December 8, 2025 • 10 mins
UND Football Head Coach Eric Schmidt, joins Tim and Paul to talk about his teams final game of the season and what's ahead for Fighting Hawks Football.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Takes forty five. It's Monday morning and we link up
with the coach of the undie football team, Maried Schmidt
born than Eric.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Good morning, coach.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
It's time to take time.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Off, right, Yeah, we're going on vacation. Man, let me
tell you it ain't happening yet, not yet, not yet.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Well, you guys were the hospital squad going into Tarleton
and coming out of Tarlton. How does that situation.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Look, coach?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
You know, we had some guys obviously played with some
pain and discomfort and you know, lost another quarter during
the week that was kind of struggled their grants. Nolan
really tried to answer the bell, you know, did everything
he could, just had a kind of a hit fle
for growing deal that he couldn't couldn't just couldn't run really,
you know, all week long. And I'm not sure if
it was just cold out the week before and he
(00:59):
finished the game and uh in Tennessee. But yeah, we
got down with some guys and I'll give him credit. Man,
our guys played yet, you know, had a lot of
young guys out there. You know, Grant ty Luki had
played a lot for us at Nickel. He's a he's
a true freshman and did a good job. We had
to move him out and play some corner two as well,
and then Evan Klute had to had to play out there,
(01:19):
you know, true freshman from Alexandria that that walked on
here in the summer, so he was starting the game
actually out there opposite Bennett and then uh and then
we played Q two as well, uh drid K Carmichael
who was a junior college kid that came in here
uh in the spring. So h yeah, I mean it
was you know, it was neck man. That's how you
(01:40):
got to do this thing. Uh. You know, you gotta
you gotta get guys ready to go, and we got
to continue to do a good job of developing, you know,
our entire roster. I think that was something early in
the season we saw when we went to Kansas State
and when we uh you know, had a bat third
quarter and weren't moving the ball and we're on defense
a lot. You know, I felt like, you know, it
exposed a little bit of our depth, and I think
(02:02):
that's something that we continue to try to work on
and improve and grow throughout the year, but definitely something
that needs to get better if we want to make
a long rut of the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
What was your you know, final messaging to this roster.
You know, when you turn around and you have to
convey something, you know that sums it up for them
when you address them for that final time, whether it
be in the locker room or whether when you get home.
What was the main message to this group, to the
(02:31):
twenty twenty five roster. I'm sure it was gratitude. I'm
sure it was a lot of things. What did you
try to convey to them?
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Yeah, I think the number one thing is, like you
talked about it, Paul's gratitude, love and appreciation for our seniors.
I mean, those guys have been through a lot, you know,
their entire careers here, some guys for you know, six
years with the COVID stuff going on and injuries and
those types of things. And they didn't pick us. They
didn't pick me, and they didn't pick our staff. But
(02:59):
they just put their down and went to work. And
you know, we did a good job early on here
of building relationships with those guys. I've said it before
the first two weeks that we showed up and really
got into, you know, an opportunity to go out and
recruit and those types of things. We stayed in house
and really wanted to find out what these guys were about,
why they were here, what their why was, and built
some you know, some connections with them and then we
(03:20):
talked football after that. And so their credit in this
day and age where you know, this type of season,
this time of year, when when seasons are you know,
starting to end and you get into you know, especially
with one transfer portal window, now it's crazy season, right,
and those guys just believed in the brotherhood, they believed
in you know, U and D football, and they really
(03:41):
had a you know, just a lot of loyalty for
this place and to make sure that they left this
program the right way. So that was my number one message,
was just to them and you know, we're building a
program here and and it takes time. You know, it
takes a lot a lot of times. It takes you know,
longer than uh be, eleven months. But in eleven months,
the improvement that those guys made, the leadership that you know,
(04:03):
they they portrayed every single day, you know, in our
walls and just coming in here and having a starving
mindset to get better and h and being just you know,
not only good friends, but good teammates to everybody and
making sure that if you weren't at your best, that
that you understood what the standard was in order for
us to be able to improve. So that was my
first message, and then the message for everybody else was,
(04:25):
hey man, we got to run this thing back together.
You know, there's a lot of a lot of excitement
obviously playing you know into well it's a December, I think,
is you know, a goal and an expectation of our
program and what we want to do, and now you know,
just understanding it. It's still going to be about the process.
It's still going to be you know, about what we
do day in and day out, and what our daily
disciplines and what our behaviors are like. But we've got
(04:48):
to have a goal here of being able to you know,
host playoff games and play that home. I think, you know,
as you go through the season, it gets along, it
gets taxing, and we kind of ran out of steam,
you know in Texas. You know, as much as our
guys were ready to go, and they were you know,
both playoff games, just you know, I think the season
took a poll on some of the guys. It was
(05:08):
just you know, one of those deals where I felt
like we ran out of steam there by the end
of the year.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Tim go ahead, well, you know when you get in
the playoffs, you win a playoff game, and you get
another playoff game after that. There's that's certainly moving up
the ladder, don't you think.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Well, I think even you know, the disappointing part about
you know, just down at Tarleton and they're a good
football team, like they beat us, they were the better
team on Saturday. But you know, we got that thing
in the fourth corner to to twenty four to thirteen
and you know, go back out on defense, they get
a legal man downfield, so it's second and long, and
(05:48):
we really just gave them a layup, you know. There
their receiver ran by our corner, but we really should
have a safety over there in the double call, and
he kind of got caught flat footed looking in the backfield.
And I think, well, then once it got thirty one
thirteen in the fourth, you know, it really got away
from us. So I think that was the one thing
that you know, stood out to me was you know,
I just think you know, defensively, we were able to
(06:10):
make some strides, you know, play better football, play more
consistent football. And I think any time you do that,
even when you're not playing great, you know, as a team,
I think, you know, we're still in the football game. Yet,
you know, in the second round of playoffs against you know,
a top four seed, its twenty four to thirteen. So
I think that's the thing right now that we can
continue to build on. Like that was the first game
(06:31):
that you know that we had lost where we didn't
have an opportunity at the end of the game to
be able to go win the game. So I do
think like there's a lot of confidence, a lot of
belief and and like I said, we're building this thing.
We're building a program. You know, it's about, you know,
what you do every single day, whether that's February December,
it doesn't matter. Man. There's a there's a precise, you know, calendar,
year round calendar that you got to put in work.
(06:52):
And there's a goal every single you know, phase of
that calendar in order for us to get better. And
I think our guys that bought into that, and you know,
they really believe, I think that you know, the program
will make them better if they follow the protocols of
the program and what we're asking to do every single day,
they'll have a chance to be able to become the
bat versions of themselves, and that's what the goal of
the program is.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Final thing before we let you go as we run
up here close to the top of the hour. Number one,
thank you for joining us all season long. We appreciate
your conversations. Number two, I know we joke that it's
vacation time. You mentioned it's still about roster management now
as we enter the transfer portal arrow. That's what we're
in and the roster obviously we'll change and be molded
(07:35):
by the time we get to the spring and all
those things happening, but also you got to put a
feather in your cap from the standpoint of having game
week prep into December. Actually it benefits everybody on the roster.
I believe getting those extra weeks of playoff football, even
though it's wear and tear on the bodies, that's a bonus.
I think of getting on the practice field and preparing
for an opponent each week so it continues. Basically, there's
(07:59):
no rest for the weird, for your staff or for
the guys that remain, as they still have more to
do with this football program as you move forward, correct.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
For sure, you know obviously you know, with the transfer
portal and things like that, we have some things that
we want to be able to address as far as
on our team positionally, you know, some spots that we
feel like we need to get deeper and get better at,
and then obviously retention to as well. We want to
you know, keep as many players as we can that
are you know, we feel like our championship level players
that have improved that can help us, you know, win
(08:30):
the Missouri Valley Football Conference championship. We want to keep
those guys here. So we won't bat a thousand, but
we'll keep most of the guys here at you I've
had really good conversations with with a number of our
upper class, with guys who have been starters here and
things like that, and think the majority of those guys feel,
like I said, like they're getting developed. They like it here,
they want to get their degree from here. They feel like,
(08:51):
you know, there's a lot of positives in in staying here.
So I think that's that's a you know, obviously an
important piece for us is you got to be able
to retain in your locker om I think you look
at the best teams that are that are still playing,
they found a way to be able to keep their
best players around, and we got to do that. And then,
you know, the twenty seventh class. January is probably the
(09:11):
biggest evaluation time now for the twenty sevens too as well.
So to get out and get some high school recruiting done,
I think that was a really good thing. We got
off to a great start here a year ago of
you know, getting out and creating some relationships with coaches
and players and parents and families, and you know that's
got to get going here too as well. So yeah,
turn the page and getting getting ready for twenty seven
(09:33):
I mean that'll be the uh, that'll be the you know,
the start of our week here this week, and that'll
go all the way into into the dead period here.
What's we getting in January? All right?
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Thanks coach for joining us here all season long. We
appreciated it was a great journey. We appreciate you never
duck in one, and we appreciate your team of taking
us on a ride here in twenty twenty five. Good
luck here as we enter this period and we look
forward to the storylines that come out of that, and
then we'll be ready with you as spring football begins
(10:04):
as well. So thanks for this and have a great day.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Okay yep, thanks guys, having a good week.
Takes forty five. It's Monday morning and we link up
with the coach of the undie football team, Maried Schmidt
born than Eric.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Good morning, coach.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
It's time to take time.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Off, right, Yeah, we're going on vacation. Man, let me
tell you it ain't happening yet, not yet, not yet.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Well, you guys were the hospital squad going into Tarleton
and coming out of Tarlton. How does that situation.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Look, coach?
Speaker 3 (00:37):
You know, we had some guys obviously played with some
pain and discomfort and you know, lost another quarter during
the week that was kind of struggled their grants. Nolan
really tried to answer the bell, you know, did everything
he could, just had a kind of a hit fle
for growing deal that he couldn't couldn't just couldn't run really,
you know, all week long. And I'm not sure if
it was just cold out the week before and he
(00:59):
finished the game and uh in Tennessee. But yeah, we
got down with some guys and I'll give him credit. Man,
our guys played yet, you know, had a lot of
young guys out there. You know, Grant ty Luki had
played a lot for us at Nickel. He's a he's
a true freshman and did a good job. We had
to move him out and play some corner two as well,
and then Evan Klute had to had to play out there,
(01:19):
you know, true freshman from Alexandria that that walked on
here in the summer, so he was starting the game
actually out there opposite Bennett and then uh and then
we played Q two as well, uh drid K Carmichael
who was a junior college kid that came in here
uh in the spring. So h yeah, I mean it
was you know, it was neck man. That's how you
(01:40):
got to do this thing. Uh. You know, you gotta
you gotta get guys ready to go, and we got
to continue to do a good job of developing, you know,
our entire roster. I think that was something early in
the season we saw when we went to Kansas State
and when we uh you know, had a bat third
quarter and weren't moving the ball and we're on defense
a lot. You know, I felt like, you know, it
exposed a little bit of our depth, and I think
(02:02):
that's something that we continue to try to work on
and improve and grow throughout the year, but definitely something
that needs to get better if we want to make
a long rut of the playoffs.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
What was your you know, final messaging to this roster.
You know, when you turn around and you have to
convey something, you know that sums it up for them
when you address them for that final time, whether it
be in the locker room or whether when you get home.
What was the main message to this group, to the
(02:31):
twenty twenty five roster. I'm sure it was gratitude. I'm
sure it was a lot of things. What did you
try to convey to them?
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Yeah, I think the number one thing is, like you
talked about it, Paul's gratitude, love and appreciation for our seniors.
I mean, those guys have been through a lot, you know,
their entire careers here, some guys for you know, six
years with the COVID stuff going on and injuries and
those types of things. And they didn't pick us. They
didn't pick me, and they didn't pick our staff. But
(02:59):
they just put their down and went to work. And
you know, we did a good job early on here
of building relationships with those guys. I've said it before
the first two weeks that we showed up and really
got into, you know, an opportunity to go out and
recruit and those types of things. We stayed in house
and really wanted to find out what these guys were about,
why they were here, what their why was, and built
some you know, some connections with them and then we
(03:20):
talked football after that. And so their credit in this
day and age where you know, this type of season,
this time of year, when when seasons are you know,
starting to end and you get into you know, especially
with one transfer portal window, now it's crazy season, right,
and those guys just believed in the brotherhood, they believed
in you know, U and D football, and they really
(03:41):
had a you know, just a lot of loyalty for
this place and to make sure that they left this
program the right way. So that was my number one message,
was just to them and you know, we're building a
program here and and it takes time. You know, it
takes a lot a lot of times. It takes you know,
longer than uh be, eleven months. But in eleven months,
the improvement that those guys made, the leadership that you know,
(04:03):
they they portrayed every single day, you know, in our
walls and just coming in here and having a starving
mindset to get better and h and being just you know,
not only good friends, but good teammates to everybody and
making sure that if you weren't at your best, that
that you understood what the standard was in order for
us to be able to improve. So that was my
first message, and then the message for everybody else was,
(04:25):
hey man, we got to run this thing back together.
You know, there's a lot of a lot of excitement
obviously playing you know into well it's a December, I think,
is you know, a goal and an expectation of our
program and what we want to do, and now you know,
just understanding it. It's still going to be about the process.
It's still going to be you know, about what we
do day in and day out, and what our daily
disciplines and what our behaviors are like. But we've got
(04:48):
to have a goal here of being able to you know,
host playoff games and play that home. I think, you know,
as you go through the season, it gets along, it
gets taxing, and we kind of ran out of steam,
you know in Texas. You know, as much as our
guys were ready to go, and they were you know,
both playoff games, just you know, I think the season
took a poll on some of the guys. It was
(05:08):
just you know, one of those deals where I felt
like we ran out of steam there by the end
of the year.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
Tim go ahead, well, you know when you get in
the playoffs, you win a playoff game, and you get
another playoff game after that. There's that's certainly moving up
the ladder, don't you think.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
Well, I think even you know, the disappointing part about
you know, just down at Tarleton and they're a good
football team, like they beat us, they were the better
team on Saturday. But you know, we got that thing
in the fourth corner to to twenty four to thirteen
and you know, go back out on defense, they get
a legal man downfield, so it's second and long, and
(05:48):
we really just gave them a layup, you know. There
their receiver ran by our corner, but we really should
have a safety over there in the double call, and
he kind of got caught flat footed looking in the backfield.
And I think, well, then once it got thirty one
thirteen in the fourth, you know, it really got away
from us. So I think that was the one thing
that you know, stood out to me was you know,
I just think you know, defensively, we were able to
(06:10):
make some strides, you know, play better football, play more
consistent football. And I think any time you do that,
even when you're not playing great, you know, as a team,
I think, you know, we're still in the football game. Yet,
you know, in the second round of playoffs against you know,
a top four seed, its twenty four to thirteen. So
I think that's the thing right now that we can
continue to build on. Like that was the first game
(06:31):
that you know that we had lost where we didn't
have an opportunity at the end of the game to
be able to go win the game. So I do
think like there's a lot of confidence, a lot of
belief and and like I said, we're building this thing.
We're building a program. You know, it's about, you know,
what you do every single day, whether that's February December,
it doesn't matter. Man. There's a there's a precise, you know, calendar,
year round calendar that you got to put in work.
(06:52):
And there's a goal every single you know, phase of
that calendar in order for us to get better. And
I think our guys that bought into that, and you know,
they really believe, I think that you know, the program
will make them better if they follow the protocols of
the program and what we're asking to do every single day,
they'll have a chance to be able to become the
bat versions of themselves, and that's what the goal of
the program is.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Final thing before we let you go as we run
up here close to the top of the hour. Number one,
thank you for joining us all season long. We appreciate
your conversations. Number two, I know we joke that it's
vacation time. You mentioned it's still about roster management now
as we enter the transfer portal arrow. That's what we're
in and the roster obviously we'll change and be molded
(07:35):
by the time we get to the spring and all
those things happening, but also you got to put a
feather in your cap from the standpoint of having game
week prep into December. Actually it benefits everybody on the roster.
I believe getting those extra weeks of playoff football, even
though it's wear and tear on the bodies, that's a bonus.
I think of getting on the practice field and preparing
for an opponent each week so it continues. Basically, there's
(07:59):
no rest for the weird, for your staff or for
the guys that remain, as they still have more to
do with this football program as you move forward, correct.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
For sure, you know obviously you know, with the transfer
portal and things like that, we have some things that
we want to be able to address as far as
on our team positionally, you know, some spots that we
feel like we need to get deeper and get better at,
and then obviously retention to as well. We want to
you know, keep as many players as we can that
are you know, we feel like our championship level players
that have improved that can help us, you know, win
(08:30):
the Missouri Valley Football Conference championship. We want to keep
those guys here. So we won't bat a thousand, but
we'll keep most of the guys here at you I've
had really good conversations with with a number of our
upper class, with guys who have been starters here and
things like that, and think the majority of those guys feel,
like I said, like they're getting developed. They like it here,
they want to get their degree from here. They feel like,
(08:51):
you know, there's a lot of positives in in staying here.
So I think that's that's a you know, obviously an
important piece for us is you got to be able
to retain in your locker om I think you look
at the best teams that are that are still playing,
they found a way to be able to keep their
best players around, and we got to do that. And then,
you know, the twenty seventh class. January is probably the
(09:11):
biggest evaluation time now for the twenty sevens too as well.
So to get out and get some high school recruiting done,
I think that was a really good thing. We got
off to a great start here a year ago of
you know, getting out and creating some relationships with coaches
and players and parents and families, and you know that's
got to get going here too as well. So yeah,
turn the page and getting getting ready for twenty seven
(09:33):
I mean that'll be the uh, that'll be the you know,
the start of our week here this week, and that'll
go all the way into into the dead period here.
What's we getting in January? All right?
Speaker 2 (09:43):
Thanks coach for joining us here all season long. We
appreciated it was a great journey. We appreciate you never
duck in one, and we appreciate your team of taking
us on a ride here in twenty twenty five. Good
luck here as we enter this period and we look
forward to the storylines that come out of that, and
then we'll be ready with you as spring football begins
(10:04):
as well. So thanks for this and have a great day.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Okay yep, thanks guys, having a good week.
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