USD week

[CappinHard]

If USD needed any more motivation for this game, they're slated as 20 point underdogs. Wow.

[JackJD]

Re: USD week

20-point dogs sounds pretty accurate.

[thumper_76]

Re: USD week

Meh. It’s in Brookings and there were people who voted who weren’t alive when USeD last beat us in football. They aren’t only bipolar on the road vs at home, but they can’t run the ball to save their souls. If we come out to win a seed this weekend we should win going away. If this was in vermintown I would be worried. Tbh until they beat us they aren’t even fun to pick on anymore, and next year will be their big shot to beat us. In the dump with a new qb will be a dicey situation and they probably would be favorites IMO. But not this year. Oh yeah, they still haven’t posted a conference record over .500 yet ROFL.


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[JackJD]

Re: USD week

...If this was in vermintown I would be worried. Tbh until they beat us they aren’t even fun to pick on anymore, and next year will be their big shot to beat us....

We all know that sometime, somewhere, USD will win a football game over SDSU. It shouldn't be this year or, judging from the recruiting success we've had in recent years, any year in the immediate future (irrespective of the game venue).

(Based on admittedly limited viewing of the Coyotes in a few games this season) I am concerned USD will get chippy as the game wears on. They've been playing a lot of undisciplined football and show a penchant for attracting the attention of the refs for various forms of unsportsmanlike conduct.

A win over USD will not be considered a quality win by the selection committee but I think more seeding/ranking damage will be caused by a close margin of victory. In other words, I think the impact of a close game with USD will have more negative weight than a large margin of victory will have positive weight. So, my preference is SDSU exceeding 50 points while USD is held to less than 15 points.

[Sodakbull]

Re: USD week

We all know that sometime, somewhere, USD will win a football game over SDSU. It shouldn't be this year or, judging from the recruiting success we've had in recent years, any year in the immediate future (irrespective of the game venue).

(Based on admittedly limited viewing of the Coyotes in a few games this season) I am concerned USD will get chippy as the game wears on. They've been playing a lot of undisciplined football and show a penchant for attracting the attention of the refs for various forms of unsportsmanlike conduct.

A win over USD will not be considered a quality win by the selection committee but I think more seeding/ranking damage will be caused by a close margin of victory. In other words, I think the impact of a close game with USD will have more negative weight than a large margin of victory will have positive weight. So, my preference is SDSU exceeding 50 points while USD is held to less than 15 points.

What is the O/U on unsportsmanlike penalties?

Margin of victory is a factor in this game much like Kennesaw St and JSU. A loss or a narrow victory could hurt both seedings.

[thumper_76]

Re: USD week

We all know that sometime, somewhere, USD will win a football game over SDSU. It shouldn't be this year or, judging from the recruiting success we've had in recent years, any year in the immediate future (irrespective of the game venue).

(Based on admittedly limited viewing of the Coyotes in a few games this season) I am concerned USD will get chippy as the game wears on. They've been playing a lot of undisciplined football and show a penchant for attracting the attention of the refs for various forms of unsportsmanlike conduct.

A win over USD will not be considered a quality win by the selection committee but I think more seeding/ranking damage will be caused by a close margin of victory. In other words, I think the impact of a close game with USD will have more negative weight than a large margin of victory will have positive weight. So, my preference is SDSU exceeding 50 points while USD is held to less than 15 points.

With how many unsportsmanlike penalties they’ve gotten I think cheap shots with intent to injure should be a legit fear and when we get up by three scores TC better be getting mental reps. Nothing they would love more than to torpedo our season.


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[Mr_Tibbs]

Re: USD week

Simmons can sling it when given time, and he does have the ability to run the ball when needed. The way we play soft coverage and are not getting pressure, I would expect him to have a decent day in the air. They have no ground game, so I'm hoping we can make them one dimensional. USD has a terrible O line and Simmons has been sacked more than any QB in the conference. He also makes very poor decisions when faced with a little pressure, tends to hold onto the ball too long, and loses most of his accuracy with a few hits. If the Jacks can get pressure with 4, I don't think USD has enough to move the ball on the D. If we sit back in coverage and can't get Simmons rattled, I think they can dink and dunk us down the field. Their D isn't much, and I think TC will have a good day against their secondary. I also think the way we're running the ball lately will provide enough balance to put it away. If we'really able to get pressure on Simmons, I'll go with 37-14 Jacks. If we aren't, I'll go with 45-31 Jacks. Weather looks like low 20s, with snow the night before. Both teams like to throw it, so that's a wash. But SDSU has a running game they can rely on in poor weather, and USD doesn't. Anything can happen, and I full expect USD to throw everything they have out there. If the Jacks can play focused, don't turn it over, and don't give them any hope, they should win comfortably. Come out an play a poor first half, and we're in for a dog fight. I've watched a lot of USD games this season, and based on what I've seen, if we get up by 14+ early, they'll fold.

[JackJD]

Re: USD week

With how many unsportsmanlike penalties they’ve gotten I think cheap shots with intent to injure should be a legit fear and when we get up by three scores TC better be getting mental reps. Nothing they would love more than to torpedo our season.

I agree there should be a concern about injuries from cheap shots. I'm also concerned that the Jacks players will react to a cheap shot and as so often happens, the refs don't catch the initial infraction but they see the reaction.

I'm confident our players and coaches are taking into account what I'll call the undisciplined play of the Coyotes but I'm concerned: our season doesn't end Saturday, but the end of the Coyotes season was set in stone a week or two ago. How many unsportsmanlike penalties will we see from the visitors?

[JackJD]

Re: USD week

USD Coach Bob Nielson, prior to taking the helm at USD, had a well-earned reputation as a turn-around artist. Before coming to USD, Coach Nielson took over programs that were struggling and had them in the hunt for championships by their third season. His second season at USD was strong but this year -- the third season -- USD seems to have regressed. Granted, last year USD was led by one of its best players in recent memory, QB Chris Streveler, now playing in the CFL. But, they returned nearly intact the same offensive line for the 2018 campaign and a quarterback who appeared to have the right tools.

So, here are Coach Nielson's stats:

Ripon College:
1989: 2-6-1
1990: 7-2

Wartburg:
1991: 6-4
1992: 5-5
1993: 9-2 (D-3 1st Round)
1994: 10-2 (D-3 Quarterfinals)
1995: 9-1

UW-Eau Claire:
1996: 5-5
1997: 7-3
1998: 10-3 (D-3 Semifinals)

UM-Duluth:
1999: 3-8
2000: 7-4
2001: 9-3
2002: 11-1 (D-2 First Round)
2003: 8-3

2004-07 didn’t coach -- Nielson's return as head coach at UM-D in 2008, by itself, is a great story. Nielson was the AD at Duluth and his successor as head coach of the Bulldogs moved on prior to the start of the 2008 season. Nielson picked up his clipboard and guided the team to a 15-0 season and the NCAA Division 2 National Title. He grabbed his second D-2 National Title in 2010. [Some additional trivia: Who took over UMD's program from 2004 through 2007? A fellow named Kyle Schweigert, a/k/a "Bubba" Schweigert, the present head coach at the U of North Dakota. Schweigert left UM-D to become the Defensive Coordinator at Southern Illinois, 2008-13 under Dale Lennon -- Schweigert had coached under Lennon when Lennon had his run at UND. UND brought Schweigert back to Grand Forks in 2014. Anyway, look what Schweigert left at UM-D starting in 2008. Nice move!]

UM-Duluth:
2008: 15-0 (D-2 Champs)
2009: 11-2 (D-2 Quarterfinals)
2010: 15-0 (D-2 Champs)
2011: 11-3 (D-2 Quarterfinals)
2012: 10-2 (D-2 First Round)

Western Illinois U:
2013: 4-8
2014: 5-7
2015: 7-6 (FCS 2nd Round)

USD
2016: 4-7
2017: 8-5 (FCS 2nd Round)
2018 (with one game, at SDSU, remaining) 4-6


A common pre-2018 season prediction by Coyotes fans was 7-4 or better. On paper, it seemed that was a supportable season prediction. But as the season unfolded, it became apparent the lug-nuts were loose on the program's wheels and it started wobbling and then lost a wheel or two. Totally uncharacteristic of a Bob Nielson-coached program. One could conclude that there's something -- likely attitude and motivation -- missing in the red-team's lockerroom.

[Mr_Tibbs]

Re: USD week

I think what's missing in the red teams locker room (in addition to attitude and motivatio) is Chris Streveler. Without him, they aren't above .500 last year. And even then, they backed into the playoffs with 4 straight losses to end at 7-4. Nielson gets credit for "turning around" WIU, but he backed into the playoffs there too as a 6-5 squad (albeit with a very tough SoS) and a victory over SDSU. No telling if WIU would have been better in 2016 if Bob stayed. So far, as a DI coach, he's been pretty average. I've noticed that USD teams seem to just fall apart late in the year, whether that be under Joe Glenn or Bob Nielsen. Part of that is due to their ineptitude outdoors in November, but it's also just an attitude and leadership thing. To paraphrase Ron White, "That team's got a lot of quit in 'em."

They do have a little momentum coming into town on Saturday, and they'll throw everything they have out there to ruin our postseason positioning and claim their first win against the Jacks in the DI era.

[JackJD]

Re: USD week

Love the Ron White quote!

[Southeast]

Re: USD week

It looks like it will be around 20-25 degrees (without wind chill) Saturday. I’d guess the winning team is going to do most of their damage on the ground and I know which team has shown it is suited for just that. These rivalry games are often goofy but I really like our odds this year.

[Jacked_Up]

Re: USD week

Wearing a tie on the sideline commands respect, apparently, because Bob Nielson is an over-rated head coach at the D-1 level. He's got 34 wins and 39 losses so far (between WIU and USD), and he's had losing records four of six seasons. I hope he coaches USD for a few more seasons before he moves on, retires or gets fired.

[Nidaros]

Re: USD week

Love the Ron White quote!

I missed it! Where is it?

[Roy]

Re: USD week

I missed it! Where is it?

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