Interesting opinions from UND!

[panterawinnie]

Well, I'm also looking forward to this game but I am really hoping that we are not on the wrong end of a blowout. UNI is obviously a great team, ranked #4 in I-AA and last years national runner-up, and playing in their house.

Here is how I think we can keep it close and be competetive:

Special teams. Weston Dressler and Ryan Chappell need to bust off a few long runs on kick returns, and keep giving us good field position. Our kick return game is one of the strongest parts of our team. And Hellevang needs to make field goals when given the chance. We can't leave points on the field against UNI.

Offensive Line. It needs to get healthy this week and it needs to get some push for the running game. UNI's D-line is young and inexperienced. If we don't run the ball better than we did last week, we have no chance. And we need to effectively run between the tackles, because our backs aren't fast enough to run around UNI's linebackers.

Front 7. Our front seven needs to at least get in the backfield and knock around UNI's quarterback and get him rattled. He is too good to just allow him to sit back and make clean throws. And I don't think our secondary is good enough to allow him to do that either.

UND has nothing to lose and everything to gain in this game. If we lose we were supposed to. UND has had this game circled on the calender, UNI has not. We are to them what Ferris St. is to us. They just rolled past non-scholarship Drake last week, so they are confident. Perhaps over-confident and looking past UND. They see just a DII warm-up game on their schedule. The following week they have SDSU who just lost to a DIII program, perhaps they are even looking past them to Iowa State which they feel will likely be their first true test of the season. I hope UND can be their first true test of the season. Ya never know! QUOTED FROM UND Message board

[UNI MadCat]

First off, this is only one person's opinion as I read this thread on their board too. Secondly, I find it hard to disagree with anything they are saying. If UND plays up to their fullest and we take them for granted they have a chance to to stay in it for a half or 3 quarters. However, the mentality of this UNI team since they dropped to 4-3 last year is not to let up on anyone.

Most posters on their board seem to agree that keeping it within 10 points would be a major "victory".

While it would be impossible to say that UNI won't have a few of their thoughts wonder to ISU, I still expect the team to be very focused. They've got two home games to concentrate on and then a full 14 days off after that - at which point they can start worrying about ISU. I expect the Panthers to be very amped up playing their first home game after a National Runner-Up finish.

[Mountain Panther]

Why would we overlook ANY game? We desperately need every win in order to stay playoff eligible!

[MGLD Panther]

Kind of like us looking to beat Iowa State, eh? I think this stuff is awesome. We are Goliath and they are David. Great stuff. These fans are pumped for this game. This is their season, this is why college football is the best sport.

[joecooll6]

I see a lot of what we say about the ISU game in that post. I think it is so cool that their fans are pumped up about this game.

[panther2317]

They should be pumped and we should feel excited that other fan bases look forward to measuring their program by how they perform vs. the Panthers. We're a program that's looked up to by programs on the rise. I remember my first year at SMS (1998) when the Bears came into the Dome and got the big "W"...and it was like they'd won the Super Bowl. They really respect and envy what UNI has been able to do in the Gateway. They want to get to the level of the Panthers. So...UNI will be wearing a target all year long and will get every team's best shot. That should be great preparation for another play-off run. One game at a time...beat UND!