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UND Football Memory Lane: Early 2000s UND football


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UND Football Memory Lane: Early 2000s UND football

 

I was talking to a long-time Grand Forks (actually EGF) resident and sports fan yesterday for a bit. We hit on a few points regarding UND football that were exciting to me. By no means is my buddy a die-hard UND football fan, nor is he particularly biased to any one sport; however, he mentioned how during 2001 and 2003 (and shortly after), when the Alerus was filling up for home playoff games, the atmosphere was better than anything else Grand Forks could possibly muster, including UND hockey.

 

Such an idealization should excite folks for the near future. If UND can earn some home playoff games, it will be a hot ticket in Grand Forks. There's no question UND football and the Grand Forks community have a relationship that requires a winner. Once playoff games are hosted, fans will show up in both support and curiosity at the new-found winning product Bubba has put on the field. Good times are ahead for UND football, and one can only hope the noise and excitement experienced in 2001 at the Alerus Center will be returning sooner rather than later.

 

Please share any memories from these past exciting years, and also post any thoughts regarding the promising future of UND football support. 

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Quick ones off the top of my head:

-The student section mercilessly taunting the great J.T. O'Sullivan in the waning seconds of the UC Davis game

-Chad Mustard's tiptoe run along the sidelines

-Danny Graf and his "airplane" celebration after touchdowns

-Being in rainy Florence and nearly taking out the guy next to me from jumping and screaming when Luke took off during "the drive"

-Thinking the roof of the Alerus was going to come down due to noise during the UND-NDSU game

-Wondering why the roof hadn't come down due to noise during the 4th quarter comeback against GVSU (it was so loud my skin was vibrating)

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Best moments that stand out in my mind from that era (in no particular order)

 

-  Digger's tackle on 4th down to seal the voctory against the Bison in 2003.

-  Mustard's tip toe TD against Pitt State.

-  "The Catch" in Florence.

-  Goal line stand against UC Davis and how rocking the Alerus was that game.

-  First NDSU game at the Alerus. Tailgate lot was packed.  Place was filled to the rafters.  Endzone concourse was 3 rows deep. 

-  Fist game at the Alerus in 2001.  Not so much a great game but a great experience being at the new home of UND football!!

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UND Football Memory Lane: Early 2000s UND football

 

I was talking to a long-time Grand Forks (actually EGF) resident and sports fan yesterday for a bit. We hit on a few points regarding UND football that were exciting to me. By no means is my buddy a die-hard UND football fan, nor is he particularly biased to any one sport; however, he mentioned how during 2001 and 2003 (and shortly after), when the Alerus was filling up for home playoff games, the atmosphere was better than anything else Grand Forks could possibly muster, including UND hockey.

 

Such an idealization should excite folks for the near future. If UND can earn some home playoff games, it will be a hot ticket in Grand Forks. There's no question UND football and the Grand Forks community have a relationship that requires a winner. Once playoff games are hosted, fans will show up in both support and curiosity at the new-found winning product Bubba has put on the field. Good times are ahead for UND football, and one can only hope the noise and excitement experienced in 2001 at the Alerus Center will be returning sooner rather than later.

 

Please share any memories from these past exciting years, and also post any thoughts regarding the promising future of UND football support. 

Would a playoff spot return the Alerus to the pre DI era, or will it take more like a conference title, an undefeated season or a National Title.  UND built up a fan base starting with the win vs NDSU in 1993 and getting playoff berth after playoff berth. Year after year when they would mention potential playoff teams in DII UND was in there with NDSU, I think it may take multiple successful playoff runs to return all the fans back to the Alerus. Bubba is getting this team turned around (2014), now (2015) is the time to take that first step in the right direction by getting the team kissing a playoff spot.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I might be wrong but didn't EGF wr receiver Lueck (?) bust it open for a 80 td catch on what might have been the first Sioux play of the game in 2003 against the bison?  That got loud, like nearly the whole Cal-Davis play-off game in 2001.  Not talking a home game but I also made the road trip down to play Winona St early Sep (prob 2005ish?) and it was hotter than hell that day.  Small outdoor stadium but it was overflowing (4,500 fans?) as they came out thinking they might win as they had us on home turf.  I think they had played us fairly close/at least semi-competitive when we hosted them at the Al for two play-off games so they had confidence being at home.  Anyhow, I believe they scored first off a turn-over but then we went on to methodically crush them something like 52-13 or something like that.         

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

The noise from the crowd during the UC Davis game. I could barely hear my dad sitting next to me. I cannot wait for that atmosphere to show up again.

 

So, Are you saying UND has fair weather fans. You seem to imply NDSU fans are,

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So, Are you saying UND has fair weather fans. You seem to imply NDSU fans are,

UNDColorado nailed it. When Lennon left UND was one of the top attendance teams in DII then when Muss failed to produce the same kind of records and the lack of DI teams during transition just killed attendance to a level of the Memorial Stadium days. Now with Bubba turning the team around and the lack of non DI teams I hope of attendance of 10k+ grows and grows. NDSU didn't start having the attendance they have now without their championship runs of 2011-today. There were tickets available anywhere prior to 2010, so it's simple....win and they will come.

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UNDColorado nailed it. When Lennon left UND was one of the top attendance teams in DII then when Muss failed to produce the same kind of records and the lack of DI teams during transition just killed attendance to a level of the Memorial Stadium days. Now with Bubba turning the team around and the lack of non DI teams I hope of attendance of 10k+ grows and grows. NDSU didn't start having the attendance they have now without their championship runs of 2011-today. There were tickets available anywhere prior to 2010, so it's simple....win and they will come.

So, your saying UND has fair weather fans just like NDSU and the rest of college/pro teams.

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