2020-21 Football Season

[Mama Sue]

Granted I do not know as much about the fine points of the game... but the games I watched Southpaw is spot on about their front line getting to our LB... that is something a mama can see. As to S & C and what they eat (who really knows), I only know after his freshman year my son was unchanged... after his sophomore year, he came home and his neck was thick requiring different dress shirts. He was redshirted... he did appear to “bulk up” to me. The first year he played varsity football in HS, he started his own diet... he ate 3 loaves of bread a day. Never said anything to me or his father... younger siblings complained there was no bread in the morning for toast... finally one told us about the 3 loaves a day....so I would think UND is better than 3 loaves of bread a day!

[geaux_sioux]

4 hours ago, southpaw said:

What part about me using a hypothetical on offense to compare the inability of the current D coordinator to adjust do you not understand? 

Let's try again: Rudy wasted Santiago because he didn't adjust to John's skills. Santiago was never going to be a run up the middle kind of back, yet how many times did we see just that? No adjustment for the skills, abilities and weaknesses of a player. The offense suffered and Rudy got fired. 

Compare that to the D, where Schmidt is playing a D that requires a big body up front. If you don't have that body, you need to adjust. How many times this year did we see the 3 linemen get eaten up a single block each, then 2 LBs both get covered by their linemen, leaving 10+ yard rushes over and over. Schmidt hasn't adjusted to the modern game and the D is suffering because of it.

Are you suggesting that he should have switched to a 4 man front for the season? fwiw I’ve wanted us to switch full time to that for a while.

[Parkers Pros]

The 3-4 defense is an extremely good defense with the right personnel. 300ish lb nose that can move and force two lineman to handle is the tip of the spear. It is predicated on having athletic linebackers making plays. But only after the three down lineman make life for the o-line hell. Their number one job is taking up O-line, keeping them off the linebackers so they can make plays.  We don’t currently have the right personnel in my opinion to run this defense...

[Irish]

6 hours ago, southpaw said:

What part about me using a hypothetical on offense to compare the inability of the current D coordinator to adjust do you not understand? 

Let's try again: Rudy wasted Santiago because he didn't adjust to John's skills. Santiago was never going to be a run up the middle kind of back, yet how many times did we see just that? No adjustment for the skills, abilities and weaknesses of a player. The offense suffered and Rudy got fired. 

Compare that to the D, where Schmidt is playing a D that requires a big body up front. If you don't have that body, you need to adjust. How many times this year did we see the 3 linemen get eaten up a single block each, then 2 LBs both get covered by their linemen, leaving 10+ yard rushes over and over. Schmidt hasn't adjusted to the modern game and the D is suffering because of it.

Not adjusting to the modern game is what we do here.

[The Sicatoka]

6 minutes ago, Irish said:

Not adjusting to the modern game is what we do here.

Hence my recommended reading list. 

Not changing, because it worked before, so it'll work again (history repeats doncha know), is loserthink. 

[The Sicatoka]

Bubba had a goal of a 7 win season. 

 

NDSU has a system that adapts and adjusts to maximize what they have, and develops what they don't. Don't believe me? 

'Statuesque' in the pocket Carson Wentz versus the poor-man's Lamar Jackson* named Trey Lance. <-- NDSU wins with either, but not in the same ways. 

They have a system. 

 

Quote

 

Goal-oriented people mostly fail. If your goal is to lose 20 pounds, you will constantly think that you are not at your goal until you reach it. If you fall short, you’re still a failure. The only way to reach your goal is to lose 20 pounds. It’s a state of near-perpetual failure.

What you really want is a system that increases your odds of success. Even if that system only improves the odds a little it adds up over a long life. In organizations, this means, for example, you should care more about the process by which you make decisions than analysis. It also means that you should focus on building a system that evolves, improves, and survives ego. Systems increase the odds of getting lucky. Or, if you want to put it another way, they reduce stupidity.

https://fs.blog/2013/12/scott-adams-fail-at-everything/

 

 

So ... we know UND had a goal.

 

How about we start creating a UND Football system, a system that evolves, improves, and survives ego, that increases the odds of success, or at least getting lucky, and reduces stupidity. 

 

*That is intended as a compliment. 

[The Sicatoka]

3 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

How about we start creating a UND Football system, a system that evolves, improves, and survives ego, that increases the odds of success, or at least getting lucky, and reduces stupidity. 

And I'm going to say it and ruffle some football fans:

To my eye, UND Hockey has a system that takes them directionally to their goals.

 

After a couple down seasons, their system forced them to take stock (and I'm pretty sure it bruised egos along the way), responsibilities changed, they evolved, and improved.  

Take a page. 

[geaux_sioux]

2 hours ago, Parkers Pros said:

The 3-4 defense is an extremely good defense with the right personnel. 300ish lb nose that can move and force two lineman to handle is the tip of the spear. It is predicated on having athletic linebackers making plays. But only after the three down lineman make life for the o-line hell. Their number one job is taking up O-line, keeping them off the linebackers so they can make plays.  We don’t currently have the right personnel in my opinion to run this defense...

Unfortunately our coaches haven’t shown that they can actually recruit guys who can easily get to 300 lbs at nose and guys who can easily get to at least 260 at end. Those are pretty essential to our defense as your post highlights.

[Hambone]

We lose quite a few contributing seniors from this years squad, so I'm curious how next year is going to shake out and how we'll fill a few of these holes.  Sorry for how long this got. 

QB - Have Grover and Schuster on the roster, with Neal committed.  I thought Neal was coming for Spring semester (could be wrong), so I would think that the competition would be between Neal and Schuster for the starting nod.  Could also see a transfer come in and compete to give the two young guys another year in the system.

RB - I really like Skokna.  He has a lot of potential, but isn't going to be running between the tackles much.  Gee showed some flashes, and McKinney is a danger anytime he has the ball.  However, I like McKinney more lining up wide and getting the ball on reverses/misdirections.  He does need to touch the ball a little bit more.  The X-factor could be Otis Weah if he's able to get eligible.  I really like the way he runs, although we haven't seen much in game situations so hard to tell.  Could an incoming freshman come in a make a difference??

WR - Maag is going to be the top guy next year.  Seems to have developed a bit of the yips when catching the ball, but we saw Toivonen with the same issue around the same time frame.  If Maag can hang on to everything thrown his way, he can be special.  Chrysten Cochran showed a bunch of flashes in his limited action - he could be very good.  And then you have the Brockstar, who will be lined up all over the field.  When healthy he is really fun to watch - just wish he hadn't been so dinged up at the end.  After those three, there's quite a bit of talent that we haven't seen much of.  Can Adeoti develop into that deep threat?  Will DB converts Heitpas or Odom crack the two deep?  Can Griebel work his way into the rotation?  Will the North Dakota PWO folks (Burian, Overby, Zavalney) develop into reliable players?  Will there be a freshman that comes in and makes you play them due to ability?  We shall see.

TE - losing Cloyd is a blow, but the TE still didn't seem to be utilized in the passing game as much as one would like.  I know Derek Paulson is listed as the backup TE on the depth, but really didn't notice anyone but Cloyd this year.  Can Pinke, Steckler, Foix or Riviere step up and be a pass catcher?  Could be an interesting position to watch through the spring and next fall.

OL - Need to make these guys HOGS again.  Lose a heck of a good center in Rooney, but there are some pieces there assuming our two tackles can come back next year. As has been noted, the older guys need to put on 10-20 pounds again, as the lighter weight just didn't seem to work with this group.  If everyone is healthy, you'd have to think we have a line of (left to right) Mortel, Tobin, Nguon, Hergel, Waletzko.  I think left guard is up for debate (and possibly center), and maybe one of the younger linemen will take a step forward to fill one of those voids.  I'm not as well versed on OL play, so I could be way off.  As for others on the line, I saw some potential with Ventrelli, and I'm still waiting for Helgren to play to his potential.  I really think we have some talent here, but need to bring it all together.  Also, Adam Neustel has the size we need for a NG - is he a potential answer there?

DL - one of the thinest (both in personnel and size wise) areas on the team this year.  Losing Ott and Engwall before the season did not help matters at all.  Really need to beef up the NG position - not sure if Morrison can get much bigger, and Lickfeldt hasn't been able to put on much weight.  I think that Elijah Beach has the frame to get to that 300+ bowling ball that we need, as well as potentially Neustel as noted above.  I would think that Pierre is more of a DE, and could be a force at about 260-270 playing out there.  As for DE, we lose one of the greats in Mason Bennett, but return everyone else.  Seguin had moments, and Jaelen Johnson is a great player that should probably be OLB as I don't see him getting that size we need for DE.  I was pretty happy with how well Graham Devore did there, and he could be special if he can put on a few more pounds and not lose any quickness.  I'd like to see what Steven Keech or Tanner Thorsness can do - good size on both coming in.  Luke Lennon and Isaac Moore really need to add some weight - or else they could potentially move to OLB as well.  I did notice Moore in the Montana State game for the little bit he was out there - good quickness.

ILB - Losing Donnell Rodgers is going to hurt.  Vrede was also a good player to have as your backup.  So, next years starters look to potentially be Noah Larson and Caden White.  White needs to bulk up a little bit, but I thought he was a somewhat pleasant surprise this year.  After those two, to be honest, I'm not really sure who is ILB and how is OLB to be honest.  In either case, we need to bulk up as most of our LBs are under 220.

OLB - Lose Jade Lawrence and Andre Steiger, the latter of which was had a pretty surprising (in a good way) career.  Ray Haas and Jaxson Turner are the returners with the most experience, and Bryden Swenson could be in the mix for a starting spot as well.  Need some younger guys to step up here in a big way, or as noted in the DL section, we could see some movement to this area.

CB - Hopefully will be a position of strength.  Getting Holm back is absolutely huge, and after a year in the system Sammy Fort and Caleb Nelson could be immense help.  Blubaugh didn't have quite as good of a year as he did last year as a Sophomore, so hopefully he can pull it together and have a strong senior season.  CJ Siegel had a lot of good moments, but also had a few issues during the second half of the year.  Sky is the limit for this kid.  Jayson Coley will be interesting to see develop, as he was the least heralded of the incoming freshman CBs, but I believe he could have a lot of potential as well.

S - Jordan Canady and Hayden Galvin are returning starters, and both had fairly solid years this year.  Behind them, you have Ty Shannon who got a decent amount of minutes and did some good work on special teams.  I'd love to see my special teams favorite, Kadon Kauppinen, start putting it together on the defensive side of the ball and play some meaningful minutes there.  Love this kids attitude.  Is Jeremie Dominique going to be a factor, either as a safety or a CB?  Time will tell.  Also have the young guys like Koshiol and Vaughn-Jones to look at here.

Punting - Cade Peterson did a decent job when it came to punting on the opponents side of the field, and was able to pin teams successfully.  Plus, his speed gives him the potential on a fake if needed.  However, he really struggled to get a lot of distance when we needed to flip the field.  Seemed most teams we played were able to flip the field on us, but we couldn't do it in return.  Need more distance and hangtime from Mr. Peterson next year.

Kicking - Wildly inconsistent.  I remember when if you had a FG of 50 yards or less you pretty much knew there was a really good shot you would make it.  That hasn't been the case lately.  I think we need to do more in the recruiting K and P, but I'm not the coach.  Leach does have some potential, but there are many times where you think "WTF was that" after a FG or XP try.  Can the other Brady push him and maybe take the job?  Is there a potential to bring on incoming freshman in?  We'll see.

Overall we have some pieces, but we really need to build more depth (seems like a common theme for the last multiple years).  Need to add some size on the lines, and potentially make some position changes to those who may be better used elsewhere and can plug some holes. 

So, there is my amateur opinion on next year.  Could be way off in all areas, but thought I'd take a stab at it.

[geaux_sioux]

48 minutes ago, Hambone said:

We lose quite a few contributing seniors from this years squad, so I'm curious how next year is going to shake out and how we'll fill a few of these holes.  Sorry for how long this got. 

QB - Have Grover and Schuster on the roster, with Neal committed.  I thought Neal was coming for Spring semester (could be wrong), so I would think that the competition would be between Neal and Schuster for the starting nod.  Could also see a transfer come in and compete to give the two young guys another year in the system.

RB - I really like Skokna.  He has a lot of potential, but isn't going to be running between the tackles much.  Gee showed some flashes, and McKinney is a danger anytime he has the ball.  However, I like McKinney more lining up wide and getting the ball on reverses/misdirections.  He does need to touch the ball a little bit more.  The X-factor could be Otis Weah if he's able to get eligible.  I really like the way he runs, although we haven't seen much in game situations so hard to tell.  Could an incoming freshman come in a make a difference??

WR - Maag is going to be the top guy next year.  Seems to have developed a bit of the yips when catching the ball, but we saw Toivonen with the same issue around the same time frame.  If Maag can hang on to everything thrown his way, he can be special.  Chrysten Cochran showed a bunch of flashes in his limited action - he could be very good.  And then you have the Brockstar, who will be lined up all over the field.  When healthy he is really fun to watch - just wish he hadn't been so dinged up at the end.  After those three, there's quite a bit of talent that we haven't seen much of.  Can Adeoti develop into that deep threat?  Will DB converts Heitpas or Odom crack the two deep?  Can Griebel work his way into the rotation?  Will the North Dakota PWO folks (Burian, Overby, Zavalney) develop into reliable players?  Will there be a freshman that comes in and makes you play them due to ability?  We shall see.

TE - losing Cloyd is a blow, but the TE still didn't seem to be utilized in the passing game as much as one would like.  I know Derek Paulson is listed as the backup TE on the depth, but really didn't notice anyone but Cloyd this year.  Can Pinke, Steckler, Foix or Riviere step up and be a pass catcher?  Could be an interesting position to watch through the spring and next fall.

OL - Need to make these guys HOGS again.  Lose a heck of a good center in Rooney, but there are some pieces there assuming our two tackles can come back next year. As has been noted, the older guys need to put on 10-20 pounds again, as the lighter weight just didn't seem to work with this group.  If everyone is healthy, you'd have to think we have a line of (left to right) Mortel, Tobin, Nguon, Hergel, Waletzko.  I think left guard is up for debate (and possibly center), and maybe one of the younger linemen will take a step forward to fill one of those voids.  I'm not as well versed on OL play, so I could be way off.  As for others on the line, I saw some potential with Ventrelli, and I'm still waiting for Helgren to play to his potential.  I really think we have some talent here, but need to bring it all together.  Also, Adam Neustel has the size we need for a NG - is he a potential answer there?

DL - one of the thinest (both in personnel and size wise) areas on the team this year.  Losing Ott and Engwall before the season did not help matters at all.  Really need to beef up the NG position - not sure if Morrison can get much bigger, and Lickfeldt hasn't been able to put on much weight.  I think that Elijah Beach has the frame to get to that 300+ bowling ball that we need, as well as potentially Neustel as noted above.  I would think that Pierre is more of a DE, and could be a force at about 260-270 playing out there.  As for DE, we lose one of the greats in Mason Bennett, but return everyone else.  Seguin had moments, and Jaelen Johnson is a great player that should probably be OLB as I don't see him getting that size we need for DE.  I was pretty happy with how well Graham Devore did there, and he could be special if he can put on a few more pounds and not lose any quickness.  I'd like to see what Steven Keech or Tanner Thorsness can do - good size on both coming in.  Luke Lennon and Isaac Moore really need to add some weight - or else they could potentially move to OLB as well.  I did notice Moore in the Montana State game for the little bit he was out there - good quickness.

ILB - Losing Donnell Rodgers is going to hurt.  Vrede was also a good player to have as your backup.  So, next years starters look to potentially be Noah Larson and Caden White.  White needs to bulk up a little bit, but I thought he was a somewhat pleasant surprise this year.  After those two, to be honest, I'm not really sure who is ILB and how is OLB to be honest.  In either case, we need to bulk up as most of our LBs are under 220.

OLB - Lose Jade Lawrence and Andre Steiger, the latter of which was had a pretty surprising (in a good way) career.  Ray Haas and Jaxson Turner are the returners with the most experience, and Bryden Swenson could be in the mix for a starting spot as well.  Need some younger guys to step up here in a big way, or as noted in the DL section, we could see some movement to this area.

CB - Hopefully will be a position of strength.  Getting Holm back is absolutely huge, and after a year in the system Sammy Fort and Caleb Nelson could be immense help.  Blubaugh didn't have quite as good of a year as he did last year as a Sophomore, so hopefully he can pull it together and have a strong senior season.  CJ Siegel had a lot of good moments, but also had a few issues during the second half of the year.  Sky is the limit for this kid.  Jayson Coley will be interesting to see develop, as he was the least heralded of the incoming freshman CBs, but I believe he could have a lot of potential as well.

S - Jordan Canady and Hayden Galvin are returning starters, and both had fairly solid years this year.  Behind them, you have Ty Shannon who got a decent amount of minutes and did some good work on special teams.  I'd love to see my special teams favorite, Kadon Kauppinen, start putting it together on the defensive side of the ball and play some meaningful minutes there.  Love this kids attitude.  Is Jeremie Dominique going to be a factor, either as a safety or a CB?  Time will tell.  Also have the young guys like Koshiol and Vaughn-Jones to look at here.

Punting - Cade Peterson did a decent job when it came to punting on the opponents side of the field, and was able to pin teams successfully.  Plus, his speed gives him the potential on a fake if needed.  However, he really struggled to get a lot of distance when we needed to flip the field.  Seemed most teams we played were able to flip the field on us, but we couldn't do it in return.  Need more distance and hangtime from Mr. Peterson next year.

Kicking - Wildly inconsistent.  I remember when if you had a FG of 50 yards or less you pretty much knew there was a really good shot you would make it.  That hasn't been the case lately.  I think we need to do more in the recruiting K and P, but I'm not the coach.  Leach does have some potential, but there are many times where you think "WTF was that" after a FG or XP try.  Can the other Brady push him and maybe take the job?  Is there a potential to bring on incoming freshman in?  We'll see.

Overall we have some pieces, but we really need to build more depth (seems like a common theme for the last multiple years).  Need to add some size on the lines, and potentially make some position changes to those who may be better used elsewhere and can plug some holes. 

So, there is my amateur opinion on next year.  Could be way off in all areas, but thought I'd take a stab at it.

I think Shannon should slide down to OLB. He’s an absolute dog. He would have great speed for a LB.

[Nodak78]

Maybe Kadon Kauppinen could make the field as OLB.  He loves to hit and has pretty good speed.  I think he would thrive on Sack city.

[MoSiouxFan]

1 hour ago, Hambone said:

We lose quite a few contributing seniors from this years squad, so I'm curious how next year is going to shake out and how we'll fill a few of these holes.  Sorry for how long this got. 

QB - Have Grover and Schuster on the roster, with Neal committed.  I thought Neal was coming for Spring semester (could be wrong), so I would think that the competition would be between Neal and Schuster for the starting nod.  Could also see a transfer come in and compete to give the two young guys another year in the system.

RB - I really like Skokna.  He has a lot of potential, but isn't going to be running between the tackles much.  Gee showed some flashes, and McKinney is a danger anytime he has the ball.  However, I like McKinney more lining up wide and getting the ball on reverses/misdirections.  He does need to touch the ball a little bit more.  The X-factor could be Otis Weah if he's able to get eligible.  I really like the way he runs, although we haven't seen much in game situations so hard to tell.  Could an incoming freshman come in a make a difference??

WR - Maag is going to be the top guy next year.  Seems to have developed a bit of the yips when catching the ball, but we saw Toivonen with the same issue around the same time frame.  If Maag can hang on to everything thrown his way, he can be special.  Chrysten Cochran showed a bunch of flashes in his limited action - he could be very good.  And then you have the Brockstar, who will be lined up all over the field.  When healthy he is really fun to watch - just wish he hadn't been so dinged up at the end.  After those three, there's quite a bit of talent that we haven't seen much of.  Can Adeoti develop into that deep threat?  Will DB converts Heitpas or Odom crack the two deep?  Can Griebel work his way into the rotation?  Will the North Dakota PWO folks (Burian, Overby, Zavalney) develop into reliable players?  Will there be a freshman that comes in and makes you play them due to ability?  We shall see.

TE - losing Cloyd is a blow, but the TE still didn't seem to be utilized in the passing game as much as one would like.  I know Derek Paulson is listed as the backup TE on the depth, but really didn't notice anyone but Cloyd this year.  Can Pinke, Steckler, Foix or Riviere step up and be a pass catcher?  Could be an interesting position to watch through the spring and next fall.

OL - Need to make these guys HOGS again.  Lose a heck of a good center in Rooney, but there are some pieces there assuming our two tackles can come back next year. As has been noted, the older guys need to put on 10-20 pounds again, as the lighter weight just didn't seem to work with this group.  If everyone is healthy, you'd have to think we have a line of (left to right) Mortel, Tobin, Nguon, Hergel, Waletzko.  I think left guard is up for debate (and possibly center), and maybe one of the younger linemen will take a step forward to fill one of those voids.  I'm not as well versed on OL play, so I could be way off.  As for others on the line, I saw some potential with Ventrelli, and I'm still waiting for Helgren to play to his potential.  I really think we have some talent here, but need to bring it all together.  Also, Adam Neustel has the size we need for a NG - is he a potential answer there?

DL - one of the thinest (both in personnel and size wise) areas on the team this year.  Losing Ott and Engwall before the season did not help matters at all.  Really need to beef up the NG position - not sure if Morrison can get much bigger, and Lickfeldt hasn't been able to put on much weight.  I think that Elijah Beach has the frame to get to that 300+ bowling ball that we need, as well as potentially Neustel as noted above.  I would think that Pierre is more of a DE, and could be a force at about 260-270 playing out there.  As for DE, we lose one of the greats in Mason Bennett, but return everyone else.  Seguin had moments, and Jaelen Johnson is a great player that should probably be OLB as I don't see him getting that size we need for DE.  I was pretty happy with how well Graham Devore did there, and he could be special if he can put on a few more pounds and not lose any quickness.  I'd like to see what Steven Keech or Tanner Thorsness can do - good size on both coming in.  Luke Lennon and Isaac Moore really need to add some weight - or else they could potentially move to OLB as well.  I did notice Moore in the Montana State game for the little bit he was out there - good quickness.

ILB - Losing Donnell Rodgers is going to hurt.  Vrede was also a good player to have as your backup.  So, next years starters look to potentially be Noah Larson and Caden White.  White needs to bulk up a little bit, but I thought he was a somewhat pleasant surprise this year.  After those two, to be honest, I'm not really sure who is ILB and how is OLB to be honest.  In either case, we need to bulk up as most of our LBs are under 220.

OLB - Lose Jade Lawrence and Andre Steiger, the latter of which was had a pretty surprising (in a good way) career.  Ray Haas and Jaxson Turner are the returners with the most experience, and Bryden Swenson could be in the mix for a starting spot as well.  Need some younger guys to step up here in a big way, or as noted in the DL section, we could see some movement to this area.

CB - Hopefully will be a position of strength.  Getting Holm back is absolutely huge, and after a year in the system Sammy Fort and Caleb Nelson could be immense help.  Blubaugh didn't have quite as good of a year as he did last year as a Sophomore, so hopefully he can pull it together and have a strong senior season.  CJ Siegel had a lot of good moments, but also had a few issues during the second half of the year.  Sky is the limit for this kid.  Jayson Coley will be interesting to see develop, as he was the least heralded of the incoming freshman CBs, but I believe he could have a lot of potential as well.

S - Jordan Canady and Hayden Galvin are returning starters, and both had fairly solid years this year.  Behind them, you have Ty Shannon who got a decent amount of minutes and did some good work on special teams.  I'd love to see my special teams favorite, Kadon Kauppinen, start putting it together on the defensive side of the ball and play some meaningful minutes there.  Love this kids attitude.  Is Jeremie Dominique going to be a factor, either as a safety or a CB?  Time will tell.  Also have the young guys like Koshiol and Vaughn-Jones to look at here.

Punting - Cade Peterson did a decent job when it came to punting on the opponents side of the field, and was able to pin teams successfully.  Plus, his speed gives him the potential on a fake if needed.  However, he really struggled to get a lot of distance when we needed to flip the field.  Seemed most teams we played were able to flip the field on us, but we couldn't do it in return.  Need more distance and hangtime from Mr. Peterson next year.

Kicking - Wildly inconsistent.  I remember when if you had a FG of 50 yards or less you pretty much knew there was a really good shot you would make it.  That hasn't been the case lately.  I think we need to do more in the recruiting K and P, but I'm not the coach.  Leach does have some potential, but there are many times where you think "WTF was that" after a FG or XP try.  Can the other Brady push him and maybe take the job?  Is there a potential to bring on incoming freshman in?  We'll see.

Overall we have some pieces, but we really need to build more depth (seems like a common theme for the last multiple years).  Need to add some size on the lines, and potentially make some position changes to those who may be better used elsewhere and can plug some holes. 

So, there is my amateur opinion on next year.  Could be way off in all areas, but thought I'd take a stab at it.

No need to apologize for the length.  That was a good take on the state of the team and needs for next season.  I, too, would love to see Weah come back and be a factor.  Loved the way he ran the few times that we saw him last season.  Would be nice to add another 'dozer like JJ.  Oline has the potential to be great next season if they get bigger and improve in the running game; did a great job protecting the QB for the most part this season.  Hate to lose seniors like Rodgers, Wanzek, and Toivenen and I am sure there are several others.  They were not only great players (all-conf. caliber), but they were also high character guys and great leaders.  They'll be sorely missed.  As you mentioned, getting Holm back is huge.  If McKinney, Boltman, and Skokna can stay healthy, we'll have a great KR unit season and I predict that we'll have a couple kickoffs taken to the house.

[Hambone]

Not a huge fan of transfers for every need, but definitely can fill a hole if you get the right fit.  Here's who's in the transfer portal as of now at all positions.

https://247sports.com/Season/2020-Football/TransferPortal/

[The Sicatoka]

8 Things from today's season ending presser by Tom Miller. 

Item 1: No kidding. 

Item 8: Where Schmidt says we need to "look the part" is a glimmer of hope to me. It's an acknowledgement that when lined up against top tier FCS teams, man-for-man we don't always look the part (meaning look like a contending FCS team).

That said, what systems are we going to put in place to fix it and keep it fixed. 

[petey23]

4 hours ago, Hambone said:

Not a huge fan of transfers for every need, but definitely can fill a hole if you get the right fit.  Here's who's in the transfer portal as of now at all positions.

https://247sports.com/Season/2020-Football/TransferPortal/

Looks like Nicholls State is bringing in a QB from LSU

[ChrisUND1]

7 hours ago, Nodak78 said:

Maybe Kadon Kauppinen could make the field as OLB.  He loves to hit and has pretty good speed.  I think he would thrive on Sack city.

He was fun to watch on special teams.  Loved his hawk celebration on the blocked punt TD.

[Nodak78]

24 minutes ago, ChrisUND1 said:

He was fun to watch on special teams.  Loved his hawk celebration on the blocked punt TD.

I think his next couple years are going to be really fun to watch.  Plays with such emotion and fire.

[sioux24/7]

2 hours ago, petey23 said:

Looks like Nicholls State is bringing in a QB from LSU

Mizzou*

[siouxfb]

8 hours ago, geaux_sioux said:

I think Shannon should slide down to OLB. He’s an absolute dog. He would have great speed for a LB.

I’ve heard this is the plan. He’ll need to get bigger but I like it. This spot has me most concerned for next year. 

[shep]

Great writeup Ham.

[bang]

7 hours ago, Hambone said:

Not a huge fan of transfers for every need, but definitely can fill a hole if you get the right fit.  Here's who's in the transfer portal as of now at all positions.

https://247sports.com/Season/2020-Football/TransferPortal/

Connor Heyward Michigan State. Son of Ironhead Heyward. Would love to see a Ironhead at the Al. 

[bang]

8 minutes ago, shep said:

Great write up Ham. One note: You didn't mention Elijah Beech. I think this is a HUGE key to the DLine

He mentioned him with the Dline. 

[shep]

10 minutes ago, bang said:

He mentioned him with the Dline. 

Yep. My bad. 

[petey23]

12 hours ago, sioux24/7 said:

Mizzou*

My bad. Looked at his profile and saw he was from Louisiana and was wearing a jersey with purple and gold. Should have scrolled further down the page.

[AJS]

Since Bubba has been at the helm, I've always been optimistic going into the next season. Taking away stretches from the previous year, a couple what if player X didn't get hurt here and looking at returning players. I'm by far the most pessimistic I've been at the first glance into a next season. Taking a step back and looking at the season as a whole, I ask myself what was the 2019 UND team good at? They did have moments, but a very simplistic view of four areas Passing / Running / Stopping Pass / Stopping Run, is it fair to say that the only area they were above average in was Passing. They lose QB 1, WR 1, WR 3. What I worry about even more is you look at their biggest weakness, stopping the run and they lose their Top D-Lineman, Top ILB, Top Depth ILB, Starting OLB, Depth ILB (Hunt), Two-Deep OLB. Guys like Bennett and Rodgers (especially Rodgers) being almost impossible to replace. You can easily talk me into the D-line taking a huge step, but what about the LB unit?