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Post by Yotes on May 27, 2017 1:07:22 GMT -6
Fightsd, you asked me why I thought that completion of Phase 1 of the Dome would keep Nielson and staff in Vermillion. Here's my reply: For starters, Bob is in his mid to past mid 50s, and I think is highly unlikely to seek out or take a new job IF the university delivers on the promises made to support him, and give him the ammo to finish his career in Vermillion. If they are as successful as I think they are going to be, you can almost bet that his replacement will come from his staff. I'm not saying some quality assistants won't ever leave, I just don't think the vast majority of them will bolt. Strictly my opinion. Phase 1 of the Dome renovation is new locker rooms, new coaches offices, and a new outdoor practice center. We will get this done. That's what he needs to finish the deal. Secondly, I think he has a master plan to build the foundation his way, and leave a legacy right here. That's my gut feel. He looks at NDSU as a baromoter for building the program, and if you look closely, he's getting it done in the brief time here. He wants to build a platform that has USD always in the discussion for titles and that takes time. Again, strictly my gut feel but I think I'm on the right track. Lets slam on the breaks for a moment. His first year he was 4-7 so I don't consider him "getting it done" until he proves in the win loss column that the hype turns into concrete results. 3 touchdown leads that evaporate and turn into losses isn't quite getting it done. According to the Western Illinois fans this is a trend that he doesn't seem to be able to correct. I can understand the optimism to a point but I do think it is getting out of hand a bit. We have gone through this hype train all too often and most of the time it does not turn into results on the field. We hope it is different this time but it is just HOPE at this point. I personally still need to see at least a 4-4 Valley record before I even begin to get confident that the Yotes have turned the corner. Is the team season ticket worthy. I think they are worth the price of admission but the defense needs quite a bit of correcting before we can be assured of a playoff type team. If Nielsen does what Craig Smith did to basketball then it will be time to puff out the chests a bit. I believe Nielsen's best year in FCS is either 6-5 or 7-4. I am still way more impressed with what he did at Minnesota Duluth then what he did at Western Illinois. At the FCS level Nielsen has proven to be solid, it was at UMD where he was great. We still need to see if that is transferable to the FCS level. I certainly hope so. As far as NDSU as a barometer if you mean by the way the team is built the offense is completely different than NDSU's and actually it's quite the opposite. If you mean simply by trying a measure by attempting to put rings on all fingers including the thumb then that seems to be more accurate. I would be plenty satisfied with a ring simply on the third finger. I think this season is going to be a modest year and in year 3 things will really start to take off. I probably should have left your post ignored, but I'm hungry for discussion and opening it up and skimming through I just have to laugh to myself. Nielsen's best year in FCS is going to be 6-5 or 7-4? He already took a failing WIU program with zero resources to a 6-5 mark in just three years (7-6 if you include the playoff games), why the hell wouldn't he be able to do more at USD with far more resources? He may have moved within the conference, but it wasn't exactly a lateral move. Nielsen is an intelligent guy. He knows he can make things happen in Vermillion thanks to the commitment that our administration has made. But you'll never give anyone a chance until the minute they bring home a title. You laud Craig Smith now but were calling for his head leading into his championship season. Weird how it takes coaches time to build their programs... |
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Post by yoteforever on May 27, 2017 6:59:16 GMT -6
In my opinion Coyotefan, your last post truly represents the difference certainly between you and I, but I think for most fans in general. Why I understand your thought pattern you have to prove it first, then I'll believe, I get it. But it also reflects what I believe to be your lack of personal experience in the arena of sports. As Yotes pointed out, you bashed Smith for his first 2.5 years, then he is now ok. Strictly in my opinion, you rarely if ever see the steps that have been taken on the road to success, or steps that havent been taken preventing success from happening.
Again, strictly my opinion, here are the steps that have been taken:
1.) Whether you have knowledge of this or not, the quality of athletes that we have recruited are at a much higher level, bigger, stronger, and faster than the previous 4 years.
2.) We ARE winning recruiting battles with the XDSU's and UNI for many athletes. That rarely happened before.
3.) This staff, by the mere fact that we were in every game last year with the lone exception Youngstown, proved they not only are very good at X's and O's, but have coached up the athletes they inherited.
4.) There is a "buzz" and excitement among fans that hasn't been present since the Miererkort era of being competitive and fun to watch. Fans are excited again.
5.) USD has the premier weight room in the entire Midwest, and most likely the best there is in FCS football. Kids take one look at that room and say..."holy $hit". The gains that have been made this past winter and spring based on reports coming out of the football office indicate the sheer number of kids that have made monumental strides and gains in that capacity.
By delivering through on the promises made to get Phase 1 done, the coaching staff gets the support from the administration that the progress will continue. When kids ( and their parents ) literally see the progression of such commitments, they then to buy in faster. What will make ( and keep ) us competitive is the continued investment in athletics.
So the bottom line difference in how you think and I think is this....I'm willing to invest my time and resources into a program where I feel strongly progression is being made, and add to that "hype" to continue building on the gains that have been made. That's done through attendance, buying tickets, and joining the Howling Pack. I've also been blessed enough to be able to assist them in funding some of these things. Those that can't give I fully understand and respect, it I think at least most of us are capable of joining HP and buying tickets, and driving to Vermillion to watch games. Your approach is, as I think I understand it, is to let them prove it first, then you might come to games and buy tickets. The majority of posters on here in invest first and believe it's going to happen.
I personally believe it's going to happen.
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Post by easmus on May 27, 2017 16:16:26 GMT -6
I think the point about Nielson's success at the FCS level being not as impressive yet as at Minn-Duluth discounts the fact he left just as he was poised to "pop" at Western. They may have only gotten a 6-5 regular season record but made the playoffs and won a game. Had he stayed one has to believe they would have been even better and made playoffs again last season. Instead he decided to leave for reasons previously stated. So while Western fans may have some gripes, do they truly have a sample size big enough to make an objective opinion on the coaching style and results?
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Post by Coyote Fan on May 27, 2017 17:10:25 GMT -6
Yep YF we are very different in our outlook. If you had to describe us in one word you would be what they call a "homer" and I would be called a "realist". You get yourself too emotionally attached to the program and the coaches that you don't see things objectively. You and many others look at all of the positives of last year and I look at them too. Where we differ is that you tend to minimize the impact of the negatives but I measure the positives and negatives equally.
I think what we can all agree with is that this program is much better off now then they were under Joe Glenn and BTW I was the only one outspoken to my knowledge of wanting Glenn out and I was considered off my rocker for believing in that. Most people wanted him to remain despite the program showing no real serious signs of becoming a contender. The Coyotes were way behind the curve of the Valley under him. I had the foresight to want him out and despite two seasons in 3 years of 0-8 conference records many people still wanted to go in a direction that was obviously not working. I would just like a few people to come out and admit that they were wrong about wanting to keep him after what we have now seen after one year of Nielsen.
Let's take a look at 2016. There is no question in my mind that this program is now competitive with the mid level teams in the Valley and getting closer to the top teams. I think we can all agree that the offense is pretty darn good but that offense is designed to attack, attack, attack and not designed to hold a lead. When they played a little too conservatively after having the lead the defense was just not good enough to hold off the other team. The offense had moments where they did try to keep the gas petal down but many things just did not work out. The deep passes were just a little out of reach and the running game was not good enough to go into a power mode.
I look at the NDSU game differently then most. For a good portion of that game until NDSU started to get cute with it the Coyotes were getting blow off the line and the Bison backs were running through holes big enough for trucks to go through. For whatever reason they started throwing the ball around which I have no idea why they started to do that. The Coyotes ended up making that a closer game then how it actually was playing out for a majority of it.
The Coyotes did have some bad luck to match many of their self inflicted wounds. But they also had the Weber game which they were very fortunate to win and the game at Indiana State probably should have gone down as a loss but ended up being a win so there was a little evening out factor when it came to fortune. Obviously the UND game and WIU game were both just absolutely heart breaking losses but a lot of that was self inflicted as well. Overall the team probably should have finished 5-6 so they were 1 game short of what they probably deserved. But we know about if's, and's and but's when it comes to Coyote athletics.
So the team is coming together, they have a great weight room and sports science department or whatever it is called. So by having that they have now risen to an equal level to the rest of the top Valley programs. I think this is a good football team and is on the rise. I just don't like the way the schedule shakes out. That is why I will likely predict something around 5-6 instead of the 7-4 or better record that many are predicting.
There are two big things that need to be addressed one is the defense in general and two is the ability of the team to play better with the lead and having a better defense would certainly address that. I never buy into the theory of it being the offenses job to hold a lead. That should fall on the shoulders of the D. I think the D needs to play a higher risk reward scheme. They need to figure out a way to keep themselves off the field period. I would like to see them create turnovers and to maybe force a team to pass over them. If they get beat at times then all that does is get them off the field and plays into the hands of the offense we have.
We know where the improvements need to be made. But who is to say that all of the things that went well last year will continue to go that well. Will the team continually be able to jump out to big leads like that did last year. That is a difficult thing to keep going in a league like the MVFC.
To address the Craig Smith comments. Please show me one instance where I said I wanted Craig Smith out. I never did so you will not find that. What I did say is that he basically deserved critisism after what happened a year ago. My confidence in him was wavering but I never said I wanted him out. I believe I said it was 50/50 whether he was the right guy for the job moving forward. I still believe that he deserved to be questioned and I am sure he would probably tell you he deserved criticism for that year as well. He deserved to have a pocketful of doubters after the way things unfolded. There was no real optimism outside Vermillion going into this year. I call it like it is. I said that he threw all his eggs into the 2016-17 basket so I felt that he had some pressure on him to perform. Well he passed with flying colors and he deserves a ton of praise for that just as he deserved criticism for the year before.
Another thing I want to comment on. Many people say things about what I said in the past that are simply not true. YF you said that I will only commit to the team when things are proven to go well or I will not commit until they have won a title. That is definitely not true either. I committed to going to every game last year in football not because the program was a proven winner but because the program decided it was time to get serious about trying to be a contender. There is a big difference there. They made some important decisions about getting rid or some coaches that I did not think were likely to produce a winning product.
YF you are more reactive to things and I am proactive to things. You will never pick a Coyote team to lose IMO because you think that means you have to turn your Coyote Fan card in. It's not that picking a loss is turning against them it is simply being realistic. Winning game in Fargo and Brookings are very rare and it is ok to pick a loss in some of those games. We all know that you picked the Coyote upset in Fargo a year and a half ago. What was your record in predicting USD vs NDSU or SDSU games prior to that. If you pick a win enough times in a row you will eventually be right.
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Post by sportschic on May 30, 2017 14:58:28 GMT -6
Yoteforever I am with you 100%....I think it is evident that the recipe for being a top team in the Valley is there and we are about to start cooking and "eating" (as the players would say! I have said this before in one of the threads and I am going to reiterate for YF. There is no doubt the recruiting class of 2016 and now 2017 are faster, bigger and stronger on a whole than any of the classes recruited before the Nielson era. I can also say that if you look at the recruits in the 2016 and 2017 classes you have more players with FBS offers and several FCS offers than past recruiting classes. This solidifies the recruiting wins Nielson and his staff have made!
Look at when Nielson was named head coach of USD.... he was able to do 2 things 1) keep Coach Glen's recruits that he wanted and bring his WI recruits over to USD with him, 2) Get ready for a season that would really be for him to see the talent he has and his first recruiting class to decide what he needs and what changes need to be made for is recipe to WIN. So all the facts you bring up from last season to me would only be worthy if Coach Glen was still the coach. Last season the only thing I feel is necessary to bring up is that we lost games to top teams by a small margin. Coach Nielson is not only a proven winner but if you have or pay attention he is a very cerebral (smart)coach. Maybe a Championship is 1 season or 2 away...I won't argue that but this year I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised at the improvement and gains USD football has made. BTW Offense wins games , defense wins championships! Our offense will show definite improvement and our defense is going to surprise you...."speed kills"!
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YoKid
Sophomore Member
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Post by YoKid on May 30, 2017 20:38:11 GMT -6
Good discussion, half full, half empty outlooks, but all are fans... Bottom line college football is cut throat and in the end nobody will pay attention to the should-of, would-of, could-of scenario... W's matter and the coaches will be judged by their win/loss record, progress, and consistency among other attributes. In a nutshell USD is in a super tough and established conference...no free lunch. The arrow is pointing up with momentum and expectations are high. Fun team to watch win or lose, cherish the moments...good times!
Note: I live in a metroplex with professional sports, power 5 football, but found myself watching USD every Saturday??? Anyhow Go Yotes!!
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Post by easmus on May 31, 2017 15:29:35 GMT -6
Looks like all home games at 2 except SIU game starts at 3.
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Post by Yotes on May 31, 2017 15:32:18 GMT -6
I'd like a night game at least one time, but the extended tailgating might just kill me.
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Post by yoteforever on Jun 1, 2017 6:30:15 GMT -6
I'd like a night game at least one time, but the extended tailgating might just kill me. YEAH....but what a way to die. Lol |
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Post by Yotes on Jun 3, 2017 18:36:53 GMT -6
Looking ahead to this season and plotting out potential road trips, does anyone have advice to give on getting tickets to the NDSU game?
Saw my first away game for USD (outside of SD) this past year at UND. Blown game aside I had a great time and am looking to make these trips a more regular thing. Drake is a must and my eye is also on UNI.
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Post by goyotes24 on Jun 4, 2017 8:47:49 GMT -6
Looking ahead to this season and plotting out potential road trips, does anyone have advice to give on getting tickets to the NDSU game? Saw my first away game for USD (outside of SD) this past year at UND. Blown game aside I had a great time and am looking to make these trips a more regular thing. Drake is a must and my eye is also on UNI. NDSU tickets are usually sold on secondary ticket sites (as are pretty much any Valley team's tickets). NDSU tickets which are listed as of now are at about 300 dollars per ticket, but more tickets will be listed as the season gets closer. Additionally, prices generally drop as the game gets closer. Tickets for the USD game have not yet been listed by anyone that I have seen, but I can almost guarantee that they will. A couple years ago, NDSU/USD tickets were pretty easy to get on the secondary market. NDSU fans were also pretty complacent at that time and, of course, did not expect USD to come out with the win. I would think that, considering the Bison are not defending champs this year and USD is much improved, more fans will want to be at that game this year. So I would keep a close watch on the secondary sites. I recommend using Prairie Tickets, the founder/owner is a USD alum, and for purposes of fair disclosure, he is my best friend so I am a little biased  |
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Post by coyotecrazie5 on Jun 4, 2017 23:03:12 GMT -6
2017 Massey ranking are out: www.masseyratings.com/cf/fcs/ratingsUSD getting some respect at #17 with the #4 Strength of Schedule. Even with the high ranking they are only projected for 5.13 wins. I don't look much into preseason rankings. Win the games and you will be ranked. |
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Post by Coyote Fan on Jun 4, 2017 23:39:56 GMT -6
2017 Massey ranking are out: www.masseyratings.com/cf/fcs/ratingsUSD getting some respect at #17 with the #4 Strength of Schedule. Even with the high ranking they are only projected for 5.13 wins. I don't look much into preseason rankings. Win the games and you will be ranked. This is exactly my feeling as well. The Coyotes will be a pretty good football team but with a brutal schedule losses will be hard to avoid. 5 wins seems like a reasonable outlook as far as what to expect. The Coyotes need to start scheduling a little easier in the non conference because one extra win will out weight a little bit tougher overall SOS. The conference will be plenty tough enough so why make it even more brutal by scheduling the tougher teams in the Big Sky. It will be interesting to see if a 6-5 record would be enough to get the Yotes into the playoffs. |
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Post by yotefbfan on Jun 5, 2017 9:33:57 GMT -6
2017 Massey ranking are out: www.masseyratings.com/cf/fcs/ratingsUSD getting some respect at #17 with the #4 Strength of Schedule. Even with the high ranking they are only projected for 5.13 wins. I don't look much into preseason rankings. Win the games and you will be ranked. This is exactly my feeling as well. The Coyotes will be a pretty good football team but with a brutal schedule losses will be hard to avoid. 5 wins seems like a reasonable outlook as far as what to expect. The Coyotes need to start scheduling a little easier in the non conference because one extra win will out weight a little bit tougher overall SOS. The conference will be plenty tough enough so why make it even more brutal by scheduling the tougher teams in the Big Sky. It will be interesting to see if a 6-5 record would be enough to get the Yotes into the playoffs. A few thoughts, rankings are always interesting, but this seems pretty accurate based on our performance last year and the schedule we have in front of us. Great to see our offence so well respected (#7) and accurate that our defense (#33) needs to continue to improve. Obviously, if the defense can see some gains this year this would support those of us who see the glass half full and think we can win 6 or 7 games. As far as CF's thoughts that we should schedule "easier competition", I could not disagree more. Although I understand that scheduling tough games that are not easy wins can make it more difficult to make the playoffs, it also makes the team better so that WHEN we make the playoffs we are ready for the competition and can do more than just be a one and done team. From Proverbs 27:17 "Iron sharpen iron, so one man sharpens another". Bring on the competition, never back down from the fight, and prepare to be a champion. This coaching staff is not one to back away from the fight, and Coach Neilson knows what it takes to win a championship and not just make the playoffs. He came here to win championships so get used to less easy games. |
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Post by Yote 53 on Jun 5, 2017 9:49:17 GMT -6
I'm trying to figure out how we schedule easier competition. We have 3 OOC games, one of them will be FBS, this year being Bowling Green. As far as FBS opponents go I think we scheduled light here, BG isn't a P5 team. Drake is not scheduling tough. North Dakota is a good team, I suppose, but definitely a winnable game and at home too.
As far as future schedules go, I know we have games lined up against schools like Montana and Northern Colorado. I just consider them peer FCS schools. Who are we supposed to schedule?
Our schedule is tough because of the conference we play in. There is no avoiding that.
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