obc
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Post by obc on Oct 22, 2023 11:10:31 GMT -6
To USD Fans: No ESPN GAMEDAY broadcast from Vermillion. I believe if USC had won last night it would have happened. Take note of what can be in the future when the USD program continues to establish itself as a consistent contender. Show up to Vermillion this Saturday and bring the same energy as if ESPN had come to town. 25,000 people rocking outside the DakotaDome can happen. Make it so!
To USD FB players and coaches: Be excellent in your preparation this week and then go out and be great Saturday! This is your time!
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obc
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Post by obc on Oct 15, 2023 10:02:11 GMT -6
This is a very good USD team and I could not be more proud of their resilience and fortitude to close out the game yesterday against a very tough and determined YSU team. I also admire Coach Bob for having the courage to make changes to his staff. Those changes have made an incredible difference. Football is a game of trying to gain a numbers advantage at the point of attack. Our new OC has been effective using formations, presnap and postsnap movement to put our players in a position to have a numbers advantage. The results are evident. Our OL coach came in and instilled a mindset of being violent. That has also shown up on the tape. They are playing their asses off.
In regards to the number of people in the stands. I have literally had sleepless nights over this topic. I have come to the conclusion that we should turn our focus on the people in the stands versus the people not in the stadium. Make the environment as fun as possible, an event that leaves people wanting more. In my opinion, that will give us the best chance of growing our fan base.
The players are doing their part and delivering the performance on the field. My message to the players would be the following: Right now the stadium may not be filled with people in every seat. Make no mistake though - the people that are there, love you, love the University, and have your backs 100%. As players in this program, you are building something and should have great pride in - building not just a good season, but a program that can sustain success.
The core people are showing up and will continue to. The rest will be the followers jumping on the bandwagon. What our program needs to be sure they do is when those casual band wagon fans do show up - do not miss the opportunity to make sure the game day is something they remember and have a blast at. Give them a reason to return.
I believe in this program and what it can be. This program needs an AD now - not after the first of the year. The talk that we can't find anyone good until then is bullshit and a strategic error.
Yesterday was a great day and another step forward. I believe. I hope you believe. Spread the word!
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obc
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Post by obc on Oct 11, 2023 18:05:11 GMT -6
I am expecting an excellent college football game this Saturday.
YSU has an extremely physical defensive front. They will aggressively work to stop the run and put pressure on our QB. The winner of the battle between our OL and their defensive front will win this game. This needs to be our OL's best game to date. I believe they can do it. Big boy football - I love it!
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obc
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Post by obc on Oct 4, 2023 15:09:47 GMT -6
Does anyone know how well we're doing with the NIL? I see links on the GoYotes site, just curious. Also, regarding marketing I know there are professional sporting events that utilize an in-game 50/50 raffle for fans. It seems like a natural fit, for pre-game advertising, in-game scoreboard of how the pot is building, and a win for a lucky fan, and the program. I believe there are college programs that use the same. Is that being done at USD? I'm sorry I only get to a select few games in Vermillion. And also, I didn't go to Law school, so I'm not sure of the legality, just a thought. NDSU has done this in recent years at football games. Not sure if they still are.
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obc
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Lamar
Sept 21, 2023 9:02:23 GMT -6
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Post by obc on Sept 21, 2023 9:02:23 GMT -6
View AttachmentRe: attendance. Just my humble opinion, but if we want more than the diehards in the Dome on Saturdays, the first step is to stop being Indiana St. With all due respect to the Trees -No one questions why ISU's attendance is what it is. I agree that a team is what their record says they are. I think it is important to point out that even though our FB team has a long way to go, if you look at the comparative record under our head coach now (since the 2016 season) the Coyotes have moved far past Indiana State. Still a long way to go, but the trend has been up compared to the previous two coaching staff’s records. Another step is needed this year on the road to becoming a top Valley team.
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obc
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Post by obc on Sept 17, 2023 19:43:40 GMT -6
The Lamar game was a big step forward for USD. Had the defense been able to stop Lamar from possessing the ball for so long in the first half, or if that INT had not been fumbled, I suspect the game would have been over at half. Ultimately I believe it was a great game from the coaches' standpoint. There was some adversity, the players had to go into half and rally. They answered the challenge and won the game by a comfortable margin. The effort is there IMO. Our defense is playing well. Our OC is discovering the strengths and weaknesses he is dealing with in his unit. He is a very good coach and I expect him to keep the offense improving throughout the year.
NDSU is a very tough test. USD will have to do to NDSU what Lamar did to USD in the first half to win the game. Control the ball. Score TDs in the red zone and not settle for FGs. No devastating turnovers giving NDSU a short field. Do all that and it could be close at the end.
In regards to the discussion on getting people to the games. The next AD needs to be charismatic and determined with the zeal of a missionary to be excellent and demand excellence in everything his or her athletic department touches. We also need to find USD's version of Dana Dykehouse. Ideally a local business leader that isn't scared to be partisan and openly support USD. I am not sure most people not at SDSU understand that man's impact on that school's success and engagement with the business community. Hats off to him. USD can do the same. But there needs to be a leader that when you meet them, exudes confidence and gives everyone they meet the belief that this place is on track to excellence.
The amount of people that show up to games that feel an obligation to attend the games isn't near enough to fill our arenas. Besides the former players and hard core fans - casual fans will only show up if they know they will have a good time attending and will have the opportunity to associate with something greater than themselves. The game day production could be improved drastically. Is that really our University's best effort?! No way! Find out - really find out what people would find fun- don't just send a survey once a year. Listen to your customers and then deliver. Winning is an important piece, but not the only piece. Be respectable and give the fan base hope they can win, and then deliver the most fun you can around the game. The program needs a jump start and if it does, it can create a momentum like I think most people can't imagine. If you haven't read Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point - I highly recommend it. What will our program's tipping point to turn this into what we know it can be?
It is going to take a truly generational leader to step forward and attract the business community and the available fan base. Will the right person hear the call and step forward? We will see. I believe!
Go Yotes!
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obc
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St.Thomas
Sept 9, 2023 21:04:28 GMT -6
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Post by obc on Sept 9, 2023 21:04:28 GMT -6
I was impressed with St. Thomas - they had a lot more size and speed than you typically see from a Pioneer League team. And obviously well coached. I agree. They will dominate that league eventually. St. Thomas is already dominating - they went undefeated last year in the Pioneer league. They are a solid team. Very disappointing first half for the USD offense - especially the OL. The USD Defense looked like they should against a Pioneer league opponent. I would complain about the crowd, but that has been beaten to death already. Casual fans won’t show up until the team builds a multi-year reputation of being a real MVFC top contender. Until then, the players better be ready to bring their own energy for any non SDSU or D Days games.
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obc
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Post by obc on Sept 7, 2023 13:46:13 GMT -6
I really just want someone to give a reasonable explanation as to why we are waiting til Jan to even begin looking... Budgetary - USD is saving over half a year of the Athletic Director’s compensation. Just my opinion.
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obc
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Post by obc on Jul 30, 2023 11:05:28 GMT -6
I would consider USD significant favorites against: St. Thomas, Lamar, Murray St., @indiana St., @wiu Play well and that is 5 wins.
I would consider USD significant underdogs against: @missouri, @ndsu, SDSU Not ruling out wins here, but these are the three most likely losses in my opinion.
Making the playoffs and having 7 or 8 wins will be decided by three games that are a toss up in my view: YSU, @siu, UND Win two of those three and that could leave USD with a 7-4 regular season record. That may be enough to get in the playoffs, but not a lock.
QB1 is solid and I expect a break out year after the experience he had last year. Depth in this group is unknown - transfers in at this position have promise and one at least is a true dual threat.
RBs - best group USD has had collectively at D1. Nate Thomas is special - having him back is an immediate lift to the team. Theis is solid. Mansaray has shown he can be very productive.
TEs - talented group - will the new OC actually use them more? I think so.
WRs - Top WR from last year transferred to UND. Carter Bell has an opportunity to be a top WR in the Valley. Need other WRs to emerge. Talent is there. New OC I believe will find a way to get the ball to our players in space.
OL - In 2021 this group gave up 31 sacks. In 2022 the unit gave up even more - 34. This group is under new leadership and needs to be better. Erbes and Lombard are all conference caliber OL if they play to their potential. Losing Jensen obviously hurts. There are some players in this unit that are in their third year and this is the year we will see if they can help the OL elevate as a unit.
New OC - I am very bullish on this hire. Those close to him believe he has an innovative football mind and will immediately improve the game plan, adjustments, and day to day coaching of the unit. I expect this unit to get back to avg 28-30 points a game in MVFC play this year. Last year the unit averaged 16.3 ppg.
Special teams: USD lost their top return man to UND in the portal. There is some speed on this roster from recent recruiting classes. Would not be surprised to see one of those young burners have a great year in this spot.
Kicker- Unknown
Punter - Unknown
Long snapper - new player replacing an all conference level player from last year.
Interior DL - Most depth this team has had in the D1 era. Depth will be there but can one of them emerge as an All MVFC level player? Nick Gaes if healthy can play at that level. Need a big year from him.
Edge - Webb is an All MVFC level talent. Reports are that he will be asked to do more this year in the defense. The depth at this position is unproven.
LB - this unit could be the top LB unit in the Valley. Can they stay healthy?
DBs - Harden could be the best corner in the Valley. Having him back and healthy can lock down the opponents top WR. There is good depth in this unit.
The biggest help to the defense this year may be having an improved offense. The USD defense was put in terrible positions last year too frequently.
This is the most favorable schedule USD has had in D1 since joining the MVFC. I expect a significant improvement in how USD plays this year. The Valley is loaded. 7-4 is my prediction, but this team could do even better if they continue to improve throughout the year and stay healthy.
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obc
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Post by obc on Jan 11, 2023 7:54:52 GMT -6
He is not a good hire, he is a great hire. Ask anyone close to the SDSU FB program and you will hear how respected he is. If you were looking for national name recognition or a Power 5 guy - I can see why it is disappointing. I just want to win, and JD will give our program a great opportunity to improve. He is well aware of the transition sdsu had to make from a personnel standpoint to climb the MVFC and build the consistency sdsu now has. On the offensive side, it really turned for sdsu when they built the OL with high level players 9 to 10 deep. I love and support our players, but the talent gap is not insignificant. How many USD players would have started for sdsu this year? There is not a single offensive player that would have started for them in my view. JD is a great recruiter. He has deep ties to Nebraska. USD is the closest MVFC school to Nebraska and we have not done as well recruiting there as we should. JD can help with that.
Now he needs to build his offensive staff. He is going to be a great addition, but should be given the opportunity to have his people in place.
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obc
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Post by obc on Jan 8, 2023 20:43:53 GMT -6
I watched every minute of the game. Congratulations to SDSU - you have an impressive team and you played very well today. Also impressed with the strong turnout of SDSU fans that showed up in Frisco. Well done. Can only speak for myself, but watching that makes our 3 wins this year hurt even more. It will be a long off season. Hope our players and coaches make the most of it.
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obc
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Post by obc on Dec 18, 2022 14:52:49 GMT -6
obc--I agree that it is not ideal to not have an OC hired but disagree that it has a great impact on recruiting. I believe players and parents look more at HC and his background. I want us to have the best possible hire as you do and that means don't jump at the first or second candidate!! We already have a good group of recruits with more probably by Wed plus a ton of portal players to offer to fill gaps! To potential recruits--THE University of South Dakota is the number one academically rated university in SD and offers a mulititude of educational opportunities, besides great DI fb competition and state of art facilities!! Players may make their decision mainly by who the head coach is. Having a great academic institution helps. But at a minimum the USD Football staff has one fewer employee out there telling that story. That is one fewer coach making recruiting calls - talking to recruits and HS coaches. The other remaining USD offensive coaches must be wondering if they will be retained by a new OC. It is natural in a situation like that to be looking at options for the future. Recruiting is an amazing amount of work and the assistant coaches do much of the ground work. It hurts not having this solidified.
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obc
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Post by obc on Dec 18, 2022 12:48:57 GMT -6
I am very concerned with the football program. The OC spot has been open since September 10th when our previous OC sealed his own fate with his conduct. The strong rumors coming out of the program when Bob was given a vote of confidence with a tonally strange announcement by our AD on November 19th after an ugly blowout beat down at home to UNI was that Bob would be hiring not only an OC, but his eventual successor. I have not seen an actual contract extension announced, just talk of one for what it is worth. Looks like his first choice for OC may have fizzled out. A splash hire is needed, and needed soon.
Not having the OC in place hurts recruiting. The program has one less person working on recruiting - that alone hurts. The new OC will inevitably have his own staff to bring in. The existing offensive staff will likely not have guaranteed spots next year. They know this. That distraction does not exactly energize them to recruit for USD. The early signing date is this coming Wednesday. Take a look at the surrounding states - Minnesota, Nebraska, and Iowa. Look at the All-State teams for each state and classification. How many of those kids are USD getting commitments from? Compare that to SDSU, NDSU, UND, UNI - how many are they getting. That gives you a good gauge of USD's success recruiting against the teams we are competing against in our footprint. The facilities are in place. The narrative for years was that we just needed the facilities to get the players. Time to prove it. We have the facilities completed and a HC that is heading into his 8th season.
Very disappointed this position is not filled. This program can win, and the time to show it is now. The cycle of excuses and the "we will get them next year mentality", needs to be retired.
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obc
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Post by obc on Nov 19, 2022 18:49:02 GMT -6
Herbster had a tough decision to make. Apparently he made the decision earlier this week and it was communicated that regardless of the outcome of the game Coach Nielson would be getting an extension. Then the team went out and laid the biggest egg of the Nielson tenure in the first half today against UNI.
It was mentioned in the press conference that USD has only made the playoffs 3 times in 35 years and Bob led the team to two of those. This is true. It took two miracles for that to happen. One miracle was the Hail Mary last year against SDSU. Without that, there would have been no playoffs. The second miracle was named Chris Streveler. To Bob's credit, he got Chris to come to Vermillion. Without him, I see no way the team makes the playoffs in the 2017 season. Bob was at the helm and impacted those two miracles happening, so he should get credit. But I think it is noteworthy how it happened.
It was stated in the press conference that more needs to be given to make sure the FB program has what it needs to win. A lot has been given. He has the facilities. When was that state of the art weight room completed? Look at the new DakotaDome.
We just need better assistants as an excuse. Bob is in charge of his staff. If they are bad, that is on him. If he doesn't have enough money for them - he is free to take some of the money from his contract and fund them. He allowed his OC to commit multiple transgressions and just stuck with him. The first one should have got him fired in my view. The actions of the OC and how that was dealt with or not dealt with, had to have impacted the team.
We have so many injuries, we just have bad luck as an excuse. That is loser talk. Every team has injuries and it is an unfortunate reality.
Our roster is young, the future is bright - we just need more birthdays. Bad teams always have perpetually young rosters. We have had a young roster since we moved to Division 1. What has been our largest graduating class since going D1? They have all been small.
USD had the toughest schedule in the FCS as an excuse. Welcome to the MVFC. It will always be very tough and USD was 2-6 in the MVFC this year, Bob's 7th. Bob has 22 wins and 30 losses in the MVFC. 32 wins and 42 losses overall.
With that record we are putting our chips down on him for an 8th, 9th, and maybe even a 10th season?
The team should do better next year with a much more favorable schedule. But will we have a better program? The administration didn't extend Bob's contract last year after making the playoffs. Anyone find that curious? And now with one year left on his contract after a 3-8 campaign, 0-6 on the road, and the most embarrassing game of the year as the finale, he gets an extension.
I believe we can be better and could be better with a change. I think there are some people that believe or are fearful we can't ever be good. This decision feels to me like the AD thinks we can't do any better than vacillating between losing seasons and an occasional playoff appearance. Is that our ceiling? I refuse to accept that.
Now the decision has been made, I will fully support the team the best I can as a fan, former player, and donor. Let's see what staff changes are made. The offense needs a complete overhaul. The defense showed good flashes, but also had some terrible stretches.
This is an important off season.
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obc
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Post by obc on Nov 12, 2022 19:13:50 GMT -6
These losses are hard to take. You can make excuses all you want. It is hard to win on the road in college football. We have just had bad luck with injuries. We lost our OC early in the season unexpectedly. Our starting QB took a step back this year and cost us a few games we should have won. We had the toughest schedule in FCS. The MVFC is just such a tough conference.
Today UND looked like a more disciplined team. They didn't seem to have more talented players. Illinois St didn't seem more talented to me. YSU was better with some of their position groups, but it was fairly even from a talent standpoint in my view. We are now 0-6 on the road this year and 2-5 in conference. Our Offense is averaging 20.6 points per game in conference. Our unit ranks 10th in sacks given up.
Two of the last three seasons have been egg laying clinics. We have the deepest group of talent we have ever had at the Division 1 level. Yet the results are what they are.
As Coach Nielson finishes up his 7th season, I would suggest we ask ourselves if we are more optimistic about next year if he stays because we believe that he will improve the team and solve many of the problems that were apparent this year, or if we are optimistic because the schedule is just easier next year.
The record will likely be better for USD next year. Keeping a staff in place builds consistency. Was last year's playoff team with a 5-3 conference record enough of a light at the end of the tunnel to offset the disappointment of this season and the spring Covid season that was a complete embarrassment?
The AD has a very tough decision in my view.
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