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2023 Playoffs - 1st Round: Sac State at North Dakota
- Thread starter SDHornet
- Start date
GreenArmySwarm
Active member
SDHornet said:We're going to North Dakota for a first round playoff game. Our season lives on.
Let’s go!!!
New season. Anything can happen!!!
Bodega Joe
Active member
Indoor game next week, and if we can pull out a victory the following week is indoor as well at SD. Perhaps we’ll play better without cold/rainy/windy conditions?
It’ll be exciting to see how we do against North Dakota. Hope we bring our “A” game! Go Hornets!
It’ll be exciting to see how we do against North Dakota. Hope we bring our “A” game! Go Hornets!
FootballAlum84
Active member
I think the best part about us making the playoffs is Davis being left out
OldSchoolHornet
Active member
I agree implicitly with every prior comment.
BuckeyeHornetFan
Active member
Bet we don’t see UCD troll in this thread topic. hno:
I haven’t seen UND play much this season, only in passing here and there while flipping through various games on the ESPN+ app.
I know they crushed NDST earlier this season and while the Bison are down they’re still a pretty good team so that’s still an impressive accomplishment.
UND also fared decently against SDST, too.
The Hornets likely are gonna need to play their best game of the season in a very tough environment.
hno: I haven’t seen UND play much this season, only in passing here and there while flipping through various games on the ESPN+ app.
I know they crushed NDST earlier this season and while the Bison are down they’re still a pretty good team so that’s still an impressive accomplishment.
UND also fared decently against SDST, too.
The Hornets likely are gonna need to play their best game of the season in a very tough environment.
Sac_hornets
Active member
BuckeyeHornetFan said:Bet we don’t see UCD troll in this thread topic.
I haven’t seen UND play much this season, only in passing here and there while flipping through various games on the ESPN+ app.
I know they crushed NDST earlier this season and while the Bison are down they’re still a pretty good team so that’s still an impressive accomplishment.
UND also fared decently against SDST, too.
The Hornets likely are gonna need to play their best game of the season in a very tough environment.
UND has also had a few questionable games as well, getting shut out by UNI and barely beating a 1-7 INST in overtime. Kind of inconsistent like us, should be a good game.
The FCS prognosticator's on X are predicting the Hornets to be bounced by UND.
Besides the Stanford revenge game, I'd have to agree, as most of the effort provided by the Hornets this year has been uninspiring with no conference signature wins or dominating performances. Prove me wrong, but the Hornets will have to gel quickly to get past UND.
Besides five impact players, this is essentially the same team that went 12-0 a year ago.
Besides the Stanford revenge game, I'd have to agree, as most of the effort provided by the Hornets this year has been uninspiring with no conference signature wins or dominating performances. Prove me wrong, but the Hornets will have to gel quickly to get past UND.
Besides five impact players, this is essentially the same team that went 12-0 a year ago.
Green Cookie Monster said:
I feel like 5 impact players in kind of a lot (probably 6 with Martin dealing with injury). Especially when only a couple guys stepped up to replace them - Fulcher did okay, but was hurt. Carlos Hill did a lot with his touches, so did Gibson. ETT flashed at times, but I expected more from him this season. QB play and playcalling was pretty much average to awful at times.
Can we pull it together and reach out potential out of the blue on the road at UND? Maybe? Teams get hot, but I haven't see anything to support that thought. As I've said on other threads, we always seem to poop the bed in the rain, so I think the dome environment maybe levels things out a little for us. We have superior athletes, and are capable of staying in a game with anyone in the Country, I think.
UND is fired up and physical. They are still holding a grudge against the committee for sending them to Weber last year, even though they outbid them on hosting. Their fanbase is amped too. Maybe a dull Thanksgiving weekend crowd will work to our advantage?
UND has TEN different dudes with receiving TDs this year, Schuster can throw it, and they don't make mistakes. They only have 4 INTs and 4 Fumbles all season - good for fourth best out of the 122 FCS Teams... They hammer you with the run and efficiently dink and dunk their way down the field and have a solid defense that keeps them in games. If our tackling doesn't improve over some of the pathetic attempts I saw in the CC, they'll get up on us, we'll give up, and this could be like a 34-7 game.
I'll say that the game will be a microcosm of the season... Glimmers of promise, slightly outpaced by lackluster effort and problematic coaching.
UND 31
SAC 17
stingthemgood
Active member
We might stumble our way into a win - but I don't see this being a likely scenario. We will be likely 14.5 point dogs by kickoff. If not more, and rightly so.
I think the transfer portal is on the players mind more than the playoffs at this stage. I think that all started about 6 weeks ago. A lot of our talented players have good tape at Stanford (including O-Line and D-Line) and they plan to test the waters and try to move up a level.
This week will show us who is likely here to stay, and who wants to go. If you watched KB on the sidelines at the Causeway, and the weeks since Conklin became the starter - I'm afraid he already has his foot halfway out the door. He's a pretty well liked guy on the team, so I think he is the key to EVERYTHING that happens in the next month. Do we rally this week, come together as a team with a common goal (given that this years player goal of Fuck Troy for leaving seemed to work well for before and during the Stanford game only) and go on a chip on our shoulder run here? Or do we go our separate ways and rebuild under Conklin and three new QB's next year.
What I would personally hope happens during this game is that Kraig Paulson takes over the defensive play calling and Coach Thompson focuses on decision making and being a motivator. Kraig was an FBS coordinator at UNLV and was Montana's defensive coordinator when they were really good in the early to late 00's. He seems to be a guy who would step up for what the team needs -- and I think it needs a unified leader in Coach Thompson.
I think the transfer portal is on the players mind more than the playoffs at this stage. I think that all started about 6 weeks ago. A lot of our talented players have good tape at Stanford (including O-Line and D-Line) and they plan to test the waters and try to move up a level.
This week will show us who is likely here to stay, and who wants to go. If you watched KB on the sidelines at the Causeway, and the weeks since Conklin became the starter - I'm afraid he already has his foot halfway out the door. He's a pretty well liked guy on the team, so I think he is the key to EVERYTHING that happens in the next month. Do we rally this week, come together as a team with a common goal (given that this years player goal of Fuck Troy for leaving seemed to work well for before and during the Stanford game only) and go on a chip on our shoulder run here? Or do we go our separate ways and rebuild under Conklin and three new QB's next year.
What I would personally hope happens during this game is that Kraig Paulson takes over the defensive play calling and Coach Thompson focuses on decision making and being a motivator. Kraig was an FBS coordinator at UNLV and was Montana's defensive coordinator when they were really good in the early to late 00's. He seems to be a guy who would step up for what the team needs -- and I think it needs a unified leader in Coach Thompson.
HeavyistheClown
Active member
stingthemgood said:
Good call, Thompson needs to be HC and delegate. I don’t see fire and passion in him as a motivator. Screaming and flapping your arms isn’t motivation, so that’s not the approach, gotta be a way to get the players focused on the game.
NAU just opened up, maybe it’s Thompson who has his head in the clouds? If KB wants to be a little cry baby bitch, let him go. His sideline demeanor is loserville.
Portal works both ways, let them bail and replace with motivated serious players who want to be here.
stingthemgood
Active member
HeavyistheClown said:
If NAU doesn't bring in Paulson for an interview they have officially lost their minds BTW
HornetFootballFan
Active member
Head Coach Thompson is the man responsible for everything.
Agree he needs to delegate & motivate. My frustration is the anemic performance of our OC B Fresques. He hasn’t been able to make timely adjustments during the game. And our Fast Tempo game has evaporated.
This stinks when we live our team and we live our coaches. But we have to be honest to recognize that we aren’t scoring enough points early in games. Q4 to try and open playbook is too late!
A QB like KB that isn’t mature enough to put team before himself isn’t a good leader and that can erode team chemistry and morale. He needs to LEAD on the field or the Sidelines with TEAM First mentality.
Agree he needs to delegate & motivate. My frustration is the anemic performance of our OC B Fresques. He hasn’t been able to make timely adjustments during the game. And our Fast Tempo game has evaporated.
This stinks when we live our team and we live our coaches. But we have to be honest to recognize that we aren’t scoring enough points early in games. Q4 to try and open playbook is too late!
A QB like KB that isn’t mature enough to put team before himself isn’t a good leader and that can erode team chemistry and morale. He needs to LEAD on the field or the Sidelines with TEAM First mentality.
I saw something different from KB in this past game. On TV, it looked like he was on the sideline trying to rally the troops, and he played that way when he was on the field. Not sure I buy the idea that he has checked out but I don't have any inside info.
It's a no brainer that KB should have started last week given the weather and Conklin's recent struggles in wet and windy conditions. The Causeway loss is squarely on Coach Fresques IMO, for a multitude of reasons (game plan and play calling) but mainly the decision to start Conklin over KB. IMO we win Causeway if KB starts as the Hornet offense just carries itself in a different manner with him at the helm. That's not to say Conklin shouldn't get some reps as I think it has been wise of Fresques to get him some experience without it costing a year of eligibility.
For this playoff game, it will be very telling of the future of this offense with who gets the start. IMO it's a no brainer to start KB in this game assuming health isn't an issue. If Conklin starts (assuming he's healthy, he left Causeway early with an injury) it tells me the coaches are already thinking about the future and are just using this game to get experience for the younger players and giving the seniors one final hurrah before they move on to the next phase of their life.
It's a no brainer that KB should have started last week given the weather and Conklin's recent struggles in wet and windy conditions. The Causeway loss is squarely on Coach Fresques IMO, for a multitude of reasons (game plan and play calling) but mainly the decision to start Conklin over KB. IMO we win Causeway if KB starts as the Hornet offense just carries itself in a different manner with him at the helm. That's not to say Conklin shouldn't get some reps as I think it has been wise of Fresques to get him some experience without it costing a year of eligibility.
For this playoff game, it will be very telling of the future of this offense with who gets the start. IMO it's a no brainer to start KB in this game assuming health isn't an issue. If Conklin starts (assuming he's healthy, he left Causeway early with an injury) it tells me the coaches are already thinking about the future and are just using this game to get experience for the younger players and giving the seniors one final hurrah before they move on to the next phase of their life.
stingthemgood
Active member
SDHornet said:
You missed the tantrum he threw when we put Conklin back in the game…
2023 FCS Playoffs - 1st Round: #16 Sac State at #14 North Dakota
The 16th ranked Hornets (7-4, 4-4 BSC) head to Grand Forks to face the 14th ranked North Dakota Fighting Hawks (7-4, 5-3 MVFC) in the first round of the FCS playoffs. UND is back in the playoff for a 2nd consecutive season while the Hornets are in the playoffs for the 4th consecutive season. UND lost at Weber State in the first round last season while the Hornets fell in the quarterfinals to Incarnate Word. UND is coached by Bubba Schweigert who is in his 10th season while Hornet Head Coach Andy Thompson has reached the postseason in his inaugural season leading this program.
Similar to the Hornets, the Hawks have had an up and down season with a solid win against a top foe and struggles against the top teams of their respective conference. UND owns an opening week 55-7 win over the eventual Pioneer Football League Champion, Drake. UND followed that up with a dominating 37-22 week 2 win at home against Northern Arizona. UND took a 21-42 week 5 loss at defending FCS Champion South Dakota State before a dominant and eye opening 49-24 win at home against then 6th ranked North Dakota State. Other notable games include a 0-27 loss at Northern Iowa the following week and a hard fought 10-14 week 11 loss to a then 6th ranked South Dakota. UND secured their playoff berth last week with a come from behind 22-21 home win over Illinois State in the final minute of the game.
The Hawks offense has a lot of different looks ranging from traditional RPO with multiple tight end sets, shotgun spread and even some single back formations from under center. UND likes to work in a lot of misdirection from the motion. They almost always use a scrum play to pick up 3rd/4th and short. The UND offense is very balanced and favors the run about 54% of the time. Quarterback Tommy Schuster (197/277, 2119 yds, 18 TD, 4 INT) has good pocket presence, can extend plays with his legs and has a good accurate arm. His prime target is wide receiver Bo Belquist (61 rec, 682 yds, 5 TD) who is very athletic and can make plays down the field. Four other receivers have at least 13 receptions and over 200 receiving yards. The Hawks have a pair of running backs in Gaven Ziebarth (89 car, 604 yds, 7 TD) and Isaiah Smith (86 car, 513 yds, 2 TD, 24 rec, 178 yds, 1 TD) that are able to pound inside and break the big run. Up front, UND has a massive offensive line that can ground and pound as well as do a sufficient job in pass protection.
Offensive Team Stats
The UND 3-4 defense has been middle of the pack in the MVFC this season but they did hold some of the better MVFC offenses below their season scoring averages. The Hawks defense isn’t really flashy, but they have proven themselves capable of getting the job done more times than not. Linebacker Wyatt Pedigo (68 tkl, 7.5 TFL, 4 sac) is the heart and soul of the defense as he leads the team in tackles and sacks with Malachi McNeal (64 tkl, 5.5 TFL, 3 sac) alongside. Linebacker Ted Mullin (37 tkl, 3.5 TFL, 2 INT) and cornerback Devin Hembry (30 tkl, 1 TFL, 2 INT) are tied atop the team for interceptions.
Defensive Team Stats
UND’s kicking game doesn’t look particularly strong as kicker CJ Elrichs (4/6 FG, 28/28 PAT) hasn’t attempted many kicks, but he has a long of 42 yards on the year. Punter Luke Silvernale (34 pnt, 40 ypp) has dropped 9 inside the 20 and has 3 punts of 50+ yards. The kick return game is where UND excels. Returners Luke Skonkna and Red Wilson are averaging over 32 yards a return and both have taken one to the house this season.
Hornet Team Stats
Position Advantage
I’d be surprised if UND doesn’t just come out and ground and pound the Hornet defense. The interior of the Hornet defensive line is giving up over 20 pounds compared to UND’s offensive line. Add in the Hornet injuries and I am just not seeing how the Hornets hold up in the trenches. At the skilled positions, UND has enough talent and balance to keep the Hornets honest so it will be difficult to sell out on the run. Slowing down the Hawks will be a difficult task for the Hornet defense.
On the other side of the ball, it all depends on who Coach Fresques starts at quarterback. Assuming both quarterbacks are healthy enough to play, are the coaches actually serious about winning this game and decide to go with the more talented and versatile Kaiden Bennett, or do they throw away another game to get true freshman Carson Conklin more big game experience? While weather won’t be an issue and Conklin should fare better throwing the ball, I find it a hard sell to be taken seriously as a coaching staff if they go with a true freshman over the more experienced athlete in a playoff game.
On special teams, the Hornets need to clean up the punt coverage and not even risk kicking the ball deep to the UND returners.
Both these teams have similar stories on the season and while the injuries are stacked up for the Hornets, they have been a gritty and resilient bunch. UND will have home field advantage and be the favorites, but I just can’t bring myself to pick against the Hornets in postseason play…not after how far this program has come these past few years. Survive and advance.
Stingers Up!
North Dakota State at North Dakota Highlights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbWSqk5uIBI
The 16th ranked Hornets (7-4, 4-4 BSC) head to Grand Forks to face the 14th ranked North Dakota Fighting Hawks (7-4, 5-3 MVFC) in the first round of the FCS playoffs. UND is back in the playoff for a 2nd consecutive season while the Hornets are in the playoffs for the 4th consecutive season. UND lost at Weber State in the first round last season while the Hornets fell in the quarterfinals to Incarnate Word. UND is coached by Bubba Schweigert who is in his 10th season while Hornet Head Coach Andy Thompson has reached the postseason in his inaugural season leading this program.
Similar to the Hornets, the Hawks have had an up and down season with a solid win against a top foe and struggles against the top teams of their respective conference. UND owns an opening week 55-7 win over the eventual Pioneer Football League Champion, Drake. UND followed that up with a dominating 37-22 week 2 win at home against Northern Arizona. UND took a 21-42 week 5 loss at defending FCS Champion South Dakota State before a dominant and eye opening 49-24 win at home against then 6th ranked North Dakota State. Other notable games include a 0-27 loss at Northern Iowa the following week and a hard fought 10-14 week 11 loss to a then 6th ranked South Dakota. UND secured their playoff berth last week with a come from behind 22-21 home win over Illinois State in the final minute of the game.
The Hawks offense has a lot of different looks ranging from traditional RPO with multiple tight end sets, shotgun spread and even some single back formations from under center. UND likes to work in a lot of misdirection from the motion. They almost always use a scrum play to pick up 3rd/4th and short. The UND offense is very balanced and favors the run about 54% of the time. Quarterback Tommy Schuster (197/277, 2119 yds, 18 TD, 4 INT) has good pocket presence, can extend plays with his legs and has a good accurate arm. His prime target is wide receiver Bo Belquist (61 rec, 682 yds, 5 TD) who is very athletic and can make plays down the field. Four other receivers have at least 13 receptions and over 200 receiving yards. The Hawks have a pair of running backs in Gaven Ziebarth (89 car, 604 yds, 7 TD) and Isaiah Smith (86 car, 513 yds, 2 TD, 24 rec, 178 yds, 1 TD) that are able to pound inside and break the big run. Up front, UND has a massive offensive line that can ground and pound as well as do a sufficient job in pass protection.
Offensive Team Stats
- Points scored per game: 31.1 (5th MVFC / 24th FCS)
- Total Offense: 364.1 ypg (150.7 rushing ypg / 213.4 passing ypg) - 7th (5th / 7th) MVFC - 58th (58th / 55th) FCS
- Sacks Allowed: 20 (6th MVFC)
- Turnovers: 4/4 (INT/Fum)
- Redzone: 38/44 - 35/3 (TD/FG) - 7th MVFC / 24th FCS
The UND 3-4 defense has been middle of the pack in the MVFC this season but they did hold some of the better MVFC offenses below their season scoring averages. The Hawks defense isn’t really flashy, but they have proven themselves capable of getting the job done more times than not. Linebacker Wyatt Pedigo (68 tkl, 7.5 TFL, 4 sac) is the heart and soul of the defense as he leads the team in tackles and sacks with Malachi McNeal (64 tkl, 5.5 TFL, 3 sac) alongside. Linebacker Ted Mullin (37 tkl, 3.5 TFL, 2 INT) and cornerback Devin Hembry (30 tkl, 1 TFL, 2 INT) are tied atop the team for interceptions.
Defensive Team Stats
- Points allowed per game: 24.8 (6th MVFC / 52nd FCS)
- Total Defense: 383.1 ypg (147.3 rushing ypg / 235.8 passing ypg) - 9th (8th / 8th) MVFC - 80th (55th / 91stth) FCS
- Sacks : 19 (9th MVFC)
- Turnovers Forced: 7/6 (INT/Fum)
- Redzone: 36/40 - 27/9 (TD/FG) - 9th MVFC / T-113th FCS
UND’s kicking game doesn’t look particularly strong as kicker CJ Elrichs (4/6 FG, 28/28 PAT) hasn’t attempted many kicks, but he has a long of 42 yards on the year. Punter Luke Silvernale (34 pnt, 40 ypp) has dropped 9 inside the 20 and has 3 punts of 50+ yards. The kick return game is where UND excels. Returners Luke Skonkna and Red Wilson are averaging over 32 yards a return and both have taken one to the house this season.
Hornet Team Stats
- Points scored per game: 30.1 (6th BSC / T-27th FCS)
- Points allowed per game: 25.9 (6th BSC / 63rd FCS)
- Total Offense: 424.0 ypg (174.4 rushing ypg / 249.6 passing ypg) - 3rd (4th / 5th) BSC - 18th (25th / 24th) FCS
- Total Defense: 387.8 ypg (156.5 rushing ypg / 231.3 passing ypg) - 6th (7th / 8th) BSC - 84th (67th / T-87th) FCS
- Sacks Allowed: 14 (3rd BSC)
- Sacks: 21 (T-5th BSC)
- Turnovers: 10/4 (INT/Fum)
- Turnovers Forced: 13/3 (INT/Fum)
- Redzone Offense: 43/49 - 33/10 (TD/FG) - 4th BSC / 17th FCS
- Redzone Defense: 31/38 - 22/9 (TD/FG) - 5th BSC / T-66th FCS
Position Advantage
- Quarterback: Hawks. Tommy Schuster is the ideal quarterback for a balanced attack while the Hornets coaching staff is (mysteriously) trying to figure out whether Kaiden Bennett or Carson Conklin would be the go to guy for this game.
- Running Backs: Hawks. The combination of Gaven Ziebarth and Isaiah Smith are a better one-two punch than an ailing Marcus Fulcher and inconsistent Elijah Tau-Tolliver.
- Wide Receivers: Hornets. The Hornets have more athleticism than the Hawks.
- Tight Ends: Hornets. Marshel Martin is a bigger part of the offense than Quincy Vaughn and Jaden Norby.
- Offensive Line: Hawks. UND is very big up front and should be able to dominate this game.
- Defensive Line: Push. The Hornets are pretty beat up in the interior. UND has good size at nose tackle that should pose issues for the inconsistent Hornet offensive line. Not really sure which way to go at this position, Hornets have 2 more sacks on the year compared to UND.
- Linebackers: Push. Armon Bailey finds the ball better and has stacked more stats with one less game played compared to Wyatt Pedigo, however Pedigo is better attacking behind the line of scrimmage and getting to the quarterback. Both teams are pretty solid at this position.
- Defensive Backs: Hornets. The Hornet secondary has more plays on the ball compared to UND and gives up slightly less yards per game in a conference that throws the ball more.
- Punters: Hornets. Cal McGough has a slightly better average but drops a lot more kicks inside the 20 compared to Luke Silvernale.
- Kickers: Hornets. Zach Schriener has thrice as many makes and kicks than CJ Elrichs.
- Kick Returners: Hawks. Big return averages and 2 kicks to the house says it all.
I’d be surprised if UND doesn’t just come out and ground and pound the Hornet defense. The interior of the Hornet defensive line is giving up over 20 pounds compared to UND’s offensive line. Add in the Hornet injuries and I am just not seeing how the Hornets hold up in the trenches. At the skilled positions, UND has enough talent and balance to keep the Hornets honest so it will be difficult to sell out on the run. Slowing down the Hawks will be a difficult task for the Hornet defense.
On the other side of the ball, it all depends on who Coach Fresques starts at quarterback. Assuming both quarterbacks are healthy enough to play, are the coaches actually serious about winning this game and decide to go with the more talented and versatile Kaiden Bennett, or do they throw away another game to get true freshman Carson Conklin more big game experience? While weather won’t be an issue and Conklin should fare better throwing the ball, I find it a hard sell to be taken seriously as a coaching staff if they go with a true freshman over the more experienced athlete in a playoff game.
On special teams, the Hornets need to clean up the punt coverage and not even risk kicking the ball deep to the UND returners.
Both these teams have similar stories on the season and while the injuries are stacked up for the Hornets, they have been a gritty and resilient bunch. UND will have home field advantage and be the favorites, but I just can’t bring myself to pick against the Hornets in postseason play…not after how far this program has come these past few years. Survive and advance.
Stingers Up!
North Dakota State at North Dakota Highlights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbWSqk5uIBI
Super Hornet 2.0
Active member
Nice analysis as per usual, SD. Thank you for your hard work.
Lynch needs to be our best bully on the DL this weekend.
Lynch first 6 games: 20 Tackles, 4.5 Sacks, 1 FF, 1FR, 5 QB hits. He was playing at all conference level.
Lynch last 5 games: 9 Tackles, 1 Sack, 2 QB Hits
Obviously teams adjusted and game planned around him, but is he injured?
Lynch first 6 games: 20 Tackles, 4.5 Sacks, 1 FF, 1FR, 5 QB hits. He was playing at all conference level.
Lynch last 5 games: 9 Tackles, 1 Sack, 2 QB Hits
Obviously teams adjusted and game planned around him, but is he injured?
