All I Want For Christmas Football Edition

[geaux_sioux]

What do you want to see going forward. This covers: recruiting, coaching, player development, admin, est.

[NoDakFan]

A national championship and a win over NDSU.

 

But in all seriousness, in terms of recruiting or player development, I would like a QB that we can rely on to be able to make passes throughout the whole game and some O -linemen that can protect him. I'm hoping Studsrud is this guy, however I haven't seen enough of it. How did he look today against UNC?  I also hope we can get a corner that can do eve half the stuff that TIllman can.

[Cratter]

35,000 seat retractable room stadium on campus.

[Nodak78]

Last year shortly after Bubba and staff was hired, someone marked we had the best coaching staff in ND.  I would agree.  They did a great job of recruiting on short notice.  The defense came out strong from the beginning.  Offense has made improvements.  I coach knauf has done a very good job of developing the OL.  He had a lot of work to do and results are showing now.  I really look forward to the new recruits coming in and giving depth to this team.

 

The admin needs to do a better job of marketing this product.  After today

that job has become easier.

[UND-FB-FAN]

Last year shortly after Bubba and staff was hired, someone marked we had the best coaching staff in ND. I would agree. They did a great job of recruiting on short notice. The defense came out strong from the beginning. Offense has made improvements. I coach knauf has done a very good job of developing the OL. He had a lot of work to do and results are showing now. I really look forward to the new recruits coming in and giving depth to this team.

The admin needs to do a better job of marketing this product. After to that job has become easier.

I agree.

I want an athletic department that understands UND is not in Canada and football - as the outright number one sport in America - deserves to have a ton of attention. That means more money to coaches, more marketing of the product, and better presentation at the Alerus on gameday.

[geaux_sioux]

I think Knaupf has done the best job of any coach on staff, that is saying a lot. His group has evolved, also snap issues were resolved. I absolutely can't wait to see what our OL looks like not only next year but in two to three years.

I want a lot for football christmas but I think, right now, what I want more is playmakers. Short tall fast big. We need it all.

[darell1976]

UND football to play at a level they did from 1993-2007. Conference championships, National title, crushing the Bison, and a little extra like an FBS win.

[gundy1124]

I think Knaupf has done the best job of any coach on staff, that is saying a lot. His group has evolved, also snap issues were resolved. I absolutely can't wait to see what our OL looks like not only next year but in two to three years.

I want a lot for football christmas but I think, right now, what I want more is playmakers. Short tall fast big. We need it all.

Linebacker play this year was pretty darn good, helps that Schmitty played that position. Luke did well in developing the O-line but overall I say Schmitty did the best this year with his position group. But a good argument to have, 'best coach'. We have a lot of LB talent back next year and should be stacked. Bubba knows secondary play and Marty must be a pretty good coach too, you saw that with Baylee Car's play this year compared to previous years. So if Carter and another young guy or two steps up in the secondary we should be improved next year in secondary, too. We need some beef and player development on the D-line with our younger guys. I think d-line is the wild card next year on how good the D could be.

On offense.......we have 3 QBs with starting experience. I don't know what is going to shake out but QB play should be better next year. O-line seems to be headed in the right direction but I don't know the losses or what we have on the roster to fill in....does anyone have a read on the O-line for next year??

We need a top notch WR badly to stretch the field. Need an effective stable of RBs, not sure we have that on our roster.

I would give a bonus to coaches at Bubba's discretion. Looking forward to recruiting, signing day, and pounding some beers with the coaches.

[homer]

Domo Blackmon to develop into the player who had multiple FBS offers

Drew Greely and Brandon Dranka to each out on 15 lbs

Dylan Baaker and Harmeston to add some depth to the already solid LB crew.

Tank Harris to be a solid backup NG.

Another tall, athletic safety to play alongside Reyes

[homer]

Also, the players to finally realize that summer conditioning is the key to successful programs and 100% attendance in GF this summer. Baukol to figure out a way to do something with them when they do. Have the guys who need to bulk up lift twice a day. FU has done this for years and it's worked wonders. Need to dedicate themselves to conditioning as well and be equally as conditioned as fu next fall.

Offseason needs to be the best and most challenging this program has seen. Time to be a D1 program.

[geaux_sioux]

An under 6' blazing fast wr. A 6'4" basketball player looking wr. And a tall tweener wr. No matter who plays qb they need guys who can separate in some way. Either out jump muscle or run.

[Oxbow6]

UND needs a QB to emerge as the guy and play that way...and stay healthy. Joe came to UND as one of the most hyped recruits ever. If he is as good as some say...he needs to be that player right away coming off the injury and claim that QB job with his play on the field.

[geaux_sioux]

UND needs a QB to emerge as the guy and play that way...and stay healthy. Joe came to UND as one of the most hyped recruits ever. If he is as good as some say...he needs to be that player right away coming off the injury and claim that QB job with his play on the field.

I'm interested to see Studsrud after winter weights and conditioning heading into spring ball.

[gundy1124]

Any O-line expertise on what we have coming back or need for next year?

[geaux_sioux]

Any O-line expertise on what we have coming back or need for next year?

I assume Francis will start for the next 4 years at center. Stockwell looked really good against NAU. Miller has looked good very strong when he's gotten in. Haven't seen Bell play, he was highly touted. Meehan has improved a lot. Anderson is rock solid. We shall see how Cox develops, he has a nice frame though. The recruits that are committed now all look beyond solid. I want them all to redshirt but if anyone is ready, they should play.

We could have a line that looks like this: Stockwell Anderson Francis Miller Meehan

[gundy1124]

I assume Francis will start for the next 4 years at center. Stockwell looked really good against NAU. Miller has looked good very strong when he's gotten in. Haven't seen Bell play, he was highly touted. Meehan has improved a lot. Anderson is rock solid. We shall see how Cox develops, he has a nice frame though. The recruits that are committed now all look beyond solid. I want them all to redshirt but if anyone is ready, they should play.

We could have a line that looks like this: Stockwell Anderson Francis Miller Meehan

Talented enough to start next year where we left off this year?

Boas would be a solid insurance policy at center or guards?

Thanks for the feedback-

[homer]

I assume Francis will start for the next 4 years at center. Stockwell looked really good against NAU. Miller has looked good very strong when he's gotten in. Haven't seen Bell play, he was highly touted. Meehan has improved a lot. Anderson is rock solid. We shall see how Cox develops, he has a nice frame though. The recruits that are committed now all look beyond solid. I want them all to redshirt but if anyone is ready, they should play.

We could have a line that looks like this: Stockwell Anderson Francis Miller Meehan

Last years OL recruits- Steiner, Francis and Delmon Taylor were guys who had offers from MVFC teams that generally have solid OLs along with several FBS offers. I'm hoping they have a good offseason and at least one is ready to go and at least another can give minutes for depth.

[geaux_sioux]

I'm still curious as to which players Knapf thinks are D1 caliber. Francis I assume is one.

[Westside]

1. Solidify that OL by any means possible... (Some nice improvement towards the end of this year, let's build on that)

2. The next Alex Tillman... A couple of FBS transfer d-backs.  I know there is some great young talent back there (Carter, Harris, Reyes, etc) just would like to see a talented upper-classman or two added to help out. 

3. Some speedsters at WR (true freshman, jucos, FBS transfers - wherever they can find them)... Seibel & Walker will continue to develop into nice possession receivers & Luke Stanley had some praise during fall camp before his injury, but lets find a burner or 2 or 3.

4. Someone to step up & be an all-conference type RB. Pound that rock. Need a lot more depth at RB w/ only Sharp & Simmons returning.  Can we find a FBS transfer to be the man for the next yr or 2??? Oliviera will be a nice addition as well, just want to see some more upper-classmen & depth.

5. A Center that is automatic out of the shotgun. No more costly turnovers on bad snaps. UND basically had to abandon the shotgun formation after the Montana game.

6. I absolutely can't wait to watch the current LB's play next yr...

[Csonked Out]

1) A QB that can give us a consistent passing game. I don't care how good our defense and running game is, but it will not lead us to success until we at least have the threat to throw the ball. You can't do that with the QB play we had this year. Someone better step up as this concerns me deeply next year. I don't currently see an answer on our roster. A Braden Hansen type transfer would be wonderful!

 

2) A lockdown corner. I can't stress how important Alex Tillman was to our secondary and return game. He will be greatly missed and we need someone to step in. I have faith that Carter can be the man, but we need more depth at this position.

 

3) A running back to step up. It really is a bummer that we finally saw what type of player Garman could  be in the last 5 games of his senior year. He will really be missed and I didn't see enough of Simmons to know. I am expecting a good transfer to come in here as someone will have an opportunity to carry the rock a lot.

 

4) Upgrade at the WR. I appreciate that you only want players on your team that want to be here and that was evident with our compete level this year. We lost a lot of talent though at this position and it was clearly evident. We need someone to step up and be a threat to seperate. Whether it be from speed or route running doesn't matter, but we need as much help as possible. I am expect another true freshman to have a shirt pulled by next fall.

 

It really is interesting how this season played out. Going into it I thought that our skill positions were our strength and our line on both sides were going to be a problem. Due to attrition it turned out to be the exact opposite for us, it has been a long time since I have seen a UND defense create that type of pressure and the offensive line grew leaps and bounds throughout the year.

 

Bubba is everything we could have possibly hoped for. He is building this from the ground up and in much quicker form than we thought possible. We have a strong foundation going into year 2 and it appears there is some life in the program now. 

[UND92,96]

Even without the kind of running game we saw late in the season, with Mollberg and Bartels UND was averaging about 235 passing yards per game though the first four Big Sky games. Obviously that all changed when the injuries hit, but with a reliable running game and more talented receivers, I think either quarterback would be fine. I think we'll very possibly see the two incoming freshmen play a lot at running back. If Simmons can play, all the better, but I didn't see enough of him to know whether or not he's the answer.

 

I think the play of the OL opened some eyes, and I don't see this unit as a weakness at all coming into next year. I see Anderson, Meehan and Boas all retaining their starting positions, with Stockwell taking over for Barton, and Francis sliding into Henson's guard spot for a year, before taking over at center in 2016.

 

Tight end should be a strength with all the returnees, plus the return of Ruhe and the addition of Fiedler.

 

WR is a huge question mark. Seibel appears to be the best of the returnees, but I'd actually like to see him move back to safety. Walker needs to get faster, but I wonder whether he was injured for most of the season? He seemed to disappear after that game he was returning kicks. It would appear we'll see at least two or three receivers play a lot next year who are not on the current roster. Maybe more.

 

Defense looks very solid--especially the front seven. Hinojosa, Woodsmall, Carrothers, Dranka, Greeley, etc. all return on the line, and Ratelle, Rich, Labat, Idowu and Disterhaupt will make up a very solid LB corps, along with a few current redshirts.

 

With the late-season emergence of Blackmon, I feel a bit better about the secondary. I still would not be surprised if we see a couple of transfers, but between Brown, Harris, Carter, Reyes, Blackmon, Montague and Flowers, there should be enough talent so that it would not be a disaster even if there's not another FBS drop down a la Tillman.

[forksandspoons]

Weapons. Hopefully a couple FBS drop downs at WR, RB and another CB would be great. This team will be much improved. Also, i want the IPF to be done early spring (maybe unrealistic) so this team can get good use of it. IF this team has a heck of an off season, i like the chances of playoffs next season. This season was a huge improvement and something to build on. 

[bincitysioux]

Considering the marked improvement of the offensive line over the course of the season, I think WR is the position group that needs the most improvement at this point. Too many drops and nobody that can stretch the field. Need more depth at all positions.

[iramurphy]

UND needs a QB to emerge as the guy and play that way...and stay healthy. Joe came to UND as one of the most hyped recruits ever. If he is as good as some say...he needs to be that player right away coming off the injury and claim that QB job with his play on the field.

Joe was developing this season as a QB and a leader. Just like Jer Garmin who so many people threw under the bus, as the oline developed, so did Joe and Garmin. I don't think it is fair to throw either Mollberg or Bartles under the bus. Oline was maturing and developing along with them. Studsrud hung in there and hopefully will benefit from the experience. If Mollberg can't come back, Bartels is a very capable QB if you give him time and receivers, but same goes for Joe. I know you don't see it but Bubba and the staff did and that is all that matters. Doesn't matter how much hype a kid comes in with. Once they are here they need to adjust to the speed, size and skill at this level. Doesn't matter who started this year, if someone else develops at a faster rate or someone else struggles, Bubba and staff will go with the guy who gives us best chance to win. If Bartles and Mollberg are both healthy, we have 2 decent QB's and a promising young kid in Studsrud. We still need 2 more quality recruits at QB.

[Oxbow6]

Joe was developing this season as a QB and a leader. Just like Jer Garmin who so many people threw under the bus, as the oline developed, so did Joe and Garmin. I don't think it is fair to throw either Mollberg or Bartles under the bus. Oline was maturing and developing along with them. Studsrud hung in there and hopefully will benefit from the experience. If Mollberg can't come back, Bartels is a very capable QB if you give him time and receivers, but same goes for Joe. I know you don't see it but Bubba and the staff did and that is all that matters. Doesn't matter how much hype a kid comes in with. Once they are here they need to adjust to the speed, size and skill at this level. Doesn't matter who started this year, if someone else develops at a faster rate or someone else struggles, Bubba and staff will go with the guy who gives us best chance to win. If Bartles and Mollberg are both healthy, we have 2 decent QB's and a promising young kid in Studsrud. We still need 2 more quality recruits at QB.

"I know you don't see it"... you always like to take a personal shot when given the opportunity when someone doesn't see things like you. I get you are one of the few real football minds on this site but I'm pulling for your boy Joe as much as anyone. There obviously is a reason he was so highly regarded and recruited out of HS as you have stated. Just hope in the next couple years with his play it is evident why.