Next Year

[SidelineObserver]

Honestly, it's time to start planning ahead to next year. There are no playoffs to make with our resume this year. It's a shame Zach Zenner may only make the playoffs once or twice in his career. On the plus side, our offense and defense can hopefully find a way to improve and get better. Maybe if we're lucky, we'll get to put the indoor practice facility to use in preparing for playoff games... Maybe one year we can make consecutive playoff appearances, because those hopes appear to be long gone now.

Post your thoughts here....

[slosho]

Re: Next Year

Honestly, it's time to start planning ahead to next year. There are no playoffs to make with our resume this year. It's a shame Zach Zenner may only make the playoffs once or twice in his career. On the plus side, our offense and defense can hopefully find a way to improve and get better. Maybe if we're lucky, we'll get to put the indoor practice facility to use in preparing for playoff games... Maybe one year we can make consecutive playoff appearances, because those hopes appear to be long gone now.

Post your thoughts here....

How much change in the staff do you think there will be? we have lost at least 1 person for the last couple of years.

[TK22867]

Re: Next Year

The losses this year are sucking the life out of the program. All the excitement from last years run is completely gone. Thank God for the improvements around campus.

Anyone else starting to think last year was a complete fluke? I don't understand how we fell off so much this year. Such a regression.

[TransAmBison]

Re: Next Year

Don't get too down...remember we are in a tough conference where anybody can beat anybody. You'll be back.

[RowdyRabbit]

Re: Next Year

I thought we shoulda been out of the top 25 after SIU I couldn't believe pollsters kept us so high, especially considering previous games ( shut out vs Ndsu, letting horrible Und back in game). The signs have been there that Sdsu is not top 25 material this year.

I don't know what has to change, but over the last few years, it has become pretty apparent we don't know how to win big/pressure games. Montana playoff, any fbs, UNI at their place, Ndsu both times last year, UNI in 09 followed the next week by SIU in 09 for the Valley, all of 2010, all of 2013. Basically any game we need to step up and make a statement.

Yes I know EIU playoff last year, or USD, and Ndsu 07, 08, 09, but USD was a glorified HS team, and two of those Ndsu's were mertens years. Stepping up is generally the exception and flopping is generally the rule.

Will be in CAS next weekend and expect to see the exception vs a reeling UNI.

[JackFan96]

Re: Next Year

How much change in the staff do you think there will be? we have lost at least 1 person for the last couple of years.

Too much turnover? Or is it not enough? Yes, that's rhetorical.

It's true we regularly in big games. Season after season after season. Who's that on? And, yes, that's rhetorical. Say what you will, but now has road wins at Northern Iowa and Minnesota in recent years. We don't. And we're not even going to sniff UNI next weekend at home.

[Nidaros]

Re: Next Year

Too much turnover? Or is it not enough? Yes, that's rhetorical.

It's true we regularly in big games. Season after season after season. Who's that on? And, yes, that's rhetorical. Say what you will, but now has road wins at Northern Iowa and Minnesota in recent years. We don't. And we're not even going to sniff UNI next weekend at home.

Can I use this quote when we trip up UNI this coming week? Could happen. I assume you are speaking of USD, who is turning things around. We got to be ready when we enter their place. In terms of turnover, Clint Brown is as good as they come. This is his first year being in charge, and I admit not all has went smoothly.

[goon]

Re: Next Year

Let's face it we are not very good. Our players make to many mistakes or coaches are game planning well at all. Our lines have gotten worse since last year and they are upperclassmen. We start 4 seniors on the dline with no depth really. So if we think its bad this year just wait till we have all undersized underclassman out there.

Our linebacks are decent but our secondary let's team we play pass all over us for big gains. We bite on play action pass and fakes and blown covegage constatntly.

Our offense has a line that inconsitantly blocks for zenner who often gets his big yards after shedding 3 or 4 tacklers. Our pass coverage is avg at best but we have wrs that are to slow to get open or if they are open a qb who overtrows them by 5 yards.

Special teams was only good for kicking now that side is struggling mightily the only good thing is butler and schneider are back to return punts now. Can't believe it took coaches half the season to see the first guys he tried at it couldn't figure out simple ideas.

Our D cord brought a new scheme apparently to stop mobile qbs and somehow we can't stop the pass or the run. We give the line a 2 or 3 yard cushion and wrs get a 8-10 yards except when butler gets to face um on the line.

Our o cordinator makes play calling a joke. He calls 4 plays and we barely can execute them. When we need 1 yard he calls up a play for a pass into double covegage when our best player doesn't even get a chance. Teams know we can't pass deep so they aim to stop zenner.

I would offer the o cordinator job back to wilkenson who aleast used more then 2 running formations and I would try to sweet talk buback to come back. Both would desevre a good pay raise too.

Oh and one thing that really grinds my gears and why I wish meadows was still around is that our cordinators wear red hats on the sidelines. That is not acceptable for any reason. Meadows would yell like crazy at guys in the gym who wore old high school stuff that had red on it from their high schools. I know its a bit extreme but red is our rivals colors let them wear it. If they want to be seen better wear an orange hunters cap instead.

Apparently our 1-0 every week didn't hold true this year of doing the right thing every game every play. It appears some guys aren't all in on a team effort and we don't have coaches who game plan to win against good or top teams. When the worst team in the confrence can beat us with over 500 yards hopefully that can be a wake up call that from coaches to players things need overhauls. I tried to give the team the benefit of the doubt early in the year thinking they needed time to gel. I was wrong. It needs wholesale changes.

Rant over.

[TailGatr]

Re: Next Year

As far as I am concerned, going into this year, the defense was the big concern and it has held true. To make matters worse, we lost our stud D Coordinator and quite frankly, besides the NDSU game, the defense has looked lost. We continue to be vanilla on offense and it has hurt us as well. No real surprises with our record to me. I must say though, in my 30 years of watching the Jacks, that might be the flattest I have ever seen a team come out of the gate. Pretty sad but I will continue to TAILGATE!!!

[goon]

Re: Next Year

We finish 6 wins if we are lucky. We will lose to uni and usd hopefully beat isub and youngstown is a toss up. I think we lose though but we usually play them pretty well. Usd has a chance for the playoffs. We don't. Hopefully we aren't ranked anymore. My guess we finish 5wins max 6 would be amazing at this point if they pull it off. Good think we picked up the pancake game in butler to give us one extra win.

[jackdaniel]

Re: Next Year

Don't get too down...remember we are in a tough conference where anybody can beat anybody. You'll be back.

Was nice for a little while,nice view up there!

I hope we do get back toward the top.Thanks for the assurance

[TK22867]

Re: Next Year

We finish 6 wins if we are lucky. We will lose to uni and usd hopefully beat isub and youngstown is a toss up. I think we lose though but we usually play them pretty well. Usd has a chance for the playoffs. We don't. Hopefully we aren't ranked anymore. My guess we finish 5wins max 6 would be amazing at this point if they pull it off. Good think we picked up the pancake game in butler to give us one extra win.

Goon you should sit the next few plays out. If you can't even think of one positive thing for this team and support them, go ahead and turn in the rest of your season tickets. We don't need CAS full of negativity the next 2 home games. That gets us absolutely nowhere.

And saying this team has "a lot of quit in them" is just plain ridiculous.

You're better than that. After all, you're a Duke fan.

[goon]

Re: Next Year

Goon you should sit the next few plays out. If you can't even think of one positive thing for this team and support them, go ahead and turn in the rest of your season tickets. We don't need CAS full of negativity the next 2 home games. That gets us absolutely nowhere.

And saying this team has "a lot of quit in them" is just plain ridiculous.

You're better than that. After all, you're a Duke fan.

Sorry as a fan I have high expectations. I'm not putting anything on the players that can't be corrected. I think the players are talented enough to do better. I'm just pointing out this team isn't as good as they could be and next year looks to be just as challenging. Most of the issues we have pointts back to the coaches. I like stig a lot don't want to see him gone but some of the things we have seenaside from 2 playoff years we prbably are just a middle of the road fcs mvfc team. When you go from one of the top teams in the confrence to one of the worst in a year that's not ok with the talent we have on that team.

[jack43]

Re: Next Year

Sorry as a fan I have high expectations. I'm not putting anything on the players that can't be corrected. I think the players are talented enough to do better. I'm just pointing out this team isn't as good as they could be and next year looks to be just as challenging. Most of the issues we have pointts back to the coaches. I like stig a lot don't want to see him gone but some of the things we have seenaside from 2 playoff years we prbably are just a middle of the road fcs mvfc team. When you go from one of the top teams in the confrence to one of the worst in a year that's not ok with the talent we have on that team.

Personally, I think this thread is worthless and should be avoided by anyone invested in THIS team. There is a 3rd of the season left and if you're a true Jacks fan, you owe it to the seniors to support them throughout the rest of their days they are fortunate enough to wear the blue and yellow. As a fan who has probably many of the same frustrations and concerns as many others, I think we will have plenty of time to point fingers/suggest changes (coaches) after the season. Until then, I plan on cheering on the PLAYERS as hard as I ever have. They work their asses off and sacrifice a lot, so I recommend that if you are a true Jack that you cheer your ass off for them every game and stop worrying about the future.

[JackJD]

Re: Next Year

Sorry as a fan I have high expectations. I'm not putting anything on the players that can't be corrected. I think the players are talented enough to do better. I'm just pointing out this team isn't as good as they could be and next year looks to be just as challenging. Most of the issues we have pointts back to the coaches. I like stig a lot don't want to see him gone but some of the things we have seenaside from 2 playoff years we prbably are just a middle of the road fcs mvfc team. When you go from one of the top teams in the confrence to one of the worst in a year that's not ok with the talent we have on that team.

I'm throwing the BS flag on the "Sorry as a fan I just have high expectations." TK, me and (probably) everyone posting on this board have high expectations. The first sentence in your post suggests everyone who doesn't agree with you does not have high expectations. Fifteen yards and loss of a down.

Think about this: Saturday's game with UNI has all the hallmarks for a classic and a game that's not to be missed albeit for odd reasons. Two teams nationally ranked on October 19, are fighting for redemption. Both are suffering from the mid/late season injury bug...arguably, the injury bug bit harder in Cedar Falls than it did in Brookings. For the Jacks, the win keeps hope, perhaps slim, alive for a playoff spot. For UNI, a win means they're not in the cellar by themselves and maybe they have a sliver of a chance at a playoff spot. We need to have CAS full of Jackrabbit fans. I think the game will be a great one.

Many have said and written that the MVFC is a tough league getting tougher. It's going to chew itself apart many years. This year may be the first real example of that happening since SDSU and NDSU jointed the conferences. Many of us agreed with the inclusion of USD in both the MVFC and the Summit League for precisely what we are now seeing -- USD will add to the competitive level of both leagues. It may be argued that NDSU is in a league of its own but some close games the Bison have been in, at least through three-quarters, show even NDSU games are fun to watch.