Game 1 Eastern Washington

[dragon]

Lets get this started! First game of the season! At Eastern Washington. They have 1 game under their belt losing a close one at #24 Northern Arizona 34-27. UNI won a close one last year in the Dome so hopefully we can get one on the road this year.

[Blue42]

Anybody else get a bit of a strange vibe listening to Stepsis' Monday press conference?

He has this weird habit of trying to avoid talking about the importance of winning the game. He talked on Monday about the things he'll use to evaluate success beyond the scoreboard.

Reminded me of his first press conference when he was hired.

Season starts Sept 5th. You only get 11 games. The point is to win them. This isn't a practice...it's go time.

Just strikes me as a strange way for a D1 HC to talk about a regular season game.

[BCPanther]

I guarantee Todd is a competitive guy but he's fallen way too far into the 'Champions for Life' bull****.

[06panther10]

Its fine if he talks about that stuff like that if we are wining games. Nobody is going to care if he is talking like that and we are 8-3.

But nobody is going to tolerate it when you are winning 3 games a year, that's just he bottom line. So is on him to get better and improve this program, and that means winning football games.

[Blue42]

Yeah I don't have any problem with a focus on the bigger picture.

But when it's 6 days before the season opener against a beatable team...I want to hear about how you plan to win.

Talk about the other stuff from Jan to mid-August.

Come Sept 1...let's win some games.

[enkamania]

I will not be going to that crap hole stadium this year, twice in a lifetime is enough. The red field is only the second most annoying thing about that stadium. They play an eagle squawking over the load speakers 200 times a game.

[kochrab]

I think that we can chalk anything a coach says before games to just "coach speak". I mean, on the other hand, if he spoke about how we're going to win and nothing happened, we'd all be up in arms. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. Regardless, I think what we're all saying is that we're itching for some tangible results on the field. And from what I keep hearing through connections to the team is that the unity, work-ethic, and focus is night and day different this year from last year. That absolutely has to translate to something positive. Let's just play some dang football already! Go Panthers!

[Blue42]

I think that we can chalk anything a coach says before games to just "coach speak". I mean, on the other hand, if he spoke about how we're going to win and nothing happened, we'd all be up in arms. Damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. Regardless, I think what we're all saying is that we're itching for some tangible results on the field. And from what I keep hearing through connections to the team is that the unity, work-ethic, and focus is night and day different this year from last year. That absolutely has to translate to something positive. Let's just play some dang football already! Go Panthers!

Well...I'm not expecting him to step to the podium and say I'm guaranteeing a W.

I'd just like to hear comments to the point of...here's what we need to do to win.

Instead of suggesting the definition of success is not winning but what he observes around quality of play, decision making, effort, etc.

Those things are all well and good. But the job is to win games.

[kochrab]

Well...I'm not expecting him to step to the podium and say I'm guaranteeing a W.

I'd just like to hear comments to the point of...here's what we need to do to win.

Instead of suggesting the definition of success is not winning but what he observes around quality of play, decision making, effort, etc.

Those things are all well and good. But the job is to win games.

I definitely don't disagree; I just know that all coaches do some sort of coach speak before the season starts and I just don't think it's worth debating. We'll know more on Saturday for sure.

[MVCBeat]

That has been his vibe since day 1. From the outside looking in it feels like hedging by someone who doesn’t think he can win here. It also feels like, from the outside looking in, he still has regrets about leaving Drake. I’m not declaring that to be the truth, to be clear. I have no idea what is going on in his head, at practice, etc. But the perception at least to me, that I get from watching him speak, is a guy who was very comfortable at his last job and hasn’t fully bought in to the importance of (and tradition of) success here.

There is no doubt, in the current era of college football, that there are legitimate barriers/roadblocks that will make it tough for UNI to be good at football. But you can’t be timid about that if you want any chance of breaking through IMO. Winning doesn’t necessarily need to be the be-all-end-all. Let’s make young men who are champions in life, that’s fine. You don’t need to say winning is the most important thing. But it does need to be an important thing.

[nonstopoffense]

Looks like we're 6.5 point dogs

[BCPanther]

That has been his vibe since day 1. From the outside looking in it feels like hedging by someone who doesn’t think he can win here. It also feels like, from the outside looking in, he still has regrets about leaving Drake. I’m not declaring that to be the truth, to be clear. I have no idea what is going on in his head, at practice, etc. But the perception at least to me, that I get from watching him speak, is a guy who was very comfortable at his last job and hasn’t fully bought in to the importance of (and tradition of) success here.

There is no doubt, in the current era of college football, that there are legitimate barriers/roadblocks that will make it tough for UNI to be good at football. But you can’t be timid about that if you want any chance of breaking through IMO. Winning doesn’t necessarily need to be the be-all-end-all. Let’s make young men who are champions in life, that’s fine. You don’t need to say winning is the most important thing. But it does need to be an important thing.

I agree with this.

The reports that he had to be talked in to taking this job were never a great sign and I'm just not sure full scholarship Division I football is a great personality match. A lot easier to be the nice guy at the PFL level, hell Drake's new coach is very similar and it's part of the reason Woodley split quick.

I hope Todd gets us to respectable but there are a lot of barriers to that. What Mark was able to do until the very end is nothing short of amazing and someday people will realize that.

[Blue42]

That has been his vibe since day 1. From the outside looking in it feels like hedging by someone who doesn’t think he can win here. It also feels like, from the outside looking in, he still has regrets about leaving Drake. I’m not declaring that to be the truth, to be clear. I have no idea what is going on in his head, at practice, etc. But the perception at least to me, that I get from watching him speak, is a guy who was very comfortable at his last job and hasn’t fully bought in to the importance of (and tradition of) success here.

There is no doubt, in the current era of college football, that there are legitimate barriers/roadblocks that will make it tough for UNI to be good at football. But you can’t be timid about that if you want any chance of breaking through IMO. Winning doesn’t necessarily need to be the be-all-end-all. Let’s make young men who are champions in life, that’s fine. You don’t need to say winning is the most important thing. But it does need to be an important thing.

Amen.

It is an important thing and you need to let everyone around you know it.

Few of us are expecting a 9 win season or taking down the Jackrabbits.

But winning the first 2 of the season against a 5-7 (2025) team and a Pioneer League team is a reasonable expectation.

[QCPanther05]

I could care less about what he says. He will be judged by what he can do. I don’t have high expectations this season. And judging by the confidence thread, neither does anyone else. I think most of us guessed 3-4 wins. It is what it is. I don’t think we’re a serious program anymore, and I don’t think he’s a serious person to lead it. Hiring a guy from a non-scholarship school in the NIL era doesn’t seem particularly smart to me. Mark was washed and absolutely needed to go, but I’m not impressed by what I’ve seen with Todd so far. Hopefully he proves me wrong this year.

[BCPanther]

I could care less about what he says. He will be judged by what he can do. I don’t have high expectations this season. And judging by the confidence thread, neither does anyone else. I think most of us guessed 3-4 wins. It is what it is. I don’t think we’re a serious program anymore, and I don’t think he’s a serious person to lead it. Hiring a guy from a non-scholarship school in the NIL era doesn’t seem particularly smart to me. Mark was washed and absolutely needed to go, but I’m not impressed by what I’ve seen with Todd so far. Hopefully he proves me wrong this year.

Mark was operating on a budget smaller than it was 10 years earlier. He's literally the only reason the last 3 playoff appearances happened. He covered up all sorts of warts.