GDT: North Dakota v. Richmond

[geaux_sioux]

13 hours ago, Vegas_Sioux said:

this is why im hockey first

1-0 Sioux over BC 

Jost from Poganski

As a hockey fan I'd figure you would appreciate a good choke

[Irish]

16 minutes ago, geaux_sioux said:

As a hockey fan I'd figure you would appreciate a good choke

Come on Geaux - you're classier than that

[Old Time Hockey]

Tough pill to swallow for the boys.  As a program this will only make us stronger.  What this team needs to learn now; coaches and players, is how to finish a team you have on the ropes.  Brady should have rushed for 50+ yards in the fourth quarter.  That is the teams mantra!  I believe the coaching staff really didn't know what to do with such a lead midway through the 3rd quarter.  This is where I always give credit to the AG.  When they get a lead, they really know how to finish.  Anyways, next year is another year of Bubbas recruits and added depth.  I wouldn't fire anybody, but I would definitely put the heat on coaches to stay true to our identity.  That didn't happen today.

If anyone told me at the start of the season we would have run the table in conference play and lost in the second round of the playoffs without once getting dominated all season, I would have taken the deal and ran with it.  Congrats to Bubba and his crew for taking us from laughing stock to respectability!

[UND-1]

1 minute ago, Irish said:

Come on Geaux - you're classier than that

Not in that particular case.  That was bush league.  I have done it before so I know.

[Old Time Hockey]

18 minutes ago, geaux_sioux said:

As a hockey fan I'd figure you would appreciate a good choke

Touché!  However, to be able to choke you have to be a team that is expected to win on a consistent basis.  The football team did choke today, but when was the last time this team choked to a reputable team in the playoffs?  Never at the FCS level.  To me this just means the football team is back on the map!

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

I've got a Sunday Morning football hangover, coffee and caramel rolls did't help, so I'm back here.

First taught, is we overachieved, but could of made a #7 seed respectable, because we definitely had the game in our control with couple minutes left in the 3rd. Then, next week, we get beat at E. Wash, everybody respects us including ourselves, and we really look forward to next year.

Second taught is that highlight above; there is so much emphasis in sports about the program, what are the past accomplishments (that's why we hang the Natty's), who coaches, schools and fans support, respect from the competition, and etc.  This trickles down to the pollsters and selection committee.  We are going to have to regain some respect here, need to rebound, be a better team next year, and then win a playoff game or two and we'll be fine. 

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

I was trying to put this in my last post but just didn't fit. After three weeks of preparation; players healed up pretty good, coaches got rusty? Maybe they over analyzed everything, too much time to prepare, lost sight of our strengths and weaknesses?

[SWSiouxMN]

I could pile on with the playcalling (the double reverse call set everything bad into motion), coaching, etc...

But I'm not going to.  I'm going to go back three years ago, after the UC-Davis drumming, the defections, the awkward coaching search, the questions swirling around if a recruiting class will be filled.  If there was rock-bottom for a program... that was it.  This program has come a lonnnggg way since then. With Bubba leading the team, they have overachieved every season, 2 winning seasons in conference, an undefeated conference season, a conference title, most wins in program history at the D-1 level and a playoff home game.

Last night was a gut punch, but it wasn't a Sioux Falls, or a 55-10 run up the score Montana, or a 31-0 loss to Sac State, or blowing a lead against ISU. It was playoff hurt, but I'll take that over any of those.

Now... the hard part begins.  Can they do it again?  Can they prove that this is sustainable and not a fluke. Can they take the next step and make a deep playoff run next year and start to establish themselves as a future Big Sky power and FCS power?  Next year will answer that question

Thank you Seniors, who stuck it out and never took their ball and went home.

9-2, 7-1 and a run to the semis

Who's with me?

[Cratter]

10 minutes ago, BarnWinterSportsEngelstad said:

I was trying to put this in my last post but just didn't fit. After three weeks of preparation; players healed up pretty good, coaches got rusty? Maybe they over analyzed everything, too much time to prepare, lost sight of our strengths and weaknesses?

Human nature took over throughout the team from the players to coaches. They got a decent lead and weren't as sharp: mental or physical.

Same thing that helped UND win games this season and get this far.

Is what it is. Learn from it. And do better next time.

[geaux_sioux]

42 minutes ago, Old Time Hockey said:

Touché!  However, to be able to choke you have to be a team that is expected to win on a consistent basis.  The football team did choke today, but when was the last time this team choked to a reputable team in the playoffs?  Never at the FCS level.  To me this just means the football team is back on the map!

As a semi finalist last season and ranked #1 earlier in the year Richmond is reputable.

[BigGame]

4 hours ago, Oxbow6 said:

Every play call falls within the context and moment of a game..........you should know that. Rudoloh by and large is horrible at that. The flea flicker at that moment was great but it's one play.  UND is built to run the ball... especially up 17... especially when Brady was getting good chuncks on every carry. 

It's always popular on this message board to go after Rudolph.   I certainly think things could have been done differently but it isn't The OC's fault when the team can't complete a simple swing pass.  Studs wasn't very accurate for a good part of the game and they should have kept feeding Brady.  Most games this year the offense has made good halftime adjustments and been much better in the second half. 

The special teams running into the kicker changed the entire dynamic of the game.   I still don't really understand how Josh Seibel is the punt return guy, every punt made me nervous with him back fielding the punt. 

The defense couldn't stop the run in the second half and that is what the team is structured to do.  The defense and defensive staff need to take a fair share of the responsibility in the collapse and I am sure they feel the same way.  My biggest issue yesterday was on several occasions we brought 7 pass rushers and left our CB on an island and he was clearly overmatched.  That was how the long TD was scored and they dropped another one. 

 

Overall I think UND got out coached in all three phases in the second half and that can't happen. 

 

That being said great year for this team and they are very young overall and should only improve next year. 

[homer]

10 hours ago, Siouxperman8 said:

My son is a current student. He pointed out what a missed opportunity it was.  Got a bunch of students to the game and interested. Could have built on the feeling that it was fun and that they contributed to a win. Move on in playoffs and raise fb's profile. 

Missed opportunity with the students??  

What more do they need to understand how important they are?  $1000's of dollars were donated by fans like us to get them to the game.  Do they need rides next year too?  

I thought the students were great and based off Richmond's players and coaches reactions after the win, both groups making a point to come back and talk smack to the student sections, I'd say the students had plenty of fun during the game.  

 

[UND-FB-FAN]

Horrible, horrible loss. 

Up 24-7 in 3rd and the community is finally getting behind UND football like we all want (crowd and noise were amazing yesterday), only then for UND to have a horrible penalty and blocked punt which were both huge momentum killers. Many mistakes throughout game, with the final one being the deep pass allowed by UND on 3rd and long.  I hate this loss for so many reasons. It really will hurt for a while. Oh well. 

 

[UND-FB-FAN]

9 minutes ago, homer said:

Missed opportunity with the students??  

What more do they need to understand how important they are?  $1000's of dollars were donated by fans like us to get them to the game.  Do they need rides next year too?  

I thought the students were great and based off Richmond's players and coaches reactions after the win, both groups making a point to come back and talk smack to the student sections, I'd say the students had plenty of fun during the game.  

 

Sounds good, but we know from the past that without wins, the students don't care.

UND can't lose home playoff games. They just can't. The atmosphere and positive consequences of a home playoff win would be so huge for UND's football program in many ways, including student attendance and energy. Fargo U doesn't lose at home in the playoffs; just saying because it's a recipe for crazy, positive fan support (including those bandwagon fans that we hate of NDSU). 

This loss will sting for awhile. Oh well, next year's expectations need to be national championship or bust. Conference title aspirations were the ceiling for 2016 and UND accomplished that; it is time for UND to aspire to be in Frisco next season. 

[brootgrizr]

You guys had a good season, sorry you didn't make it to the next tier.

[BigGame]

10 hours ago, SIOUXFAN97 said:

trick plays are for pussys and right now i thiink rudy is a pussy...first and ten, up 17, up 20 and your almost guaranteed a win, and you run a double reverse for minus seven yards...gutless call that bubba should fire him over...rudy and the special teams guy can back up and go back to minot and wherever you let free runners block punts....total garbage...give the ball to brady 40 times in this game and we win going away...

The point of those types of plays a lot of the time is to make the defense defend the entire field.  We don't have a deep threat to stretch the field and it is next to impossible to run against a defense that is stacked up to stop it.  I don't like the call personally but I get it, and you don't get it if you think UND is good enough up front to just line it up and run it on a good defense that is selling out to stop the run.  The swing passes that Studs kept making bad throws on yesterday sort of do the same thing. 

[bincitysioux]

I bet if that double reverse gained 15 yards that would be considered a great call.  If the flea flicker would have resulted in a 9 yard sack, it would have been a horrible call.

Fact is the team got beat in all three phases last night, in shocking fashion with such a big lead.  For the first time this season, the defense couldn't bail out the offense when it struggled.  #16 had a real bad game, but he wasn't the only one.

Special Teams have been a liability all season, and proved to be kryptonite in this game.

Devastating end to an otherwise extraordinary season.  Future looks bright.

[homer]

16 minutes ago, UND-FB-FAN said:

Sounds good, but we know from the past that without wins, the students don't care.

UND can't lose home playoff games. They just can't. The atmosphere and positive consequences of a home playoff win would be so huge for UND's football program in many ways, including student attendance and energy. Fargo U doesn't lose at home in the playoffs; just saying because it's a recipe for crazy, positive fan support (including those bandwagon fans that we hate of NDSU). 

This loss will sting for awhile. Oh well, next year's expectations need to be national championship or bust. Conference title aspirations were the ceiling for 2016 and UND accomplished that; it is time for UND to aspire to be in Frisco next season. 

Up until yesterday UND didn't lose playoff games at home either but it happens.  

Getting that many students to show up was a reward for the great season.  

Not breaking any news by saying without wins fans don't show up.  Look back 3 years for proof of that. 

[UND-FB-FAN]

4 minutes ago, bincitysioux said:

I bet if that double reverse gained 15 yards that would be considered a great call.  If the flea flicker would have resulted in a 9 yard sack, it would have been a horrible call.

Fact is the team got beat in all three phases last night, in shocking fashion with such a big lead.  For the first time this season, the defense couldn't bail out the offense when it struggled.  #16 had a real bad game, but he wasn't the only one.

Special Teams have been a liability all season, and proved to be kryptonite in this game.

Devastating end to an otherwise extraordinary season.  Future looks bright.

I completely agree with your assessment of "trick" plays - you take the good with the bad.

All three phases hurt UND yesterday, but special teams was the biggest culprit (missed FG, 4th down penalty, blocked punt). 

UND does have a tremendously bright future. 2017's expectations need to be national championship-like. I sure hope fan support continues to be like it was yesterday. 

[UND-FB-FAN]

5 minutes ago, homer said:

Up until yesterday UND didn't lose playoff games at home either but it happens.  

Getting that many students to show up was a reward for the great season.  

Not breaking any news by saying without wins fans don't show up.  Look back 3 years for proof of that. 

UND had never been in the FCS playoffs before, so no history there.

Yes, home playoff loses can happen. It just did yesterday. 

Still doesn't mean it isn't bad and very disappointing.  It is and it will hurt for awhile. 

UND will hopefully learn from this and be better for it. 

[UND-1]

8 minutes ago, bincitysioux said:

I bet if that double reverse gained 15 yards that would be considered a great call.  If the flea flicker would have resulted in a 9 yard sack, it would have been a horrible call.

Fact is the team got beat in all three phases last night, in shocking fashion with such a big lead.  For the first time this season, the defense couldn't bail out the offense when it struggled.  #16 had a real bad game, but he wasn't the only one.

Special Teams have been a liability all season, and proved to be kryptonite in this game.

Devastating end to an otherwise extraordinary season.  Future looks bright.

Can't run reverses against that defense.  He should know that.  Their linebackers are wide and pressure in.  Bad call.

[AJS]

10 minutes ago, BigGame said:

The point of those types of plays a lot of the time is to make the defense defend the entire field.  We don't have a deep threat to stretch the field and it is next to impossible to run against a defense that is stacked up to stop it.  I don't like the call personally but I get it, and you don't get it if you think UND is good enough up front to just line it up and run it on a good defense that is selling out to stop the run.  The swing passes that Studs kept making bad throws on yesterday sort of do the same thing. 

It's all situational. The definitely were good enough on the drive you were talking about, the were getting 7 yards running up the middle every single first down. They were in field goal range on first down when the call was made. I agree if running up the middle wasn't working, but it was. 

[fightingsioux4life]

11 hours ago, Siouxperman8 said:

My son is a current student. He pointed out what a missed opportunity it was.  Got a bunch of students to the game and interested. Could have built on the feeling that it was fun and that they contributed to a win. Move on in playoffs and raise fb's profile. 

If we keep winning games and getting high playoff seeds, the profile of the program will continue to rise. I am as sick about last night as anyone else here, but we have to keep looking at the big picture, people. Bubba has us going places......eventually one of those places will be Frisco, TX.

[Devils]

Terrible loss, no doubt it was a very deflated feeling walking out of the Alerus.  Even saw some adults crying.  It was my first football game since being in college 10 years ago (I now live 4 hours away) and the atmosphere was great and I'll be back.  Richmond's receivers were the difference I thought - they made great plays and UND's dropped 3 or 4 very catchable balls on the last couple drives.  Definitely seemed as though UND got tired on defense as the game wore on...Richmond started to run off tackle on us and our pass rush suffered.  One thing that caught my eye was that UND virtually never substituted on defense and I think that caught up to them as Richmond basically was doing whatever they wanted in the 4th quarter.  Hopefully we can continue to build depth as the program moves forward.

[fightingsioux4life]

Just now, Devils said:

Terrible loss, no doubt it was a very deflated feeling walking out of the Alerus.  Even saw some adults crying.  It was my first football game since being in college 10 years ago (I now live 4 hours away) and the atmosphere was great and I'll be back.  Richmond's receivers were the difference I thought - they made great plays and UND's dropped 3 or 4 very catchable balls on the last couple drives.  Definitely seemed as though UND got tired on defense as the game wore on...Richmond started to run off tackle on us and our pass rush suffered.  One thing that caught my eye was that UND virtually never substituted on defense and I think that caught up to them as Richmond basically was doing whatever they wanted in the 4th quarter.  Hopefully we can continue to build depth as the program moves forward.

The D got tired because the offense stopped moving the ball and started going 3 and out over and over again. As for not subbing on defense, that is where building quality depth comes into play. Bubba and his staff haven't been here long enough to build up depth across the board. That is what they are working on right now.