2018 Season

[AJS]

2 hours ago, gundy1124 said:

If we stop the run, teams will torch us in the air.  All I see right now in the secondary is injuries and inexperience at safety.  I predict a 5.

Get ready for a frustrating, no shi*t type post, but here it goes.

A lot of my frustration last year, with the ILB's, is although injuries to key players ultimately sunk the position, everybody knew going into the year that it was razor thin. It's crazy to me that you basically had Rodgers and that's it as a proven commodity. Add Larson / Hunt who you like to the mix and Disterhaupt, who was too undersized to begin with. After that you pretty much had nobody that should be playing. I just can't understand why they didn't bring in anybody else.

Now, looking at next years defense, let's check off the boxes. If you're looking at Safety / Secondary as a huge, huge issue, is this not priority #1? My first sentence about, no sh*t type post applies to that question, because it obviously probably is. I just hope the coaching staff is doing everything they can to bring in 1 more Safety that can make an impact.

I can understand how injuries can derail a certain position if they add up, but I'll never understand not being prepared at the beginning of the year to put your team in position to succeed. Being one injury away from disaster (i.e. ILB last year).

[Sioux94]

Who are we projecting as the two starting safeties this year? 

[Feff]

All I want from this upcoming season is to be play respectable football in every single game. Win or lose, I want it to be competitive. Last year we got embarrassed more often than not, change that around and move on from there. 

[Sioux95]

I think we can do ok with Canady and Stewart at safety , but unless Stewart learns to play a little less violently, I expect him to miss half the season with injuries.  

The d line is a bigger concern for me.  They weren't very good last year.

[Midwestern Hawk]

57 minutes ago, Sioux95 said:

I think we can do ok with Canady and Stewart at safety , but unless Stewart learns to play a little less violently, I expect him to miss half the season with injuries.  

The d line is a bigger concern for me.  They weren't very good last year.

I think the dL was affected by the problems at ILB and safety. Could not dial up as much pressure with the inexpenerience/size/athletic ability we had at times at ILb and safety.  Pressure creates optimal situations for dl to make big plays too.

 

[Tolna]

2 hours ago, Midwestern Hawk said:

I think the dL was affected by the problems at ILB and safety. Could not dial up as much pressure with the inexpenerience/size/athletic ability we had at times at ILb and safety.  Pressure creates optimal situations for dl to make big plays too.

 

Actually doesn’t better defensive line play make it easier on your linebackers and safeties? If they are getting in the backfield and getting pressure, that’s less time tour secondary has to cover? Also if they are penetrating and causing chaos, that’s more the opposing team needs to scheme to block your D-Line which keeps blockers off your linebackers. Allowing them to run and make tackles. 

[shep]

8 hours ago, AJS said:

Get ready for a frustrating, no shi*t type post, but here it goes.

A lot of my frustration last year, with the ILB's, is although injuries to key players ultimately sunk the position, everybody knew going into the year that it was razor thin. It's crazy to me that you basically had Rodgers and that's it as a proven commodity. Add Larson / Hunt who you like to the mix and Disterhaupt, who was too undersized to begin with. After that you pretty much had nobody that should be playing. I just can't understand why they didn't bring in anybody else.

Now, looking at next years defense, let's check off the boxes. If you're looking at Safety / Secondary as a huge, huge issue, is this not priority #1? My first sentence about, no sh*t type post applies to that question, because it obviously probably is. I just hope the coaching staff is doing everything they can to bring in 1 more Safety that can make an impact.

I can understand how injuries can derail a certain position if they add up, but I'll never understand not being prepared at the beginning of the year to put your team in position to succeed. Being one injury away from disaster (i.e. ILB last year).

Somewhere else I saw someone complain about brining in too many Safetys. We have Z's little bro as a SS I think and is a JUCO isn't he? Also the new kid from Denmark is a Safety as well. Stewart, Shannon and Canaday are coming back. Jaxson Turner go back there some too??

[shep]

1 minute ago, shep said:

Somewhere else I saw someone complain about brining in too many Safetys. We have Z's little bro as a SS I think and is a JUCO isn't he? Also the new kid from Denmark is a Safety as well. Stewart, Shannon and Canaday are coming back. Jaxson Turner go back there some too??

Netherlands, not Denmark.

[siouxfan512]

3 minutes ago, shep said:

Somewhere else I saw someone complain about brining in too many Safetys. We have Z's little bro as a SS I think and is a JUCO isn't he? Also the new kid from Denmark is a Safety as well. Stewart, Shannon and Canaday are coming back. Jaxson Turner go back there some too??

I think you may be thinking of me. My complaint was not that we have too many safety’s, but more that I hope we stop trying to convert them to undersized linebackers.

also I thin Miller reported he expects Turner to stay at OLB.

[shep]

Just now, siouxfan512 said:

I think you may be thinking of me. My complaint was not that we have too many safety’s, but more that I hope we stop trying tagain concert them to undersized linebackers.

also I thin Miller reported he expects Turner to stay at OLB.

I see.

Yes, Miller did say that, but I'm wondering if Turner is able to handle rigors of LB all season. 

[geaux_sioux]

1 hour ago, shep said:

I see.

Yes, Miller did say that, but I'm wondering if Turner is able to handle rigors of LB all season. 

Get enough weight on him and he’s a more athletic Idowu. 

[gundy1124]

16 hours ago, Sioux95 said:

I think we can do ok with Canady and Stewart at safety , but unless Stewart learns to play a little less violently, I expect him to miss half the season with injuries.  

The d line is a bigger concern for me.  They weren't very good last year.

Take any opposing offense last season.  Here is the scouting report on UND.  D-line - pretty good,  Linebackers - not good inside and undersized outside,  Secondary - not good.  Pretty much any offense in the league could take their 5 o-lineman and even add a tight end and in theory double team each of our 3 D-lineman.  The result was opposing RBs were at the LBs with a 2 yard gain, and then drag them for another 5 yards, for a 7 yard gain.  I think our D-line is more talented than what they looked but suffered because 1) 3 man front is our scheme so our strongest position has the least amount of players on the field and 2) rest of D wasn't a concern for opposing offenses.

[UND-FB-FAN]

23 minutes ago, gundy1124 said:

Take any opposing offense last season.  Here is the scouting report on UND.  D-line - pretty good,  Linebackers - not good inside and undersized outside,  Secondary - not good.  Pretty much any offense in the league could take their 5 o-lineman and even add a tight end and in theory double team each of our 3 D-lineman.  The result was opposing RBs were at the LBs with a 2 yard gain, and then drag them for another 5 yards, for a 7 yard gain.  I think our D-line is more talented than what they looked but suffered because 1) 3 man front is our scheme so our strongest position has the least amount of players on the field and 2) rest of D wasn't a concern for opposing offenses.

Linebacker and defensive back play needs to improve. Lack of interceptions and inability to stop the run was the direct result of decreased level of play from '16 to '17. 

Either the players that underperformed last year improve or UND puts new guys in there (including those back from injury).

if neither the old guys improve or the new* guys step up, it will be another disappointing year. 

*FBS transfer at LB, ILB Rodgers and CB Harris back from injury, and JuCo safety are the major new additions at those spots; can they play?

[geaux_sioux]

Winter weights seem to be going well. Caution to all you squat phobes, you'll want to sit down for this.

 

[Sioux95]

10 minutes ago, geaux_sioux said:

Winter weights seem to be going well. Caution to all you squat phobes, you'll want to sit down for this.

 

I don't have a problem with this.  No end range loading. Not maxing out.  Good form.  

[homer]

13 minutes ago, geaux_sioux said:

Winter weights seem to be going well. Caution to all you squat phobes, you'll want to sit down for this.

 

How about the OL?

[geaux_sioux]

2 minutes ago, homer said:

How about the OL?

Young but decent strength. Baukol is a good follow this time of year https://www.instagram.com/nbaukol/ 

 

[SiouxFan100]

Are our players fed a special diet or do they just eat lots of dorm food?

[shep]

Which incoming Frosh and Juco's make the most impact in 2018?

[Midwestern Hawk]

more vids of workouts.   We need to be a hell of a lot stronger and more physical.  Better be grinding everyday.

[sioux24/7]

Oliveira switch to 15? On Instagram looked liked him with a 15 jersey but maybe it was Turner. 

[Hawks_Win_Again]

Slow night......no practice report...heard it was full pads today.....hopefully Tom Miller will give an update after these first 4 practices heading into spring break.  Did hear NO injuries so far !!!    

[SkoHawks]

Prior to 2016, I was very optimistic, thought we'd be in playoffs for sure, definite top 10 team....even after going 0-2, an NDSU friend of mine was harping on me about Bubba getting fired already to which I laughed at him and said, I still see us going 9-2 or 8-3.....I mean we'll figure it out we are 2 plays away from 2-0....

Prior to 2017, I was very optimistic again.....I thought, After Richmond these boys are out for total redemption this is the year we show the gap is closing, we're coming......I thought we had it.......then......ufffda....I was still optimistic until UC Davis, that one all but broke my back, but I still thought, heal up, make a run get in the playoffs and it's on......then Montana happened.....

Prior to 2018, I'm still really optimistic, I'm so ready for the season to start to get this horrible taste of 2017 out of my mouth, and if it's this bad for me? I can't imagine how bad it should be for the players and coaches.  What if it was just the injuries? What if Rudolph didn't think Stutsrud had the arm or the OL was good enough to open up the playbook?  ........This really is a huge make or break season.  The only thing that is certain, is that if we go 0-1 I'm canceling my season tickets......

[zonadub]

On March 22, 2018 at 10:02 PM, SkoHawks said:

... What if it was just the injuries? What if Rudolph didn't think Stutsrud had the arm or the OL was good enough to open up the playbook?  .......

Really hope this is the truth...

agreed about Studsrud

[BarnWinterSportsEngelstad]

5 hours ago, zonadub said:

Really hope this is the truth...

agreed about Studsrud

Rudolph could win back a lot of fan support. Bubba still believes!