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I didn't get to watch this week's game but it certainly looks like it was ugly. Apparently the Dragons started freshman quarterback Jack Strand? Not sure if Tommy Falk is injured but if he is, that certainly isn't a good sign. I was hoping for a winning record this season but that basically means MSUM can only lose two more games. Could be a rough stretch. Maybe they can regroup and take down UMD this weekend and get back on track.
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So the 2022 season was absolutely front-loaded with great opponents and it showed. I was hoping that the team could pull a couple upsets, but just doesn't look like the Dragons' year. I'm glad they at least kept fighting in the UMD game. Two years in a row now that MSUM and UMD have really battled, but the Dragons still can't get over that hump.
Six games still on the schedule and plenty of tough opponents left. At this point, I think the biggest games are Bemidji and Mary, it would be nice to at least get the Axe back and keep the Paddle this season. Of course I'm still hoping for some kind of miracle where the Dragons finish the season on a win streak and get to 6-5 or 7-4 to earn another winning season. Long shot, I know, but still pulling for it to happen.
One question I still have is where is Tommy Falk? I don't know if he's injured, but the freshman Jack Strand has been playing QB instead lately.Comment
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I hear that they just like Strand better. Basically the freshman has beat him out.Originally posted by IceBoxDragon View PostComment
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I saw Strand vs. Augie. Cannon arm. rifle.Originally posted by IceBoxDragon View Post
Now it was basically against the Augie 3rd teamers, but he looked good anyway.
Have not seen much of the last 2 games where he played against starters. seems like he struggled vs Winona, better vs UMDComment
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That's surprising. Falk had some good moments last season and he had to battle a lot of tough opponents.Originally posted by MrMustang View PostComment
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Big win over Minot State on Saturday. Yes, Minot is a winless squad, but the Dragons are a team that needs to beat the opponents they're expected to. It's a good sign the team is hanging in there even after the tough losses they've had this season, and it's good for fan morale to have a performance like that in front of a big crowd on homecoming.
Every game is important in college football, especially when there's just 11 games, but this week is probably the biggest for the Dragons. The Axe is up for grabs against a really good Bemidji State team. Odds are against them, but the game will be at home and it's a rivalry match so some magic could happen. If they're able to pull off a win over the Beavers, it could set up some really good momentum for the rest of the schedule.Comment
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Well, that was a complete disaster.
I was hoping since it was a rivalry game at home that maybe the Dragons could have had some upset magic in them but was not the case at all. Bemidji State is really good, frustrating to see their success while MSUM struggles.
I think the COVID year off really must have hurt the program. From 2015-2019 the Dragons had a winning season four out of five times, had a Mineral Water Bowl berth, and the losing season, 2017, was still 5-6. It's also been tough to watch this year's losses be mostly blowouts, compared to last season when several of the losses were within a touchdown.
At this point, I think the best case scenario for the season is to win three more and finish close to .500 like last year. Take down Mary to keep the Paddle, defeat Concordia, and then steal one in an upset against Northern State or Wayne State.Comment
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You can always start looking forward to the basketball season :). Dragons picked #2 overall (behind UMD) in the nsic preseason coaches poll.Originally posted by IceBoxDragon View PostComment
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I'm certainly looking forward to bball. Should be another good run, although the question is how will things go without Chad. Still, Gavin and Lorenzo give me some hope for a strong year.Originally posted by Moorhead123 View Post
On the football side of things, Saturday's game was a big win. Showed the team hasn't quit and is hanging in there, especially in a shootout for a rivalry trophy. In a season that has been challenging, keeping the Paddle feels good. As I said earlier, I'm hoping the Dragons can manage an upset over either Northern or Wayne, plus get a victory against Concordia to finish close to .500. If they were to pull a miracle and win all three to finish for a winning record, I think it would have be considered a big accomplishment, relatively speaking.Comment
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Coach Steve Laqua appeared on WDAY's Hot Mic show to talk about the win at UMary and preview Northern State.
"We're going on the road, the first time we've been down there in quite a while, so with a young team, that's always a bit of a concern. I think, defensively, they're (Northern St) statistically probably one of, if not the best in our conference. So that's something we'll have to match up with, and then offensively, they're really explosive."Comment
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Will be interesting to see how new coaches do with bball team. It should help that veteran and talented group of players are coming back.Originally posted by IceBoxDragon View PostComment
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Story from the Northern State side of things in the Aberdeen News
3 things Northern State football has to do against Moorhead to keep NSIC North hopes alive
Gage Florence, a freshman wide receiver for the Dragons, set the NSIC single-game record for receptions last weekend against Mary. He had 21 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns and was named the conference offensive player of the week as the Dragons scored more than 40 points on the road.
The Northern defense will need to keep an eye on him, Schmidt said. He said only one of Florence's catches was more than 15 yards downfield, so the plan is to force the Dragons into long passes over the top given how effective the short passing game was against the Marauders.Comment
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Well, sometimes in football you need some luck on your side and that was the case for the Dragons this past weekend. It was great to see MSUM actually have a running game, with more than 100 rushing yards. Concordia certainly didn't make it easy, they wanted that win and MSUM was fortunate to walk away with the victory.
Last weekend was also the second trifecta of the season, with the Dragons, Gophers and Vikings all winning on the same weekend. It's nice to get two of those after having none in 2021.
So at the start of the year, I said the most important games of the season were Sioux Falls (season opener), UMD (getting over that hump), Bemidji State (rivalry) UMary (rivalry) and Wayne State (season finale). MSUM has gone 1-3 in those games which isn't surprising, the three losses were against stronger teams, but still I was really hoping the Dragons would get a win in one of those.
So that leaves Wayne State, which is a really big task for the Dragons and I'm not really sure they can do it, but I sure want them to win. It would be great to close out the year with back-to-back wins and build some momentum for 2023. Also, the Dragons have won at least five games in every season since 2015. Reaching that point again would be good for some stability.Comment
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