Sioux at Northern Iowa

[Shawn-O]

I've been excited about this game since the rumors leaked last spring. If the Sioux come out of the locker room like they did at CWU, things will unravel quickly. I don't think Lennon will let that will happen.

Wolff and Enger were all over the place yesterday from the sounds of it, so hopefully we can create some pressure on the UNI QB. Rory Manke is an absolute ballhawk. I read where UNI has some receivers that are DI-A caliber, so it will be a test for the secondary, no doubt.

Offensively, if the Sioux protect Manke, I think Dressler and Trenbeath can play at a I-AA level, no question. Hopefully UND can generate enough of a ground game to keep them honest.

Special teams, well....if it stays close and comes down to a field goal, things could get dicey.

Should be a great game, it'll be a good measuring stick as to where the Sioux need to be in the next few years to compete at a I-AA level. Here's saying the Sioux hang with 'em for three quarters, but go down 27-17. Should be a blast of a roadtrip for those going. I assume FSSN is picking the game up, so I'm headed to Senser's on Saturday. Should be a good turnout.

[bincitysioux]

I assume FSSN is picking the game up, so I'm headed to Senser's on Saturday. Should be a good turnout.

Sorry, but the FSSN is not carrying the UNI game. I guess they looked into it but UNI put a very high price tag on the rights fee. Stay close to your computer if want to hear this game.

[bincitysioux]

Oops, I just saw the FSSN schedule posted in the hockey forum. Maybe something changed regarding the UNI game in the last few weeks.

[Let'sGoHawks!]

I hope it is on the tube. I say UNI 31 UND 14

[redwing77]

I hope it is on the tube. I say UNI 31 UND 14

I'd be VERY happy with 14 points.

I think if we can keep the score away from being a rout and into the realm of a respectable game, I think I will be happy. I hope we can keep the game closer than 14 points in between us and UNI.

That being said, if we keep them within 10 points, I would consider that a HUGE victory for the Sioux.

This game could get ugly. I just hope we don't get blown out ala NDSU and Concordia-St. Paul.

Idle question: What will the discussion be like if we do get routed? How many NDSU fans will come on here and post smack? Something we'll have to just wait and see, no doubt.

[HockeyMom]

The more I sit here and think about it the more I want to make the ten hour drive........

[dakotadan]

Nobody thought that NDSU could beat Montana...

Nobody thought that UC-Davis would upset Stanford...

Even just today, Montana State pulled the upset over Colorado...

I will be making the trip down to Cedar Falls to hopefully see an upset. It would be a great way for the Sioux to make waves into DI.

[Bison Pride]

Idle question: What will the discussion be like if we do get routed? How many NDSU fans will come on here and post smack? Something we'll have to just wait and see, no doubt.

Don't get worked up about a few bad apples. There are many Bison fans who are hoping that the Sioux have a good game and help represent our state with class.

[warrior_08]

[so how much will Uni win by??i say it will be UNI 40 UND 20...and sept 16 should be a good game When Wsu comes up there to play UND...

[riders06]

Good game between Winona State and UND on September 16? Wasn't it supposed to be a good game last year when the Sioux went down there? The Sioux ended up pound the Warriors by like 45 points. I expect even worse this year with this being the home opener for the Sioux and also Potato Bowl.

[warrior_08]

Last year was last year and yes they beat us 51-6...but again that was last by year and any thing can happen..just look UwL beat sdsu 17-3 yesterday.. and all i am sayin it will be a good game thats all also wsu is a better team this year than last year so dont count out wsu just yet on the UND game...cuz if u over look team u can lose to them no matter who the team is...I feel the UND vs will be close game....

[LeftyZL]

Last year was last year and yes they beat us 51-6...but again that was last by year and any thing can happen..just look UwL beat sdsu 17-3 yesterday.. and all i am sayin it will be a good game thats all also wsu is a better team this year than last year so dont count out wsu just yet on the UND game...cuz if u over look team u can lose to them no matter who the team is...I feel the UND vs will be close game....

I was at the game last year in Winona, there was so much hype around that game...From WSU retiring a football team or celebrating its greatest football players, to walking past fans of Winona saying that they would finally get the chance to show how good they really are by playing a quality team at home. None of it happend and the stadium was 1/2 empty at halftime.

To get to my point, Winona may have a good team, but they haven't had nearly the same amount of publicity in newspapers, online sites, and polls around the country. They are not a better team than last year based on those accounts. Also, comparing the SDSU/Wisc.-Lacrosse game to a potential upset of UND by WSU has no merit at all in this discussion.

[SiouxMeNow]

Last year was last year and yes they beat us 51-6...but again that was last by year and any thing can happen..just look UwL beat sdsu 17-3 yesterday.. and all i am sayin it will be a good game thats all also wsu is a better team this year than last year so dont count out wsu just yet on the UND game...cuz if u over look team u can lose to them no matter who the team is...I feel the UND vs will be close game....

Winona has had good programs but I have to think UND is Winona's "UNI"...tell me where I'm wrong??!!*

(* - this is a jab at Bill O'Reilly...who I think is a big JERK!)

[bincitysioux]

Well, I'm also looking forward to this game but I am really hoping that we are not on the wrong end of a blowout. UNI is obviously a great team, ranked #4 in I-AA and last years national runner-up, and playing in their house.

Here is how I think we can keep it close and be competetive:

Special teams. Weston Dressler and Ryan Chappell need to bust off a few long runs on kick returns, and keep giving us good field position. Our kick return game is one of the strongest parts of our team. And Hellevang needs to make field goals when given the chance. We can't leave points on the field against UNI.

Offensive Line. It needs to get healthy this week and it needs to get some push for the running game. UNI's D-line is young and inexperienced. If we don't run the ball better than we did last week, we have no chance. And we need to effectively run between the tackles, because our backs aren't fast enough to run around UNI's linebackers.

Front 7. Our front seven needs to at least get in the backfield and knock around UNI's quarterback and get him rattled. He is too good to just allow him to sit back and make clean throws. And I don't think our secondary is good enough to allow him to do that either.

UND has nothing to lose and everything to gain in this game. If we lose we were supposed to. UND has had this game circled on the calender, UNI has not. We are to them what Ferris St. is to us. They just rolled past non-scholarship Drake last week, so they are confident. Perhaps over-confident and looking past UND. They see just a DII warm-up game on their schedule. The following week they have SDSU who just lost to a DIII program, perhaps they are even looking past them to Iowa State which they feel will likely be their first true test of the season. I hope UND can be their first true test of the season. Ya never know!

[4siouxnow]

Just for you Hockey Mom, you can make it from Grand Forks in 7 hr's, that isn't that bad. I hope to see a big Sioux crowd.

[TinyTimmay]

I'd be VERY happy with 14 points.

I think if we can keep the score away from being a rout and into the realm of a respectable game, I think I will be happy. I hope we can keep the game closer than 14 points in between us and UNI.

That being said, if we keep them within 10 points, I would consider that a HUGE victory for the Sioux.

This game could get ugly. I just hope we don't get blown out ala NDSU and Concordia-St. Paul.

Idle question: What will the discussion be like if we do get routed? How many NDSU fans will come on here and post smack? Something we'll have to just wait and see, no doubt.

Well considering the Bison play @ Minnesota and are very likely going to get smoked, I doubt any of us Bison fans are going to be saying much in regards to your loss to UNI. Besides, I'm not a smack talker anyway. The only reason I'm here is because I love hockey and the Bison don't have it yet.

[iramurphy]

Well considering the Bison play @ Minnesota and are very likely going to get smoked, I doubt any of us Bison fans are going to be saying much in regards to your loss to UNI. Besides, I'm not a smack talker anyway. The only reason I'm here is because I love hockey and the Bison don't have it yet.

Don't be surprised if the Bison don't get smoked. The Gophers are not the Big Ten Power and the Bison are pretty good. I wouldn't be surprised that much if they pull off the upset. I don't think they will get blown out though.

[Let'sGoHawks!]

I will be pulling for the Bison for 2 reasons. First: They are from ND, as am I. Second: I hate the dirty rodents more than the Bison-at least for a few years while we aren't playing the dirty Bison

[AccountingStu]

What do you guys feel about D-1A schools playing D-1AA squads? It can be good for the AA school if they come close to a win or actually win, but the D-1A squad is probably sub-sub-par. But normally, the D-1A team will blow out the smaller schools and chalk-up an easy win.

I'm actually quite excited to watch the Bison-Gophers game, and I hope the Gophers blow-out the Bison. But if I were a Gophers fan I would be ticked that my school, which puts out a competitive squad in the Big 10 every year (debatable) opts to dilute their schedule. As a fan of D-1A football as a whole, I want to see competitive games, not prescribed blowouts. I guess that's why I want the gophers to run-up the score on the Bison: to get their fans to demand a tougher schedule so the games will be watchable beyond the first quarter. Bison fans are only using this game as a barometer; you won't hear any NDSU fan in the stadium concourse before the game saying, "We're gonna whoop them Gophers!" Instead, you'll hear, "Gee, I hope our Bison hustle and have fun."

Boooring.

[dallassiouxfan]

What do you guys feel about D-1A schools playing D-1AA squads? It can be good for the AA school if they come close to a win or actually win, but the D-1A squad is probably sub-sub-par. But normally, the D-1A team will blow out the smaller schools and chalk-up an easy win.

I'm actually quite excited to watch the Bison-Gophers game, and I hope the Gophers blow-out the Bison. But if I were a Gophers fan I would be ticked that my school, which puts out a competitive squad in the Big 10 every year (debatable) opts to dilute their schedule. As a fan of D-1A football as a whole, I want to see competitive games, not prescribed blowouts. I guess that's why I want the gophers to run-up the score on the Bison: to get their fans to demand a tougher schedule so the games will be watchable beyond the first quarter. Bison fans are only using this game as a barometer; you won't hear any NDSU fan in the stadium concourse before the game saying, "We're gonna whoop them Gophers!" Instead, you'll hear, "Gee, I hope our Bison hustle and have fun."

Boooring.

Ask a Colorado fan how borring those AA games are. They lost to Montana State last weekend. I will agree that most of the AA games are a blow out and not worth watching. The UNT vs UT and T A&M vs. citadel games for example.

[AccountingStu]

If you've ever wanted to witness the downfall of a football power, then Colorado is your team. Colorado's program is going downhill, Montana St is always good in 1AA and I wasn't at all surprised.

I would be happy if a D-1A school limited itself to one "easy" game/season. I admit, I get a bit riled-up when fall rolls around, not to mention a bit selfish on Saturdays when I want to see big games on tv. If the BCS is good for one thing, it would be taking the strength of schedule into consideration and schools scheduling more difficult games.

When the Sioux play the Gophers in football in a couple years, yes it will be exciting, but exciting only for us. When Michigan plays Central Michigan, does anyone care, save for CM fans? Am I alone here? If North Dakota were to play a DIII school would our fans be excited or would they plan a weekend getaway because of the lull in the schedule (automatic win)?

[bincitysioux]

I know you can't get anywhere from comparing common opponents between two teams, but just for the heck of it I looked back at UNI's schedule from 2004 & 2005. In 2004 the Panthers finished the season 7-4. They played Mankato that year and shut them out 40-0. Last year they played Duluth and won by 35. It should be noted that they started last year 4-3 before rattling off 7 straight wins before they fell to Appalachian St. in the title game.

I hate to predict a Sioux loss , but I'm going to say UNI by 19. UND keeps it within a touchdown until midway through the third quarter.

[redwing77]

What do you mean "when the Sioux play the Gophers"? Don't you mean "if the Sioux play the Gophers"?

And, let's say just for the sake of discussion that it will happen someday... it will not be very exciting for me. I don't want to see my team get crushed by somebody they have no business playing against. I'd rather see them stick to D-1AA competition, and if they really feel the need to play a token D1 opponent I'd rather they choose a middle of the pack to bottom feeder team from the MAC conference... somebody they might be able to keep up with for a quarter or two.

I agree completely. Why put your team in a position to be crushed? You don't learn much. You ruin morale. You don't prove anything. Yeah, I know about the $$$ involved, but still, I wouldn't like it if UND were fodder for some DIA team. It serves no purpose.

[LeftyZL]

How many Sioux fans are planning on making the trip to Cedar Falls, IA? My buddy and I just bought tickets today in the Sioux section, but I was trying to get a rough guess on how many Sioux fans we should expect to see down there. Also, UND is having a pre-game party from 12pm-4pm on Saturday, anyone plan on going to that?

[Sioux27]

And, let's say just for the sake of discussion that it will happen someday... it will not be very exciting for me. I don't want to see my team get crushed by somebody they have no business playing against. I'd rather see them stick to D-1AA competition, and if they really feel the need to play a token D1 opponent I'd rather they choose a middle of the pack to bottom feeder team from the MAC conference... somebody they might be able to keep up with for a quarter or two.

Since when are the Gophers anything but a bottom feeder. This game will likely not be a blow out, the Goophers are down this year compared to previous years. An upset is not out of the question (Yes, the Bison might get upset!) if the gophers can put a solid four quarters together!!!