The Next Step

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: The Next Step

Thumper already posted pretty much my thoughts in post #8.

Also, I'm not sure it's a next step type of deal, but installing some sort of under center plays would be nice.

Stig has said under center isn't us. I get it, TC is a heck of an athlete, but come on...

I can't believe we can't go under center in certain situations.

He did today on that trick play....

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: The Next Step

1. A consistent running game. We didn't show this year that we could run when we needed to, it was kind of all or nothing thing. You look at NDSU, and when they need to grind out a drive to put a game away they can do that...we haven't shown that ability.

Im not a fan with how Mengarelli runs. Its almost like he doesnt look where he is going. He runs like a SOB but only gains yards if there is a pretty big hole. We need someone more consistent.

Think Minnet, Zenner, Konig....

We generally have a dominate back.

[jakejc795]

Re: The Next Step

He did today on that trick play....

Haha, I was thinking the exact same thing.

Regarding your other post about RBs, I would still like to see them make Mengarelli another "Kool" and rolling with Wallace, Daniel, Clark Wieneke, and/or Ogunrinde in the backfield.

[Jackedforlife]

Re: The Next Step

I have to believe the next RB has yet to play a down or possibly was limited by injury. Utilize 44 as a slot/return guy. Wallace seems to be a one cut guy. Neither are pile movers, though not for a lack of desire. I'm anxious to see what olungrinde may bring or christner. Really wish we could've seen little Z in action. The other one I wish we could see at RB is Mulholland.

I'm not as concerned about DL, getting Kern back and Banasiak at full strength will be nice and I was impressed with Smenda's progress. Soulek and Whitsell should work well together, I also believe Earith is very versatile and can play inside as well as outside. LB's will be interesting on who fills in. There seems to be a slew of them in waiting. DB's had some growing pains but all in all played very well in the given scheme. Like others have said, I hate that we are constantly 7-10 yds off the LOS. I'd rather get beat playing aggressive in your face D than this Vanilla style of not wanting to lose. We may not see any better results but at least we're less predictable.

Yesterday Stick threw to specific areas. Polasek called it well. Gave his QB the best chance. Watching the replay it was our D playing their areas, predictable. End the predictability on D.

[WestSideRabbit]

Re: The Next Step

Next year is the year that we will breakthrough. I firmly believe that. If not next year, then I am ready to move in a different direction as a program.

QB: TC and Kanin
RB: Mengarelli and Wallace
FB: Louscher
WR: Jake, Anderson, Lewis, Brown, and Wilde
TE: Goedert (we will need one of the young guys to step up).
OL: Harmon, Clark, Ohnesorgi, Tiano, and Genant with Weir as the backup to all interior positions. We will need a back up tackle to step up.

DL: Smenda, Soulek, Whitsel, Lang, Hilldahl, Earith. Kern will also be back from a redshirt year. I've heard awesome things about Barret and Wilson.
LB: Harms, Cox, and Rozeboom will be a pretty solid starting three. Workman and Kleinschmidt are solid reserves who contributed to special teams this year.
CB: Brown, Washington, and Zy all have a year of experience. Let's hope they are more consistent. If not, we have a stable full of young guys ready to jump in.
S: Balster, Farina, and Slade are all back. They all have areas of strength but also have glaring weaknesses. I hope they continue to develop. Zo and Brandon Thomas are also ready to contribute.

We return all kickers but will be looking for a new long snapper. The one we recruited last year is no longer with the program but I have heard of at least three kids who are walking on and vieing for the position this spring.

So I hope this position breakdown gives you hope. Next year is the year. We return a ton of experience and talent and should be another year to take another step.

[bigticket1]

Re: The Next Step

Even though Sam Koob has another year of eligibility, he will not be back according to Tyler on yesterday's radio broadcast. As a final year Pharmacy student, all his classes and clinicals will be in Sioux Falls, so it will not work for him to be on the team.

[Gojacks2487]

Re: The Next Step

This bend don't break defense thing drives me nuts. I understand it when we are out man but come on.

[SoDakJack]

Re: The Next Step

This bend don't break defense thing drives me nuts. I understand it when we are out man but come on.

It works against quick strike teams like SDSU. But, when you play a team that has ball control on it's mind, NDSU, then it plays right into their hands.

I would like to see fewer designed QB runs next year. I know they were successful a hand full of times, but not having Zach as a safety blanket scares me. Let's try to avoid getting our QB hit as much as possible.

[Jackedforlife]

Re: The Next Step

I think our depth next year will be even better. There are several freshman this year that contributed and others that were redshirted but could've played from what I gather. Secondary should be a strength next year with several young players stepping up. DL I think is another spot where the underclassman fill in nicely. The LB's should be fine and physically as big a group as we've ever had.

At QB we'll have 3 guys behind TC and a freshman coming in that has a very good skill set. WR should be a strength and as deep as it's ever been. TE, it'll be interesting to see who steps up but we'll arguably have the best TE in all of college FB. O-line, another strength with experience, size, and strength.

Kick and punter are both strong, replacing an incredibly talented LS is a concern but should be able to be filled. KR, would be nice to see improvement, both play and scheme. PR much like KR, room to improve.

The huge question is running game. If we are going to win we need consistency there. Also to win home playoff games we will need to be able to run power. Is that Daniel, olungrinde, or Christner? Hard to say but I don't think the answer lies in the guys who gained the majority of reps. Nothing against those two but neither are built for the power game.

[Hareofthedog]

Re: The Next Step

Agree on the run game needing a couple of power run ability players which has been missing since zenner. I don't see DL as a strength and quite thin. DL is a tough recruit to find as well unless you beef up some taller linebackers. I want more speed for WR and stretch the field or get separation. No more than one possession receivers on the field as they have difficult getting separation and find a quick slot receiver. Get rid of the read option QB play. Taryn would make a better under center pro style QB who can run bootleg or draws if necessary. It works in Fargo year after year.

[WestSideRabbit]

Re: The Next Step

Agree on the run game needing a couple of power run ability players which has been missing since zenner. I don't see DL as a strength and quite thin. DL is a tough recruit to find as well unless you beef up some taller linebackers. I want more speed for WR and stretch the field or get separation. No more than one possession receivers on the field as they have difficult getting separation and find a quick slot receiver. Get rid of the read option QB play. Taryn would make a better under center pro style QB who can run bootleg or draws if necessary. It works in Fargo year after year.

DL thin? Really? I disagree.

DT: Soulek, Whitsel, Lang, and Hildahl should form a nice rotation. Langer had a nice second half of the season but wasn't dynamic. We will miss his experience more than anything.
DE: Earith, Smenda, Banasiak, Kern. Like I said before, Barrett and Wilson have supposedly really impressed this fall. Again, Blum was a nice player but didn't ever set a hard edge in the run game. We will miss his pass rush as he was our most likely DE to win a one on one matchup.

[Jackedforlife]

Re: The Next Step

Agree on the run game needing a couple of power run ability players which has been missing since zenner. I don't see DL as a strength and quite thin. DL is a tough recruit to find as well unless you beef up some taller linebackers. I want more speed for WR and stretch the field or get separation. No more than one possession receivers on the field as they have difficult getting separation and find a quick slot receiver. Get rid of the read option QB play. Taryn would make a better under center pro style QB who can run bootleg or draws if necessary. It works in Fargo year after year.

34	Austin Smenda	DE	6-2	235	R-Fr.	Fleming Island, Fla.	Fleming Island H.S.
							Totino-Grace H.S.
50	Austin Barrett	DE	6-2	255	Fr.	Box Elder, S.D.	Douglas H.S.
55	Mason Leiseth	DE	6-3	250	Jr.	Hayti, S.D.	Hamlin H.S.
58	Chase Kern	DE	6-3	245	Jr.	Sioux City, Iowa	Sioux City East H.S.
59	R.J. Helsper	DE	6-3	215	R-Fr.	Brookings, S.D.	Sioux Falls
66	Elijah Wilson	DE	6-4	255	Fr.	Omaha, Neb.	Omaha Central H.S.
69	Christian Banasiak	DE	6-3	240	So.	Cape Coral, Fla.	Island Coast H.S.
92	Matt Fitzgerald	DE	6-5	225	R-Fr.	Yankton, S.D.	Yankton H.S.
97	Kaden Roy	DE	6-5	205	Fr.	Webb City, Mo.	Webb City H.S.

I'd say the cupboard is hardly thin. Losing Langer, Gottlob and Blum hurt but there are plenty of capable young men basically at game size already. I'm especially curious to see what Stacker and Wilson have to offer. Roy is another one that if he gets another 30-40 pounds on his frame could be a factor.

[Jackedforlife]

Re: The Next Step

[QUOTE=Jackedforlife;307148]

90	Ryan Earith	DL	6-4	260	R-Fr.	Papillion, Neb.	Papillion-La Vista South H.S.
93	Matt Fry	DL	6-2	295	So.	Plankinton, S.D.	Plankinton H.S.
94	Kellen Soulek	DL	6-5	320	Jr.	Yankton, S.D.	Yankton H.S.
95	Thomas Stacker	DL	6-3	295	Fr.	Chicago, Ill.	St. Rita Cascia H.S.
96	Spencer Hildahl	DL	6-3	285	R-Fr.	Montevideo, Minn.	Montevideo H.S.
98	Shayne Gottlob	DL	6-5	280	Sr.	Salem, S.D.	McCook Central H.S.
99	Blake Whitsell	DL	6-2	300	So.	Broomfield, Colo.	Broomfield H.S.

Forgot to add the DL.

[Hareofthedog]

Re: The Next Step

DL has Kellen. The rest didn't play or injured most of the year. 99 is another 54, not dynamic. Tough position for young players. DE has slow players without mentioning names, injured players who may ever be the same and 69 is another 43 in my eyes. Watching games and tackle totals, sacks and TFL showed little success by DEnds in big games. I'll wait to see if red shirt players take the next step for the defensive front

[tck9199]

Re: The Next Step

For what it's worth Kern looked by far the best DE on the roster in spring ball last year, even after his surgery the few practices I saw in November he looked close to being as dominate. Earith and Kern should be a great mix on the edge next year and it looked like a couple of true freshman will push to get playing time as well.

Dt should be in good shape with soulek back and if whitsel gets healed up he will eat up blocks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk