Herald UND football mailbag: Road woes, surprise of the year, Memorial memories, Boltmann outlook and more

Mar. 11—Q. Let's talk about the recent road struggles. What do they need to do to get past this? Legit teams will roll a team like WIU on the road.

A. It's a legit question considering UND's 1-7 in its last eight road games. In that span, there have been some clunkers. Idaho State, Idaho and Northern Arizona come to mind.

But I would say that UND offensive lineman Kyle Hergel said it best during a press conference on Wednesday. This team just has a different vibe.

I think it also helps to be a team that's controlling the line of scrimmage. The last couple of years, UND was relying on Nate Ketteringham and the passing game. I think that opened UND up to turnover issues.

The question will be whether UND freshman quarterback Tommy Schuster can continue his low-mistake brand of play. On one hand, he's never faced a non-Top 25 opponent. On the other hand, he's never played on the road.

So, to answer your question. I think UND needs to rely on the run and limit turnovers, which have been more staples of the 2021 spring Fighting Hawks than past units.

Q. Are there any major changes between Holinka's defense this year compared to Schmidt's defense in the past?

A. That's a great question, and I don't know if I'm prepared yet to say anything concrete. I'll keep listening and watching, but it's definitely an angle to continue to ponder.

I do think Brett Holinka has a fiery game day personality that this UND team seems to be rallying around. Some early success definitely helps feed the belief.

My first impression would be that Holinka is running similar schemes but with a more experienced, beefed-up personnel.

However, I'm willing to have this opinion change over time. It's just too early for me to say one way or the other too definitively.

Q. What is your favorite memory of Memorial Stadium?

A. I'm not even sure what the year was exactly, but it was in the 1990s, and I was a young teenager. It was a snowy game, and I had hand warmers in my boots and gloves, and UND was playing North Dakota State.

The Bison mascot was making a lap around the stadium and started to draw a few snowballs here and there. Then, he get to the UND student section and was absolutely pelted. For a kid, that was fun stuff.

Later in the game, UND had the victory in hand. I was sitting on the wood bleachers side, which is where a lot of the opponent fan groups sat.

Every time a Bison fan started to leave the stadium early, people would yell "the march is on!" which was a nod to the NDSU slogan.

Q. How many more trick plays exist that UND hasn't run yet?

A. Danny Freund is clearly a trick-play guy, and as we're finding out, it's not just to suit Brock Boltmann's strengths.

I've seen a few in practice that haven't been shown in games. I didn't ever see that fake punt from last week ran in practice, so that must've been a new wrinkle.

Offensively, I keep waiting for one in particular that I think is pretty fun.

Q. There's a lot to like about all our young receivers. One receiver that I like, but who I don't think has seen the field yet, is Jack Wright. Do you think that it's because he hasn't fully recovered from his knee injury yet or because it's a crowded position group, or a little bit of both?

A. I think it's a little of both. Wright missed a lot of valuable practice time for a rookie with that injury. Any time I see a young player having to sit out, I know it's going to be a long road back because it takes time to develop a feel for the offense and the trust of the coaching staff.

He's still wearing a brace, and it looks like he's getting more comfortable.

But for a smaller wide receiver who relies on his high-level cutting ability, I'm not overly surprised his return is taking some time.

I think Wright's future remains bright. We just might not see it on the game field in the spring of 2021.

Q. How do you think this spring football competition level compares to a fall season?

A. I don't think there's been nearly as much difference as the North Dakota State media and fans would indicate.

I think the Missouri Valley Football Conference as a whole is in a bit of a rebuilding mode just because of some of the changeover at some marquee positions.

UND has faced freshmen quarterbacks in back-to-back weeks against South Dakota State and South Dakota. UND, of course, also trots out its freshman quarterback in Tommy Schuster, while mixing in another freshman quarterback in Quincy Vaughn.

Q. Any word on when Brock Boltmann will be back?

A. I wish I had a solid answer for you. I don't anticipate Boltmann to play this weekend. He wasn't participating in practice earlier this week when I ducked in at the Pollard Center (still getting used to typing that).

With that said, don't be surprised if UND is fairly coy about when Boltmann exactly comes back. He's a wildcard weapon, and if I had to guess UND won't exactly announce from the rooftops when he's going to be unveiled in the 2021 spring season.

I have a feeling it'll more of a bam-there-he-is situation some Saturday.

It's a little easy to forget with the strong start, but let's remember that UND's offense still doesn't have its most dynamic offensive returning weapon from a year ago.

Q. Is there any new talks on replacing the Nickel for the UND-NDSU game since it will be played on an annual basis? I know there where things going around a while back.

A. This is another good question. I haven't heard a peep about a new trophy. The game hasn't been that great the last two times for North Dakota, but that could change here in the next two seasons if trends continue.

I think it would just take a good game or two in the rivalry to bring that discussion back to the forefront.

Q. When Boltmann returns, will we continue to see Quincy Vaughn come in for his snaps or will Brock take most of those?

A. I've wondered that myself. I think they'll ride a hot hand. Vaughn will keep getting work as long as his shtick remains effective.

Boltmann provides such a different skill set than both Tommy Schuster and Vaughn that I see him getting in for a few plays at quarterback.

What we'll have to watch for is whether offensive coordinator Danny Freund is comfortable taking that many snaps away from Schuster if he keeps playing as well as he has in the first three games this year.

The nice thing about Boltmann is he can have an impact on the offense without taking snaps at quarterback.

Q. Biggest surprise player for you?

A. I think it has to be the play of Tommy Schuster. I didn't know if he was just living a charmed life against Sam Houston State, lobbing up passes to veteran receivers in Noah Wanzek and Travis Toivonen, versus a sometimes-questionable defense in the Bearkats.

As it turns out, that Sam Houston game has been exactly who Schuster is. I also had concerns about his laid-back approach and how that would fit leading a team.

But, really, Schuster's cool demeanor is probably exactly what this team needs to not get too high or low.

Q. How does the Weah/Skokna backfield compare to the Santiago/Oliveira backfield in your opinion?

A. Oof. Great questions this week. I think Otis Weah is the kind of elite back that draws no comparison right now.

That third-and-short against South Dakota when he just refused to go down. Those long runs when he bounces off defenders.

And Skokna is so valuable in Danny Freund's offense as a running-receiving option.

So as I ponder this, does UND have a better offensive front for Weah and Skokna? Is Freund's imaginative offense something John Santiago and Brady Oliveira would have thrived in?

And health or eligibility will ultimately dictate the legacy of Weah and Skokna.

I have a hard time giving a heads-up nod to Weah and Skokna because I saw how good Santiago and Oliveira were for four years. That said, the Weah/Skokna combination has an unreal ceiling. I just think Weah is a special back like I've never seen before.