GDT: State at NDSU - Playoff Edition

[Theee Catrabbit]

Re: GDT: State at NDSU - Playoff Edition

Of course we will miss ZZ. He is the epitome of a role model in every respect for younger kids. He will be a legend for years to come. He inspired my little kid to be sure. I was thinking the same thing about Zach's brother. Let the kid become his own player. While we all are very excited to see him play at State, let the kid grow into his own without the added pressure he probably already feels. I also disagree with Mengarelli not being quicker than Zenner. I think he is, I don't think he is faster, I just think he has a better first, second and third step and then some elusiveness. He gets to the line quicker, and I think he has gotten better and better as the season has progressed. I'm very glad we went to the game yesterday to that class of seniors and the entire team go out swinging like that, it was a great game (even though the Fargodome needs some serious updates, it reminded me of a bigger Sioux Falls Arena. That's not good).

A good question was how did the Bison reload so quickly after losing such an incredible team last year to graduation. I think a lot of it is the reps those underclassmen got as the "old" team would blow people out and then the 2nd and 3rd stringers would come in for mop up duties. It has taken our underclassmen this whole year to catch up to that and I think it showed yesterday that they have. Our talent pool keeps getting better and better. Next year Shoff is back with a now very talented Oline. Elmore will be back with a confident defense. Our biggest Question marks: Kicker, punter, and QB, in my opinion. Even QB I'm not that concerned with Lujan is there and he did what he needed to do with very little time in the Jacks' system.

I will edit one game concern: Pretty sure the game plan was to contain Wentz and make him beat us with his arm. He didn't really, but he did have some big plays. You could see the scheme was to drag it side to side and keep him behind the line of scrimmage. The couple times they overpursued or went after him a TD or a first down occurred off his legs. The defensive plan was sound and I think it was the right choice.

[MLSND]

Re: GDT: State at NDSU - Playoff Edition

I post very little on any forum but after thinking about this, I need to share. What a game yesterday. After going down 14 early a lot of teams would have folded. Not the Jacks. After being caught and trailing by 3, the Bison could have been deflated but stepped up and went ahead. These situations both repeated again. Props to both staffs for having programs prepared for these situations. Easy to see where the composure starts after watching both coaches post game. Can not go without saying what class acts and talented football players in Sumner and Zenner. These guys will be a success at everything they choose in life. Shame this was a second round game. Talent wise should have been at least round four. I am a Bison fan by team but a quality football fan first and that's what we saw yesterday. After this game I will be a Jacks fan in every game but one (maybe two) each season. GO BISON. GO JACKS.

[jackrabit1]

Re: GDT: State at NDSU - Playoff Edition

I'm so sick of moral victories.

[JackJD]

Re: GDT: State at NDSU - Playoff Edition

I'm so sick of moral victories.

I'm so sick of people posting clichés that tell us nothing. Who claimed a moral victory? I don't like them either...who claimed one?

I should explain: People are stating opinions on the game. In my opinion, we played as well as the Bison. In some respects, better. In some respects -- unfortunately the score at the end being most notable -- not quite as well. People should be allowed to comment on the game, good or bad, without having the bugaboo "no moral victories" thrown at them. Oh, and if people want to throw out "no moral victories", that's okay too but I reserve the right to wade in with an opinion.

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: GDT: State at NDSU - Playoff Edition

I'm so sick of people posting clichés that tell us nothing. Who claimed a moral victory? I don't like them either...who claimed one?

I should explain: People are stating opinions on the game. In my opinion, we played as well as the Bison. In some respects, better. In some respects -- unfortunately the score at the end being most notable -- not quite as well. People should be allowed to comment on the game, good or bad, without having the bugaboo "no moral victories" thrown at them. Oh, and if people want to throw out "no moral victories", that's okay too but I reserve the right to wade in with an opinion.

i
I see where rabit1 is coming from. We played well yesterday, probably as well as we could. Reading some posts I get the feeling some seem ok with what happened yesterday because we played well.

Here's how I see yesterday. We took a senior laden team with arguably the best RB and QB SDSU has ever seen and we still can't beat a Bison team that graduated a ton of players last year. They were supposed to be rebuilding. Looks like they reloaded.

Rabbitobssessed said it best: the bison are our daddy's.

[JackJD]

Re: GDT: State at NDSU - Playoff Edition

I'll concede the Bison have dominated the Jacks in football for years. In my opinion, we're all witnesses to an ongoing shift in the balance of power. I'm not at all happy about yesterday's results. We got beat. It's another loss in the win/loss columns. I'm saying the domination has ended.

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: GDT: State at NDSU - Playoff Edition

I'm saying the domination has ended.

Don't agree at all.

This was supposed to be our year. Team loaded with senior stars and the Bison young and rebuilding. We couldn't beat them. The bison bring back a very talented core and we lose a lot. That's concerning to me.

[jacks1]

Re: GDT: State at NDSU - Playoff Edition

I'm saying the domination has ended.

Don't agree at all.

This was supposed to be our year. Team loaded with senior stars and the Bison young and rebuilding. We couldn't beat them. The bison bring back a very talented core and we lose a lot. That's concerning to me.

I don't either. The only thing that matters is wins and losses. To say that the domination has ended because we finally played them close, but still lost, is the exact definition of a 'moral victory' in my book. Until the Jacks actually beat the Bison, their domination reigns.

[JackJD]

Re: GDT: State at NDSU - Playoff Edition

I'm not claiming any moral victory -- don't believe in moral victories. In making my prediction about the end of domination, I'm not looking at one or two games. I'm looking at trends. I'll pull some stats out of each team's media guides to demonstrate what I'm getting at...will take a few minutes. (Will create separate thread.)

[Theee Catrabbit]

Re: GDT: State at NDSU - Playoff Edition

I don't think anybody is claiming a moral victory. We lost. It sucks. Should we all be out on a high bridge somewhere holding hands and ready to jump? No. In the end it is a football game, played by young men who are just starting out their lives. We want to beat the Bison, of course we do. Not just for the rivalry but to get our own valuable homefield advantage. THat was the goal of the season according to Stig, and rightly so. To do that we need to beat the Valley top to bottom. That's what we need to do.Beating the Bison is nice, but it is not our Super Bowl. We are not Coyotes.

[mitchellrabbit]

Re: GDT: State at NDSU - Playoff Edition

I don't think anybody is claiming a moral victory. We lost. It sucks. Should we all be out on a high bridge somewhere holding hands and ready to jump? No. In the end it is a football game, played by young men who are just starting out their lives. We want to beat the Bison, of course we do. Not just for the rivalry but to get our own valuable homefield advantage. THat was the goal of the season according to Stig, and rightly so. To do that we need to beat the Valley top to bottom. That's what we need to do.Beating the Bison is nice, but it is not our Super Bowl. We are not Coyotes.

I agree with everything you say. Some of us get over it quicker than others. Just because i woke up this morning and was totally bummed anymore doesnt mean im happy with the close loss. Its a game, a loss and there isnt a damn thing we can do to change what happened. Time to move on to Basketball. Im pretty sure we'll see the phrase "moral victory" again come march.

[GoJacks]

Re: GDT: State at NDSU - Playoff Edition

I'll concede the Bison have dominated the Jacks in football for years. In my opinion, we're all witnesses to an ongoing shift in the balance of power. I'm not at all happy about yesterday's results. We got beat. It's another loss in the win/loss columns. I'm saying the domination has ended.

I agree the domination has ended. We finally have the indoor facilities needed to compete. Once the new stadium is completed, we can start to compete financially with Bison and the game day amenities needed to host multiple playoff games and put more games on TV. Increasing revenue and exposure for Jackrabbit football.

[JimmyJack]

Re: GDT: State at NDSU - Playoff Edition

The officiating was a joke but there were a lot of bad/questionable calls both ways, both teams deserved better. That crew was an embarrassment. That said these two teams shouldn't have even been playing each other today to begin with.

That said, congrats on a good season, was fun watching Zenner and Sumner compete against the Bison all these years. Great players and really great classy guys, wish them nothing but the best in whatever they do next.

Both teams played at a very high level today and left it all out on the field. It felt like the seminfinal game we had against GSU a few years back, just an intense slugfest of a game.

I agree with everything in this post.

[JimmyJack]

Re: GDT: State at NDSU - Playoff Edition

Don't agree at all.

This was supposed to be our year. Team loaded with senior stars and the Bison young and rebuilding. We couldn't beat them. The bison bring back a very talented core and we lose a lot. That's concerning to me.

Fact: Until we have all of our new facilities for several years, we are not going to be in a position to compete at the highest level every year. The Bison have been at that level for years. We have been in a mode where we have succeeded despite our bad facilities, low budget, etc. mainly because of exceptional groups like this year's seniors. This isn't a peak, it's the baseline. We'll drop off a bit in the short run, but in the medium term, we'll be in a position to compete for the final 8 every year. Four or five years from now, I anticipate there will pretty much always be two seeded teams from the Dakotas every year.

[tjbison]

Re: GDT: State at NDSU - Playoff Edition

Many teams deserve to not be playing anymore and 1 of them isn't sdsu, sucks we had to matchup early

Great team Stig has built and unfortunately for you guys I am still predicting a all mvfc championship, be proud your seniors played a he'll of a game, it was a blast having that many fans of the opposing team in the dome