Post by siouxfan512 on Jul 27, 2017 7:55:37 GMT -6
Hi All,
I’m back from last year, and getting pretty anxious for some football to start. Wish I could make it to the game usd, but don’t think that is going to work out this year.
First, I believe USD was picked 7th in the MVFC preseason polls. I’m not putting a lot of stock into that though; USD was a tough team last season, and I expect you guys to be even better this year. You guys should roll Drake, and beating BGSU is certainly not out of the questions. We lost to them by a point last year, after going for a 2pt conversion and the win as time expired. Two deep ball were the only think BGSU had in that game; other than that UND controlled the majority of the game. Not sure how different BGSU will be this year, but USD should definitely be in the mix.
The third non-conference game should be a barn burner. I don’t think either side can really expect a blowout, and I don’t think either side can consider the game over until time actually expires. UND needs to be focused and prepared for what is waiting for them. No doubt USD will play with a chip on their should after last year in GF.
My personal thoughts on UND going into the season:
-Senior QB Studrud needs to be hot out of the gate. He has shown talent, but has started his season slow and ramped up as they progress. Can’t do that this year; needs to be hot from the start.
-WR group is probably the deepest it has ever been. Some big, young possession receivers are back, and we add 3 true freshman that could all potentially have their RS pulled. Don’t think they will, but they could. Mckinney is going to be a speedy deep threat, as is Adeoti. Mikey Griebel will be more versatile and could play some slot or mix into the run game if they wanted (Kid is an absolute beast).
-RB group actually got better in the offseason with the addition of Gopher transfer James Johanneson. That give UND 4 legitimate RBs in Santiago, Oliveira, Johanneson and Gordon (Top 2 are all Big Sky).
-OL was pretty raw last year, and should be far better this season with the experience, players returning from injury, and the return of Elijah Grady who was a Freshman stud 2 years ago, and left school for a year for personal reasons. This will only help the run game, which should in turn help the pass game.
Safety- Cole Reyes is going to be a monster. Big Sky defensive POY last year, and getting some serious NFL looks. Who plays opposite of him, I’m not sure yet. We have a transfer that should get a solid look if healthy. There are a few players in the mix, but depth is going to be key here. We’ll see who steps up.
Corner- Losing Deion Harris to a blown Achilles last week was pretty devastating. Mel Kiper had him as the 5th best Sr CB in the country, and an early round pick in 2018. The hype may have been a little overblow, but the kid is very talented (showed that in the USD game, and again in the N. Arizona game last year with timely pick 6s). Fortunately for UND, CB has become of position where we have some nice depth and some solid new talent coming in. We will get tested hard early against Utah.
LB - This has been a strength in the past, and I’m not sure what to make of it. Some youth here, and a little thinner than the past. Jade Lawrence should be solid, and Ray Haas is a name that keeps floating out there as a guy to watch.
DL - will be deep, and should get after every QB they face.
Overall, expect to see a better UND team than last year … at least on paper. We will see how it transpires on the field. Looking forward to see you guys on a regular basis when we start with the MVFC, good stuff.
I’m back from last year, and getting pretty anxious for some football to start. Wish I could make it to the game usd, but don’t think that is going to work out this year.
First, I believe USD was picked 7th in the MVFC preseason polls. I’m not putting a lot of stock into that though; USD was a tough team last season, and I expect you guys to be even better this year. You guys should roll Drake, and beating BGSU is certainly not out of the questions. We lost to them by a point last year, after going for a 2pt conversion and the win as time expired. Two deep ball were the only think BGSU had in that game; other than that UND controlled the majority of the game. Not sure how different BGSU will be this year, but USD should definitely be in the mix.
The third non-conference game should be a barn burner. I don’t think either side can really expect a blowout, and I don’t think either side can consider the game over until time actually expires. UND needs to be focused and prepared for what is waiting for them. No doubt USD will play with a chip on their should after last year in GF.
My personal thoughts on UND going into the season:
-Senior QB Studrud needs to be hot out of the gate. He has shown talent, but has started his season slow and ramped up as they progress. Can’t do that this year; needs to be hot from the start.
-WR group is probably the deepest it has ever been. Some big, young possession receivers are back, and we add 3 true freshman that could all potentially have their RS pulled. Don’t think they will, but they could. Mckinney is going to be a speedy deep threat, as is Adeoti. Mikey Griebel will be more versatile and could play some slot or mix into the run game if they wanted (Kid is an absolute beast).
-RB group actually got better in the offseason with the addition of Gopher transfer James Johanneson. That give UND 4 legitimate RBs in Santiago, Oliveira, Johanneson and Gordon (Top 2 are all Big Sky).
-OL was pretty raw last year, and should be far better this season with the experience, players returning from injury, and the return of Elijah Grady who was a Freshman stud 2 years ago, and left school for a year for personal reasons. This will only help the run game, which should in turn help the pass game.
Safety- Cole Reyes is going to be a monster. Big Sky defensive POY last year, and getting some serious NFL looks. Who plays opposite of him, I’m not sure yet. We have a transfer that should get a solid look if healthy. There are a few players in the mix, but depth is going to be key here. We’ll see who steps up.
Corner- Losing Deion Harris to a blown Achilles last week was pretty devastating. Mel Kiper had him as the 5th best Sr CB in the country, and an early round pick in 2018. The hype may have been a little overblow, but the kid is very talented (showed that in the USD game, and again in the N. Arizona game last year with timely pick 6s). Fortunately for UND, CB has become of position where we have some nice depth and some solid new talent coming in. We will get tested hard early against Utah.
LB - This has been a strength in the past, and I’m not sure what to make of it. Some youth here, and a little thinner than the past. Jade Lawrence should be solid, and Ray Haas is a name that keeps floating out there as a guy to watch.
DL - will be deep, and should get after every QB they face.
Overall, expect to see a better UND team than last year … at least on paper. We will see how it transpires on the field. Looking forward to see you guys on a regular basis when we start with the MVFC, good stuff.
