2024 UND Football

[tnt]

On 5/9/2024 at 5:34 PM, Sioux>Bison said:

We return almost no one outside of Bo, including coaches. Not many programs can keep it rolling after that kind of upset. Honestly not worried about offense though the the question is if the defense can really ever get any worse than last year…

Sadly, UND and "rolling" haven't been connected in any sport lately.  

[tnt]

1 minute ago, fightingsioux4life said:

Truth be told, all preseason rankings are worthless. Nobody knows which teams will underachieve and/or overachieve. We won't have a good sense of that until 3 to 4 weeks into the season.

Agree, I think they are just there to get the fans talking and interested for the upcoming season.  

[Oxbow6]

At this stage in FCS shouldn't UND be able to garner enough respect to be a preseason top 25 team every year? The lack of national respect is telling.....and for good reason. 6 MVC teams in top 25.

[UND1983]

The pollsters have been fooled enough and finally realize what the program is

[sioux24/7]

1 hour ago, AJS said:

Interested what people think. Either rank these in order of most likely to least likely or how many (if any) of the three do you think are likely.

• Improved QB play over last year
• O-Line being average MVFC unit (Step back from last year, but still adequate) 
• Defense being average MVFC unit (Step or two better than last year)

Most Likely - Improved QB Play

Middle - O-line

Least Likely - defense being average

I am not confident in any of these happening though. 

[F'n Hawks]

1 hour ago, The Sicatoka said:

Most: OLine MVFC average
Middling: QB play has a tough comp to hit
Least: D MVFC average 

Agreed. I have no confidence in the defense after the last 2 years 

[forksandspoons]

When was the last time UND had an above average defense? 

[SIOUXFAN97]

5 minutes ago, forksandspoons said:

When was the last time UND had an above average defense? 

when digger stopped the bizon on 4th down.

[The Sicatoka]

13 minutes ago, SIOUXFAN97 said:

when digger stopped the bizon on 4th down.

Solid answer only challenged by the defense from about 10 years ago that could actually intercept a pass and change a game. 

[AJS]

The hope I have defensively, and you'd think I'd know better by now than to use this phrase, but there's certain aspects where I genuinely believe "It couldn't be worse" than last year. (1) Pass rush / disruption from D-Line (2) OLB play (3) 3rd and Long (4) Getting to the QB

[SIOUXFAN97]

8 minutes ago, The Sicatoka said:

Solid answer only challenged by the defense from about 10 years ago that could actually intercept a pass and change a game. 

yeah will ratelle probably has a beef with my answer.

[CMSioux]

1 hour ago, UND1983 said:

The pollsters have been fooled enough and finally realize what the program is

Finishing #3 or #4 in the toughest conference in FCS? More like East Coast Bias when you look at the schools ranked most would not be #3 in MVFC.

[UND1983]

12 minutes ago, CMSioux said:

Finishing #3 or #4 in the toughest conference in FCS? More like East Coast Bias when you look at the schools ranked most would not be #3 in MVFC.

More like losing in the first round every year, which makes them look like fools for having them in Top 8-15 range

[CMSioux]

1 hour ago, UND1983 said:

More like losing in the first round every year, which makes them look like fools for having them in Top 8-15 range

Based on how the same two teams win it all every year, right now we are in the range of #15. Not satisfied, just saying. I am fine with not being in pre season polls, we seldom are. 

[wheelsup]

On 5/9/2024 at 3:46 PM, SiouxHawkGuy said:

https://theanalyst.com/2024/05/2024-fcs-football-preseason-top-25-rankings/
 

 

wow no love after finishing at #16

Looks like we play all four of this guys top 4 this year.. 3 at home.  Seems like as good of a setup as we could ask for and plenty of opportunity to prove the voters wrong. 

Looks to me that UND is ranked correctly.. while I hope I’m wrong (and will be at every home game.. along with my mostly empty other season ticket seats).  Feel free to raise your hand and disagree but I don’t see us in the top 25 or in the upper half of the MVFC.  I hope the new offensive coordinator totally surprises me and the defense has a pulse this year.. but I’m expecting our peak is somewhere in the “other teams getting votes category”. Hope I’m wrong. 

[wheelsup]

3 minutes ago, CMSioux said:

Based on how the same two teams win it all every year, right now we are in the range of #15. Not satisfied, just saying. I am fine with not being in pre season polls, we seldom are. 

I love the optimism.  I can’t imagine us being in the range of 15 this year although there will be many opportunities to prove it.

i would like some of the same kool aid that you are drinking.. serious question.. what gives you optimism that we are a top 15 team this year? 

[AJS]

11 minutes ago, wheelsup said:

I love the optimism.  I can’t imagine us being in the range of 15 this year although there will be many opportunities to prove it.

i would like some of the same kool aid that you are drinking.. serious question.. what gives you optimism that we are a top 15 team this year? 

I’m not saying they are, but one reason I would accept is the FCS outside of a few teams isn’t great. 
 

Look at a team like USD that’s preseason Top 5. They return a lot from a mediocre offense & lost some studs on defense. If that’s a Top 5-7 team, then even with the questions UND has no reason they couldn’t end up Top 15.

I’m not optimistic the defense gets fixed, but UND was a playoff team with an awful defense last year.

[Sioux94]

A couple of things.....

We lost in the first round last year at home. We had both important coaches and players leave. Other than our NDSU win we continually sh*t the bed in playoff games or big games. Many on this board think we will barely go 6-6 this year. So it's no surprise we are not rated on top 25, seems like should at least be getting some votes though.  As someone else mentioned....pollsters are figuring out who and what we are. Frustrating as hell we are not at least a lock to be in Top 25 to start every year, that should be the minimum.... especially when a few of the teams on there....I've barely heard of. 

Preseason polls don't matter, but they also do matter. It's a lot harder to climb up in the rankings when you don't even start being ranked. After 6 games....and if a team goes 4-2 but one started out preseason at #10 and that same team started out not even ranked, if they played the exact same teams.....the team who started out ranked number 10 will undoubtedly be ranked higher after 6 weeks than the unranked team. That is why I continually say preseason rankings  do..... and do not matter. 

[gundy1124]

17 minutes ago, Sioux94 said:

A couple of things.....

We lost in the first round last year at home. We had both important coaches and players leave. Other than our NDSU win we continually sh*t the bed in playoff games or big games. Many on this board think we will barely go 6-6 this year. So it's no surprise we are not rated on top 25, seems like should at least be getting some votes though.  As someone else mentioned....pollsters are figuring out who and what we are. Frustrating as hell we are not at least a lock to be in Top 25 to start every year, that should be the minimum.... especially when a few of the teams on there....I've barely heard of. 

Preseason polls don't matter, but they also do matter. It's a lot harder to climb up in the rankings when you don't even start being ranked. After 6 games....and if a team goes 4-2 but one started out preseason at #10 and that same team started out not even ranked, if they played the exact same teams.....the team who started out ranked number 10 will undoubtedly be ranked higher after 6 weeks than the unranked team. That is why I continually say preseason rankings not do..... and do not matter. 

A few categories to consider on the path to 6-6.

3 - Win or shoot yourself in the head games - Idaho St at Home, San Diego at Home, Murray St. at Home.

1 - Tossup game - Indiana State on the Road

4 - Not likely but need 2 games - Griz at Home, UNI at Home, Coyotes at Home, Ill St. on the Road.

4 - No past indicators of a Victory games - Iowa St on the Road, NDSU on the Road, Youngstown on the Road, Jacks at Home.

[Nodak78]

13 minutes ago, gundy1124 said:

A few categories to consider on the path to 6-6.

3 - Win or shoot yourself in the head games - Idaho St at Home, San Diego at Home, Murray St. at Home.

1 - Tossup game - Indiana State on the Road

4 - Not likely but need 2 games - Griz at Home, UNI at Home, Coyotes at Home, Ill St. on the Road.

4 - No past indicators of a Victory games - Iowa St on the Road, NDSU on the Road, Youngstown on the Road, Jacks at Home.

Youngstown has a bad portal exit.  Might have a chance.

[AJS]

Here's what I got. There were a few teams that really were hit hard by graduation / portal (ISU-B, Youngstown, UNI). Some that weren't. 

• 4 - Win or season over - Idaho St at home, San Diego at home, Murray St. at home, at ISU-B
• 4 - Tossup games - UNI at home, at Youngstown, USD at home, at Illinois State
• 1 - Not Likely - Montana at Home
• 3 - No past indicators of Victory games - Iowa St on the Road, NDSU on the Road, Jacks at Home

 

[gundy1124]

3 minutes ago, AJS said:

Here's what I got. There were a few teams that really were hit hard by graduation / portal (ISU-B, Youngstown, UNI). Some that weren't. 

• 4 - Win or season over - Idaho St at home, San Diego at home, Murray St. at home, at ISU-B
• 4 - Tossup games - UNI at home, at Youngstown, USD at home, at Illinois State
• 1 - Not Likely - Montana at Home
• 3 - No past indicators of Victory games - Iowa St on the Road, NDSU on the Road, Jacks at Home

 

We are close!!

[forksandspoons]

Montana lost their stud QB and most of their defense, including the Big Sky defensive player of the year. I think they’ll take a step back this year. Unfortunately, I think UND will do the same. Montana’s returning WRs and RB scare me. 

[SIOUXFAN97]

Just now, forksandspoons said:

Montana lost their stud QB and most of their defense, including the Big Sky defensive player of the year. I think they’ll take a step back this year. Unfortunately, I think UND will do the same. Montana’s returning WRs and RB scare me. 

addition by subraction.......without KK our secondary is much much improved no matter what

 

[AJS]

8 minutes ago, forksandspoons said:

Montana lost their stud QB and most of their defense, including the Big Sky defensive player of the year. I think they’ll take a step back this year. Unfortunately, I think UND will do the same. Montana’s returning WRs and RB scare me. 

They seemed to have done really well in the Portal (both additions / not losing many), but you're right on, they seemed to have been hit pretty hard defensively to graduation. Over 50% of their tackles, two All-Americans. Agree, their offensive weapons are scary.