The UND Football team went out to Portland, Oregon this weekend and took care of business in beating the #16 ranked and previously undefeated PSU Vikings 19-17.  The game was kind of sloppy at times but had many positives that the UND players can build off of.  Here are our thoughts:

Rumors
Thunder Lake Lodge
  • The game was “costly” for UND because they lost two of their top defenders in S Cole Reyes and ILB Taj Rich.  We have heard Reyes may have been a slight knee/leg issue but will hear more today I am sure at the presser.  Rich seemed to be a knee issue as well but his did not look good at all.
  • Rich and Reyes are cornerstones of this UND defense and losing them for multiple games will be a huge hit to this defense.  Let’s all hope for the best.
  • OL Brandon Anderson left the game as well with what appeared to be a head injury.  Same with RB Iwarri Smith, who got smoked on a jet sweep and was knocked out of the game.  We assume his was a upper body injury as well.  Look for updates as the week goes on with these four players.
  • This is not the week to be facing a pass-happy team like Idaho State.  UND is down to two safeties who have ever played in Jawon Johnson and walk-on William James.  Both are fairly raw to the system meaning something is going to need to be adjusted this weekend.  We know they moved Charles Flowers to safety but there is no way he can be ready to play and make are the checks for the defense.
  • Coach Bubba Schweigert wisely deferred to start the game, meaning PSU would take the ball.  This allowed UND to take the wind, which was a factor on Saturday.  In the 4th quarter, PSU had to go into the wind with their anemic passing game and could not do much of anything.
  • The UND defense played an solid game overall, once again.  They gave up a 76 yard TD pass on the first play of the game to WR Paris Penn but then pretty much shut the door on the Vikings.  On that long TD pass, both UND safeties blew the coverage allowing Penn to run right down the seam untouched.  That cannot happen.  UND seems to be giving up ONE long play a game, every game.
  • PSU kicked a field goal and scored another TD to get their 17 points.  The starting field position of those two “scoring drives”:  UND 10 yard line and UND 1 yard line.  The UND defense didn’t have much of a chance, you could say.
  • People like to point to stats to show how great a defense is.  Take a look at the bullet point above this one to see how mistakes by the other side of the ball can affect a defense’s stats and give a false perception of how the game actually went.  The UND defense pretty much shut them down when PSU had to go a full field.
  • PSU rushed the ball 30 times for 97 yards.
  • UND is now giving up 69 yards per game rushing on the season.
  • UND ran 70 plays for 396 total yards.  PSU ran 47 plays for 247 total yards.
  • TE Luke Mathewson came up with two big receptions from QB Keaton Studsrud.  Mathewson caught a 21 yarder and a 30 yarder.  Unlikely receptions from guys like that are exactly what UND needs to become a better offense.
  • UND fumbled the ball FIVE times on Saturday.  Luckily, they only lost one.
  • QB Keaton Studsrud had a pretty good overall game.  He ran the ball for 107 yards and 1 TD.  Studsrud was 9-17 for 136 yards passing.  He made a few nice throws, particularly the one to Mathewson down the middle.  However, he still has a ways to go with touch as he booted out one time and threw a rocket to the flat receiver 5 yards in front of him.  It flew over his head and needed to simply be dumped to him softly.  These are the little things that will come with experience.
  • The offensive line dominated the game vs. a team that was pretty good against the run coming in.  UND ran the ball 53 times for 260 yards.  RB John Santiago once again led the charge with 111 yards. His patience at the line and then stiff-arm to get around the edge is really something to watch.  He has “running back moves” instilled in him.
  • ILB Will Ratelle had another great game for UND.  7 solo tackles, 1.5 TFL’s and 0.5 sacks.
  • Punter Mitch Meindel’s 74 yard punt in the 4th to completely flip the field could have been the play of the game.  It forced PSU to start from their own 12 yard line with 8 minutes left in the game and go INTO the wind to try and get a game winning field goal.  They would have needed to get at least to the UND 20 for a shot.  This gave the UND defense multiple chances to stop them, which they did on 3rd and 1.  Coach Barnum elected to punt and that was the end of the game as UND ran out the clock with two first downs.
  • The fake-toss, naked boot call by OC Paul Rudolph to seal the game was the play of the year.  EVERYONE ran to running back John Santiago as Studsrud faked the toss right and then booted out left and around the end untouched for 19 yards when he only needed 8 yards.

Great win by UND on the road vs. an unbeaten, ranked PSU team.  Now, they need to regroup on defense and figure out who is going to be starting on Saturday vs. a desperate, pass-happy team in Idaho State.  Oh yah, it’s Homecoming!  Should be a fun day.