2018 Season

[LkvlleUNDFan]

4 hours ago, Irish said:

Overall a pretty good job with some areas to improve.  One of my big concerns is special teams.  It has been mentioned multiple times but I haven't seen an in-depth discussion.  Special teams have been an issue for quite a while.  I am not referring to the kicker missing, but more about kick coverage lapses and getting our punts blocked.  You would think this would have been taken care of by now.  Punt protection and kickoff coverage are not rocket science.  Why can't we figure this out?  Well coached high school teams do a better job.  This is an issue that certainly can come back to bite us this year and has going on for several years.  Look at the Richmond playoff game (as painful as that is) - Mr. Triple Reverse gets a lot of well deserved criticism, but a running into the kicker penalty and a blocked punt killed us.  If the guys (coaches and players) we are using can't get it done, lets make some changes.  And while no one but the kicker can be held accountable for kick accuracy, why in the wild wild world of sports can't we find someone who can get a kickoff to the end zone?  What gives?

I'm not here to disagree, but I will say that it appeared on the SHSU blocked punt that one of our OL "upbacks" made the wrong decision to double the guy coming up the middle instead of taking the guy on the outside that blocked the kick. It was his first game action - and who knows how much experience he has on specials? Again, specials are a concern - but it's hard to say whether coaching can stop a player from making a bad decision.

[Siouxphan27]

2 hours ago, GoHawks said:

What if Izzy, Mckinney and Santiago were on the field at the same time 

We might score too quickly and lose the TOP battle. 

[OgieOgilthorpe]

1 hour ago, LkvlleUNDFan said:

I'm not here to disagree, but I will say that it appeared on the SHSU blocked punt that one of our OL "upbacks" made the wrong decision to double the guy coming up the middle instead of taking the guy on the outside that blocked the kick. It was his first game action - and who knows how much experience he has on specials? Again, specials are a concern - but it's hard to say whether coaching can stop a player from making a bad decision.

Which comes down to coaching decisions and preparation... If UND had a guy in there that they weren't fully confident in...then it sounds like a poor coaching decision. Either that, or they were confident in him, but started a guy at the position that doesn't fully understand how simple it is and was not ready. Great to see he understood the inside to outside responsibility...but you 100% can't just let a guy run freely past you. Wow

You're sitting in that spot to cut off a potential threat's angle. You just standing in that spot is usually going to be enough to screw up his chances of blocking it just by being in the way for that long run and short time to make it there. If you lean in to block inside, you're screwed. If you have a guy to your inside and outside you just have to get a good piece of both of them with hard jabs to their shoulders to throw them off their angle even a tiny bit and slow them down a tiny bit. If you do that correctly, there shouldn't be enough time for the guy to still get to the ball before its off. If he still makes it,  then you have a release time problem with your punter. If he didn't touch him at all and decided to double team a guy in the middle (stupid) then it's on him, and it's obvious he didn't get taught the simplicity of that position. With your tight stance spacing, you use your body and short arm to block inside and extended jab to the outside. 

[Sioux94]

9 minutes ago, OgieOgilthorpe said:

Which comes down to coaching decisions and preparation... If UND had a guy in there that they weren't fully confident in...then it sounds like a poor coaching decision. Either that, or they were confident in him, but started a guy at the position that doesn't fully understand how simple it is and was not ready. Great to see he understood the inside to outside responsibility...but you 100% can't just let a guy run freely past you. Wow

You're sitting in that spot to cut off a potential threat's angle. You just standing in that spot is usually going to be enough to screw up his chances of blocking it just by being in the way for that long run and short time to make it there. If you lean in to block inside, you're screwed. If you have a guy to your inside and outside you just have to get a good piece of both of them with hard jabs to their shoulders to throw them off their angle even a tiny bit and slow them down a tiny bit. If you do that correctly, there shouldn't be enough time for the guy to still get to the ball before its off. If he still makes it,  then you have a release time problem with your punter. If he didn't touch him at all and decided to double team a guy in the middle (stupid) then it's on him, and it's obvious he didn't get taught the simplicity of that position. With your tight stance spacing, you use your body and short arm to block inside and extended jab to the outside. 

I will honestly be on pins and needles in the 4th quarter the rest of the season any time the game is close and we are punting.  We've proven we are not good at it.  

[UND-FB-FAN]

6 hours ago, GoHawks said:

What if Izzy, Mckinney and Santiago were on the field at the same time 

An offense magically appears all of a sudden ...

[Tangolou]

9 hours ago, nodak651 said:

Anyone else think that Izzy has shown enough to move past Toivonen on the depth chart?  The guy has better hands than Toivonen, and he can move down field after catching the ball.  He can also stretch the field.  Izzy caught a few short passes in the first half of the SHSU game that made it much more easy for us to move the ball down field.  Too many of our guys catch the ball and get tackled right where they catch it.

I think the reason we haven't seen much of Izzy or McKinney is because they haven't caught the ball very well (we don't see practice). Izzy has been getting some looks this year and has caught the ball well in my opinion. There is a lot that goes into being a good receiver (speed, route running, blocking) but the most important is catching the ball. In my opinion Toivonen doesn't catch the ball all that well, especially the tough ones in traffic. We need more speed on the field and Izzy brings that. I think his roll will expand as the season goes on.

[geaux_sioux]

5 minutes ago, Tangolou said:

I think the reason we haven't seen much of Izzy or McKinney is because they haven't caught the ball very well (we don't see practice). Izzy has been getting some looks this year and has caught the ball well in my opinion. There is a lot that goes into being a good receiver (speed, route running, blocking) but the most important is catching the ball. In my opinion Toivonen doesn't catch the ball all that well, especially the tough ones in traffic. We need more speed on the field and Izzy brings that. I think his roll will expand as the season goes on.

I’m of the opinion that guys with gamechanging potential should prove in a game that they can’t get it done. The lights come on for some guys on game days in a way they can’t replicate in practice.

[Parkers Pros]

I was thinking the same thing on Izzy. Was complaining that they used him so awesome on that first drive and then we didn’t see him the rest of the game, then boom, the long bomb!  I think we need him to open up the field. Would like to see Cloyd get rolling. Hell some wishbone with all 3 backs would be fun to see!

[GoHawks]

12 hours ago, UND-FB-FAN said:

An offense magically appears all of a sudden ...

That would get in the way of the toss play. Seems like we swapped that for the dive. Pretty sure they did that toss 12-15 times last week. 

[FightingHawkSioux]

2 hours ago, GoHawks said:

That would get in the way of the toss play. Seems like we swapped that for the dive. Pretty sure they did that toss 12-15 times last week. 

Not just last week. EVERY week. 

[Irish]

2 hours ago, GoHawks said:

That would get in the way of the toss play. Seems like we swapped that for the dive. Pretty sure they did that toss 12-15 times last week. 

I can just imagine the off season conversation - Bubba to Rudolph "You know I like a conservative offense and a good punting game as well as the next guy, but the fans are complaining about the ineffective Santiago up the middle for no gain calls.  Can you do something about it?"  Rudolph - "Sure, I'm nothing if not flexible" - then runs the ineffective pitch for little gain 10-15 times.  Problem solved.

[jdub27]

1 hour ago, Irish said:

I can just imagine the off season conversation - Bubba to Rudolph "You know I like a conservative offense and a good punting game as well as the next guy, but the fans are complaining about the ineffective Santiago up the middle for no gain calls.  Can you do something about it?"  Rudolph - "Sure, I'm nothing if not flexible" - then runs the ineffective pitch for little gain 10-15 times.  Problem solved.

Alternatively:
Fans - "Quit running Santiago up the gut!"
Also Fans - "Quit tossing it to Santiago on the edge where he has space to operate!"

That being said, I know the pitch play is run out of various formations and blocking schemes, but some of them leave a bit to be desired on timing and development of the plays. But it does give John a chance to read his blocks and find a crease, which is how he sets up the big plays.

[GoHawks]

1 hour ago, jdub27 said:

Alternatively:
Fans - "Quit running Santiago up the gut!"
Also Fans - "Quit tossing it to Santiago on the edge where he has space to operate!"

That being said, I know the pitch play is run out of various formations and blocking schemes, but some of them leave a bit to be desired on timing and development of the plays. But it does give John a chance to read his blocks and find a crease, which is how he sets up the big plays.

I totally understand that. But when a dummy like myself can call that play (which I almost called it every time last Saturday) a DC with experience can easily see that to. Rudy just might have to turn to the 2nd page of this very difficult offense and shake things up a bit....

[Tangolou]

4 hours ago, Irish said:

I can just imagine the off season conversation - Bubba to Rudolph "You know I like a conservative offense and a good punting game as well as the next guy, but the fans are complaining about the ineffective Santiago up the middle for no gain calls.  Can you do something about it?"  Rudolph - "Sure, I'm nothing if not flexible" - then runs the ineffective pitch for little gain 10-15 times.  Problem solved.

I got real tired of that toss play on Saturday also but in fairness the bomb to Izzy was a fake toss play action.... 

[jdub27]

38 minutes ago, GoHawks said:

I totally understand that. But when a dummy like myself can call that play (which I almost called it every time last Saturday) a DC with experience can easily see that to. Rudy just might have to turn to the 2nd page of this very difficult offense and shake things up a bit....

You aren't wrong and I was more just making light due to people's reaction to John always running up the middle and then complaining that he was only getting the ball on the outside.
 

From the UNDFootball360 guys:

Quote

• OC Paul Rudolph needs to self-scout and be careful not to fall in love with the toss play. It’s becoming evident and while we realize it’s blocked in different ways, we are becoming too reliant and predictable on that play specifically.

 

[Irish]

58 minutes ago, GoHawks said:

I totally understand that. But when a dummy like myself can call that play (which I almost called it every time last Saturday) a DC with experience can easily see that to. Rudy just might have to turn to the 2nd page of this very difficult offense and shake things up a bit....

Exactly this - I have no objection to the toss play - what defines Rudy seems to be the predictability.  

[Siouxperfan7]

Craig Haley's first FCS playoff bracket prediction.  Potential tasty matchup in the second round!!

[UNDColorado]

34 minutes ago, Siouxperfan7 said:

Craig Haley's first FCS playoff bracket prediction.  Potential tasty matchup in the second round!!

Let's just keep winning and get a seed 

[Feff]

3 hours ago, jdub27 said:

You aren't wrong and I was more just making light due to people's reaction to John always running up the middle and then complaining that he was only getting the ball on the outside.
 

From the UNDFootball360 guys:

 

I'm a big fan of running a zone block scheme and let Santiago find the hole. I think that's where he's at his best, give him a single cut and let him hit a hole with speed. 

[shep]

4 hours ago, Tangolou said:

I got real tired of that toss play on Saturday also but in fairness the bomb to Izzy was a fake toss play action.... 

Fairness? Around here? When talking about the offense? 

Sorry, not allowed.

[Teeder11]

28 minutes ago, shep said:

Fairness? Around here? When talking about the offense? 

Sorry, not allowed.

Shep, hopefully, we can secretly have a Rah Rah session over our offense in Secton 215 on Saturday. 

[shep]

Just now, Teeder11 said:

Shep, hopefully, we can secretly have a Rah Rah session over our offense in Secton 215 on Saturday. 

I CAN NOT wait!

[Midwestern Hawk]

found this on Youtube.

[Sioux94]

Anybody have a link to the weekly UND sports show or whatever it is?  Is there still such a thing?  

[nodak651]

3 minutes ago, Sioux94 said:

Anybody have a link to the weekly UND sports show or whatever it is?  Is there still such a thing?  

Check midco sports youtube page.