Sioux/GVSU Game Thread

[BigGame]

[Diggler]

Pitt State plays outside. The call their stadium "The Jungle" and it can hold like 10,000. That's all I know.

Does anyone know the rules on signs and distance between the bench and the student section for playoff games? We were supposed to leave the first 4 rows empty, I'm not sure why though. I'm sure it's some stupid NC$$ rule. They can put their signs all over the place, but we as fans can't. Whatever.

[bisonguy]

BigGame,

It was a tongue-in-cheek comment about the bubble screen. There was an in-depth discussion about the proper use of the bubble and tunnel screen names a couple months back.

Of course there are about a million different name variations, but it's fairly well known that a bubble screen goes towards the sidelines, and a tunnel (other common name: jailbreak) screen goes towards the center of the field. These are the most common names for two completely opposite plays- much like a go and a hitch route (or whatever other terms are used for those).

[petey23]

Bisonguy,

I cannot believe you would question Pat Sweeney's vast football knowledge. We in the valley should count our blessings and just be thankful that he has not moved on to ESPN or Fox Sports Net....I am sure he has had several offers.

[bisonguy]

LOL

I don't know who was doing color with Pat, but my wife (defender of all things GF) asked "Who is that guy with Pat Sweeny? He sure isn't good."

Anyhow, back to the subject- Congrats, good win for UND. I thought GVSU had a slight advantage in athletes on the field, but UND definitely had a better TEAM and coaching staff.

[OhioSiouxFan]

LOL 

I don't know who was doing color with Pat, but my wife (defender of all things GF) asked "Who is that guy with Pat Sweeny? He sure isn't good." 

Anyhow, back to the subject- Congrats, good win for UND. I thought GVSU had a slight advantage in athletes on the field, but UND definitely had a better TEAM and coaching staff.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Agree, color guy was interesting!

[Cratter]

WDAZ (Channel 8 Grand Forks) will televise the game with Pat Sweeney handing the play-by-play. He'll be joined by WDAZ's John Bernstrom and West Fargo coach and former Sioux standout Jay Gibson.

[redwing77]

Ok, my thoughts on the game:

1. Rating the teams overall. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being "these guys could beat anyone right now" and 1 being "Are these guys DIII or a club team that stole the jerseys?" I would say that UND recieves a 3 and GVSU recieves a 3.5. Both teams looked pretty bad. In fact, the fact that UND looked worse than I've ever seen them and still won the game, can be considered a good omen.

2. QB: Could we please settle on a QB and stick with him? Inconsistency while on the field is one thing, but does Bowencamp or Belmore even know going into it if he's going to be in the game the next quarter? The next time they are on offense? Admittedly, both QBs didn't look very good. Bowencamp couldn't get on the same playing field as his recievers and vice versa. Belmore possibly played the most inconsistent of any player in any league I've ever viewed in person (from High school up to NFL). One minute he's sensational and the next minute he's either helping the GVSU defense with the sack or just plain forgetting to take the ball before setting the play. That being said, I don't care if you have to flip a coin. Take a QB and stick with him. A rotation may work for goaltenders in hockey, but it doesnt work in football.

3. WRs: A hint from someone in education: You have to know the basics before you can take it to the next level. Meaning? CATCH THE DAMN BALL BEFORE YOU THINK ABOUT RUNNING! I'd rather have 0 yards after the catch than the POSSIBILITY of a TD should you CATCH the ball. BASICS BASICS BASICS. You want a tape to watch, watch GVSU's #2. He caught the ball nearly every time it was thrown to him. He didn't pull a Brian Shroeder off a Brett Favre pass (bounce off the numbers), he didn't let it bounce off his hands. CATCH THE BALL!!!!!

4. Defense: GOOD WORK boys, you are the only reason it was even close. The only thing I can say is, where was the homework? GVSU ran that option from the shotgun, what, 30 times? Is there a way to stop it? The way they were succeeding, I wouldn't have altered it at all. Every other time they ran that play they ran for 8+ yards it seemed. I would have to think they would have designed some defensive plays to try to counter that play. Evidentally, though, I was wrong. Also, this week in practice: Open field tackling. Let's try it sometime. BUT BEAR IN MIND: You guys are the best of the best even with this critique, After all, you guys showed up to play, unlike the offense, which took sheer luck and two GREAT offensive line plays to pull this game out of the posterior.

One little bit of homework, Pitt State scores a TON of points. Word to the wise: The offense that has been absent the last few weeks..... NEED TO FIND IT if we are even going to dream about the NC game.

Bottom Line: Good win, but we were lucky. Let's shore it up, and get ready for next week.

End Rant

[Sioux Fan from Missouri]

Pitt St. is an offensive juggernaut!!! I believe they are around 60pts a game and they won't be affraid to run the score up either. Hopefully I see a lot of green in the stands next week I'm only an hour away from Pitt St. and can't wait to go. Tickets should be avalaible Mon morning but maybe sunday who knows?

GO SIOUX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Diggler]

You are insane Redwing and if you were at that game you are a moron. That was one of the best football games you will ever see.

The reasons the offenses supposedly looked so terrible are because these were the two best defenses in the country. The fact that UND was able to ever run the ball up the middle with Keyonte Marshall(?) singlehandedly clogging up about 3 gaps, is amazing. That guy was huge.

And it's Bill Schroeder, not Brian.

[UND92,96]

Pitt St. has a good offense, but their numbers are somewhat inflated due to the fact that most of the teams they play have poor defenses. Look at recent history, and how has the MIAA fared against the NCC in the playoffs? Not very well at all, including Pitt's losses at UND in 2001 and 2003. I think Pitt St. has to be favored, but only because they're at home. This will not be a blowout, and UND can definitely hold them in the 20's with a good defensive performance. The key is whether our offense can do some damage against a Pitt defense that obviously can be scored upon (given up over 70 points in two playoff games this year). If the Sioux can force some turnovers, this is a winnable game. Dale Lennon isn't 10-2 in the playoffs by accident.

[fightingsioux4life]

You are insane Redwing and if you were at that game you are a moron.

[Cratter]

[petey23]

I thought the color guy was good. You try and carry pat sweeney all day. It was Jay "Hoot" Gibson, former UND Football and Basketball athlete and current head coach of the West Fargo Packer Football Dynasty.

[Wilbur]

Somebody should tell that #4 for GVSU that there is a DI level of football, and that he could probably play at that level and succeed, man that guy was fast........

I thought it was a good hard fought football game. As far as the officiating goes I don't see where anyone has anything to complain about. The first spot on the fourth and short for GVSU was a little sketchy, but the second time when they were inside the twenty Finnerty wasn't even close to getting the first down.

It was weird to see Bowencamp get pulled, I personally didn't think he was playing that badly, but Belmore did what was needed of him to get the win.

Bring on the Gorillas......man are they good....

[U2Bad1]

Anyone who is diminishing Pitt St's accomplishments

this year...... They are the REAL DEAL. It will take a perfect game on defense to hold them inthe 20's.. even with UND's defense. They scored 50 on a VERY good NW missouri st team this weekend.

[LennonIsTheMan]

All I have to say is wow!!! You'd think that this was a message board for strictly college football coaches. Because apparently, you are all experts. Seriously look at the game thread, and look at the negativity that some of you have displayed. But then, when we came around and pulled it out, everything is "duckies and bunnies." I'm willing to bet that most of you are vikings fans too. All I hear is: Jeff Glas sucks, play calling is terrible, QB's suck, WR's cant catch. I am truly embarrassed to hear some of you bitch and moan about football when you have no idea what the hell is going on. If you guys know so much about the game, then maybe you should quit your day job and become a college coach, or player, and then all our problems will be solved. What a lot of you don't realize is that it's all about the system and tradition that we have at UND. We have been out-manned physically on the field many times in the past 4 years, but yet we still manage to win. Do the math. Obviously everyone is entitled to their own opinion on an internet message board when you can post anonymously behind some log-in name. Some are just more football savvy than others when it comes to the knowledge of the game. WAKE UP!! I would be more than happy to talk football with any of you geniuses in person whenever it is convenient for you. Good luck to the sioux this weekend @ Pitt. GO SIOUX!!!

2001 National Champions

[BigGame]

Anyone who is diminishing Pitt St's accomplishments

this year...... They are the REAL DEAL. It will take a perfect game on defense to hold them inthe 20's.. even with UND's defense. They scored 50 on a VERY good  NW missouri st team this weekend.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I listened to part of that game, not a whole lot of defense being played. NW has a good defense, but not nearly as good as the UND's or GV's. I think it's will be very tough to win in Pittsburg. The defense will be fine, but the offense is key. If the O steps up UND should win, if not it was a good year.

[BigGame]

All I have to say is wow!!!  You'd think that this was a message board for strictly college football coaches.  Because apparently, you are all experts.  Seriously look at the game thread, and look at the negativity that some of you have displayed.  But then, when we came around and pulled it out, everything is "duckies and bunnies."  I'm willing to bet that most of you are vikings fans too.      All I hear is:  Jeff Glas sucks, play calling is terrible, QB's suck, WR's cant catch.  I am truly embarrassed to hear some of you bitch and moan about football when you have no idea what the hell is going on.  If you guys know so much about the game, then maybe you should quit your day job and become a college coach, or player, and then all our problems will be solved.  What a lot of you don't realize is that it's all about the system and tradition that we have at UND.  We have been out-manned physically on the field many times in the past 4 years, but yet we still manage to win.  Do the math.  Obviously everyone is entitled to their own opinion on an internet message board when you can post anonymously behind some log-in name.  Some are just more football savvy than others when it comes to the knowledge of the game.  WAKE UP!!  I would be more than happy to talk football with any of you geniuses in person whenever it is convenient for you.  Good luck to the sioux this weekend @ Pitt.  GO SIOUX!!!

2001 National Champions

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wow, the thread today wasn't that bad at all as far as being negative IMO. UND took advantage of some opportunities and won the game. Most of the negative your refering to was a post made well after the game, and was pretty well discredited by other posters.

Would you say UND played a perfect game? I really doubt it, and I don't see a anything wrong with someone pointing out a few problems as long as it is in a constructive way. That being said the UND coaches obviously take care of those things (mistakes) every week. In any sport things go wrong and don't work out as planned. People make mistake and thats part of life and football, I just hope UND can eliminate more mistakes because it give a much better opportunity of win.

A couple weeks ago I posted about Coach Mussmans play calling. 4 situations during the game UND went to 5 WR's on 3rd and short. Do you think that is good play calling? UND didn't convert any of those short yardage situations, the passing game that day just wasn't consistant enough for those type of play calls. When the game went to OT and UND needed short yardage, they brought in a heavy set and let the big boys take care of it. It worked and UND won and moved on, I understand it is a hell of a lot easier to second guess and play call when you are not actually mixed up in the game. That is his job as a professional to see those things and adjust as quickly as possible, when I made my intial post it was before the OT session and UND hadn't adjusted yet.

[UND92,96]

Anyone who is diminishing Pitt St's accomplishments

this year...... They are the REAL DEAL. It will take a perfect game on defense to hold them inthe 20's.. even with UND's defense. They scored 50 on a VERY good

[SiouxperDave]

Pitt St. is an offensive juggernaut!!!

So was North Alabama last year and we all know how that turned out!!!

[I Ranger]

Do we know for sure yet if we have to play at Pitt. St. I thought they were meeting today to decide.

[redwing77]

I may not know as much about football as I do about hockey, but I saw what I saw. I admit, fully, that many aspects of my analysis of the defense may have been exaggerated. It just was frustrating to see them play the same play over and over and we couldn't really stop them.

As for our offense, call me a moron then. I'm standing by my analysis. We have good RBs and a decent O line, but the wide recievers need to learn how to catch the ball first then run. There were 5-10 passing plays that should have been caught if they had concentrated on just catching the ball instead of the move they are going to make to try to break a would be tackler that hasn't reached them yet. I mean, I'm talking about off the hands of the WIDE OPEN reciever. When there is good coverage, I tend to let it slide. 2 fumbled snaps, 1 was lost the other turned into a busted play (which is smarter than trying to force the ball in, I'll admit). At least 2 long INTs that were nothing more than punts that weren't kicked (amusing to me rather than frustrating), and a 7 step unassisted sack (does Belmore get credited with the sack?). I saw a LOT of offensive mistakes. Maybe those mistakes wouldn't have amounted to anything even if they were remedied. Who knows, but I generally give grace to plays that get busted to the credit of the defense or an attempt that is beyond the skill of those involved in the play. However, when the basic fundamentals of the game are broken, football or hockey, I'm not going to give them the benefit of the doubt. They should know how to catch the ball/pass the puck.

I thought that there were several players who had good games. We did win and I'm happy they won. However, if we expect to put up some sort of contest against the offensive juggernaut that Pitt State is, we'd better fix those fundamentals fast.

I trust Lennon will find a way.

[UND92,96]

Yesterday's win marks the 5th time in 12 years that UND has advanced to at least the semi-finals. Obviously that's quite an accomplishment at any level and in any sport.

[Goon]

Yesterday's win marks the 5th time in 12 years that UND has advanced to at least the semi-finals. Obviously that's quite an accomplishment at any level and in any sport.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am hoping that Dale Lennon doesn't get picked off by a Division one team.

The man can recruit football players.