GDT: LIU Sharks

[jakejc795]

Re: GDT: LIU Sharks

Oklahoma was charging $58 for a one day ppv pass to watch them destroy the yotes.

And some of their tickets were reportedly selling for $50 at around the 30yd line.

Guess I'll use this to segue into a "rant and rave" post.

Rave (with a mini-rant): There was an older gentleman who used to sit in row behind my parents and me who took the time to stop and chat prior to kickoff. He used to "BS" with my parents during breaks in game action and said he wanted to come over today to say hello because he opted not to get season tickets again this year due to prices. Connections like that seem worth raving about, as I'm pretty sure we would never have known the guy had we never purchased our tickets, and I'm in agreement with some that if ticket prices were reduced even $3-5 per ticket, there would be increased sales, as even that small amount adds up when multiple tickets are being purchased.

Rant: Anyone watching at home have additional information on why the Jacks' "TD" that was reviewed and eventually deemed short was not ruled a TD? It sure seemed like Pierre had the ball over the line as he was coming down. Was their argument that his shoulder or something touched short of line?

Rave: We had a quick-moving request for a pair of Hobo Day tickets made in the last couple days, so we decided to stop at the ticket window prior to gates opening to try to get seats near where our season tickets are. Unfortunately, the ticket office initially had the tickets at opposite end in adjacent section. Once we got to our seats last night, we realized the mistake, so I walked back over to see if they could exchange the Hobo Day tickets we'd just purchased for ones closer to season tickets, and the ticket office was able to do so. That was much-appreciated, and aligns well with prior interactions with them.

Rant: One of the LIU fans was trolling for a better seat prior to the game, so she and her son tried to sit in season ticket holders' spots in our section. This temporarily confused a trio of our "repeat" ticket holders, who temporarily ended up shifting their locations to accommodate the LIU pair; unfortunately, as the seats filled, continuing this became impossible, and when the LIU fan learned she would have to move, she proceeded to whine about how she'd traveled all the way from NY and thought it was "disgusting" that she had to sit "way in the corner." I'd seen her at the east side visiting team ticket window prior to the game, and others in her party ended up closer to midfield, so it seems like an instance of her having "midfield tastes on an endzone budget."

Rave: Dang, Rozeboom and Backhaus are awesome to watch, and it's bittersweet that Rozeboom is a senior. Very appreciative of opportunities to witness the tackles, stuffed runs, PBUs, and INTs in person.

Tongue-in-cheek Rant: The Whiskey Creek "meat and greet" segment question about coach's favorite restaurant seems a bit anti-climactic (although maybe one will say Cubby's just to stir the pot)

[mitchellrabbit]

Re: GDT: LIU Sharks

Zimmers description of the crowd(uninspiring) was right on. I dont think anyone around me ever stood up on a 3rd down. It was a struggle for most just to stand up for a TD. Might have been different had Gibbs played. I hope he is back soon.

[Gojacks2487]

Re: GDT: LIU Sharks

I think part of the problem with the o line last night was that they really weren’t prepared for the unique slants and stunts and shifts the LIU front seven did. From watching ECK in the first quarter he had the board and and preaching. So I think that was some the issue, but when it continued eck was pissed. And it definitely apparent that Nelson in his 4th in Brookings still can’t throw worth a darn. Maybe should ve move to WR. Thank good our defense is solid. And have these almost preseason games.

[slosho]

Re: GDT: LIU Sharks

Woof! That's about all I can say. The O-line completely laid an egg tnight .. hardly any running room tonight. After last week I thought the Jacks would rush for 300+. Give credit to LIU, they came out fired up on D, they gave a very solid effort, but that doesnt excuse our O-line play. Not sure why we tried to run our backup QB like we did, still scratching my head about that. When it comes to playing Heide over Connors, I have a source that said once fall camp started, Connors fell off big time. Not sure how true that is, but it would certainly explain why he didn't see time tonight..

I want to chime in (again) on ticket prices.

The last thing the Jacks need with this is the perception that the price is too High. (Even when it isn't it will turn people away)

[JackJD]

Re: GDT: LIU Sharks

I want to chime in (again) on ticket prices.

The last thing the Jacks need with this is the perception that the price is too High. (Even when it isn't it will turn people away)

I agree with slosho. It seems there will always be people who think ticket prices are too high.
On the way home from the game, following the post-game on WNAX, my wife was reading (aloud while I drove) posts on this message board including those discussing ticket prices. Our perspective is the same: we measure the entertainment value and think an SDSU game is a great value for the price of a ticket. Last weekend we went out to eat with some of our family -- six in the group. We had a great time at a cost of around $30 per person. Well worth the price but we think the entertainment value etc. of an SDSU game is worth more, particularly when we're joined by some of the family.

I think our ticket prices are about right.

[BigGoosie13]

Re: GDT: LIU Sharks

Our Defense is ****ing awesome. When was the last time we held an opponent to 120 freaking yards? I loved what the freshman Hicks and Evans showed. The rest of the team looked like they were playing with cinder blocks for shoes, even Janke's punt return looked like it was in slow motion. That early goalline fumble kind of set the tone for the offense. Though Blakely provided a nice spark towards the end of the game. I love Kanin and am appreciative of all that he has contributed to our program as walk-on and loyal practice player, but he sucks as a quarterback, even his TD toss to Kunz was a duck. We are screwed if he is our best backup option come Valley play.

Nice to know we can have an off day in the rain and win 38-3.

[Mr_Tibbs]

Re: GDT: LIU Sharks

Thoughts:

The O line was clearly not prepared for the stunts and speed of the LIU d line, and they really didn't adjust well. While that's concerning, I'm sure it'll be addressed.

I'm curious how much Nelson ran with 1s in practice this week. Some of the reports that came out indicated that Gibbs was still taking reps while they were deciding if he could play. If Nelson didn't get a full week of practice with 1s as the main guy, that could explain a lot of the mistakes and shakiness last night.

Regardless of how much he practiced, Nelson isn't a D1 QB. No way around that. There's a reason Gibbs beat out a guy that's been in the system three years as a backup. If Nelson starts next week, I'd like to see him have a better game and really "lead". If we're using him going into the conference season, we're in bad shape.

I tire of the comments about the weather, the ticket prices, the opponent, etc. Fact is, those are just excuses that are trying to justify an underwhelming level of fan support. If 27 dollar tickets are too expensive to watch a top 5 team, I don't know what to tell you. I can't go to the movies for less than 12 bucks a ticket to watch a crappy Disney remake. As stated above, a good burger and beer will end up costing me 25 bucks easily.

Our fan support is a cultural problem with South Dakota. People here don't care about college football. They just dont. And if they do, they're more likely to care about Iowa and Nebraska. If this problem is going to be fixed, it's going to take a lot more than tweaking ticket prices.

Which brings me to my next question. Did anybody see what happened with UPD and the group tailgating in the library lot? Zimmer retweeted about it, but apparently a group got harassed by UPD for some reason several hours before game time. Anyone have any insight there?

Tailgating is killing the game day atmosphere here. I don't know the specifics of that scenario yesterday, but I've seen enough of UPD at games over the years acting like assholes to assume they were probably being assholes.
If I were that group, I'd be writing a letter to Barry Dunn explaining how upsetting it is to be treated that way and threaten to pull financial support. Our current state of tailgating is a direct result of Dunn's policies for game day. While we all know the incident that sparked this in 2014, tailgating in 2019 is reflective of Barry Dunn's goals for game day at state. As I've stated before, I don't think Barry wants to see tailgating grow. And it's going to be damned hard to grow the fan base when the centerpiece of pregame activities is shrinking.

[Kemo]

Re: GDT: LIU Sharks

Our Defense is ****ing awesome. When was the last time we held an opponent to 120 freaking yards? I loved what the freshman Hicks and Evans showed. The rest of the team looked like they were playing with cinder blocks for shoes, even Janke's punt return looked like it was in slow motion. That early goalline fumble kind of set the tone for the offense. Though Blakely provided a nice spark towards the end of the game. I love Kanin and am appreciative of all that he has contributed to our program as walk-on and loyal practice player, but he sucks as a quarterback, even his TD toss to Kunz was a duck. We are screwed if he is our best backup option come Valley play.

Nice to know we can have an off day in the rain and win 38-3.

This is the best our D-line has ever looked since I've followed the Jacks, and by a long ways too. Our front 4 is consistently getting penetration into the backfield and disrupting the play, and it is coming from a plethora of different guys in a rotation that's going at least 8 deep.

I know it's only 2 games, but it's hard not to be excited about these guys going forward.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: GDT: LIU Sharks

I agree with slosho. It seems there will always be people who think ticket prices are too high.
On the way home from the game, following the post-game on WNAX, my wife was reading (aloud while I drove) posts on this message board including those discussing ticket prices. Our perspective is the same: we measure the entertainment value and think an SDSU game is a great value for the price of a ticket. Last weekend we went out to eat with some of our family -- six in the group. We had a great time at a cost of around $30 per person. Well worth the price but we think the entertainment value etc. of an SDSU game is worth more, particularly when we're joined by some of the family.

I think our ticket prices are about right.

Agree 100%. Ticket prices are about right... for YOU. Me too.

However, I personally know lots of people who are SDSU fans who don't come to games anymore, or have cut down dramatically in the number of games they attend, and ticket prices are the #1 reason why.

I can't tell you the number of people I talk to about games and the first thing they say is along the lines of: it was a great game! I watched on TV. Man, the stadium was empty, there wasn't anybody there.

An empty east side KILLS the perception on TV, there are TONS of people who tune in and think the stadium is empty. Cheaper tickets specifically for the east side would help fill the stadium, IMO.

With that being said, I am sure significant thought has been put in by the athletic department on this issue.

[Mr_Tibbs]

Re: GDT: LIU Sharks

Regarding the perception of empty seats on the east side, here's a thought (maybe not a good one, but it's a thought).

Right now on the broadcast, you can't see the students. What if the student section were to either partially or wholly move to the southern half of the east side? I realize at a major issue with this is the band's location. But if we're going to have 8,000 empty seats for these games, I'd prefer it if the majority weren't front and center on tv. Having the band with the students is important and helps the atmosphere, but that east side just looks awful on TV for the majority of the season.

[BigGoosie13]

Re: GDT: LIU Sharks

This is the best our D-line has ever looked since I've followed the Jacks, and by a long ways too. Our front 4 is consistently getting penetration into the backfield and disrupting the play, and it is coming from a plethora of different guys in a rotation that's going at least 8 deep.

I know it's only 2 games, but it's hard not to be excited about these guys going forward.

It's crazy how we are doing wholesale line changes and not taking a step back at all, can't wait to see how they look when Krockpot gets back up to last years level.

[THE PRIDE IS BACK!!!]

Re: GDT: LIU Sharks

Thoughts:

The O line was clearly not prepared for the stunts and speed of the LIU d line, and they really didn't adjust well. While that's concerning, I'm sure it'll be addressed.

I'm curious how much Nelson ran with 1s in practice this week. Some of the reports that came out indicated that Gibbs was still taking reps while they were deciding if he could play. If Nelson didn't get a full week of practice with 1s as the main guy, that could explain a lot of the mistakes and shakiness last night.

Regardless of how much he practiced, Nelson isn't a D1 QB. No way around that. There's a reason Gibbs beat out a guy that's been in the system three years as a backup. If Nelson starts next week, I'd like to see him have a better game and really "lead". If we're using him going into the conference season, we're in bad shape.

I tire of the comments about the weather, the ticket prices, the opponent, etc. Fact is, those are just excuses that are trying to justify an underwhelming level of fan support. If 27 dollar tickets are too expensive to watch a top 5 team, I don't know what to tell you. I can't go to the movies for less than 12 bucks a ticket to watch a crappy Disney remake. As stated above, a good burger and beer will end up costing me 25 bucks easily.

Our fan support is a cultural problem with South Dakota. People here don't care about college football. They just dont. And if they do, they're more likely to care about Iowa and Nebraska. If this problem is going to be fixed, it's going to take a lot more than tweaking ticket prices.

Which brings me to my next question. Did anybody see what happened with UPD and the group tailgating in the library lot? Zimmer retweeted about it, but apparently a group got harassed by UPD for some reason several hours before game time. Anyone have any insight there?

Tailgating is killing the game day atmosphere here. I don't know the specifics of that scenario yesterday, but I've seen enough of UPD at games over the years acting like assholes to assume they were probably being assholes.
If I were that group, I'd be writing a letter to Barry Dunn explaining how upsetting it is to be treated that way and threaten to pull financial support. Our current state of tailgating is a direct result of Dunn's policies for game day. While we all know the incident that sparked this in 2014, tailgating in 2019 is reflective of Barry Dunn's goals for game day at state. As I've stated before, I don't think Barry wants to see tailgating grow. And it's going to be damned hard to grow the fan base when the centerpiece of pregame activities is shrinking.

Couldn't agree with you more, especially that last part! Dunn is a nice guy, but I'm not a fan of him. I just don't see athletics moving in the directions they want, as far as fan experience, with him as president. He will only encourage UPD to act out more. I passed by that beer garden thing they were trying out (Jackrabbit Endzone?), and I only saw UPD officers in there. Nobody likes to be watched over like a small child waiting for you to do something wrong (or not doing anything wrong but harass you, anyways.)

[SDSUAlum08]

Re: GDT: LIU Sharks

Woof! That's about all I can say. The O-line completely laid an egg tnight .. hardly any running room tonight. After last week I thought the Jacks would rush for 300+. Give credit to LIU, they came out fired up on D, they gave a very solid effort, but that doesnt excuse our O-line play. Not sure why we tried to run our backup QB like we did, still scratching my head about that. When it comes to playing Heide over Connors, I have a source that said once fall camp started, Connors fell off big time. Not sure how true that is, but it would certainly explain why he didn't see time tonight..

They’re really high on the kid from Wayzata. He’s going to push Gibbs. I also was told Connors got sick and lost some weight and has been recovering. I believe it was mono.

I mentioned last week that Cade is going to get killed with all the returns/touches. They need to save him on ST for special circumstances and keep most of his touches on offense. Running back kickoffs against LIU is really dumb.

[SDSUAlum08]

Re: GDT: LIU Sharks

Couldn't agree with you more, especially that last part! Dunn is a nice guy, but I'm not a fan of him. I just don't see athletics moving in the directions they want, as far as fan experience, with him as president. He will only encourage UPD to act out more. I passed by that beer garden thing they were trying out (Jackrabbit Endzone?), and I only saw UPD officers in there. Nobody likes to be watched over like a small child waiting for you to do something wrong (or not doing anything wrong but harass you, anyways.)

Agree. Dunn is a major problem for football attendance moving forward.

Anyone know what went on with UPD prior to the game? My assumption was that the group of guys showed up a little earlier than they were supposed to and set up. UPD likely decided to flex their power and get mad.

[Nidaros]

Re: GDT: LIU Sharks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylN9hlntKpg

Here is LIU Coach. Very humble and very complimentary.

I am reposting my own post again since I was impressed with the coaches comments. He mentions that SDSU was once D2 and now has great facilities and a top notch FCS program. He said he had never since that much speed on defense. Also he casually mentions that some of the administrators from LIU were along on the trip to observe how it is done here in the middle of no where. Gee, despite a bullheaded president and a corrupt UPD, we must be doing something right,