Bye Week

[Cratter]

WOW!  Saw that one live.... crazy.  Shouldn't the UM defender have been ruled down by the way?  He recovered the ball when he was on the ground, before tossing it up into the air, which allowed a Griz player to catch the ball and return it?

You would think so.

[CMSioux]

Well, UNC beats #10 Portland State 35 - 32.

Two 5-4 teams will face off next weekend in the Alerus Center. 

Northern Colorado and North Dakota are the only two teams to have defeated Portland State this season.

Northern Colorado will come into the Alerus with plenty of confidence. Considering how big the game is for UND, people need to come out and support UND football!

 Gonna be a log-jam in the middle of the pack - Northern Arizona looking pretty tough right now in Cheney. Love being able to watch multiple Big Sky games at the same time. 

[UND-FB-FAN]

Northern Arizona now blowing out #4 Eastern Washington...

38-14 with 12:48 remaining in the 4th quarter 

[geaux_sioux]

Should've worn a diaper watching that ISU finish. I've never seen anything like that. 

[Teeder11]

Still a lot of football to be played.  NAU would have to win out to reach 7 DI wins and they end the regular season at SUU. I wouldn't put it passed them to do it, though, the way they're playing. 

[Big10Sioux]

Absolutely, terrible call. If you are rolling on the ground with the football and can flip it up to someone.... You are down in college football. I really think replay may almost be worse for officiating this year as they let the play play out then have an extremely hard time overruling themselves. That said I foresaw something bad happening for the bung gulls after they thought they had it in the bag after the Montana fumble. +1 on being nice to watch other teams on big sky TV.

[Big10Sioux]

WOW!  Saw that one live.... crazy.  Shouldn't the UM defender have been ruled down by the way?  He recovered the ball when he was on the ground, before tossing it up into the air, which allowed a Griz player to catch the ball and return it?

See above post... Sorry don't know how to quote

Edited November 8, 2015 by Big10Sioux
Mis quote

[UND-FB-FAN]

Absolutely, terrible call. If you are rolling on the ground with the football and can flip it up to someone.... You are down in college football. I really think replay may almost be worse for officiating this year as they let the play play out then have an extremely hard time overruling themselves. That said I foresaw something bad happening for the bung gulls after they thought they had it in the bag after the Montana fumble. +1 on being nice to watch other teams on big sky TV.

I do not agree with that.

Yes, the Big Sky officiating is poor, but that doesn't mean replay is the reason.

Last weekend, against Montana State, UND had a crucial call overturned due to replay. Replay is used all over college football, and the way I see it, it is about time that FCS football and the Big Sky Conference implement it. 

[Cratter]

We all love replay. 

But things have definitely changed in athletics. Refs are now sometimes not ruling things on the field as they think they might be. They are letting things happen, say a fumble, and allowing the play to develop, to then see the replay, because otherwise it would be ruled dead and the replay wouldn't matter.

Replay has changed how refs ref.

[Big10Sioux]

We all love replay. 

But things have definitely changed in athletics. Refs are now sometimes not ruling things on the field as they think they might be. They are letting things happen, say a fumble, and allowing the play to develop, to then see the replay, because otherwise it would be ruled dead and the replay wouldn't matter.

Replay has changed how refs ref.

i agree with cratter... And was shocked they over turned the play last week, as a number earlier in the year could have been overturned but they seem extremely reluctant to "get it right", regardless of the team. Let's face it it's tough to admit a wrong call and replay has changed the officiating. Maybe it will take some time to figure how to work with it better.

[Cratter]

Maybe the down by no contact rule in college football should change to reflect the NFL.

[FSSD]

Big Sky is crazy right now - 6 teams with playoff potential:

SUU 6 - D1 wins - @PSU and NAU

EWU 6 - D1 wins - @UM and PSU

PSU 6 - D1 wins - SUU and @EWU

NAU 5 - D1 wins - Sac St and @SUU

UM 5 - D1 wins - EWU and @MSU  

UND 5 - D1 wins UNC and @ Poly

[Cratter]

I think a lot of 7 ("Division I wins") are going to be sitting home this year come playoffs.

Massey Ratings has UND has the 46th best team in FCS Football.

Edited November 8, 2015 by Cratter

[Sioux94]

Man other than one of our players breaking their leg in practice during practice in the off week, that went about as bad as it could have for us with the other games.

[Big10Sioux]

Maybe the down by no contact rule in college football should change to reflect the NFL.

that still wouldn't have applied there as the holder or kicker (too lazy to look at again) was hanging over him as well in the scrum...

[Cratter]

that still wouldn't have applied there as the holder or kicker (too lazy to look at again) was hanging over him as well in the scrum...

General statement.

Never saw the play.

[Sioux94]

Portland State looking to take the lead at the end against Northern Colorado.

Northern Colorado has played well in Greeley this season, but on the road they have been suspect.

UND certainly shouldn't overlook UNC, but with an extra week to prepare and heal up, I expect UND to win by at least 14 points against UNC. 

I'm inclined to say....we beat Drake and UC Davis by a combined 10 points.  I don't think we should really be "expecting" to beat another team with a winning record by 14 points.  Especially a team that just knocked off a top 10 team and almost beat EWU.  Don't we always tell the team to not overlook?   The way all of the games played out this weekend though, we may not only have to win.....we may need to win these last two weeks with some "style" points to make the playoffs with the log jam of 7-4 teams that may occur at the end of the year.  I certainly think we have the capability of beating UNC by 14 at home and hope we do, but we also have the capability of putting the ball on the turf 3 or 4 times and losing this one.

Edited November 8, 2015 by Sioux94

[Wildfan]

Man other than one of our players breaking their leg in practice during practice in the off week, that went about as bad as it could have for us with the other games.

who broke their leg?

[nodak651]

who broke their leg?

No kdding... you really have to throw that out there,knowing nobody knows this, without saying who?   Thanks gfhockey... err.. Sioux94.

[gfhockey]

You don't want to know about who broke the leg. Not good 

[SWSiouxMN]

I hope this a joke....

[CMSioux]

I think a lot of 7 ("Division I wins") are going to be sitting home this year come playoffs.

Massey Ratings has UND has the 46th best team in FCS Football.

No doubt - this could be a record year for 7-4 records not making it - test for this team's character - they are in control of at least being considered for post season - as they say "Every game is a play-off game." Nice to at least be in the conversation.  

[homer]

Big Sky is crazy right now - 6 teams with playoff potential:

SUU 6 - D1 wins - @PSU and NAU

EWU 6 - D1 wins - @UM and PSU

PSU 6 - D1 wins - SUU and @EWU

NAU 5 - D1 wins - Sac St and @SUU

UM 5 - D1 wins - EWU and @MSU  

UND 5 - D1 wins UNC and @ Poly

nearly everyone one that list plays each other the last two weeks.  UND needs to focus on themselves and win two.  They do that and they will be sitting ok after the next two weeks. 

[nodakhoops]

nearly everyone one that list plays each other the last two weeks.  UND needs to focus on themselves and win two.  They do that and they will be sitting ok after the next two weeks. 

Agreed, while yesterday did not help UND at all they need to just win out and let everything else play out. When it comes to the end of the year UND jumps any 7 D1 win (8 win with one being D2) team without and FBS win. Only exception might be Montana as they kicked us pretty good in the head to head.

 

 

[siouxfan512]

With UND sitting behind 5 teams in the standing, there is plenty of football to follow on Saturday, with UND having the weekend off. These games could all factor into UND's playoff picture. Bottom line is that UND needs to take care of its own business, BUT since they can't do anything this weekend, here are some things to watch.

E Washington vs. N Arizona: As N.Arizona is 3-2 in the conference and 5-3 overall, it would really help UND to have them get another loss or two on their record. That starts this weekend as they travel to Cheney. E. Washington has had several close games (5pt win over Mt St, 8pt win over Sac State, 1pt win over Cal Poly, 2pt win over N Colorado, and 1 pt win over Weber St.) That being said, the eagles have not lost at home. Go Eagles! N. Arizona Won

Southern Utah @ Mt St: This could get interesting with the Bobcats out of the playoff picture. I'd imagine Prukop will want to bounce back, and while SUU has the leagues top Pass defense, they need to be able to containg Prukops run game. This could be another high scoring shootout. SUU has put up big points on everyone since losing to SDSU (and almost knocking off Utah St before that), but they finish the season with  Mt St, PSU, and NAU. Big weekend for them, because if they lose to the bobcats then their playoff picture gets a little fuzzier. Go Bobcats! S. Utah Won

Portland St @ N Colorado: PSU should take care of business, and this is only interesting since we play a similar style to them, and we play N. Colorado next week. PSU will make the playoff, so we might as well see N Colorado get knocked around a bit before they come to GF. Go Vikings! N. Colorado Won

Montana @ Idaho St: Which Grizz team shows up? The one that smoked us, or the one that lost to Liberty? And Idaho St win would put Montana at 5 losses and out of the playoffs. Montana needs to run the table against Idaho St, E. Washington and Mt St. to make the playoffs. Go Bengals! Montana Won

 

Well I took a little bit of crap from some people after I posted this saying, UND just needs to win (which we do), It doesn't matter what other teams do (which it does). The hope for this weekend was to clear up the playoff picture a bit, but instead the waters are even muddier. All of a sudden, N Colorado has new life, and an outside shot at the playoffs. Basically and help UND could have gotten this weekend, they didn't.

• S Utah, Portland St are both in.
• Barring a terrible two weeks E Washington will be in (though they have had several close wins and they still need to go TO Montana and host Portland St)
• N Arizona will likely win one more (Sac State next weekend, in Flagstaff)
• Montana has new life (E Washington-in Missoula, Mt State - in Bozeman remaining)
• North Dakota and Northern Colorado determine something next weekend. 1 will be out of the playoff run for sure, the other's fate will come down to the final weekend with UND closing the season @ Cal Poly and N Colorado closing out the season against Abilene Christian.

UND needs to put the foot on the gas because the playoffs start right now.