April 29, 2025 • 11 mins
UND Football Radio Network, color analyst Mike Berg joins Tim and Paul to talk about North Dakota Football's Spring Showcase.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
As we link up with the Hall of Famer the
coach Mike Byrd morning.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Mike, good morning to you. We meet again.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
We do.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Yes, got to work with you on Friday.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
Always a great pleasure there, coach, And uh, you know,
lots to glean, I guess to take away, everybody's got
their own perspectives. I lent mine to Tim yesterday and
I you know, there's still a long ways to go
until we get to the season. I guess what were
some of your broad takeaways from from Friday evening?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Well, first of all, I really was I enjoyed seeing
the community support. Yeah, people piled in their early, got
their seats, and I think we're looking for something and
I think most of them found it. They got an
idea of what to expect under the new regime, and
(00:54):
I think there were some things to cheer about. So
I think maybe a flame was lit going into the season.
I would hope that it leads to lots of season
tickets and lots of people coming into the Larius in
the fall. Yeah, Tim, go ahead, I'll be number one.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Yeah, I'll be number one. Paul's take on the quarterback
play was that it was okay, but nothing that made
him go, Wow, what'd you think?
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Yeah, you know. I mean the guy with the most
reps hasn't practiced all spring, and Simon Rumfell and so
Jerry Kaminsky's been in that system for a season as
a back up last season, and I would say probably
has a better feel for the offense. The Jack Sulk,
(01:49):
I think, has also been there, has showed some flashes.
He's a big presence back there with the ball in
his hands. I mean, the big, tall kid and can
do a lot of things. The new guy, Javon and
I'll skip his middle name, but Johnson I think shows flashes.
He's obviously an athlete, has to get the system down
(02:10):
the offense, and I think has a tendency to maybe,
uh throw it rather than pass it. In other words,
a big strong arm. We'll throw it through you, but
it might be in the ground, it might be over
your head. And I think he needs to get a
touch and a feel for his receivers and then what
they're trying to accomplish in the offense. I think he
(02:32):
came out early and just trying to throw a bunch
of fastballs, and I think that's good. We know you
can throw it, but can you get it to the
receivers consistently. So yeah, I mean there'll be a lot
of work to do with those guys. They're going to
have they have to work on their own over the summer,
and they will, and then when they report for fall practice,
(02:55):
I think that will probably be right up there in
the priority list, say get these guys ready to play
a season.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
I think Tom Miller has addressed it as well, and
it's one of the things I talked about yesterday. This
will not be an immediate solution. This will take a
little time by this staff and this program as they
make a move to look to a four man front
of some sort that they'll have to continue to build through,
build their roster through various means, including it might be
(03:25):
the portal still yet I don't know for sure, But
on that defensive front, they will continue to have to
to grow a little bit as far as personnel wise,
whether it be through an influx of people and through
new recruitment and future seasons. But that's where I also
see where they're going to have to continue to grow
(03:46):
amongst along that defensive front.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Coach the guys they want, the guys they need, everybody
wants and needs. And so if you are a defensive
linement out there now in the portal, or a transfer
guy who can play, who can play FCS or FBS
level football, you're a hot commodity. And now in this
era of paying college athletes, these are some guys that
(04:12):
can sounds funny, can can demand a pretty good price.
You want me, yeah, I'd love to come to you
and the you know, what's the check going to be worth?
And that's we were not used to talking that way,
but that's the way it is. And those those guys
are hard to come by, defensive front players that can
eat up a couple of blockers absolutely.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Tim Paul said he thought the running game could have
been better, but they were seemed like they were not
going to use it as much as trying to get
strides make strides in the passing game. What'd you think?
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yeah? I think so. The running backs themselves have been
a little banged up in spring. Gavin z Barth and
Randall Parker have been the only two that have been
consistent siddenly there throughout Colton Burnell Sawyer's sidle. These guys
have been in. The sidle hasn't been in at all
in the spring and Colton Burnell showed some flashes and
(05:12):
I think will be a good one. So the running
game that with this offensive system isn't that extensive. I mean,
inside zone, outside zone, counter, some sweep stuff, power, but
not it's not a real extensive running game. And they
want to keep pounding you and run play action pass.
So I think they did what they wanted to on
(05:33):
offense the other night. They threw the ball down the field.
They wanted to get a look at those new receivers.
They kind of know what they have in the running game,
and so I think that wasn't the highest priority last
Friday night.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
You know.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
One of the interesting things that coach rickty and it
was in that interview that I visited with him that
we played on Friday evening, he said, you know, our
approach with our offensive lineman a little bit this spring
has been sometimes they might look look at it as mundane,
but I keep talking to him about, Hey, we just
(06:06):
want to get really good at this thing. So one
day it might be all counters or or or something
like that. That's basically what we're gonna run block and
we're gonna get really good at it. And then the
next day we will run zone and we're gonna that's
what We're gonna run block, and we're gonna get really.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Good at that.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
They took that approach of that offensive line, and he
felt like that that took that that group took steps
and took me and maybe paid some dividends by going
it about that way.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Basically in the run.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Blocking, well, you know the old saying you do something
a thousand times in practice for every once in a game. Yeah,
and if you were an offensive lineman in the spring,
you've got a lot of reps doing the same thing.
I mean, they have a scheme that that they call
Everybody's not just saying everybody calls dual where you basically
(06:54):
you double team the guys on the line of scrimmage
and then you're gonna have to come on off and
pick up a linebacker or a safety or somebody coming
off an edge. But they ran that thing on fourteen
million times. I say fourteen millions, you're a conservative number.
And then so they get used to it. When they
(07:16):
see it in the game, they're gonna be able to
you know, whether you call it muscle memory or what. Yeah,
I've done this one a few times.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Instant recall that's exactly right, Tim.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
That's kind of like hockey shooting bucks, right, Yeah, every
shot you.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Have to take, you line up and aim. Every time
you're gonna you're gonna wing one that might get to
be a lot of misses. So those guys seem to
be able to do that from every angle, you know,
every every speed, every position, and that's the way you
do it. And it's again, it's repetitions. It's you know,
it's it's same in basketball, pick your sport. It's repetition.
(07:58):
And so that's what a lot of coaching is. I mean,
you like to look at the fancy stuff and the
big plays in the games, when you realize the grunt
work that went into getting these guys in any athlete
and a high profile spot, as good as they are,
they didn't wake up that way. You know, it's not
it's not all natural instincts. It's just flat out playing
(08:20):
grunt work.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
It's just well, I'll tell you when we when we
look at now with spring football at least in these
parts being complete, and and since you don't really watch
United Football League, nor do I I know that you'll
take interest in some various camp activities because you're just
a football guy.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Through and through.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
But but now it is a focus on you know,
spring high school sports. If that's you know, tickles a
person's fancy, uh and scratches the itch, so to speak.
Or it might be baseball in Major League Baseball. There's plenty,
and there's playoff action in the hockey and basketball, so
there's plenty to get us through. Now that football kind
of takes a takes a hiatus of being in the forefront.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah, well in the spring, the high school sports season,
it's like having a jug and trying the stuff as
much in there as you can. I mean, we're really
we really got everything that can have a month to
school left or so, and so every kind of you know,
conference schedule, track meet, pick a tennis, golf doesn't make
(09:29):
any difference. They get as much in as they can
and then of course they get a daylight yesterday where
you get some stuff, cancel their postponed, and so you
have makeup dates. So yeah, there's going to be a
busy month next month for high school athletes and the
same with our college athletes here. You know, we're going
to see the summit league tournaments and that kind of thing.
(09:50):
So Yeah, it's exciting time. And yeah, NBA and HL
they're full go now that the dudes are playing hard,
there's no taking time off.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
No, no, you're exactly right, Tim anything.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
How about that?
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Embrace yourself, Tim anything else.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
For coach birds No, nothing else?
Speaker 4 (10:12):
Okay, Well, hey, coach, thanks for the great help and
insight all Friday night and all spring long. Actually, and
now we turn to our summer version where we can
take all sorts of twists and turns. So appreciate this
look back at Friday and some more insight about that,
and appreciate our visit today.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Thanks, and have a great week.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Now, by the time we next talked, the twins made
of one, eight or nine in a row. So you
better just watch that attitude.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
Okay, thanks coach, have a great day.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Oh boy, I've been I've been put in my place.
He got me.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
Oh my goodness, all right, coach. Mike Berg he's our
color analyst for University of North Code football radio broadcast
on the Radio Network, and we appreciate his contributions each
and every Tuesday at about this time,
As we link up with the Hall of Famer the
coach Mike Byrd morning.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Mike, good morning to you. We meet again.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
We do.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Yes, got to work with you on Friday.
Speaker 4 (00:12):
Always a great pleasure there, coach, And uh, you know,
lots to glean, I guess to take away, everybody's got
their own perspectives. I lent mine to Tim yesterday and
I you know, there's still a long ways to go
until we get to the season. I guess what were
some of your broad takeaways from from Friday evening?
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Well, first of all, I really was I enjoyed seeing
the community support. Yeah, people piled in their early, got
their seats, and I think we're looking for something and
I think most of them found it. They got an
idea of what to expect under the new regime, and
(00:54):
I think there were some things to cheer about. So
I think maybe a flame was lit going into the season.
I would hope that it leads to lots of season
tickets and lots of people coming into the Larius in
the fall. Yeah, Tim, go ahead, I'll be number one.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Yeah, I'll be number one. Paul's take on the quarterback
play was that it was okay, but nothing that made
him go, Wow, what'd you think?
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Yeah, you know. I mean the guy with the most
reps hasn't practiced all spring, and Simon Rumfell and so
Jerry Kaminsky's been in that system for a season as
a back up last season, and I would say probably
has a better feel for the offense. The Jack Sulk,
(01:49):
I think, has also been there, has showed some flashes.
He's a big presence back there with the ball in
his hands. I mean, the big, tall kid and can
do a lot of things. The new guy, Javon and
I'll skip his middle name, but Johnson I think shows flashes.
He's obviously an athlete, has to get the system down
(02:10):
the offense, and I think has a tendency to maybe,
uh throw it rather than pass it. In other words,
a big strong arm. We'll throw it through you, but
it might be in the ground, it might be over
your head. And I think he needs to get a
touch and a feel for his receivers and then what
they're trying to accomplish in the offense. I think he
(02:32):
came out early and just trying to throw a bunch
of fastballs, and I think that's good. We know you
can throw it, but can you get it to the
receivers consistently. So yeah, I mean there'll be a lot
of work to do with those guys. They're going to
have they have to work on their own over the summer,
and they will, and then when they report for fall practice,
(02:55):
I think that will probably be right up there in
the priority list, say get these guys ready to play
a season.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
I think Tom Miller has addressed it as well, and
it's one of the things I talked about yesterday. This
will not be an immediate solution. This will take a
little time by this staff and this program as they
make a move to look to a four man front
of some sort that they'll have to continue to build through,
build their roster through various means, including it might be
(03:25):
the portal still yet I don't know for sure, But
on that defensive front, they will continue to have to
to grow a little bit as far as personnel wise,
whether it be through an influx of people and through
new recruitment and future seasons. But that's where I also
see where they're going to have to continue to grow
(03:46):
amongst along that defensive front.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Coach the guys they want, the guys they need, everybody
wants and needs. And so if you are a defensive
linement out there now in the portal, or a transfer
guy who can play, who can play FCS or FBS
level football, you're a hot commodity. And now in this
era of paying college athletes, these are some guys that
(04:12):
can sounds funny, can can demand a pretty good price.
You want me, yeah, I'd love to come to you
and the you know, what's the check going to be worth?
And that's we were not used to talking that way,
but that's the way it is. And those those guys
are hard to come by, defensive front players that can
eat up a couple of blockers absolutely.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Tim Paul said he thought the running game could have
been better, but they were seemed like they were not
going to use it as much as trying to get
strides make strides in the passing game. What'd you think?
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yeah? I think so. The running backs themselves have been
a little banged up in spring. Gavin z Barth and
Randall Parker have been the only two that have been
consistent siddenly there throughout Colton Burnell Sawyer's sidle. These guys
have been in. The sidle hasn't been in at all
in the spring and Colton Burnell showed some flashes and
(05:12):
I think will be a good one. So the running
game that with this offensive system isn't that extensive. I mean,
inside zone, outside zone, counter, some sweep stuff, power, but
not it's not a real extensive running game. And they
want to keep pounding you and run play action pass.
So I think they did what they wanted to on
(05:33):
offense the other night. They threw the ball down the field.
They wanted to get a look at those new receivers.
They kind of know what they have in the running game,
and so I think that wasn't the highest priority last
Friday night.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
You know.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
One of the interesting things that coach rickty and it
was in that interview that I visited with him that
we played on Friday evening, he said, you know, our
approach with our offensive lineman a little bit this spring
has been sometimes they might look look at it as mundane,
but I keep talking to him about, Hey, we just
(06:06):
want to get really good at this thing. So one
day it might be all counters or or or something
like that. That's basically what we're gonna run block and
we're gonna get really good at it. And then the
next day we will run zone and we're gonna that's
what We're gonna run block, and we're gonna get really.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Good at that.
Speaker 4 (06:22):
They took that approach of that offensive line, and he
felt like that that took that that group took steps
and took me and maybe paid some dividends by going
it about that way.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Basically in the run.
Speaker 2 (06:33):
Blocking, well, you know the old saying you do something
a thousand times in practice for every once in a game. Yeah,
and if you were an offensive lineman in the spring,
you've got a lot of reps doing the same thing.
I mean, they have a scheme that that they call
Everybody's not just saying everybody calls dual where you basically
(06:54):
you double team the guys on the line of scrimmage
and then you're gonna have to come on off and
pick up a linebacker or a safety or somebody coming
off an edge. But they ran that thing on fourteen
million times. I say fourteen millions, you're a conservative number.
And then so they get used to it. When they
(07:16):
see it in the game, they're gonna be able to
you know, whether you call it muscle memory or what. Yeah,
I've done this one a few times.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Instant recall that's exactly right, Tim.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
That's kind of like hockey shooting bucks, right, Yeah, every
shot you.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Have to take, you line up and aim. Every time
you're gonna you're gonna wing one that might get to
be a lot of misses. So those guys seem to
be able to do that from every angle, you know,
every every speed, every position, and that's the way you
do it. And it's again, it's repetitions. It's you know,
it's it's same in basketball, pick your sport. It's repetition.
(07:58):
And so that's what a lot of coaching is. I mean,
you like to look at the fancy stuff and the
big plays in the games, when you realize the grunt
work that went into getting these guys in any athlete
and a high profile spot, as good as they are,
they didn't wake up that way. You know, it's not
it's not all natural instincts. It's just flat out playing
(08:20):
grunt work.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
It's just well, I'll tell you when we when we
look at now with spring football at least in these
parts being complete, and and since you don't really watch
United Football League, nor do I I know that you'll
take interest in some various camp activities because you're just
a football guy.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Through and through.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
But but now it is a focus on you know,
spring high school sports. If that's you know, tickles a
person's fancy, uh and scratches the itch, so to speak.
Or it might be baseball in Major League Baseball. There's plenty,
and there's playoff action in the hockey and basketball, so
there's plenty to get us through. Now that football kind
of takes a takes a hiatus of being in the forefront.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah, well in the spring, the high school sports season,
it's like having a jug and trying the stuff as
much in there as you can. I mean, we're really
we really got everything that can have a month to
school left or so, and so every kind of you know,
conference schedule, track meet, pick a tennis, golf doesn't make
(09:29):
any difference. They get as much in as they can
and then of course they get a daylight yesterday where
you get some stuff, cancel their postponed, and so you
have makeup dates. So yeah, there's going to be a
busy month next month for high school athletes and the
same with our college athletes here. You know, we're going
to see the summit league tournaments and that kind of thing.
(09:50):
So Yeah, it's exciting time. And yeah, NBA and HL
they're full go now that the dudes are playing hard,
there's no taking time off.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
No, no, you're exactly right, Tim anything.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
How about that?
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Embrace yourself, Tim anything else.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
For coach birds No, nothing else?
Speaker 4 (10:12):
Okay, Well, hey, coach, thanks for the great help and
insight all Friday night and all spring long. Actually, and
now we turn to our summer version where we can
take all sorts of twists and turns. So appreciate this
look back at Friday and some more insight about that,
and appreciate our visit today.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
Thanks, and have a great week.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Now, by the time we next talked, the twins made
of one, eight or nine in a row. So you
better just watch that attitude.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
Okay, thanks coach, have a great day.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Oh boy, I've been I've been put in my place.
He got me.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
Oh my goodness, all right, coach. Mike Berg he's our
color analyst for University of North Code football radio broadcast
on the Radio Network, and we appreciate his contributions each
and every Tuesday at about this time,
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