Week 4 - Mo St in the dome.

[elcoyote]

I'm not even going to try and analyze what's wrong, but I'm just tired of being disappointed every football season. What more can this school do to build the program? I do think we have talent, at least more than we show on the field, and we definitely have the facilities, but we remain mired in mediocrity. Oh, sure we'll pull off a big win every season, but that's always tempered by two or three inexplicable, horrible looking loses of which this was one as it was gift wrapped for Missouri State. Nielson's record here is now 22-28 with one winning season. I know this is cherry picking, but take out that six game winning streak to start off 2017 and the results are pretty bleak. Obviously he'll be coaching here again next fall, but how long is this going to be tolerated? It would baffle me if this is allowed to continue for too many more seasons and if noticeable improvement isn't made next fall something has got to be done. I realize some are firmly on the "Bob" train, but I just don't see it.

[Yotes]

I believe Bob is in his 5th season. He clearly is not the guy.

[Coyote Fan]

Mar 13, 2021 19:27:10 GMT -6 usdguy99 said:

Mar 13, 2021 18:10:57 GMT -6 obc said:

OL needs to step up. Coaches need to demand it and address this huge flaw in the team. Not getting yardage in the red zone and in short down situations is on the OL. The blocked field goal the best I could see was because our OL got driven backwards. We will be a bottom team in the MVFC until the OL finds a way to play physical football. I believe the players are good enough to get it done. Why aren't they? Bob has coached teams in the past that were physical up front. Why are we playing so soft? There are large investments that have been made in the FB program and this is unacceptable to open up the new facility with a performance like that against another bottom MVFC team. Unfortunately this program has become perennially one that leans on the belief that we are a year away. We need to be better and demand better.

Like the "demand" to give Coach Bob an extension? Of all the teams i have ever watched or played (high school, college, or NFL), I have never witnessed a coach that has little or nothing to say to his players on the sidelines during the game like Bob.

Bob is way too laid back and doesn't demand the accountability that he should. I personally think he is just low on overall energy. His interviews lack excitement and are so monotone. Kind of like the personality of the team. I have said this for years but an athletic program will probably only be as good as the fan base overall will accept. Coyote fans have accepted this for way too long. Way flippin too long. There is a losing culture and an excuse making culture. Look at Women's basketball. Dawn would never accept the type of play from her team that gets accepted by the football coaching staff. That teams plays for the here and now with a vision always looking to the future as well. The football team has lost the ability to look at things in the here and now. They need to do that because if the here and now never comes to fruition than the future certainly isn't going to either.

The first thing that needs to go is the excuse making. I don't care if the Coyotes outgain Mizzo State 800-50 if they figure out a way to lose to them at home there can be absolutely no way anyone should rationalize it. Just how is the patient approach been working. I would say not so great. Lets try being impatient and see how that works for a year or two.

Time for accountability right now, this year, with this team starting next week. No "lets wait until next year" talk.

[coffeedrinker]

Like most of the comments on here I too was very disappointed in the performance yesterday. My thoughts about the toughness of this team is that they mirror the coaching staff. In other words what the coaching staff philosophy is. What I mean by that is that against North Dakota it was 1st and goal to go from the 3 yd line and we threw the ball 3 straight times. Yesterday it was 1st and goal to go from the 2 yd line and we throw the ball 3 straight times. That is a coaching philosophy that says we aren't tough enough to run the ball in the red zone. Worse from my viewpoint is that the majority of those passes were not even into the end zone. I know there are people who believe that a short passing game is a form of a running game. I don't believe that's what we are doing. Then you look at special teams and 3 games in we've had two blocked field goal attempts a kickoff returned for a touchdown and other issues as well. There could be a common thread. For me that common thread is coaching philosophy. I think special teams are important and instead of having your special teams coach up in the booth on ahead said you have him down on the field Putting the importance that special teams should carry. As for the new facility beautiful but my tickets are on the new side and if you wanna get to Coyote landing They have made it very difficult.

[fightsd]

The thing I don't understand is that Bob has won everywhere he's been until he got to Vermilion. Same thing with Joe Glenn. What is it about USD that these poor perennial winners come here and can't make it happen? CF will call for heads to roll and is going to say we need some young up-and-comer and try to make a parallel to the WBB program. That's what he has done for the 10 years I've been on this forum. Fact is the WBB program was kicking ass before Dawn got here and she built on that success. Now they are one of the best mid major programs in the country year in and year out. Look at NDSU football. They win the national championship basically every year regardless of who the coach is. How many head coaches have they had since Bohl left? How many championships?

My point is there is more to a successful team than whoever is at the helm. Success breeds success. Is it time for a change? I don't know I guess. Maybe some new blood is the answer, but looking at the team on the field yesterday, I don't have much faith in the athletes either. I'm not convinced a different coaching staff would come in and turn things around with the team we currently have. We now have the facilities to attract top level talent - just need some success to get them interested. Not sure how to get there.

Another thought on the facility. After walking around the whole thing yesterday, I do wish they would have built a walkway to get connect the north sides so you don't have to walk all the way around the dome.

[gopheryote]

Couple of thoughts I'd like to plant with everyone:
- A lot of similar comments were made early in the MBB season, and they turned it around. Maybe we should be looking for signs (or lack of) improvement instead of the record/results right now?
- Through 4 weeks, it sure appears that MVFC is a very tight conference this year (with the possible exception of WIU). Only the UND/WIU game didn't go down to the last possession this week. There will be a lot of close games - I'm choosing to think that is fun instead of frustrating.
- It is a weird season. Maybe we enjoy a bonus season without getting too stressed out?

[yotealum86]

Settle in for another year of mediocre Coyote football.

Sorry, but 5 years into a coache's tenure, , we should expect and get more....but the results are just not there.

[captaincoyote]

To try to put a positive spin on things, I thought the D played very solid football until the end of the 4th. They didn't need to rely on splash plays to get off the field. That was an improvement. So was our offensive running attack play calling. It's still not great, but we've sadly figured out that we can't run pure power schemes. Camp was incredibly effecient between the 20s despite some freshman super hero mistakes. We shouldn't have to rely on him to throw touchdown passes against cramped coverage in the red zone though.

As far as coaching staff decisions go, I have confidence in Herbster to do what's best for the program. He's given Bob plenty of time and is not blind or dumb. I agree with other posters in that I don't want the next coach to be someone who begs for pantience while he builds and gets "his guys". I want someone who expects to win with who he is given. We have the talent to do so.

[yotefbfan]

Here were my thoughts on the game. Like everyone else, I agree the O-line was bad. We average over 300lbs and look like a bunch of soft hippos stuck in the sand. They need to play with power and some attitude and then the skill players can shine. Despite some freshman errors from Carson Camp, and there will be more, he is an exceptional talent who has good vision, incredible pocket awareness, and the ability to escape trouble, and finally an exceptional arm able to throw from many angles. There will be more rough times ahead, but keep surrounding him with talent and he might become one of the best ever. On defense, can we please stop arm tackling and allowing yardage after the first contact! DB's are playing well, LBs are playing below expectations and the d-line better improve or we will continue to get pushed around all year. The simple answer is if we win on the line of scrimmage we could be very good, but if we continue to be inconsistent, then expect another up and down average .500 season. Let's hope we get better! Go Yotes!

[sdyotefan]

As everyone has stated the game yesterday was very disappointing and frustrating!
It was also very strange!! How many games does one team have a 100 KO return for a TD and INT for a TD against them, a blocked FG and missed FG and only lose by 3? So to some degree I think it was an aberration.

Yes was need to have more consistent OL and DL play, more creative and varied O play calling, attitude of punching ball in from 4 yds out on 1st down, QB option at least a few times etc.

It's somewhat of an excuse but it's easy for fans to forget how tough the Valley is! If you make mistakes ie tripping, missing chip FGs, etc it will be tough to win I don't care who the coaches are.

We were in the playoffs not long ago and Bob was the coach. Joe beat NDSU in Fargo when Wentz was the QB. The trick is
to win a lot so consistentancy as Bob says is the trick. Case has great future but our last two QBs were two of the best ever! So no there are no quick easy answers....

[obc]

Mar 14, 2021 11:15:45 GMT -6 sdyotefan said:

As everyone has stated the game yesterday was very disappointing and frustrating!
It was also very strange!! How many games does one team have a 100 KO return for a TD and INT for a TD against them, a blocked FG and missed FG and only lose by 3? So to some degree I think it was an aberration.

Yes was need to have more consistent OL and DL play, more creative and varied O play calling, attitude of punching ball in from 4 yds out on 1st down, QB option at least a few times etc.

It's somewhat of an excuse but it's easy for fans to forget how tough the Valley is! If you make mistakes ie tripping, missing chip FGs, etc it will be tough to win I don't care who the coaches are.

We were in the playoffs not long ago and Bob was the coach. Joe beat NDSU in Fargo when Wentz was the QB. The trick is
to win a lot so consistentancy as Bob says is the trick. Case has great future but our last two QBs were two of the best ever! So no there are no quick easy answers....

If that was an aberration, the USD win at Illinois State could be called an aberration. Maybe both were. What is consistent is USD's struggles in short yardage situations. That has been consistent for years. The OL plays a soft and passive style of play. The identity of the offense is finesse. USD averaged 2.6 yards a carry and Missouri State averaged 4 yards a carry.

The defense seems to have improved in the second year after a new DC was put in place. The team is struggling in the trenches on that side of the ball too.

Yes the Valley is hard and that is what we signed up for. To win those games there cannot be the mistakes and poor play we saw yesterday. This has not been a one time thing however. USD has one of the worst records in conference games since joining the MVFC. The current staff has a losing record in the MVFC. 15 wins and 20 losses. 42.8% winning percentage. And the team just lost at home (home opener after a $27 million facility upgrade) to one of the consistently bad MVFC programs. That program was 1-4 heading into that game with their only win against Western Illinois. That was an unimpressive team that just came in and handed us a loss.

USD was in the playoffs three seasons ago when the team had the best player in Coyote history and in FCS football leading the team at QB. That year USD finished 4-4 in the MVFC.

For years the play on the FB field matched the investment that was being made in the program - below average investment and a below average performance. Now the investments have been made and the performance is falling short of that investment. IMO the expectations are way too low overall for the FB program based on the massive investments being made. The university didn't raise salaries for the coaches and staff, institute the cost of attendance payment to the players, and invest $27 million in facilities to be a losing MVFC team that gets to the playoffs once every 10 years. Expectations for the program need to increase and the excuses need to stop.

[elcoyote]

When obc speaks, I listen.

[azsod73]

I second elcoyote. Obc always does an excellent job analyzing the situation at hand.

Women's basketball, and the volleyball team have become my hands down favorites. The coaches and players are winners, even when they occasionally lose. Always competitive and fun to watch.

Also giving props to Coach Lee. He was short handed many times this year but the team played hard and gave it their best.

Can't say the same for football. This was the sport that drew my initial interest as an alum, and it should be the bell cow at USD. Just no excuse for the continued disappointments.

[Coyote Fan]

The first thing that needs to happen is that there needs to be a hatred for losing that spans across the program and the fans. In the past the program hasn't hated losing enough. If you are not bothered by it there will never be enough done about it to correct it.

The best way to analyze a situation is to take all bias out of the equation and think objectively. That is generally the best way to make decisions in life including how to correct this football program. The upgraded facilities are nice but it still comes down to the people in charge and the culture. If anyone thinks or thought that the facility upgrade were gonna be a cure all, that is simply not the case. Of course it helps but I think there has been too much emphasis on that and not enough on what it takes to create a winning culture.

It comes down to decision making. Herbster has done a good job at things but he is not perfect. His decision to extend Nielson was simply a bad decision. That is on him. One thing that I always come back to is Bob Nielson's work at Western Illinois was looked at like it was a great job. It was an "ok" job but not great. He hadn't done anything at the FCS level to make one say "I need to have that guy". He did an awesome job at Minnesota Duluth but had regressed since that time. What really should be looked at by Nielson and those around him is what he did to have success at UMD. Maybe it was just a matter of him being in a weak conference where winning was much easier then in the Valley. The other side of that is that he won 2 national titles, and that doesn't happen by mistake. I didn't have a big problem with the hire but he was also not the first guy I would have chosen. The hire was ok but extending him absolutely wasn't.

When it comes to hiring the best candidate throw the tunnel vision right out the window. That is when objective decision making is at it's most important. That is also when it is a good idea to get the most experienced people involved as possible.

[yoteforever]

In life, one of the easiest things to do is join the crowd and kick somebody when they’re down. So easy. Your voice is magnified by the masses.

OBC knows what he’s talking about, no question about it. Many of the things he says is spot on about the team. The the usual poster that comes out of the woodwork when he smells blood in the water once again has all the answers. If Herbster leaves, I better see his resume on President Gestring’s desk day one. Former players publicly criticizing the very guys some have lined up with or at least should understand what they’re going through. Calling out coaches in a public forum when the truth of the matter is they aren’t OBC, and truly only think they understand the issues.

Right now we have a team with no identity. The lines are being whipped. Receivers are dropping passes Tackles are being missed . In my opinion, and only my opinion, is they have no fire. Go through the motions and let the game dictate to them, when in my mind they should dictate the game..

I make no excuses. Zero. We HAVE to win. We have to take it to our opponent instead of them taking it to us. But the reality is we have 5 games left. Every one of them is winnable. As evidenced by the first three games everyone is losable. Our coaching staff needs to be, and will be accountable, but that also means with 5 games left they have the opportunity to “right the ship”. In my opinion, this is NOT the time to throw anyone ( players or coaches ) under the bus. Plenty of time for that later. Now is the time to throw your support towards them and see if they have the moxie and talent to do it.

1978 we started 1-3. Looked like $hit. Met as a team and bared our souls....then ran the table. NCC champs. Didn’t share it. Outright. Give this team the same opportunity to do the same. As a fan base, the one thing I do agree with Coyotefan on is not accepting losing anymore. No more. But that means coming to games, buying tickets, and being loud. It all starts at home.

Give these guys an opportunity to turn it. That’s the only right and fair thing to do 3 games in. As OBC said, the investment has been made. It’s time to win.