Week 3: UND @ Missouri St. Bears

[Feff]

They can move the pocket all they want but at the end of the day Mollberg needs to complete a throw.

 

That's very true but at the same time maybe it settles him down some. Right now I think he's hearing footsteps on every play.... well because most every play he IS hearing the footsteps. 

[Irish]

Sadly, what we were lead to believe 3 years ago is that we would have an absolute stud quarterback ON THE BENCH and that after a fierce competition our quarterback on the field would be even better.  This appears to be part of the wild overestimation of our recruiting classes that seemed to be prevelant during the Muss years, not only on this board but from the coaching staff.  Reality is setting in and it is pretty grim.  

[bang]

I have to ask---so what happened to all of the great recruits I read about the Muss was getting? I am not asking that to bust balls. Serious question.

I don't know if there was ever that many but we've had a lot that just haven't panned out. Making a short list of ones that I can think of Carr, Adams, Windfeldt all left the team. Robertson, the two JC transfers all didn't show. A few years back the DL recruit Aarin Smith who never showed or didn't qualify academically. I think we've had a few of those. Also to be blunt we've got some guys on the team now that came in highly touted only to be average or less than average FCS players. As stated we as fans bought into these tweeted chest bumps.

[gfhockey]

forgot about the dreaded chest bump

[UND92,96]

I don't know if there was ever that many but we've had a lot that just haven't panned out. Making a short list of ones that I can think of Carr, Adams, Windfeldt all left the team. Robertson, the two JC transfers all didn't show. A few years back the DL recruit Aarin Smith who never showed or didn't qualify academically. I think we've had a few of those. Also to be blunt we've got some guys on the team now that came in highly touted only to be average or less than average FCS players. As stated we as fans bought into these tweeted chest bumps.

 

Speaking of recruits not panning out/not staying, I think the class of 2012 is a good example of why the program is where it is. UND signed 18 high school recruits that year to some type of scholarship. Only seven are still on the roster--Bartels, Carrothers, Labat, Mathewson, Mollberg, Nordby and Rich.

[Matt]

Time of possession was even but did you look at total yards!?! The offense lost the game - that's common sense. The defense was on the field too much given the turnovers they forced. Don't say that's a myth; use some common sense. And why are you trying to throw Bubba and his staff under the bus after only 3 games? UND going 1-2 after 3 games is exactly what most thought would happen going into this season. If UND can play better at home and go 2-2, UND will be on track if improvement is seen on offense. 6-6 would be unreal given the talent on this team - I still expect the team to work towards that. Need more offensive rhythm.

Ok, where to start...

 

First, I was addressing the issue of whether or not the D was on the field to much.  I was not making a case about who won or lost the game (more on that in a moment).

 

Fact: The UND defense was on the field for about a minute longer than the MSU defense. 

 

Fact: As you pointed out, during the time the MSU offense had the ball, they were much more effective with it than the UND offense.

 

Therefore, if anyone wants to make the case that the UND defense was more tired, it would not be due to the fact that they were on the field longer, because they were not.  This is indisputable.  You could certainly argue that the UND defense is not conditioned as well as the opponent.  That may be the case, I don't know.

 

As for "throwing bubba under the bus", if the game analysis hurts your sensibilities in some way I don't really care.  This game was very even at halftime, and in the 2nd half MSU broke it wide open.  I raised the possibility that yes, bubba got out coached with halftime adjustments.  If you want to call that "throwing bubba under the bus" then so be it.  Besides, there is no shame in having another coach make a better adjustment then you.  It happens.  Does anyone really think bubba is immune from that?

 

I would also argue it is an unwillingness to turn the magnifying glass on coaching moves (or lackthereof) which kept Muss in power too long.

 

As for who won/lost this game, this is a team loss.  Offense, defense special teams all had major breakdowns (bubba acknowledged this as well).  Defense I thought played better than the other two (at least for a half), but not nearly well enough to win on the road.

[geaux_sioux]

And yet they found guys like Hendrickson Hardin Golladay and Edwards who nobody had ever heard of. They were just too hit and miss.

[UND92,96]

Kupchella, Thomas,  Buning, Kelly, and Faison all share the blame on this.... they literally destroyed this program.

 

Don't forget Phil Harmeson.  I believe he was the driving force behind the Buning hire. Had Rob Bollinger gotten the a.d. job instead of Buning, I doubt things would have ever gotten to this point.

[geaux_sioux]

Ok, where to start...

First, I was addressing the issue of whether or not the D was on the field to much. I was not making a case about who won or lost the game (more on that in a moment).

Fact: The UND defense was on the field for about a minute longer than the MSU defense.

Fact: As you pointed out, during the time the MSU offense had the ball, they were much more effective with it than the UND offense.

Therefore, if anyone wants to make the case that the UND defense was more tired, it would not be due to the fact that they were on the field longer, because they were not. This is indisputable. You could certainly argue that the UND defense is not conditioned as well as the opponent. That may be the case, I don't know.

As for "throwing bubba under the bus", if the game analysis hurts your sensibilities in some way I don't really care. This game was very even at halftime, and in the 2nd half MSU broke it wide open. I raised the possibility that yes, bubba got out coached with halftime adjustments. If you want to call that "throwing bubba under the bus" then so be it. Besides, there is no shame in having another coach make a better adjustment then you. It happens. Does anyone really think bubba is immune from that?

I would also argue it is an unwillingness to turn the magnifying glass on coaching moves (or lackthereof) which kept Muss in power too long.

As for who won/lost this game, this is a team loss. Offense, defense special teams all had major breakdowns (bubba acknowledged this as well). Defense I thought played better than the other two, but not nearly well enough to win on the road.

You could more accurately argue that the UND defense had to cover a lot more yards since MSU could actually move the ball a little bit. Their defense didn't hardly have to move thanks to our hapless offense.

[bang]

Speaking of recruits not panning out/not staying, I think the class of 2012 is a good example of why the program is where it is. UND signed 18 high school recruits that year to some type of scholarship. Only seven are still on the roster--Bartels, Carrothers, Labat, Mathewson, Mollberg, Nordby and Rich.

Good point. You can even look at 2013 class. Besides the two walkons they had 24 recruits only 14 remain.

[Matt]

You could more accurately argue that the UND defense had to cover a lot more yards since MSU could actually move the ball a little bit. Their defense didn't hardly have to move thanks to our hapless offense.

You are probably correct.  But the D was able to get stops in the first half.  In the second half they couldn't.  Again, that's why I lost my mind for a moment and raised the possibility that Terry Allen (a coach that is very familiar with bubba) may have outcoached bubba in the second half.

[UND-FB-FAN]

Ok, where to start...

 

First, I was addressing the issue of whether or not the D was on the field to much.  I was not making a case about who won or lost the game (more on that in a moment).

 

Fact: The UND defense was on the field for about a minute longer than the MSU defense. 

 

Fact: As you pointed out, during the time the MSU offense had the ball, they were much more effective with it than the UND offense.

 

Therefore, if anyone wants to make the case that the UND defense was more tired, it would not be due to the fact that they were on the field longer, because they were not.  This is indisputable.  You could certainly argue that the UND defense is not conditioned as well as the opponent.  That may be the case, I don't know.

 

As for "throwing bubba under the bus", if the game analysis hurts your sensibilities in some way I don't really care.  This game was very even at halftime, and in the 2nd half MSU broke it wide open.  I raised the possibility that yes, bubba got out coached with halftime adjustments.  If you want to call that "throwing bubba under the bus" then so be it.  Besides, there is no shame in having another coach make a better adjustment then you.  It happens.  Does anyone really think bubba is immune from that?

 

I would also argue it is an unwillingness to turn the magnifying glass on coaching moves (or lackthereof) which kept Muss in power too long.

 

As for who won/lost this game, this is a team loss.  Offense, defense special teams all had major breakdowns (bubba acknowledged this as well).  Defense I thought played better than the other two (at least for a half), but not nearly well enough to win on the road.

 

 

UND's defense was on the field too much given how the game played out. First off, time of possession only works as an advantage if total yards are relatively even between both squads.

 

FACT: That was not the case in yesterday's game. UND had only 166 total yards whereas Missouri State had 384 total offensive yards. That means, with Missouri State's additional minute of possession, they were actually moving the ball up and down the field, not just sitting on it. 

 

FACT: UND only converted 16.6% of their third down opportunities (3-18); that's horrible! In other words, if you have the ball 29 and a half minutes of the game but you only go three and out and then punt, it means nothing for the defense. The defense needs time to rest but it also needs momentum to feed off of. UND's offense did nothing but kill any momentum the defense created via stops and turnovers. So, as for time of possession, yes it was even, but UND's defense was put into horrible situations due to the offense's ineptitude. Therein lies the major issue.

 

As for second half adjustments and so forth, Missouri State has way more talent. Are you debating that? Most of the time talent shows best in the second half after teams are worn out leaving room for advancement in terms of score margin. Bubba could have made all the adjustments he wanted but the offense just didn't have the physical toughness and player execution necessary to move the ball. As Mike Ditka once said, "Players can both win games and lose games. Coaches can't win games, but they can lose them." There's no way the coaching staff could have won yesterday's game; UND's offense, at every position, is below average in terms of talent and/or execution. That took a toll on the defense as the game progressed. Ultimately, UND's offensive players needed to make a play and they did no such thing. 

 

As for fans' expectations, part of the issue is certain posters continue to praise players that they have never seen and those players have never actually performed big on the college stage. I admit I am partly guilty of this due to optimism I wish to possess. This raises expectations. Very few of the players on UND's offense were highly sought after recruits and the few that were are under performing. You can't blame coaches when the cupboard is absolutely bare on the offensive side of the ball. Now, there are some things that the players could improve on and, hopefully, with that the offense improves as the season progresses. Bottom line, UND needs several new players to be lining up on offense in the coming years. 

 

 

Lastly, did you really expect the defense to carry the ENTIRE load and win the game? Does any team, high school, college, or pro, expect that? No. You said

"Defense I thought played better than the other two (at least for a half), but not nearly well enough to win on the road."; .

 

Well, last I check UND scored zero points. Despite what the defense does, UND will always lose when they score zero points....

[Oxbow6]

FACT: This a really bad FB team.

[Shawn-O]

Recruiting into GF vs. FGO is becoming a tall order. 

[UND-FB-FAN]

Day by Day and Game by Game

 

Looking forward to seeing the defense play tough and effective on Sept. 20th vs. Stony Brook in the Alerus Center. If the offense can find a rhythm, I expect another home win and a 2-2 record.

 

The defense showed a glimmer of hope; you can't deny that.  

[Nodak78]

Bubba..."I'm not concerned with the scoreboard". You better be pretty soon...the casual fan who might come to a UND home game isn't looking at the #daybyday crap. They, me included, want to see something that remotely resembles a competitive FB team...in all 3 phases not just one phase like last night. I'm not a continued season ticket holder to hear the 7-8 year old rec soccer mantra of "not concerned with the scoreboard" BS. The Alerus will be bare for the BS games if this mentality doesn't change.

Someone cue the Herm Edwards video footage please!!!

Just watched 60 minutes.  Nick Sabin was on and he is not concerned with the scoreboard.  Just playing every play to perfection.  Winning will follow.  Bubba is on the right path.  patience

[Irish]

Just watched 60 minutes.  Nick Sabin was on and he is not concerned with the scoreboard.  Just playing every play to perfection.  Winning will follow.  Bubba is on the right path.  patience

That's a really great philosophy to have especially when you have had the championship success Alabama has had and when you consider last year's two loss season a big disappointment.  Not saying that we are wrong to think this way too, but right now we are pretty far from perfection.  I haven't seen much improvement on the mental side of things so far and that's something we should be able to control.  I'm not sure how far we can move forward on some aspects of the game because of our talent, but we can sure stop fielding punts inside the 5 or interfering with the other team fielding a punt two successive times.  I know we have to be patient with the won-loss, but we should insist on better play than last Saturday.  

[UND-FB-FAN]

That's a really great philosophy to have especially when you have had the championship success Alabama has had and when you consider last year's two loss season a big disappointment. Not saying that we are wrong to think this way too, but right now we are pretty far from perfection. I haven't seen much improvement on the mental side of things so far and that's something we should be able to control. I'm not sure how far we can move forward on some aspects of the game because of our talent, but we can sure stop fielding punts inside the 5 or interfering with the other team fielding a punt two successive times. I know we have to be patient with the won-loss, but we should insist on better play than last Saturday.

Show up next Saturday vs Stony Brook and help add to the enthusiasm in the Alerus on gameday. That will help the team the most in the short term. This team needs talent and Bubba seems to be collecting it via his first couple recruiting classes. For now, just support the team and hope for some wins. Criticize the coaches only after they've had a couple seasons to acquire their type of recruits.

[darell1976]

Show up next Saturday vs Stony Brook and help add to the enthusiasm in the Alerus on gameday. That will help the team the most in the short term. This team needs talent and Bubba seems to be collecting it via his first couple recruiting classes. For now, just support the team and hope for some wins. Criticize the coaches only after they've had a couple seasons to acquire their type of recruits.

Exactly. When RT took over in 1986 I think UND won 2 or 3 games. Its a building process that is not going to correct itself overnight.

[SiouxVolley]

This whole board should be assigned blame if we're targeting people for a firing squad.

 

I seem to remember when Garman and Mollberg signed, this board was ecstatic, as if they were the greatest recruits UND had ever seen.

 

Stop the manic depressive personality traits here.  It gets very old.

[TinyTimmay]

This whole board should be assigned blame if we're targeting people for a firing squad.

 

I seem to remember when Garman and Mollberg signed, this board was ecstatic, as if they were the greatest recruits UND had ever seen.

 

Stop the manic depressive personality traits here.  It gets very old.

Not troliing at all, just an observation and question. But do any of you think that maybe everyone was soooo ecstatic about getting Molberg because....how do you guys say it "Moo U" offered him as well and he chose UND? As far as any comments about your game yesterday, I didn't watch any of it, just read quite a bit of this thread. Missouri State is a tough place and team to play, they seem to give the Bison fits both in Springfield and in Fargo.

[Oxbow6]

This whole board should be assigned blame if we're targeting people for a firing squad.

I seem to remember when Garman and Mollberg signed, this board was ecstatic, as if they were the greatest recruits UND had ever seen.

Stop the manic depressive personality traits here. It gets very old.

Easy...firing squad? We are not North Korea.

Jer in 3 games... 54 total rush yards at 2.7 YPC.

Joe in 3 games...averaging 117 yards/game with a 47.7 completion %. 1 TD/3 INT.

I once thought the ShamWow was going to be awesome and the best thing ever...as well as the Flowbee. Not everything or everyone is what you think they are going to be. Now I just use Bounty paper towels and have a smoking hot "stylist" at Cost Cutters!

[sioux24/7]

Not troliing at all, just an observation and question. But do any of you think that maybe everyone was soooo ecstatic about getting Molberg because....how do you guys say it "Moo U" offered him as well and he chose UND? As far as any comments about your game yesterday, I didn't watch any of it, just read quite a bit of this thread. Missouri State is a tough place and team to play, they seem to give the Bison fits both in Springfield and in Fargo.

Too be honest I think it's more so because Big Ten teams were looking at him like Iowa. I mean it's always nice to get a kid to commit to UND over NDSU but that's not why we were anointing him the next coming.

[TinyTimmay]

Too be honest I think it's more so because Big Ten teams were looking at him like Iowa. I mean it's always nice to get a kid to commit to UND over NDSU but that's not why we were anointing him the next coming.

Ah, good point, I forgot about his other offers. 

[jackal]

Just watched 60 minutes.  Nick Sabin was on and he is not concerned with the scoreboard.  Just playing every play to perfection.  Winning will follow.  Bubba is on the right path.  patience

LMAO