obc
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Post by obc on Oct 28, 2018 9:03:50 GMT -6
**** Didn't know where to put this post - Admins feel free to move it somewhere more appropriate if you think you should ****
How have we done under Bob Nielson so far? I am a huge fan of Bob and think he is the right coach for the job. He is obviously facing some major challenges. Below are the numbers, I am curious what everyone thinks about them:
MVFC record: 2-3 this season (40%), 9-12 overall (42.9%) - the program is 15-38 since joining the league under both HCs (28.3%)
Bob's Yotes have 15 wins and 17 losses overall (46.8%) The teams that Bob's Yotes have beaten have a combined record of 68-94. (41.9%) Those opponents averaged 4.53 wins and 6.26 losses. Avg margin of victory for USD was 17.6 with an average score of 40.73 to 23.13
The teams Bob's Yotes have lost to have a combined record of 136-61 (69%) Those opponents have averaged 8 wins and 3.58 losses. Avg margin of loss for USD was -13.17 with an average score of 24.47 to 37.64
Bob's Yotes have 9 MVFC wins and 12 MVFC losses so far (42.9%) USD has averaged 3 MVFC wins a year so far and 4 losses - (obviously we don't have full year data yet). The MVFC teams Bob's Yotes have beaten have a combined MVFC record of 24-42 (36.4%) Those opponents averaged 2.66 MVFC wins and 4.66 losses. Avg margin of victory for USD was 13.66 with an average score of 35.66 to 22. The MVFC teams Bob's Yotes have lost to have a combined MVFC record of 58-29 (66.7%) Those opponents averaged 4.83 MVFC wins and 2.41 losses. Avg margin of loss for USD was -13.5 with an average score of 22.91 to 36.41
Since USD had their trouble last season with three DBs getting kicked off the team USD has won 5 and lost 9 (35.7%) USD is 3-6 in the MVFC since then (33.3%) USD beat SIU twice - they were 2-6 last year in the MVFC and are currently 1-4 in the MVFC. USD beat Nichols St on the road - probably their best win after those suspensions. USD beat No Colorado - they currently have a 2-7 record overall USD beat Missouri St - they currently have a 2-3 conference record and just lost to SIU last week.
The post suspension and post Streveler era is proving challenging. Lots of rebuilding to do. I do believe USD is committed to investing the money and resources to make a winner. That cannot come fast enough.
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obc
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Post by obc on Oct 28, 2018 8:38:08 GMT -6
Observations from the NDSU game:
I certainly could go on and on about the different position groups - each one getting beaten badly by NDSU. I will just sum up that what we witnessed was what it looks like when a veteran-led, determined, disciplined, focused, physical, and talented team (actually more than a team - a program and culture) faces a group of mostly young and inexperienced individuals struggling to try and operate as a unit, lacking leadership, confidence, determination, discipline, and energy. In fact if you would not even watch the game, but only watch the sideline organization, engagement, and discipline - you could tell which program was dominant. Way too many of our guys dancing and giggling on the sideline while they are getting their asses handed to them. Focus on the game and get mental reps in when not playing. For those suited up and not in the game - you are one play away from getting put into the game. For those in street clothes - the coaches brought you in because they expect you to step in and improve the team. Get mentally ready today, so you can be that much ahead when you do play. You don't have to wait to be a Jr or Sr to take a leadership role on the team. Take control and set the new expectations and standard. If you have slackers that won't step up and meet that standard - kick their ass until they change or leave. There is no other way.
The Bison set the standard for excellence and the gap between where they are currently and where the USD program is extremely wide (as wide as it has ever been in my opinion). We have not closed the gap one inch against them in my view. Now it is up to the team on what they want to do. When confronted with a program that is that much better currently, the program can do one of two things - USD can look at NDSU's excellence and cower and be overwhelmed by it, feeling like a bunch of losers - Or they can look at that standard as where they need to get to - focus on getting a little better each day - focus on being a little better version of themselves each day as they prepare for the next time they get a chance to challenge the Bison. I sure hope they choose the route of taking on the challenge and improving a little every day and strive for greatness versus just going into a shell and waving the white flag. SDSU has had success largely because they have used NDSU as their target of excellence and have improved significantly as a result. USD needs to put their focus there as well.
NDSU is the class of the FCS - they could easily move up a division and have success. Impressive program and we should all be excited to compete with them and make it bring out the best in us - players, coaches, and fans.
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obc
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Post by obc on Oct 27, 2018 7:38:44 GMT -6
I still resent ESPN charging for their poor streaming service. It's exactly what we had last year, but they want our money this time. I just think the cord-cutting momentum will build and this will be the norm. I resent cable companies more than ESPN with the bundling and paying for dozens of channels I have never watched even one show. - I would rather pay $5 a month to get access to the wide range of games - as the service continues to improve it will be a bargain. $60 a year for access to all those live games and replays. That is less than the gas to drive my truck to one away game. Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Go and ESPN+. If there was a MidcoSN+ I would happily pay $5-$10 a month for that one too.
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obc
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Post by obc on Oct 21, 2018 9:31:00 GMT -6
Thoughts on the YSU game:
This week it feels like I am writing a eulogy for the 2018 USD football team. Maybe not for the team, but for the thought of sustained year over year success for the program and a second trip to the playoffs this season. Hope the team makes these reports of their death premature and just an over-reaction to what I observed last night and again on film this morning. While the first half against Weber St was very bad too, the first half last night in Youngstown felt even worse. For me it was a confirmation that these issues are not just isolated rare problems, but enduring and playoff-hopes-ending.
I would encourage anyone that is tossing and turning over the USD struggles this year to go back and re-watch the game - and this time just watch the USD OL. That can be hard to do, even when the camera work is good, and even harder when it looked like the game was being filmed from an old iPhone. When you go back and watch - you will see a few things regarding the OL play. Our tackles are giving up a soft edge. We had one OL that looked like he had a decent game last night. All it takes for a play to break down is for one player to not do their job. On many plays there were two or three of our OL that were getting beat on their assignments. Other times there was a defender shooting a gap that the OL didn't even touch. That is both an execution and assignment issue for them. So why is the OL performing so poorly? My thought is three-fold. The coaching change at the OL position has hurt. The loss of Stetson Dagel - the leader of the group from last year has left a leadership void in the unit. Finally, and perhaps the most significant - Streveler was just that good. His pure athleticism overshadowed a very bad offensive line last year. Great athletes like that can really conceal other deficiencies.
The team came out flat. Mick said in his article from the game: "lack of conviction and enthusiasm." Nielson said "It was terrible.... we didn't come out ready to play." Football is supposed to be played with passion. Why do the players look like they have no fight or energy at the start of a game? It is a fun sport and a fun time in their lives. Enjoy it! While every player needs to challenge himself to be ready to play - the team needs leaders to step forward and take control. Get the players focused during the week and ready to explode with energy and passion on Saturday. As I have heard one coach from another team say: "Come at the other team with shocking effort." USD came out in the first half with shocking non-effort and non-passion. I will never accept losing, but understand it does happen in sports. Lack of effort is disgusting. What we saw was truly disgusting. The coaches for USD did not have the team ready either. They lit a fire at half and in the 3rd quarter the team responded. In my experience watching football you see that frequently. That energy fades though if the team lacks leadership on the field during the game to sustain it. That spark did fade as the second half wore on.
There are certainly individuals on the team that are playing with passion and energy. Just not enough of them. My message to them, is you need to step up and be a leader. I don't care if you are a true freshman or a 5th year senior. Be the leader the team needs. Challenge your teamates. Get in their faces and draw out some focus and fire. You only get one go-around in life - and I am positive they don't want what we have seen several times this year to be how they are remembered as a team. There is still time, but that leadership has to emerge today.
The defense was by far the better unit yesterday. They seem to have a little leadership out there and much more fight than the offense. They gave up 22 points to an average but physical team on the road. The offense gave up a pick 6 and also turned the ball over to YSU at the 36 on the opening drive. My belief is USD's defense is designed to compliment USD's supposed high octane tempo offense. If USD even comes out a little more fired up in the first half, they could have won the game, even executing as poorly as they did throughout. It may not seem like it, but both USD and YSU had the same number of tackles for losses. USD had 6 for 27 yards and YSU had 6 for 29 yards. The USD defense also had three take-aways last night. Reed and Andrew Gray led the way in tackles and Greenfield had 9 tackles, 2 TFLs, 2 forced fumbles and 3 QB hurries. His best game in a while. The Yote defense was gassed at the end of the game and couldn't muster up a stop when YSU was determined to run the ball. YSU had the ball for 40 minutes of the 60 minute game.
Nielson summed up our QB and WR play: " Didn't catch the ball very well.... we didn't throw the ball very well." Sure didn't! Several drops and several poor throws. Simmons was staring down his WRs again and this time paid for it with a long pick 6 to put the game out of reach. Not sure what the coaches are telling him, but he looks like he is holding himself back from running the ball. USD needs to use his athleticism running the ball to loosen up the defense. Was surprised that against a defense that runs lots of man coverage, the coaches didn't unleash some QB draws up the middle once the DBs turn to run downfield and cover. My guess is Bo was set on trying to stop our slot position from hurting him this year after Shamar Jackson torched them last year. Mission accomplished. Our slot receivers in total had 1 catch for 12 yards. They also took away our TE passing game - only 1 catch for 5 yards. Several of our WR/TEs were blanked on the day with no catches.
There is the skill and athleticism on this team to win several more games. That skill has been there all along though and it has still led to some lackluster performances. Coaches need to get a hold of this team and make sure they are all-in. Bench any player that isn't all-in or has a poor attitude. Leaders need to rally their units. I think the team could win 3 of their next 4 with great discipline, energy, and passion. They will lose all of them with an effort like was put forth in Youngstown.
Right now Nielson has 9 wins in the MVFC out of 20 total. Glenn won 6 out of 32 MVFC games. Nielson has made progress but the reality is USD is performing at a bottom-third MVFC level right now. As Yote53 alluded to in an earlier post - it is frustrating because now the Yotes are trying. They are investing in the program fully. This cannot be the result. I do not believe it will ultimately be the result, but I sense it may get worse before it gets better. I sense some big issues in the locker room at the heart of what we are seeing. Prove me wrong Yotes! I will be rooting for you as loud as I can next Saturday.
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obc
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Post by obc on Oct 14, 2018 10:52:46 GMT -6
Thoughts on the UNI game:
Congratulations to UNI - they were the better team in multiple facets of the game last night and won convincingly on the road. Road wins in the MVFC do not come easy, and UNI came to Vermillion with the mindset to take it to the Yotes and executed on that mindset. This game reinforced several truisms of what it takes to win in the game of football: win the physical battle at the LOS, win the turnover battle, and convert TDs in the redzone. UNI did each of those exceptionally well and in my opinion, USD was fortunate to be as close as they were when time expired.
The positives from last night: Allen was the best athlete on the field last night and showcased that athleticism several times. He had 6 receptions for 98 yards with some top 10 ESPN worthy catches. Simmons targeted him several times, and I think USD could go to that well even more. UNI was forced to make a decision to either give safety support over the top on Allen or leave themselves exposed over the middle or down the seam. Our TEs were open frequently in the middle of the field - Samson had 5 catches for 57 yards. The USD defense had one stinker series where they let UNI drive the field quickly and score after USD had fought to get the game tied up in the second half. Other than that, against a capable UNI offense they held up well considering the short fields they were defending. The defense ended up with 7 TFLs for -22 yards on the night. Andrew Gray had another solid game with 12 tackles and one TFL. Our corners gave up some plays but they are an improved unit from where we were earlier in the year. I like their progress. Schutt punted well averaging over 50 yards per punt. Lorber converted all of his Xtra points as well as 2/2 on FGs matching his longest make of the season. The crowd actually did a good job showing up compared to my expectation, and at times it seemed loud. I thought the gameday crew running the scoreboard and the PA announcer did their best job to date working to get the crowd cheering. The students actually had as good of a showing at the game as they did on D-Days. The student tailgate area before the game was a ghost town though.
The Struggles: The USD OL consistently struggled in run and pass blocking. Net 38 yards rushing on 40 attempts. USD did actually gained 96 yards, but also lost 58 yards, 25 of which came from Simmons getting sacked. Simmons was sacked 5 times and had one other official hurry. He seemed to be under duress virtually every play. On the flip side - UNI's QB was only sacked once for an 8 yard loss with one official QB Hurry. Turnover Chuckie was tormenting USD last night finishing -3 in that category - and they were not just run of the mill turnovers - they proved to be catastrophic turnovers in the USD red zone directly resulting in UNI TDs. UNI showed tremendous ball security and decision making and did not give USD any easy opportunities to get a take-away. UNIs punter punished USD all night - he placed 5 punts inside the 20 forcing fair-catches. That was a factor keeping the heat on USD's offense. Once again USD gave up a rather long KO return. UNI's kicker pounded the ball causing mostly touchbacks. Wish he had hit his kick before the end of the second half a little deeper in the endzone and maybe USD wouldn't have returned it out only to fumble. That KO return fumble to end the half was a momentum changer. To add insult to injury, the UNI player that recovered that fumble and returned it 7 yards to the USD 4 was a player that had committed to USD originally only to flip to UNI late in the recruiting process (Alphonso Soko). Looks like Andrew Gray has a broken bone in his hand and played much of the second half with one arm completely wrapped up. Safety was a deep and strong spot heading into the season, and the injury bug is attacking that depth. Powell appears out for the season at that position.
It is easy to over-react after a heart wrenching loss. We are now past the mid-way mark in the regular season. It is fair to look at the season to this point though and see what the trends are. My prevailing take-away is that USD's OL is not executing at level that is even adequate. With OL execution like we have seen so far this year against Weber St, UNC, and UNI - the USD team will struggle to beat even bottom third MVFC teams. USD lost 58 yards last night cumulatively. Let that sink in. A surprising stat last night was UNI gained 121 yards and USD gained 96 yards. From watching the game in person I would have thought the spread would have been much wider - UNI was in control of the LOS. The USD OL on paper should be improved over last year. Last year our OL was inconsistent and struggled at times too. Perhaps it did not look as bad, due to the elite athleticism of Streveler. An elite player like that can certainly hide deficiencies at other positions. That is not a criticism of Simmons. He is also an elite talent in my assessment. He very well may also be making the OL look better than they are playing at times (as scary as that may be to think about). Imagine a less-mobile qb back there with the protection we are witnessing. Klett and Thull are the two most productive RBs USD has. Henry is capable, but has shown a propensity to get more negative yards at times than those two. Was also surprised that C Brooks did not appear at all yesterday. He has officially burned his RS status this year and didn't see the field yesterday. Not sure I understand why his RS would be burned and then not used at all - would expect to see him on special teams coverage at least. That is disappointing.
Going on the road next week at YSU will be a big challenge and will test the leadership on the USD team as much as anything. This is a crossroads for the team and there is zero margin for error going forward. USD has done a tremendous job recruiting and cultivating some dynamic skill position players. They appear to not have been able to do that with the OL to this point - at least it has not shown up consistently as I have watched. That is very concerning. I cannot tell if it is athleticism, failure to execute good technique, or scheme. I would guess it is a mix of all three. It would be hard for anyone to convince me that trying to single block #7 on UNIs defense on a passing down was a good idea. We will need the OL to perform much better on potentially cold-windy days in Youngstown, Terre Haute, and Brookings to have a chance at victory. Next week will be a strong indicator for us if it will be a winning or losing season for the team this season.
On to the next!
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obc
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Post by obc on Oct 7, 2018 14:00:08 GMT -6
Thoughts on the MSU Game:
USD Offense: QB play continues to be very good - I agree with Yoteforever that Simmons could tuck and run a little more, but I love that he keeps his eyes downfield. There were a few times that I was thinking to myself as I was watching the play that he should run, only to have Simmons rocket it downfield to an open Coyote receiver. We have been spoiled by excellent QB play and have come to expect it - another 300+ yard passing day with no INTs (not even any close calls yesterday that I remember where the defender could have made a pick). The ball security by the entire team was fantastic. The obvious improvement this week in the running game was a huge relief. In watching the replay I spent much of my time focused on the OL - they seem to be settling into their new positions and experience and continuity is reaping some rewards. Wallace played a great game at guard - he is not only strong, but is mobile enough to get out in the open on LBers. Nick Jensen really showed good athleticism on the edge as well. The two RB sets with TE was a welcome change-up as well. Would have liked to see USD go back to that at the end of the game to close out that offensive possession where USD was forced to punt. Klett and Thull attack the LOS and would-be tacklers. Not sure on Kai Henry's status, but Klett, Thull, and Brooks can carry the load. Klett and Thull are both devastating blockers too - I think we will see Simmons running more out of that two back look with the RBs getting out on LBers and Safeties. Klett is much faster than people think. I remember listening to a podcast from Jay Elsen/ Midco before the 2017 season and Jay said that in sprints the only player that was keeping up stride for stride with Streveler was Klett. Klett is a little heavier now, but he is fast. The TEs played a very good game - they are asked to do a lot in our offensive system and both of our guys came through big with clutch catches and several key blocks. WRs still had a few too many drops and mistakes. I think Allen could be targeted more - I like our chances on a 50/50 ball when he is singled up on a corner without safety support. Late in the first half when USD was kept out of the endzone, I think we missed an opportunity - he was all alone with just the corner on that third of the field. Easy throw and catch. Falck continues to be productive, but he cannot continue to jump early. That was a drive killer for USD when he did that yesterday. Not to mention he was benched for the series after that and not having him on the field hurt. Vander Esch is a good WR but has not shown the same ball-skills Falck has to date. Falck and Simmons have great chemistry together and you can tell they have worked a lot together. When Falck is not on the field our offense is not as dangerous. If I was an opposing DC I wouldn't want Falck or Allen on the field if possible. Baker took a shot from behind from Thull as Baker was blocking. He did not return to the game - looked like a lower leg-ankle injury. If that continues we may yet see another freshman WR activated.
USD Defense: Once again the tag line bend but don't break comes to mind. They once again had several take-aways - 3 altogether - May just start calling Andrew Gray, Chucky since he gets the Chucky turnover doll so frequently. The coaches did a tremendous job adjusting at halftime - got the players more disciplined on option assignments and keyed the players in on stepping up to get in front of the WR routes - that proved very disruptive for MSU. USD had 6 QB hurries but no sacks - that makes two weeks in a row without a sack. Part of that is SIU and MSU's offensive style. Against teams that try to consistently push the ball deeper downfield, we will need to make sure to get pressure (UNI will do that). We are getting high-level play out of our interior DL - Headlee - Whitcomb - Coker - Peguero - all are rotating in and producing. Headlee was the most disruptive yesterday with sack, batted down pass, and fumble recovery. The MSU system really puts stress on the LBers and I think they made a good account of themselves overall. The Gray brothers are producing for USD big-time with 10 tackles each. Andrew was an absolute animal out there with 10 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, and an INT. In my opinion if the ball had not been tipped on his INT, there is a good chance he would have had a pick 6. The DBs were facing some very tall and athletic WRs - MSU completed some passes downfield, but I like the way our corners competed. Collins drew the toughest assignments in coverage and had some key pass breakups. Tisdale and Sommerville also continued to play well - the game experience is thankfully helping them improve. The goal-line stand in the fourth quarter shows tremendous resolve and heart by the team. Really respect that effort.
Special Teams: FG accuracy is a known issue and it was troublesome once again. I fear it will cost us a close game. Hopefully our kicker with experience can continue to improve. Make those two additional FGs and USD likely has a 13 point margin of victory. At this point I would be hesitant to try a FG unless the ball is inside the 20 yard line when playing in a dome or inside the 15 yard line if playing outside with wind. I would rather go for it and throw to Allen or Falck in a 50/50 situation. Punting was very good- 49.3 yard average - and the coverage was tremendous. KOs were solid and the one time MSU tride to return it, coverage was great. Our KO return game was as good as I have seen in years. I think our returners are as skilled as they have been since Jeremy Blount was back there. Great to see our true freshman Elidor break a long 69 yard return - he has some wheels. Great blocking on that play. Ducker also broke a long one that was called back for a penalty. Good to see some spark and production from the special teams.
Penalties: This team is still struggling with penalties/discipline. It was better this week, but not where it needs to be. Falck's offsides was a drive killer. Jake Matthew's offsides on 3rd and long turned it into 3rd and short allowing MSU to convert and extend the drive. The refs also could have called Mike Johson for a personal foul on the goal line stop in the 4th quarter - he blatantly pushed an offensive player right in front of the ref. Football is a game of toughness, but you have to be smarter than that. Players that do not play smart need to watch from the sideline. Can you imagine if instead of a stop there, MSU was given first and goal from the half-yard line because of that? Contrast that to MSU - they had no penalties in the first half and only 2 on the day for 15 yards.
Overall this was a good victory. MSU is a good and improved team. If their QB remains healthy, they will win some more games. I have a lot of respect for their HC and wish their program well. They seemed to play hard and disciplined. If they had more ball-security, they may have been able to win yesterday. My concern for USD going forward is that our bend but don't break defense works much better with teams that are mistake prone. The best offensive teams in our league rarely make mistakes - turning the ball over or allowing penalties to kill drives. USD has thrived on that. Not a knock on USD's defense - the take-aways are commendable. It will just take an even better effort to stop some of the teams we will face. Inability to depend on converting FGs is my second concern. These MVFC games have a razor-thin margin between victory and defeat. It may take a 40 plus yard FG to win a game this year. Can we convert when that happens? Injuries seem to be really weighing on our WR group. Thank goodness we came into the year with massive depth. Finally our OL's ability to continue to mature and protect Simmons as well as make holes for our RBs will be a key for our offensive production.
I view the upcoming UNI game as a playoff game. It is at our place and we need to defend our turf. They will be extremely desperate for a win - they just lost at home to NDSU after playing three good quarters. After playing USD they turn around and have to play SDSU. You know they have this game circled as a must-win if they have playoff aspirations. We had better have the same mentality. UNI is always tougher than hell. USD has the ability to beat UNI - I think our team is better than last year overall - and USD gifted the game to UNI last year in Cedar Falls. My gut tells me we haven't come close to seeing our team play their best game yet for four quarters. USD could have beaten MSU by 20 yesterday with that kind of execution (and MSU is a solid team). USD can route UNI with that kind of effort too.
In regards to the USD crowd - I am pretty much done worrying about it. Some people sit there and look like they are in a movie theater, church, or library. The students didn't even fill up their section yesterday at any point in the game. After half it was even more empty. My suggestion to everyone is just to go, have fun, be loud, and invite friends. Having fun and enjoying the game is what will attract others to want to come join us. All I know is I can still taste blood in my throat today and I wouldn't want it any other way.
Happy D-Days everyone! That was an entertaining game and a fun weekend to spend with our Coyote Family. See you next week.
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obc
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Post by obc on Sept 30, 2018 10:55:22 GMT -6
Thoughts from the SIU game (for full disclosure, I only watched the game once and cannot bring myself to watch a replay - crappy camera work and just a long, sloppy game to watch):
This was a MVFC road victory - those rarely come easy and this was no exception.
The USD defense is establishing itself as an improved unit - giving up yardage but really keeping teams out of the endzone. Tackling was very good - not remembering many complete whiffs. Once again they created turnovers. Coach Moose is getting results. The Gray brothers led the way with Cochrane close behind. I specifically think Cochrane played his best game of the year so far. We need consistency out of our MLB and got it this week. Very impressed with our two corners that played - this was a very good SIU WR unit and our corners were all over them. Collins is developing into a very good MVFC corner and Tisdale may be the most improved player on the defense from the last two games. Good to see him improve quickly with experience. Their coverage is even more impressive in light of the fact USD struggled to get pressure on the SIU QB - only a couple hurries and zero sacks on the night. USD appeared to be focused on stopping the SIU run game and relied on working twists and stunt games in the pass rush with the front four only. Luis Peguero is stepping up as a very productive interior DL. He has been disruptive at times for opposing teams and had the best game of the interior DL in my view.
The USD offense is very concerning right now. The OL has really been in a funk for most of the year. They gave up 4 sacks again this week and several hurries and tackles for a loss. There is no push at the LOS on the snap. It appears to me like the defensive fronts we are facing are firing off the ball and pushing our guys back every snap regardless whether it is a pass or run. Part of this is stylistic - USD runs a lot of RPO and the OL are almost always in a two point stance (no hand in the dirt). That makes it harder to come off the ball and move a defender backwards. USD's offense made some adjustments at half-time - opening with a speed option and then following up working the screen game proved effective. Then USD was able to complete some big plays. One was a completely blown coverage from SIU for one of the easier TDs USD will complete this year (89 yard reception to Allen). The OL also did a better job of staying in front of the defenders in the 3Q and not allowing a free release to the QB. With the extra time, Simmons did what we all know he can do and delivered some nice balls. The OL played the same 5 all night - they must be trying to see if allowing them to work together without substitution can be helpful. Cannot think of another reason why the coaches wouldn't have substituted in some of the other OL into the game after seeing the poor play in the first two quarters. The WR group appears to be dealing with some nagging injuries. All of a sudden we feel a little thin at the position. Case, Crawford, Jackson, and Ducker all appeared to not get many snaps - Case was mentioned as having some issues with his hamstring and Ducker must have sustained an injury - he was on the sidelines in the second half without his shoulder pads on. Were the others injured as well? The RBs continue to lack consistent production - need to average more than 2.5 yards a carry to be successful down the stretch. Klett seems to have the best chance of the three to this point in the season. All three backs are pretty close in statistical production. Klett had a 45 yard run early in the game, but was very limited besides that. Brooks is by far the weakest blocker and missed a key block late in the game on the edge that resulted in a sack that could easily have been a safety or fumble as Simmons was hit from his blind side. Klett would be my choice as the RB to get the most carries based on game observations only.
Special teams coverage was better this week against a very skilled and fast team. That is a good sign. Our kicker made a FG as well as all xtra points. Our punt returner made a rather large gaff by fielding a punt late in the game at the 3 yard line. Have to let those go and give it a chance for a touchback. I will chalk that up to our regular punt returner (Ducker) being out. I would expect however that our back up would know not to do that inside the 10. Punting by USD was very good with the exception of a near block. Our Kicker was booting the ball deep on each kickoff and coverage there was solid as well.
Discipline: USD looked like a very undisciplined team last night - and it is becoming a bad pattern. 16 penalties for 138 yards is not going to get it done. USD gave SIU 5 first downs on penalty alone.
Clock Management: USD's style is a tempo offense, but so do several other teams in college football. They need to be able to take more time off the clock than they did with the lead. This will lose them games in the future if not addressed. Part of this stems from the lack of run game for the Coyotes on traditional run only plays vs RPO or read-option runs. USD has to get to a point where our OL can create some holes and our RBs can get yardage (even when a defense knows a run is likely).
Big Plays: Love the big play potential of USD's offense, but absent those USD really struggled. USD only had 17 first downs and as was pointed out in an earlier post - minus the big production in the third quarter was pretty weak. In fact most of the game looked like what we saw at Weber State with the exception of the third quarter.
A win is a win and it is great to be 1-0 in the MVFC and back to 2-2 for the season. USD plays great at home usually and I expect the next two weeks will be no exception. I am however concerned about what happens to our offense when we play games in the wind or non-perfect weather against solid teams. The defense is leading the way for USD which is quite the departure from the last several Coyote FB teams. It is a welcome improvement. SIU was really a must win road game for USD and that objective was accomplished. Let's hope the young team we have, continues to improve each week, and that the coaches find ways to get them more disciplined. I still believe this team is capable of playing much better and more consistently. They will need to do that in order to repeat as a playoff team.
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obc
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Post by obc on Sept 16, 2018 11:59:36 GMT -6
Some Weber St observations and thoughts:
First of all - congratulations to Weber. They are a physical team that appeared on attack mode yesterday from start to finish. They were the aggressor and USD appeared to be finessing and trying to react out there versus taking it to them. That really felt like a MVFC team out there USD was playing. If Weber had more explosive offensive play makers they would be a contender for the FCS title IMO. I do think their lack of offensive production will hurt them eventually when they face another physical team that can pass protect and run block. With the dominant performance that Weber displayed against USD it was still a 17 point game that included one defensive score and several short fields.
USD's defense: The USD defense controlled Weber at times. USD held Weber to 1/13 on 3rd down conversions as well as 1/2 on 4th downs. Unfortunately penalties extended some of Weber's drives. Can't have those. Thank goodness that Weber didn't have UNC's QB/WR tandem yesterday to go with that physical unit. USD finished with two sacks. I am concerned with USD's lack of QB pressure. 2 sacks and very few QB hurries generated is not good enough IMO. We really missed Collins out there at corner. The three corners that played yesterday need to find a way to continue to improve quickly. Offenses are going to attack our corners with the pass and also attack the perimeter on run plays and screens and make our corners prove they can stop them. Headlee showed up big in the stat line yesterday with 6 tackles from his DT position. That is a good showing. Cochrane at MLB led the team with 9, and the Gray brothers had 8 each. If you had told me going into the game that Weber would score in the high 20's, I would have pegged this as a win. Sure was wrong there.
USD's offense: No offense is going to work when the OL gets man-handled like they did. We could have David Johnson back there and he would hardly get any yards rushing. The pass rush was in Simmons face all night. Tough to evaluate a QB when he knows every play there are several defenders in the backfield and a LBer coming on a free release. Simmons missed some open receivers, but the pass rush made that a very tough task. Would like to see him have a little more recognition of where the rush is coming from pre-snap. I would expect there will be some shuffling on the OL. Some of the players appear to be playing out of position. Asking a player that doesn't have the skill-set to play OT and not giving them blocking support from a TE or RB on the edge is a poor strategy. My hope is that Wallace (RS Freshman OL that has immense talent) is developing enough to allow the coaches to have confidence to put him at RT. He at least has the athletic ability to move laterally and pass protect on the edge. Jennings feels like a more natural guard to me and I think could have success there. RG has been a weakness point in the line as well and perhaps moving Jennings there could shore that up a little. Erbes was mixed into RG on several possessions and looked ok out there. Perhaps he is the answer there. Putting a true freshman at OL in a physical conference like the MVFC is definitely not what any of us would draw up. This unit will not face a front as stout as Weber until they see NDSU. Regardless though, the OL is going to have to prove they can pick up the blitz and stop the edge rush. Opposing defenses breaking down the film are going to see the blueprint to slow and stop the USD offense. The OL is getting zero push up front on run plays. Looks to me like they are catching versus driving through blocks on contact. Losing Coach O'Boyle's tough coaching is showing up. One of the OL players needs to step up and be a leader - take ownership of the unit and get mean. Hit somebody and don't let your QB get destroyed like that. Sometimes underclassmen need to be that leader. From experience, I hope they young guys don't think they can't step forward and take control of the team and lead. It needs to happen starting today. Too many dropped passes by the receivers. Most of the drops were preventable. Samson had a drop early in the game but took a huge hit from the Weber St safety separating him from the ball. The rest were just drops. Unacceptable for a group as talented as they are. With as much depth as the team has, I hope the guys that are dropping passes get much fewer reps. Unless the OL can block, I would like to see more Ben Klett. He can at least be his own blocker out there. He also has the ability to help block on the edge more effectively IMO.
Special Teams: Punting was good - long, high, deep punts for the most part. Coverage was decent with the exception of the 55 yard return - giving up big returns is becoming a pattern. Made a FG but hit the upright on an xtra point - I am beyond concerned with our ability to put the ball through the uprights. Did not cost us last night because the game was such a drubbing. It will cost us a game or games down the road unless improved.
Penalties: This team looks undisciplined to me. The personal fouls, late hits, mental errors, jawing at opposing players has to be reined in. Not only is it a bad look for the program, it is costing the team significantly. I want the team to have an edge and play with chips on their shoulders, but that does not mean playing undisciplined. As lop-sided as this match up was physically, if the team had at least played disciplined the game would have been even closer. This is controllable.
Leadership: I am not in the locker room obviously and this is just a complete guess from watching the team in person and paying close attention to the sidelines. This team is in desperate need of a player or players to step forward as a vocal and tough leader. They need someone to grab some face masks, smack some shoulder pads, get in faces, and demand effort, intensity, focus, and accountability. The talent is there. What I witnessed at home against UNC last week and Weber St yesterday - the players looked like zombies on the sideline. Get fired up! Go attack the opponent with a purpose and determination. There are 25 juniors and seniors on the team. Underclassmen, this is your team too - step up and be a leader. Leadership does not just come with age and time in the program. Step up now or you will regret it.
It is easy to feel like the season is lost after a game like this. The reality is young teams often play with a big variance from week to week. We are seeing that. Just like in life, the Yotes need to control what they can control in FB. Effort, focus, energy, discipline, preparation etc are all controllable. Do those things and they will look much better, even if over-matched up front like our OL was yesterday. As the saying goes - you are never as good as you think you are after a big win, and never as bad as you think you are after a big loss. (Well maybe Arkansas Pine Bluff is as bad as we think they are....) I believe the Yotes will make some improvements, but the road got tougher. The team needs to take care of business against SIU. Both teams NEED the win. It will be a playoff-like battle for survival. I think USD needs to go 6-2 in the MVFC to make the playoffs. If USD loses to SIU, well, I don't even want to discuss that.
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obc
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Post by obc on Sept 9, 2018 8:44:09 GMT -6
A few post-game thoughts:
Austin Simmons accounted for the second most yards in program history. It was the third most passing yards in program history. He distributed the ball to multiple receivers and appeared to make several good reads. A few of his passes were under duress and he placed the ball perfectly. He also ran effectively when needed, including a big run to open the game.
OL pass protected well - zero sacks says a lot, however Simmons pocket presence and mobility certainly contributed to that result. Run blocking was not good enough. Coach Bob mentioned in the press conference that the lack of the running game had to do with needing to block better and missing some reads. He also mentioned in reference to the running game that: "I think it is there." I agree with that. Frequently when USD had success running the ball it came when the RB hit the hole fast and got north and south versus trying to take a little slower approach and find a hole to hit. When Henry had success, he hit the hole fast and when he did not he was frequently stopped for no gain or a loss. They need this area to be productive for balance as well as to close out games when a lead has been established. This has also hurt USD in short-yardage situations on 3rd and 4th downs. Not converting on the 4th and 1 in the second half was a crucial missed opportunity to extend a drive that had potential to put the game out of reach. I still believe Henry is going to have a big year - Klett and Brooks look very promising as well.
WR's caught the ball well today and made explosive plays after the catch. Was great to see Jackson and Ducker have huge days. Coach mentioned that Case should be back next week. That will be another weapon on the edge.
Coach Bob also talked about how UNC came out in the second half with a different defensive look and did not feel the team adjusted well to that. Was he referring to coaching adjustments, player adjustments on the field? both? Regardless the 3rd quarter was a nonproductive quarter offensively for USD.
No turnovers by the USD offense today, just like last week. The defense had two take-aways. +6 in the turnover department after two games is impressive and has been a factor in keeping the KSU game as close as it was as well as allowing USD to close out UNC yesterday.
On the defensive side of the ball it was a fairly inconsistent performance. Part of that is a credit to a veteran UNC offense - the QB was very poised under pressure, had decent mobility which helped them extend drives, and he was able to hit his star WR several times for big gains along with several other receivers. Teams that watch this tape, will know where to attack the USD defense. We will see more of the same from our opponents until we prove we can stop the bleeding. Pressure at times was good - the team obviously ended up with 4 QB sacks, several good hits on the QB and QB hurries. There were too many times however that USD did not get any pressure and UNC made the defense pay. Coach Bob said after the game: "thought we got vanilla on defense in the second half and UNC capitalized." I agree with that completely. Our best defense shows up when they find ways to send pressure from multiple positions on the field. When USD sits back and tries to rush with the DEs and DL, dropping the rest into coverage, UNC gashed them for long completions. Coach Bob also referenced that the defense really did some good things getting UNC off-schedule on 1st and 2nd downs, but allowed UNC to convert way to frequently on 3rd and 4th downs.
Special teams continues to concern me. Had one punt inside the 20. Ended up with a pretty low punt average, but at least they were good hang-time punts preventing a return. The protection on the punts needs to tighten up - UNC was close to getting to our punter on at least one occasion. Kickoffs seemed very good this week and coverage was good most of the time. They did allow one long return to the 50. Wish we had a kicker that could get us a touchback every time, but that is just not the case. Weber St has an all-American return specialist - USD has to be disciplined in their coverage, or he will be a factor next week. The USD return game was not very productive when they had a chance. With all the speed USD has on the field this is perplexing to me. FG/Xtra point: Obvious statement, but this is a glaring weakness right now. Unless corrected, USD will lose a game due to this one factor alone. There are too many close games in MVFC play. A missed xtra point or a short FG is a recipe for disaster. Unless USD is inside the 25 yard line, I have little confidence in the merit of lining up for a FG at this point.
Penalties: UNC was a team that played antagonistically and with a big chip on their shoulder. They were frequently pushing our players, tugging their jerseys, stepping on them in piles, after the whistle. I was disappointed with how USD responded to that. We all know it is a fine line between being aggressive and being stupid. I also hope that Coach Bob is able to tell the players that it is ok to celebrate and have fun, but that they cannot cross the line to taunting. Yesterday it didn't end up hurting to have Allen get tossed out of the game, but in a closer game, it could really impact the outcome. In my opinion it was not a good look for the program. Hope that gets tightened up.
USD is a young team and the UNC game will give the players and coaches the opportunity to watch the tape and hopefully improve in several areas. It is a great thing when a young team has a game like this: a win that still affords the coaches the opportunity to help the players grow and improve. They can look at the tape and see what happens when they execute. The offense has the potential to be a top unit in the FCS when they do. The defense has the opportunity to be a much improved unit year over year when they do that as well. If handled right, I think this game will produce perhaps more improvement than any other they play this year.
Weber St will be a tremendous challenge next week. 2-1 seems miles ahead of 1-2 heading into the bye week before the conference season. Need the win.
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obc
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Post by obc on Sept 3, 2018 8:28:39 GMT -6
QB Analysis is natural. Perhaps not fair to compare after one game. Streveler is an all-time great not just at USD but in the FCS. Simmons was in his first start as "the guy". I chose two games to compare - both games where USD threw the ball 55+ times and both against good defensive teams on the road. Simmons vs KSU '18 and Streveler vs Illinois State '17.
Simmons vs KSU '18 24/56 (42%) for 257 yards 1 TD / 0 INT/ long completion of 34 yards - 6 different receivers caught balls - 4 drives that were 3 and out
Over 20 yard completions (3 for 74 yards total) - 34, 20, 20 10-19 yard completions (8 for 107 yards total) - 12, 13, 17, 15, 10, 10, 18, 12 0-9 yard completions (13 for 76 yards total) - 5, 6, 3, 5, 5, 7, 7, 7, 6, 8, 5, 5, 7
Streveler vs Illinois State '17 39/63 (62%) for 440 yards 2 TD / 2 INT / long completion of 50 yards - 10 different receivers caught balls - 5 drives ended with 3 and out (or turnover) (When you add up the numbers below they add up to 42 completions for 493 yards - the reason I think this doesn't match the offical stat line above is that three of the passes from the play by play archived notes were later recorded as runs due to them being lateral passes, but that is just a guess. I used the play by play data on USD's website for anyone that wants to double check). Regardless, this gives everyone a good idea for comparison sake.
Over 20 yard completions (4 for 120 yards total) - 50, 26, 22, 22 10-19 yard completions (24 for 294 yards total) - 10, 13, 16, 11, 11, 10, 16, 11, 12, 12, 10, 18, 11, 12, 13, 12, 14, 12, 11, 11, 10, 14, 13, 11 0-9 yard completions (14 for 79 yards total) - 3, 7, 7, 2, 2, 2, 9,9, 8, 7, 6, 8, 0, 9
It is always interesting to see the numbers and compare how they match up with one's perception of how it was originally perceived when just watching as a fan.
Simmons ability to increase his completion percentage and distribute the ball to multiple receivers (using all his weapons) will be key in his development in my opinion. I do think against KSU the coaches were utilizing the TEs in protection more than what they did against Illinois St and that is why we did not see passes to the TEs downfield like we saw last year against Illinois State.
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obc
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Post by obc on Sept 2, 2018 13:56:08 GMT -6
Great effort for the Yotes - really stings to lose this one. USD created some opportunities that they just could not quite capitalize on enough.
OL did a great job pass protecting. To give up only one sack against a Big12 team while throwing 56 times is impressive. Run blocking was a little shakier, but in my opinion the team got away from trying to get the RBs involved. Klett and Henry both ended up averaging more than 5 yards a carry. Obviously Klett had a 15 yard run and Henry had a 37 yard run.
Falck was a star yesterday. I think the rest of the WR can and will do better in the future. Too many drops overall.
Simmons - for a first start against a Power 5 team - he showed he belongs. IMO he will get better. Missed on some deep throws, but also connected on several. His mobility and pocket presence really helped avoid the KSU rush. Think he could have tucked and run a little more and been productive. The delay of game penalty to start the game and at the beginning of the final drive was frustrating, but as he gets more experience, he will have better clock awareness. Also when USD is not playing a Big 12 defensive front, I think we will see a more balanced run/pass mix, and that will make Simmons even more effective IMO.
The biggest story of the day IMO was the defense. The new alignments and schemes, not to mention additional speed on the field was effective more often than not. The DL held their own and even produced 3 sacks and 8 TFL. Powell has the "it" factor when it comes to turnovers. Not sure what it is, but he needs to be on the field as much as possible. Armstead and Collins played great - some of their PBUs were exceptional. Lets hope Armstead can come back soon. KSU seemed focused on trying to match up their WRs with our OLBers and it was effective at times. Our tackling was really good for the most part, but there were some notable "whiffs" that allowed KSU to extend drives.
Punting was erratic. A few booming kicks with good coverage followed by three straight line-drive style punts with lackluster coverage. Losing our long-snapper after the first punt may have been a factor to the rhythm - the snaps were coming back quite high. Cannot have this however and expect to win. That punt return for a TD was a killer.
FG kicking is a glaring issue. I don't see a short-term solve for this. Kickers just need to keep working and competing - hopefully will make some of those. At least we play in a Dome for many games.
Effort was as good as I have seen from the Yotes. Conditioning looked really good too.
Bottom line for me, is I saw enough to make me very optimistic for the FCS portion of our schedule. I think we will play one more regular season game against a better team than KSU (NDSU). And then possibly in the playoffs we may face a team that has that much talent and size. As optimistic as I am, coming close against a Big12 team doesn't earn the team squat when they are lining up against the other teams. They don't care. Each game will be a fight. What I saw out there Saturday, shows me that there is the talent out there to win any of the games USD plays. Wonder if for those that watched the game, does your season forecast change? a 9-2 regular season is more believable to me today than two days ago. I don't see this team (baring catastrophic injuries) finishing the season with more than 4 losses. 8-3 sounds reasonable.
Interested in seeing if Armstead, Coker, Godsey, Case, Johnson, and Ciurej are available to play this coming week.
Bring on UNC! I will guess the Yotes will be hungry to improve on mistakes they made last night. The FCS season starts now.
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obc
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Post by obc on May 26, 2018 9:39:44 GMT -6
Ok... it's no secret my son is on the team so I may have some inside info.... but I'd never disclose it if I did. What I can say, imho, is those 16 linemen they signed last year and have spent the year getting buff.... well you're going to see a different team this year my friends. The game is won and lost UP FRONT!!! BAM!!! SHAKALAKA!!!!!! GO MY MEN !!!! I personally know some of the recruits this staff has brought in and I have to say that every one of them I've met are of great character. Big men... great character....SUCCESS!!!! Our team is going to be more and more a reflection of Nielson... smart, hard working, devoted and caring for the student athlete. A true leader has that human understanding... Its going to be a great year... and I was going to say everybody needs to start believing... but we're way beyond that... everybody should know the team we have and is being put together now and join in the fun watching the team kick some royal AZ!!!!!! Anything you can share about the new strength coach? Are they approaching things differently? Any thoughts there? Excited to see a fast and physical USD team this year. It is going to be a GREAT year.
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obc
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Post by obc on May 10, 2018 16:44:13 GMT -6
Not to be the downer here, but looking at his stats....doesn't seem like he can shoot very well. You would hope for better numbers from your point guard and a better assist/turnover ratio. Shooting 39% 3 Point 35% FT 64% Assist/Turnover Ratio less than 2/1 What were Matt Mooney's stats at Air Force?
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obc
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Post by obc on Apr 23, 2018 16:00:37 GMT -6
I was there and watched a replay that was on Midco. I am more optimistic than before seeing the scrimmage. Streveler is a once in a generation athlete for the Yotes, but that does not mean USD will not see high-level productivity out of the offense at large and the QB position specifically. If you remember last year's scrimmage - Streveler didn't look awesome. He was obviously awesome this season. When you have a dual threat QB these touch fb games limit the look of the offense. I have no doubt if the staff had unleashed Streveler on the team last Spring game he would have dominated. I also think if the staff had unleashed Simmons run game to go with what he was doing through the air, he would have looked even better. Simmons will have a few things Streveler did not - deeper WR group overall, deeper OL group, deeper RB group, similar TE unit. Defense needs to fill the hole still apparent after the arrests last year. Other than that, the defensive players are better and more experienced at every position.
7 wins in the regular season is my prediction with a playoff bid. This is a team sport and the work the staff has done to build depth will show up this year. Simmons has tremendous upside, but does not need to be an FCS player of the year for the team to have huge success. Simmons just needs to be efficient and distribute the ball to the weapons on the field. He is capable of doing that and along with that he is also capable of making an occasional great throw or run. Tsgalis is also very capable and I think could distribute the ball well to the weapons on the field.
The good news for all of us is it will be settled on the field and we will know the results of the regular season in 7 months.
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obc
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Post by obc on Apr 17, 2018 17:06:31 GMT -6
As the Todd Lee era gets started I am curious what the fans expect in his first year and beyond. What will be successful in your opinion? Will Lee's first four years be better than Smith's? The team and program is in a different place than when Smith took over, but there is undoubtedly some rebuilding and retooling that will need to happen to continue the momentum. Since the overall record can be somewhat dependent on how tough a coach schedules, I will be looking more at conference records in comparison. Personally I would like to see as challenging of a non-conference schedule as the team can set up - even if that means the team heads into the conference season with a losing record.
Broad recap of the Craig Smith Era:
Entire four years conference record: 38-26 Entire four years full season record: 79-55 Record versus NDSU four years: 4-4 Record versus SDSU four years: 3-5 regular season, 3-8 overall including the three SL games
First two years conference record: 15-19 First two years overall record: 31-34 Record versus NDSU first two years: 2-2 Record versus SDSU first two years: 1-3, 1-4 overall including the SL matchup
Second two years conference record: 23-7 Second two years overall record: 48-21 Record versus NDSU last two years 2-2 Record versus SDSU the last two years: 2-2 regular season, 2-4 overall including the two SL games
Looking back something else I didn't remember - Smith lost his first five games as HC and had his first win against Wayne State in Vermillion. I also forgot how much of a step back the team took in year two while the future stars of the team sat out.
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