrong about others. UND fans could gauge these things differently than NDSU fans were able to do at the time.

[SiouxVolley]

Well, I suppose when you are the trailblazer of as far as Division All-Sports, you will be right about some things, and wrong about others. UND fans could gauge these things differently than NDSU fans were able to do at the time.

NDSU was a trailblazer with hyping a non-schloarship Valpo game - polished a turd as they often do. Says more about the intelligence of goose stepping Bison fans who so badly wanted to a have a DI program too - Taylor and Co know they are easily manipulated. UND's DII football championship and DI hockey program / REA had totally demoralized the whole Bizon thing into despondency.

[WeAreNorthDakota]

Come on. He brings up a good point and he got a couple of good responses. Yours wasn't one of the good responses. These forums should not be for a small group of guys drinking the same kool-aid. I am not convinced we have been good enough defensively to predict a 50 point blow-out. Hopefully we are that much better. We certainly didn't do that to Drake. This game should give our team an opportunity to play against someone else and at least see some of our new guys in a game situation. We need to develop and get better each game. We should win this and we should see an improvement from last year. Point spread isn't as important.

Not to go all "transitive property" here but that Drake team beat Valpo 50-0. Drake and San Diego have been occasionally competitive as non-scholarship programs but Valpo has not. They might be the worst program in the FCS. I'll be very worried if this isn't a big blowout.

[BobIwabuchiFan]

The truth is hard to swallow for us Sioux fans...The Bison made a choice and its paid off in spades. Two Back to Back National Championships in their first decade in Division IAA - I think there are a lot of football fans in GF that would give their left nut for this type of outcome for UND. As for bitchin about Hockey posters questions on the Sioux football program, I think you guys whining need to take a pill and get some perspective - people love winners and winners put people in the seats, regardless if its football or hockey. No doubt we have one hell of a schedule for football this year and I plan on tailgating the hell out of it and attending the games, but if we come out with a one win scenario in the next 5 games and its the Valpo win we shouldn't be harping on the fans for why they aren't in the seats...my 2 cents. Flame away!

BobIwabuchiFan

Long Live the Sioux

[WeAreNorthDakota]

Well, I suppose when you are the trailblazer of as far as Division All-Sports, you will be right about some things, and wrong about others. UND fans could gauge these things differently than NDSU fans were able to do at the time.

I don't fault NDSU for hyping that game as their first D1 game but hyping the opponent as much as they did was maybe ill-advised. I still have friends with posters and what not from that season and EVERYTHING said Valparaiso on it. Hyping the schedule as a whole would have been a better plan as I believe there was a road game against Montana that season. Obviously hindsight is 20/20 but that poster looks pretty foolish now that I know how big of a joke Valpo is.

[Bison Dan]

NDSU was a trailblazer with hyping a non-schloarship Valpo game - polished a turd as they often do. Says more about the intelligence of goose stepping Bison fans who so badly wanted to a have a DI program too - Taylor and Co know they are easily manipulated. UND's DII football championship and DI hockey program / REA had totally demoralized the whole Bizon thing into despondency.

Your jealousy is so precious. Your bitching about NDSU hyping their first DI fb game WOW. No one was hyping Valpo, just the game which Valpo happened to be the first. You guys and the Minot alumn sports writer all said NDSU would fail in DI - what happened!!!!

[Hayduke]

Your jealousy is so precious. Your bitching about NDSU hyping their first DI fb game WOW. No one was hyping Valpo, just the game which Valpo happened to be the first. You guys and the Minot alumn sports writer all said NDSU would fail in DI - what happened!!!!

I know what happened.

Lakes got drunk and threw up.

[UNDColorado]

Just heard that the game is also on Fox College Sports! Big Sky TV is great but more options is always better.

[Dagger]

Your jealousy is so precious. Your bitching about NDSU hyping their first DI fb game WOW. No one was hyping Valpo, just the game which Valpo happened to be the first. You guys and the Minot alumn sports writer all said NDSU would fail in DI - what happened!!!!

If memory serves me right the Bison fans were certainly hyping the fact that Valpo was their first D1 game in Fargo and that is understandable. But the running joke that week is they also were trying to sell Valpo as being a really really good team . Nobody was buying it except the Bison faithful. Nobody else was buying it. Their fans just wouldn't be honest about it.

[UND-FB-FAN]

The truth is hard to swallow for us Sioux fans...The Bison made a choice and its paid off in spades. Two Back to Back National Championships in their first decade in Division IAA - I think there are a lot of football fans in GF that would give their left nut for this type of outcome for UND. As for bitchin about Hockey posters questions on the Sioux football program, I think you guys whining need to take a pill and get some perspective - people love winners and winners put people in the seats, regardless if its football or hockey. No doubt we have one hell of a schedule for football this year and I plan on tailgating the hell out of it and attending the games, but if we come out with a one win scenario in the next 5 games and its the Valpo win we shouldn't be harping on the fans for why they aren't in the seats...my 2 cents. Flame away!

BobIwabuchiFan

Long Live the Sioux

I certainly agree. NDSU is a "football university" whereas UND is a "hockey university"; there's really no way around that. Now, with that said, I am a bigger football fan than hockey fan and I most certainly would love to see UND just win a single FCS national championship in the next decade. Unfortunately, I will have to see it to believe it. UND has been nothing but mediocrity ever since they moved up to DI; NDSU showed signs of dominance early on in their transition. In all honesty, I'm not entirely sure what the exact reason for that is. Perhaps NDSU's Bohl is that great of a coach, or maybe the emphasis on football down there makes the difference, I don't know. But one thing is certain, NDSU has their sh*t together and UND is working on doing that. I'm a realist and for that reason I'll be the first one, even as a die-hard UND fan/alumni, to admit that.

Now, getting to this season, given the 2013 schedule with those 7 home games, it should be playoffs or bust for the UND football team. I don't care if we have a redshirt freshman QB, we have quite possibly the best receiving corps in all of FCS football and 7 home games!! All we need to do it go 2-2 against SDSU, Montana, Montana State, and Eastern Washington - if we do that, we're in the driver seat. If we go 1-3, I'll be one of the first people on here to voice my displeasure. A short while back, possibly last spring, Faison even voiced his opinion in that we, as fans and supporters, should be seeing results this season given the schedule the athletic department came up with for the football team. If we go 2-2 against SDSU, Montana, Montana State, and EWU, we would be 4-2 with presumed wins against Valpo and Idaho St.; furthermore, we would be allowed to lose only one or two more games to still have a shot at the playoffs.

Bottom line: I expect 7-4 or 8-3 this season along with playoffs. If those two wins during the "grind stretch" are against MSU and EWU, we have a chance to win the Big Sky due to the fact Montana is a non-conference game. Now, as you can see, there are so many scenarios here but they all end up the same: get into the playoffs! I'm tired of mediocrity and Mussman and crew should be looking to change that. I'll refrain from mentioning the word "remove" or "fire" or "relived of duties" until after we've played Eastern Washington - I, as well as everyone else, will have a very good idea where this season is going at that time.

GO UND

Hopeful 2013 FCS Playoff Participant

[darell1976]

Just heard that the game is also on Fox College Sports! Big Sky TV is great but more options is always better.

In Fargo on Cable One its FCS Central ch 307!!!