at Western Illinois

[88grad]

I remember at one point Ed saying that JVM would either be a starting QB or safety. Personally I think he would be best suited on the offensive side of the ball but its time for him to try something else. He's to good to stand on the sidelines and should be on the field somewhere. Wonder if he can long snap....

[chuck]

Disappointing week, no doubt. However, this Saturday presents a great opportunity to change the current mood of the fanbase.

D-Days--let's get behind this team and get the dome rocking. Continuing the "defend the dome mindset" is very important.

Opponent: Yes, Missouri State had a good game--but when is the last time they won two in a row? Not exactly NDSU coming to town.

Offense: This week will be interesting to say the least. Missouri State will have to respect the pass a little more, and we have seen that we have a good run game when teams are doing so. Hopefully this will lead to improved offensive output and fewer punts!

Defense: Has been strong all year-if the offense can have fewer 3 and outs and the home crowd can provide some energy there is no reason to believe we can't have a chance in this game.

Long Term: There has been some discussion about USD's competitive disadvantages. I would suggest that all MVFC schools have some comparative disadvantages. Obviously it is more difficulty to come up with disadvantages for NDSU other than their northernmost location--but we definitely have some advantages to exploit as compared to MVFC foes. For example:
-we are THE flagship institution of our state, which provides name recognition and a wide variety of academic programs
-beautiful campus that continues to be improved
-Proximity to good recruiting locations such as Omaha, Kansas City, and states without an FCS program (Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma)
-I still think the dome is a facility advantage over most MVFC programs--we need to continue to make improvements but the dome is definitely a university facility, whereas some of our peer stadiums (cough cough) strike some as glorified high school-type fields.

For these reasons, I strongly disagree with an earlier sentiment that we won't be attractive to future athletes and coaches. There are definitely hungry, driven coaches out there that would see USD as an excellent opportunity to coach at a D1 program in a top FCS conference.

In summary, looking forward to Saturday and beyond!

[canislatrans]

I'm with Chuck on looking forward to the future. Saturday was as disappointing a loss, as the Yotes have had in the MVFC. However, to think that this team is anything like last year's is really doing a disservice. There is marked improvement in a number of areas, and the talent that is on the field is markedly different than last year.
The Yotes need a strong showing from their fans on this D-Day, and a win on Saturday will be a nice stepping stone to some more MVFC wins this year.
I heard that the Dome wasn't sold out yet for D-Days, we've got to pack the house, the team needs it!!

[coyote61]

Well according to the article in the Argus, there will be a quarterback change this weekend. All I can say is that it can't be any worse.This according to coach Glenn.

[Coyote Fan]

If Earl is named the starter which it looks like may be the case will add a lot of optimism to D-Days and the Yotes chances to pick up a victory.

[Yote 53]

Sept 29, 2013 5:19:32 GMT -6 usdfbalum said:

Have had a night to sleep on and digest what I saw yesterday. The disappointment on the USD bus ride must have been intense. I hope it was.

I support the University, go to games, do what I can financially, encourage other disconnected alumni to go to games to grow the program. I will keep doing this, but my concern is that the casual fan is being beaten into oblivion. The coaches know this and I am confident they are doing everything they know to do.

Several issues stick out to me of concern:

It is unfortunate if a kid backed out as the potential long snapper. But snapping is a learned skill that could have been solved if the issue was dealt with immediately with the proper intensity. That is poor leadership of the team. Whether that is on the special teams coordinator or the HC. That is a leadership fail.
Punt protection beyond the snap has been poor. Find a way to protect the punter. Every week teams find a way to consistently get pressure on our kicker.

JVM is a great young man. He has proven he cannot with any regularity be a passing threat. USD is not physical enough to muscle up and run when even an average FCS defense stacks the box. He has been given a chance and the results are obvious. Find other ways to use the athleticism and speed he has in a position where he doesn't have to throw the ball.

It is concerning that the coaches could not or chose not to address the QB problem earlier. If they really thought Earl was that bad and could not replace JVM with him, they needed to find a transfer. Other schools do it all the time.

This program is a doormat and it is unacceptable. There are definite disadvantages USD currently has versus other Valley schools. Those disadvantages do not however mean that we can't snap the ball on punts, protect the punter, have a QB that can complete a pass.

Petrino has shocked me with how well he has his unit playing on defense with virtually zero offensive help. When the defense gives up 17 points to W Illinois and 17 to N Arizona we should be in a position to win.
.
If this was a business that you were running and not just a fan, supporter, booster - how would you view this? This team has potential. The staff has recruited in some promising young players. They have to be put in position to be successful. Some former players will laugh at this but a former USD coach used to say when you hear the word "potential" think of a pile of dog crap. If you could split the atoms in that pile of dog crap it could unleash enough power to blow up the world. Until then it is just a pile of crap.

I just used that Denny Creehanism on my 6th grade football team a couple weeks ago. HaHa!!!

[cantguard3]

Say what you will about this comment but this is my opinion and i back it 100%. I feel horrible for JVM. I understand he had the worst game of his career, I understand that it looks like he isn't comfortable in the pocket, and I understand that he hasn't had the greatest years as the starting QB. Look closely though. Did you ever wonder why JVM always scrambles out of the pocket so quick? Well, I have your answer. I talked to a former player under Wes' offense and he told me that " the offense is set up with an X receiver for Josh to look for, if the X isn't open in 3 seconds, Josh is told to run rather than look for another receiver." I didn't like Wes' play calling from the get go. It worked with Dante Warren against Minnesota but that's it. His schemes are so predictable its ridiculous. I know he was a great player back in his days but the best players don't always make the best coaches. I don't know what Glenn sees in him but if I were the one to make that call, I would have sent him packing with Ed. Whoever gets the starting spot this week deserves it, every one of those players works their tails off and JVM doesn't deserve to take all the heat from all these critics.