GDT: North Dakota v. Richmond

[The Sicatoka]

12 hours ago, F'n Hawks said:

The bison highlights on the big board were annoying... Really?

We also couldn't even have our own hype video before the player came out, not a big deal but a little annoying 

As previously stated, the NCAA produced that video. It was shown at every site by rule of the tournament coordinator (the NCAA). 

[The Sicatoka]

11 hours ago, NoiseInsideMyHead said:

... name the exact moment when doubt first crept into your mind that UND could lose after going up 24-7 ... 

The reverse call on 1st and 10 on the UR side of the field when already moving the ball well with dives and off tackle plays on first down.
Instead of having 2nd and 8 it was 2nd and 18. 

[UNDColorado]

I am still at a loss for words this morning. Regardless of how !@#!$ I still feel, I am very proud of how far this team has come. 

[The Sicatoka]

Having admitted that there was a moment when doubt crept into my mind ... 

There's our problem. 

We, as a fan base, doubt. When NDSU fans were up 21-0 over San Diego did even a single one of them imagine a scenario where NDSU could lose? 

Yet, up 24-7 we admit we had doubts.

That's a mindset that needs to change ... everywhere: on the sidelines, in the fans.

From now on when UND goes up 24-7 my only question is going to be, "Why the < bleep > isn't it 31-7 yet? Let's go." 

[geaux_sioux]

16 minutes ago, UNDColorado said:

I am still at a loss for words this morning. Regardless of how &#33;@#&#33;&#036; I still feel, I am very proud of how far this team has come. 

I'm still going through all the plays that cause more and more momentum to go to Richmonds team.... All we had to do was literally make one more play. Just one.

[Nodak78]

5 minutes ago, geaux_sioux said:

I'm still going through all the plays that cause more and more momentum to go to Richmonds team.... All we had to do was literally make one more play. Just one.

I agree.  I think the reason we didn't and Richmond made many plays in the 4th qrt was the playoff experience.  The team will learn much from this loss.  The future is bright.

[shep]

And if fans on a message board are doing this, imagine how sleepless the coaches' and players' nights have been.

[geaux_sioux]

8 minutes ago, shep said:

And if fans on a message board are doing this, imagine how sleepless the coaches' and players' nights have been.

Haunted is probably the word.

[tnt]

40 minutes ago, Nodak78 said:

I agree.  I think the reason we didn't and Richmond made many plays in the 4th qrt was the playoff experience.  The team will learn much from this loss.  The future is bright.

But we don't have road playoff experience yet, and getting another home playoff game is hardly a given when you look at how Portland State and Northern Arizona dropped from year to year.  Those same teams we stunned with miraculous comebacks this year will be ready to even the score next year.  

[fightingsioux4life]

1 hour ago, The Sicatoka said:

Having admitted that there was a moment when doubt crept into my mind ... 

There's our problem. 

We, as a fan base, doubt. When NDSU fans were up 21-0 over San Diego did even a single one of them imagine a scenario where NDSU could lose? 

Yet, up 24-7 we admit we had doubts.

That's a mindset that needs to change ... everywhere: on the sidelines, in the fans.

From now on when UND goes up 24-7 my only question is going to be, "Why the < bleep > isn't it 31-7 yet? Let's go." 

The confidence Bison fans have in their team has been built up over 5 years of last-second victories and championships. They didn't always have that confidence. We will develop that confidence, but it doesn't happen in a vacuum, it has to happen organically. I was feeling pretty good Saturday night.....until that idiotic reverse play call that lost 8 yards and killed what was a very successful run-oriented drive. Then of course, the Bill Buckner-esqe running into the kicker penalty got the ball rolling against us.

Like I have said before: two steps forward, one step back.

[gundy1124]

Severe depression until my wife said, 'quit being a pussy'.  Reminds me of the Michigan vrs. Ohio St. game some.  Gotta move forward, keep building and fighting.  This is a hard time for the Seniors as their whole lives have revolved around athletics on the field and now that's gone.  Be sure to reach out to these guys if you can.

[homer]

1 hour ago, tnt said:

But we don't have road playoff experience yet, and getting another home playoff game is hardly a given when you look at how Portland State and Northern Arizona dropped from year to year.  Those same teams we stunned with miraculous comebacks this year will be ready to even the score next year.  

We don't play NAU next year and USD will be a battle regardless.  That team will be solid next season but so will we.  

I expect an offseason of player development and a staff looking for "immediate" help where needed or available.  

[BobIwabuchiFan]

15 hours ago, NoiseInsideMyHead said:

A lot of people want to downplay the significance of that play. I cannot, and here is the clincher: before Richmond scored to make it 24-14, before the defensive lapses, before the punt block, name the exact moment when doubt first crept into your mind that UND could lose after going up 24-7 and basically having their way.

I guarantee that it crept into the players' minds, too.

I was numb for the next several moments...the big pass completion and ensuing TD are a blur, frankly, because I was still REACTING to and processing what I had seen but could not believe. The punt pressure defied - and still defies - reason. Interesting to see on here now that it was not called by the coaches; that is some measure of relief. I can forgive the kids.

Avoid the foul, take the fair catch, run some clock, and eliminate that doubt? We're having a different conversation. 

I really have a hard time with the punt rush call as well...Game in hand and we have them pinned at their 15 yd line and we are going to get good field position again because their punter was really piss poor.  I throw the blame on Special Teams coach for not prepping the kids for the right mentality at this point in the game.  Why risk a penalty when you have good field position????

[UNDColorado]

Yesterday I completely avoided coming to this site because I was sort of in a state of disbelief of what actually happened. Life goes on and today I feel for these young men who have gutted it out during good and bad times. The game was full of miscues that we could not overcome but I am proud of how far they have come as a team. Not to long ago we had a collection of individuals that called themselves a "team." We now have a true team that has bought into everything and sometimes things just don't go your way and it sucks but I am holding out hope that this young team uses this experience as a motivator.

I am also holding out hope that the coaches make some solid off season personnel additions because we seem to be just a bit short on only a few positions. I truly feel we are close and I believe these guys will continue to be hungry this off season. Keep the faith boys and thank you Seniors!

[Ozzie82]

3 minutes ago, BobIwabuchiFan said:

I really have a hard time with the punt rush call as well...Game in hand and we have them pinned at their 15 yd line and we are going to get good field position again because their punter was really piss poor.  I throw the blame on Special Teams coach for not prepping the kids for the right mentality at this point in the game.  Why risk a penalty when you have good field position????

Sometimes the players are coached properly and they still make a mistake.  Because they are young.  And human.

[planet2county]

"Well, it probably bothers other people more than it bothers me," said the Hall of Fame coach. "To survive in this business, you can't have a backwards look. You lose a game and then you have to move to the next one. You can't look back and say we could have, would have, should have. When it's over, it's over."

[Hanca]

Punt penalty truly changed game.  Thought UND played a remarkable 1st half.  Would not overly criticize coaching too much as UR has struggled on punt protection all year.  UND receivers dropped too many passes on not great throws that were catchable.  On another note, my son enjoyed your dome and said your fans were so friendly and knowledgeable.  Wish UND best for future in football

[BobIwabuchiFan]

My take on the game is pretty simple...

We pretty much owned the line on offense and could have dictated the entire game with just straightforward running by Olivera or Norberg.  We go up by 17 points at the start of the third quarter and the OC decides to add more passing to the play calling and we basically shoot ourselves in the foot by not taking advantage of our line advantage on the run and the rest starts to melt down from there.  I put a lot on the coaches shoulders as they know none of the players have playoff experience at this level and they needed to be those communicators and leaders on the sideline for the team...Making sure the players are ready and making sure they know what the team needs in a specific situation.  Interestingly, Richmond in my mind was not the better team all around and you saw it on the run plays for the Sioux.  Rather, the better team didn't execute the plan that has won them game after game this year and that's Run the Goddamn Ball to set up the passing plays!!!  It was so extremely frustrating watching us try to use trick plays when the Moose could have been running for 3-5 yds at each attempt.  I'm still trying to come to grips with the OC play calling when you have ~9 mins left in the third and you are actually trying to make long passes beyond 15 yds...every time its incomplete, the clock stops and you breath life into Richmond.

It's all spilled milk know, but hopefully we learn a ton from this disappointing game...

 

[77iceman]

Everyone I know will be cheering for EWU to represent the BigSky well into the play-offs.

I say "GO SPIDERS"!!!   I'd feel better about this co-champion title if EWU would lose, too.

[UND-FB-FAN]

2 hours ago, tnt said:

But we don't have road playoff experience yet, and getting another home playoff game is hardly a given when you look at how Portland State and Northern Arizona dropped from year to year.  Those same teams we stunned with miraculous comebacks this year will be ready to even the score next year.  

Leave no doubt. We'll go on the road and beat them again.

Like others have mentioned, it is time UND develop a positive, confident attitude that allows them to "leave no doubt" every season, not just this one.

Based on what the 2015 FCS playoff snub did for the 2016 team, I would expect this 2016 playoff heart-breaker to do tremendous things for the goals of the 2017 UND team. The amount of players returning for 2017 only strengthens that argument, in my opinion.

It hasn't even been 48 hours since that horrible collapse vs. Richmond, but I am already excited for UND football to get back on the field and prove themselves. They have much, much more to accomplish and I expect Bubba and his team to have that same attitude. This program is close -- Grand Forks and the region need to continue to get behind this UND football program that is on the doorstep of big-time things. 

[gundy1124]

51 minutes ago, BobIwabuchiFan said:

I really have a hard time with the punt rush call as well...Game in hand and we have them pinned at their 15 yd line and we are going to get good field position again because their punter was really piss poor.  I throw the blame on Special Teams coach for not prepping the kids for the right mentality at this point in the game.  Why risk a penalty when you have good field position????

Overall their punter was so crappy I'd rather just put 3 guys back to fair catch a 25 yard punt than risk the ball hitting the ground and rolling.  Why do we need a block when the net punt is so minimal anyway, bad risk/reward model.

[Matt]

This is the kind of loss that can continue to beat you if you let it.  Doubt your ability to hold a lead, your ability to defend your home playoff field, giving up explosive plays.

How this team starts the 2017 schedule will be critical to burying some demons.

[old school]

There was no punt block called.  It was a punt safe just one player did not execute

[Sioux94]

21 minutes ago, Matt said:

This is the kind of loss that can continue to beat you if you let it.  Doubt your ability to hold a lead, your ability to defend your home playoff field, giving up explosive plays.

How this team starts the 2017 schedule will be critical to burying some demons.

We thought we'd start out 2016 with an edge due to the previous years playoff snub and the #LeaveNoDoubt mantra.....but we came out of the gate pretty poorly.  I sure hope it's a much better start next year.

[SIOUXFAN97]

5 hours ago, The Sicatoka said:

The reverse call on 1st and 10 on the UR side of the field when already moving the ball well with dives and off tackle plays on first down.
Instead of having 2nd and 8 it was 2nd and 18. 

me too...darrell bevell and rudy should have lunch sometime and ask each other" what were you thinking?"