2024 SMSU Mustangs: Year 3 of Underwood

[CollegeFBGuy]

Anyone heading to Bemidji? I’ll be there, love Fall Saturdays!

[Stanger86]

Sauter has the 2nd most wins in SMSU history, his demise was a result of poor administration that didn’t allow him to keep coaching staff, players and boosters. SMSU is well known for screwing up a good thing, ask Kelly Kruger.

There is truth here, but the Kruger situation was what, 3 or 4 presidents ago?!

[SW_Mustang]

There is truth here, but the Kruger situation was what, 3 or 4 presidents ago?!

Ironically, the Gores administration was truly awful - yet she also oversaw the period of 2013-2016 where SMSU football was at it's peak.

That's the only defense I have of that situation. I'm just glad the school wasn't turned into a shopping mall.

[SW_Mustang]

Correct, I was looking big picture as the initial ask referenced ‘historically’. They did have a nice run with an up-tempo offense that gave the QB an identity. But even then, they may have had an identity but weren’t piling up the wins outside of outlier years.

Sometimes it takes a shift in landscape, not just program. MSU was mediocre at absolute best in football (and borderline bad most years, REALLY bad in 04 or whenever they went 0-11). Then the Dakota schools split for D1 and the Mavs started scooping those players more often. Started winning and now it’s easier to get those players due to the recent history of success. Mankato has plenty going for it that Marshall doesn’t though, so I realize the difficulty any ball coach is going to have there.

I missed the bit about history, and in that context you are correct. In fact, it didn't become a problem until well after 2016 and the wheels fell off long before that point. Though I can only speak from experience no earlier than 2013 - which was a heavy factor in my response.

I've thought about the issue through the lens of enrollment endlessly while I've tried to work on solutions - but the conclusion applies to football too. The problem is the sum total of the parts working against us. The demographics just don't create an environment where we can foster those deep roots that we need. We're effectively a cross between a community college and commuter school, but in the middle of nowhere. Our motto could quite literally be "At least we aren't St. Cloud!"

That being said, some of those problems will iron themselves out with time - however most are going to require a lot of investment, both monetarily and through elbow grease. IMO, I think it's lazy to blame the administration, because let's face it - all college administrations are in shambles right now. It would benefit the alumni community with an opinion to be involved, but it's easier for a lot of them to complain.

[SW_Mustang]

Anyone heading to Bemidji? I’ll be there, love Fall Saturdays!

I'm attending a performance called A Viking Funeral this weekend - so I won't be able too. Though seeing the Mustangs at the Chet would be a lot of fun despite what awaits.

I might have set a new record... $150 to watch a DII football game. Yeesh.

[Stanger86]

I missed the bit about history, and in that context you are correct. In fact, it didn't become a problem until well after 2016 and the wheels fell off long before that point. Though I can only speak from experience no earlier than 2013 - which was a heavy factor in my response.

I've thought about the issue through the lens of enrollment endlessly while I've tried to work on solutions - but the conclusion applies to football too. The problem is the sum total of the parts working against us. The demographics just don't create an environment where we can foster those deep roots that we need. We're effectively a cross between a community college and commuter school, but in the middle of nowhere. Our motto could quite literally be "At least we aren't St. Cloud!"

That being said, some of those problems will iron themselves out with time - however most are going to require a lot of investment, both monetarily and through elbow grease. IMO, I think it's lazy to blame the administration, because let's face it - all college administrations are in shambles right now. It would benefit the alumni community with an opinion to be involved, but it's easier for a lot of them to complain.

Side note....what are your thoughts about the enrollment growth? What led to it? Is it sustainable? Can it translate to athletic growth and/or success?!

In a semi-related note: apparently AgBowl is the football program's largest recruiting effort during the football season (per Underwood, on one of the Saturday Morning Mustang episodes this season). Considering the product we saw on the football field Saturday, can't imagine this bodes greatly for our 2025 recruiting class.

[SW_Mustang]

Side note....what are your thoughts about the enrollment growth? What led to it? Is it sustainable? Can it translate to athletic growth and/or success?!

Oh man, my favorite subject! I'll try to be brief.

The enrollment growth is exciting! I've gotten to be a fly on the wall and an active participant at various points so it's something I'm passionate about.

Essentially, this was the plan when Gores stepped down. The search committee put a heavy emphasis on hiring a president with track record of driving enrollment and the found one - though to be fair it's a big group effort. I can go into more detail if you want on the specifics, but the gist is there are a lot of minor tweaks and changes happening.

One drawback is some of the emphasis is geared towards students who will never set foot on-campus. It doesn't bother me personally, but it does other people.

We're also finally investing in our infrastructure. We actually have a great campus arrangement, but we let it rot for the past 30 years. Nobody understood how much this matters with recruiting students.

Is it sustainable? I think if we work to maintain it, it will be. SCSU chose not too, and they're in shambles - so if active effort is applied, it will be fine. I have more hope for the future of SMSU now than at any point in the last several years.

Athletics? It's not going to hurt, but I also don't know. I think the benefits we'll see in the short term will revolve around the student culture. I've noticed it the most in volleyball and it does make a difference. It could provide access to resources too, but I don't know as much about that.

I'm just glad something is being done. There were fears around the 50th that our days were numbered and the previous administration threw a fit at the idea of doing anything. It's refreshing to see the changes.

[SW_Mustang]

When I was at SMSU, the bulk of the student population "ended up" there (myself included). It left the campus culture feeling dull. Nobody had much pride in being a Mustang - they got their degrees and left. Granted, I was just trying to survive as best as I could there so I wasn't able to be deeply ingrained in student life, and I worked a lot - but you could feel it.

Enrollment dipped so low towards the end of my time there that serious discussions started happening about bulldozing part of campus. One of the marketing research groups was tasked with working on the enrollment issue. They produced a TV commercial but it got negative feedback because it was filmed on campus, which just shows how bad things got.

I'm not a super huge fan about how we saved that part of campus, but revenue is revenue I guess.

What I will say is that the current direction of things is heavily reliant on idea generation and feedback, so if anyone has anything to contribute - it is much appreciated by those of us working to save things. Get those ideas in, and that's something I can help with too if anyone has anything.

[SW_Mustang]

I guess that's an improvement? Maybe? I don't know.

We gave up less points, I guess?

[Stanger86]

When does true freshman Drew Kluender make his first start and why should it be on Saturday?!

[MrMustang]

Question, I've never understood why SMSU has historically not won and has high turnover rates with the football program? For ten years I spent every Wednesday night in a hotel across the road from the S. end of the campus 86' thru 96. Bicycled with a fast riding group, often going out for beer afterwords. Personally, I thought Marshall was a great community. If BSU can win, why not the Mustangs? You have a beautiful stadium and better location for recruiting. Some winning needs to happen to get momentum.

Nice men's BB commitment from Brayson Boike. Texas Tom's staff started recruiting him 2 1/2 yrs. ago.

great get on Boike. beat out Augie amd Mankato

[MrMustang]

Question, I've never understood why SMSU has historically not won and has high turnover rates with the football program? For ten years I spent every Wednesday night in a hotel across the road from the S. end of the campus 86' thru 96. Bicycled with a fast riding group, often going out for beer afterwords. Personally, I thought Marshall was a great community. If BSU can win, why not the Mustangs? You have a beautiful stadium and better location for recruiting. Some winning needs to happen to get momentum.

Nice men's BB commitment from Brayson Boike. Texas Tom's staff started recruiting him 2 1/2 yrs. ago.

short answer. Other than Jon Wefald -- who did the same thing aty Kansas State, Doug Sweetland who saw the transition to D2, and David Danahr who go tthe stadium built, we have not had any adminstrators who even cared about football or made it a priority.. along those lines there were terrible presidents between them who failed to keep up any momentum built up but the presidents who got football moving.

After Wefald we had 4 bad ones who let football falter even though Buer was a good coach.. we were ok but never maintained greatness. they just collected paychecks. Bo Carrothers, Doug Treadway, Oliver Ford etc.

Then after Sweetland. we had some continuity even with intermins of Dennis Neilsen and Ron Wood. Both cared about football -- and we were decnt and comptetitve from early 90s to precovid. we had Sweetland, Neilsen, Wood, Danahar. all cared about football and we held out our own

then after Danahar, the last 2 have been duds. since 2013 -- a decade now !!!!! we have had 2 presdients who dont care. and it shows on the football field

it is hard to win when the presidents couldnt care less.

[MrMustang]

Short answer is the transfer portal mixed with instant gratification has created a "win now-or-leave" culture where the grass is always greener. I'm not one of those "darn kids" types, but we need a core of guys willing to invest and take bumps to build something bigger. Nobody wants to do that. If there were deeper issues going on we'd see it across all sports and we aren't.

Marshall is a very tough sell to your average 18 y/o. It's dull, it's flat, it's isolated, and the weather is awful. What makes for a great community for 55+ does not translate as well to the 18-25 crowd. We all desperately wanted out, frankly. Having a top rated pre-school (which is an actual argument I've heard) and a senior discount at the supper club is absolutely great, but it's of no benefit to a 20 y/o d-lineman from Nebraska. They should have built the campus in Redwood so we could have had some natural resources, but RWF loves education like I love the NDSU Bison so that was never gonna happen. The mayor and city council absolutely hate college kids and it's apparent they don't want them to come.

The campus is also horrifically outdated. The new administration is fixing it *gasp* and growing enrollment *gasp* which is clearly making the community livid - but at least something is changing. I also think there's a big effort to change the fan culture and as we saw Saturday it is starting to pay off, so who knows.

you are correct on the campous being outdated. every other school has a new bright rec cednter for the general students yet we cant seem tio get one. any sane President should be able to go up to MnSCU and St Paul with pictures and say -- "very other school has one, we should be treated the same"

the dorms havent changed in 40 years - it is a joke -- same concept -- where is our share to remodel these?????

[MrMustang]

Short answer is the transfer portal mixed with instant gratification has created a "win now-or-leave" culture where the grass is always greener. I'm not one of those "darn kids" types, but we need a core of guys willing to invest and take bumps to build something bigger. Nobody wants to do that. If there were deeper issues going on we'd see it across all sports and we aren't.

Marshall is a very tough sell to your average 18 y/o. It's dull, it's flat, it's isolated, and the weather is awful. What makes for a great community for 55+ does not translate as well to the 18-25 crowd. We all desperately wanted out, frankly. Having a top rated pre-school (which is an actual argument I've heard) and a senior discount at the supper club is absolutely great, but it's of no benefit to a 20 y/o d-lineman from Nebraska. They should have built the campus in Redwood so we could have had some natural resources, but RWF loves education like I love the NDSU Bison so that was never gonna happen. The mayor and city council absolutely hate college kids and it's apparent they don't want them to come.

The campus is also horrifically outdated. The new administration is fixing it *gasp* and growing enrollment *gasp* which is clearly making the community livid - but at least something is changing. I also think there's a big effort to change the fan culture and as we saw Saturday it is starting to pay off, so who knows.

I'm not sure where you get the community doesn't like the students though? On this is disagree. we want more students not less. I don't know anyone who agress with you on this.I dont know anyone in town upset if we had twice as many students. i think you are wrong on that.

Ag Bowl was a great example of that. Whole town was out there having a great time and students were too

[MrMustang]

Maybe it's a consequence of the problem, but it's had a huge effect - I mean, we got the USF monkey off our back last season and everyone was gone by Sunday morning. Had that happened in a similar 2014 season, we'd have never bounced back the following year.

Anyway - I know it's blasphemous to say Marshall is anything other than 10 feet from Heaven's doorstep - but it's not a great town for a college. It's not a "bad" place by any means, but it's not necessarily a utopia perfect for all-comers either, as no place can be. Bemidji has the benefit of a great downtown (from what I remember), an arena that can host events, and the outdoor life - three things Marshall lacks. It might be great for people looking to settle in, but that doesn't translate well for younger people.

Part of the issue is - we only have so many resources and serve a wide variety of programs beyond just football, which is something a lot of SMSU fans don't really consider. Much of the campus infrastructure is vastly outdated and is being dealt with (slowly). I saw a lot of improvements on my walk through campus that I never thought I'd see and it gave me the most hope for our future I've ever had. The downside is, we can't go spend it on football if we're rehabbing our classrooms and green spaces. I know the idea of bolstering education is enough to make the locals seethe - but if we don't address the campus then it's just going to make the football problem worse (IMO).

Anyway - that's my Ted Talk. It's just my opinion and people are free to disagree with it. I know I can be ultra sarcastic and I tried to tone it back a bit.

I am not sure where you get that Marshall is against education. Pretty new Taj Mahal HS. New elementary school opened last year. Improvements to SMSU is a state funding not local issue. Go look at all the booster clubs for HS sport s and the community sponsors it incredibly well. Tiger Football , Hoops Club, MAYBA (baseball) etc.