November 25, 2025 • 15 mins
UND head football coach Eric Schmidt talks about making it to the FCS Playoffs.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Back inside the five o six Pump tonight Tuesday night.
Of course, Hawk Talk's still plenty of time to come
down and join us if you'd like. We've got room
before him inside the cozy confines of the five out
six Pump. Now built a fire for us. She's got
everything you'd need, at least up till about seven o'clock.
But come on into the five out six Pump. As
we continue with head football coach Eric Schmids, who all right, SCHMIDI,
(00:23):
Now we get to Sunday morning and and I'm out
doing the most Midwest thing ever, trying to get the
yard picked up one more time, and checking Twitter and
running in to turn the TV on, and you hear
the magic words North Dakota. And I texted a couple
of guys right away, said, you know, I've got this
sudden hankering for a fresca. I can only imagine what
was running through what was running through your mind when
he's on Worth to go to come up there?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yeah, no, it was like I said, I texted the
guys right away. We didn't do anything obviously as far
as a watch watch party or anything like that, but
had a two fifteen meeting and just to be able
to see their faces when they walked in the meeting,
especially as seniors. You know those guys as their football
lives are, you know, they're living day by day right
now as far as hey, how many more days do
I have to be able to put on.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
The shoulder pads and the helmet.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
So for those guys to walk in and and to
to get another week here together, I was really special
and exciting. And you know, the mood flipped right away
from one of you know, disappointment of you know, just
the frustration part of it of not playing you know,
your best football.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
All right, here we go. We got another chance.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Now, let's do everything we can in our in our
power to be able to make the most of it.
And we started diving into to Tennessee Tech, who's obviously
somebody that we've never played before, didn't have a lot
of familiarity with or anything like that. But uh, but yeah,
I just started going to work on them. And and
then you know our guys too as well. They they
wrapped up their Sunday as far as going through all
the corrections and getting with our performance team and doing
(01:42):
all that, and then Monday was off and then this morning,
they were you know, back at it here and there
was a really a good I thought vibe about you
know them and the energy that they brought the practice today.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
So definitely definitely a new life for the entire club.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
So Tennessee Tech Saturday at noon, Cookville, Tennessee. You mentioned
about an hour from Nashville. Than what else do we
know about Tennessee Tech.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Well, their quarterback we have some familiarity with, just because
he played at Eastern Washington for the last two years
and transferred in there, and they really that's kind.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Of a theme of their team.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Have a lot of a lot of guys who have
transferred in from from all different levels of football, but
really good at quarterback. A guy who's you know, very
similar to h to Beau Bruant guard from from Youngstown
as far as smaller guy that's really shifty. He will,
uh you know, We're gonna have to chase him all
day long. He's just one of those guys that you know,
gets out of trouble a lot, makes a lot of
(02:29):
plays above x's and O is what guy like to say.
Once kind of the x's and o's breakdown, then he
just kind of lets his athletic ability, and he had.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Lives really really well.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
So that'll be a challenge for us to to make
sure that we we do a good job in scrambled
drill and rush lanes and things like that, to make
sure that we try to neutralize him and make him
have to earn, you know, every blade of grass that
he gets. And then the other thing on offense I
think that really stands out is they have, you know,
two really good running backs.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
They have a big, a big physical back there.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Then they have another running back who transferred in from
Murray State who played at the Alras a year ago
and had a big touchdown run you know, in that game.
So those two guys that think do a really good job.
They both have about seven hundred yards on the year.
And then their receivers are really good. They're all transferred
guys in there. But uh but you know, bigger two
bigger receivers number fourteen and number three, kind of that
(03:17):
sixty two sixty three, you know, one hundred and ninety
pound type guys guys that.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Are they'll try to run through you and bowl you
a little bit.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
They're really good at at you know, high point in
the ball against smaller dbs and then they have too
a little bit smaller guys two and one.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
They're kind of their slot jet sweep type guys.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
So offensively, I think, really dynamic, really skilled defensively, play
a ton of guys. You know, there's probably fifteen guys
that play in their front seven consistently throughout the year.
Have you know kind of guys at all levels. I
think they're you know, at the at the first level,
the defensive defensive line, it's you know, their secret sauceage,
just the amount of guys that they can keep rotating
(03:52):
and bringing in there to keep attacking you. Both their
linebackers nine to nineteen, you can tell our veteran players
that kind of drive the drive the machine for them.
And then they got a couple guys in the back
row too as well that that are guys that can
run and hit and and really play physical and do
a good job of being able to play some manda man.
They play a lot of what we call match quarters
or man quarters off of it, and then a little
(04:13):
bit of cover three out there too as well. So
they've dominated their conference this year. They've they've probably been
in like three close games, one of them they lost
to Kentucky it was they got beat forty two to ten.
And then the other two close games were last week against.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
UT Martin they beat U. T.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Martin red at the end twenty to seventeen, and then
a few weeks before that against Gardner Webb. But besides that,
you know, they've been they've been pretty dominant in the
the OVC slash Big South sure is their league right now.
So at home playing down there, I'm sure they'll they'll
be ready to go. First time they've been in the
playoffs in a while, so it'll be it'll be a
really big event in a small town in southern you know, Tennessee.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Yeah, no doubt. You mentioned the quarterback. Is is there
a team that you could look at from the Missouri
Valley and kind of draw comparisons, at least for our
fans Saturday, if there was something like, boy, this looks familiar.
Is there somethinghere you can drive some parallels?
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah, I think just as far as his skill set
and athletic ability, Like I said, I think bo is
probably the Youngstown quarterback is probably the best comparison. Obviously,
that's you know, putting him in in really good company
because Bo's you know, probably going to be the player
of the year offensive player in our in our league,
you know him or or you know maybe uh maybe
the quarterback int NDSU you know, will probably have the.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Best chance to be able to do that.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
So really think, you know, like I said, with his feet,
he's really dangerous and he does a lot of things
to be able to extend plays, whether that's just flat
out running you or making guys miss too as well.
There's some design run stuff. They probably didn't do as
much in the regular season just to try to keep
him healthy. Although they have a good backup. Their backup
was the starter at Weaver State, you know last year,
(05:46):
so they got some guys there that that definitely can
play and have some depth at the quarterback position. But
I feel like they feel like he's the guy. So
we'll probably see a little bit more of that quarterback
run just when they needed here to have the ball
in his hands and and uh and get themselves the
best opportunity to be able to win.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
How big is it for your group then to not
only have a little bit of familiarity, but I had
some success with it too this year.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Yeah, No, I think it's important for us just to
go down there once again. My message to the guys
all all week now, ever since Sunday has been, hey,
lock the doors, you know, close the windows, and eliminate all
the outside noise, whether you know people think you're in
or you're not in, all that kind of stuff. We
know we're playing a game on Saturday, so let's go
disappear in the work here all week long and then
(06:27):
let's reappear, you know, Saturday morning, you know, playing our
very best football of the year. And and it's really
going to come down to us. I just think, you know,
when you look at all the emotions of the last
you know, four weeks, and how much has gone into that,
it's it's really establishing your toughness, and that's your emotional
toughness handling you know, everything that goes on with playoff
games and and and you know, the the ups and
(06:47):
downs of a game. Like you know, I always say, hey,
so what now what good play?
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Bad play?
Speaker 2 (06:51):
You got to move on to the next one. You
got to own it, you gotta flush it, and then
you got to move on. And then I think our
mental toughness too as well. I always talk to guys like, hey,
never let a negative thought complete itself in your mind,
like you got to you know, you really got to
talk to yourself and not think to yourself and keep
you know, being positive and just keep you know, putting
one foot in front of the other. And then I
think physical death toughness is something that you know, I
(07:11):
would hope us being able to be calloused all season long,
playing in a lot of physical games, having a physical
training camp, having a physical spring ball like that part
has never really affected us, you know, all season long.
I thought in the line of scrimmage, every single week
we've competed and competed really really hard. But we have
to be able to you know, let these guys be
able to feel you know, our our pads on Saturday
(07:33):
too as well. I think is a big deal there.
So we know we have a really good opponent at
their place. We got to go down there and play well.
But you know, we've been in a lot of close
games and had to really you know, fight in a
lot of close games. That's something that we feel like, hey,
if we could get in that position with them, that
that would be an advantage for us. Just they haven't
played in very many close games all season long.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
And wouldn't say that you're necessarily playing with house money,
but you're going in you as a very good football
team in your spot on the road. Pressures on them,
isn't it. At eleven and one, you're the you're the
big dog, You're the you're the favorite, right Yeah, And
you guys, like I said.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
We can go disappear and just work, you know, for
the next five days here and uh, you know that's
what our guys are gonna do. They're they're excited to
be uh to be back, you know, practicing this morning
and uh and look forward to going out there. And especially,
like I said, on both sides of the ball, we
know that, you know, there's things and plays left out
there that we can continue to get better at. And
I think that's something that's you know that's probably not
(08:26):
talked about enough, is that you can still get marginally
better at this time of year as a program. You know,
all of our young guys get an extra week with
our performance team, get you know, they get to play football.
I think you want to be a good football player,
you got to play football. It's that simple. And for
them to be able to go out there and get
more reps and you know, continue to be able to
uh to have time on task and work on their craft.
It's it's going to help our program, not only for
(08:47):
this year, but it's going to help our program going
down the line. It's one of the benefits that you
get to be able to extend your season.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
One of the big things, maybe uncharacteristically from your group.
We saw last Saturday. It was just a hard time
running the ball. But I think you're gonna get a
little shot in the arm this week. And then again
it's something that will probably have to be key for
his Saturday.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Yeah, yeah, I think you're talking about z Bar on
top of it. Yeah, I think he practiced today for
the first time since since the injury. And you know,
he ran by me when I was sitting kind of
back in the secondary at at a pretty high rate
of speed. So you know, I think he's chomping at
the bit to be able to get back.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
I think he's right there.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
You know, he's been cleared now and all that stuff,
so we want to make sure, you know, I think
that's the the art of coaching is managing some guys
who are young and you know, want to get out
there and want to go hit, It's like, hey, there's
only so many you know, hits that you have in you.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
So he's awesome though.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
I mean, he just you know, one of those guys
that you know loves his place and and just wants
to wants to get back for the right reasons because
you know, as he can help our football team and
and you know, definitely a guy like you're talking about that.
You know, you get late in the season, you know,
those guys become harder and harder to tackle. When you've
had to tackle those guys for weekends and you know,
weekend and week out for a long time.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Man, it's it gets harder.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
So be excited, I think, you know, possibility to have
you know, be more back to as well.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
He broke his leg against.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Against Montana early in the year, and uh, and he
was practicing today for for the first time. What I
mean by that, as those guys have always been doing
kind of indie and some of the non contact stuff
for the last maybe two weeks. Well now they're cleared
to be able to do all the contacts. So they
were you know, we uh, we got after a pretty
good here to today just doing some inside stuff against
each other and those guys were full participanting, so you know,
(10:20):
more than likely those guys will be able to see
the field on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
And sometimes that's just enough to raise the energy from everybody, right.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Yeah, it's a shot in the arm. You know.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
I think you see those guys you know in uniform,
I think it, you know, I think Jerry and BJ
and and the offensive line that gets them pumped up
too as well to know that, hey, you're going into
this thing, uh you know, with a with a full clip.
You got all the guys that that you feel like
that you need in order to help you win a
football game. So so yeah, it'll be uh be good.
We got a couple other guys. You have to got
(10:48):
some bumps and bruises from last week that didn't go
today that that we need to get back here. And
like I said, our our athletic training people, our sports
medicine people do a great job. They're really busy at
this time of year, just as far as you know,
doing everything they can to get guys feeling as good
as they can. And that's part of our culture. You know,
when we talk about the junkyard dog mentality, it's like, hey,
we're going to ask you to to to play with.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Some pain and discomfort. It's it is what it is
this time of year.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Man.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
You gotta, like.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
I said, we're trying to restore some pride in the
colors here and we need you guys to to be
able to go and put it on the line out
there for the family business in order for us to
be successful.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Outside of more and one more point than them on Saturday.
What's key for your group?
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Yeah, I think we mentioned I think explosive plays for sure.
I think anytime you got a guy who can you know,
play above the x's and o's and extend plays like
that becomes dangerous for you. On defense. So I think
just being able to really, you know, do a good
job of always being around him when he's out of
the pocket and make sure that you know he's running,
you know, with somebody in close proximity to him, and
think is really important. We need to tackle their big
(11:47):
running back twenty eight. I think that's something that's really important.
And then this with their receivers, they're gonna they're gonna
really you know, test our corners, and our corners are
gonna have to fight in some fifty to fifty situations
they'll throw it into tight coverage. So we need those
guys to go out there and and make those you know,
ninety ten balls that we're we're defending them, you know,
ninety percent of the time.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
And I think offensively, it just.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Comes down to, you know, everything that we've you know
that we've been really really good at this year, it's
it's distributing the ball to all the different position groups
that we have. Keeping I think that's been our secret
sauce is keeping teams off balance, not knowing you know,
where the football is going to go, whether it's gonna
go to a running back or a tight end or receiver.
And then obviously, I think, you know, going on the road,
if you want to be successful at some point, man,
(12:29):
you got to really establish dominance upfront. We got to
run the football in between the tackles and establish that
part of our game. If we can do that, that's
going to help us control the clock, it's going to
help us control field position. It's going to keep their
best weapon off the field, you know, for a long time.
So I think that's that's always going to be our recipe.
And obviously, you know, going into an important playoff game,
you got to play to your strengths, and that's something
(12:50):
that we're going to have to be able to do
on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
So all the x's and o's, everything's out there. It's
another big week, you know, sports our family, right football
maybe the biggest example of it. It's Thanksgiving. You guys
get a chance to maybe take a little pause later
in the week and celebrate that as a group.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Yeah, we will, So we'll head over to the dining center.
There's you know, all of our families and and and
the guys, and it's something that you know, I think
it's always been a staple, you know, around here for
a long time, and that's something that we want to continue,
is that, Hey, you can you can expect to be
in Grand Forks over Thanksgiving when you play football here
because we're going to be playing in important games. And yeah,
(13:24):
it'll be fun just you know, to be around the guys.
It'll be something that they'll always remember too as well.
It'll bring them closer together. You know, they'll spend a
lot of time at each other's houses. Some of the
local guys will will have guys over, you know, me
and my wife will have some guys over too as well.
Just to make sure that they you know, they feel
like it's family. And it really, like I said, I
talk a lot about, you know, the partnership that we
have with our guys and how we're trying to pour
(13:46):
into them and make them the best versions of themselves.
But a big piece of why you do this, and
obviously the wins and losses are really important, but there's
a human side to it where you're trying to help
a young man really become the best version of himself.
And and you know, the guy always say, we're an
extra set of uncles for you guys up here in
Ground Forks, and we're gonna we're gonna be the real
uncles and and uh, you know, come come Thursday. It'll
(14:07):
be fun just to be able to spend some time
with the absolutely.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
All right, So before we let you go, the one
answer that you can't involve any coach speak. If I'm
behind you in line in the Schmid house and waiting
to dish up, what's what's the first side on Eric
Schmidt's plate?
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Side that turkey Really I'm rolling with stuff. He'll probably
be one like he just can't go wrong, right, can
it touch? Yeah? Oh yeah, it can all touch. I'm
good with with all that. So how about you.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Uh, probably gonna wait patiently behind you and then make
sure I don't take the last group of stuff in it.
I'm coming in.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
I'm coming in right behindy mass potatoes. It's all good. Yeah,
you can't go wrong on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Absolutely well, SCHMIDI we appreciate the time tonight again, congratulations
on getting in and best of luck on Saturday. Looking
forward to a good playoff win for you down in
cook Build, Tennessee.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Yeah, looking forward to It'll be fun obviously to give
the fans an opportunity on Saturday morning now for Thanksgiving
to be able to turn us on TV and watch it.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
So it's it's gonna be something that we're excited to
be able to do.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
A thanksg and best luck. Yep, thanks Eric Schmid joining
us to side Hawk talk on the Funding Knocks Radio networking,
the five oh six Potty Inside he Goes Peer Market,
North Dakota and Tennessee Tech High Noon from Cookfield, Tennessee.
You'll have it all along the Fonning Knocks Radio Network,
Jack and Mike Bird, Joel Hidekamp and the bud Light
Tailgate Shoel for you at eleven o'clock. Well, we continue
(15:21):
on with our program tonight. We'll take a quick pause,
come back and get caught up on North to Go
to Hockey, as it's an old familiar Thanksgiving weekend phone
North to Go to Bimigie State. We'll look back at
a nice exhibition win last weekend with the United States
Under eighteen team as well. We'll do that when we
return to the five oh six pub inside he goes
pure Market. You've got Hawk Talk tonight on the Fonning
(15:43):
Hawks Radio Network
Back inside the five o six Pump tonight Tuesday night.
Of course, Hawk Talk's still plenty of time to come
down and join us if you'd like. We've got room
before him inside the cozy confines of the five out
six Pump. Now built a fire for us. She's got
everything you'd need, at least up till about seven o'clock.
But come on into the five out six Pump. As
we continue with head football coach Eric Schmids, who all right, SCHMIDI,
(00:23):
Now we get to Sunday morning and and I'm out
doing the most Midwest thing ever, trying to get the
yard picked up one more time, and checking Twitter and
running in to turn the TV on, and you hear
the magic words North Dakota. And I texted a couple
of guys right away, said, you know, I've got this
sudden hankering for a fresca. I can only imagine what
was running through what was running through your mind when
he's on Worth to go to come up there?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
Yeah, no, it was like I said, I texted the
guys right away. We didn't do anything obviously as far
as a watch watch party or anything like that, but
had a two fifteen meeting and just to be able
to see their faces when they walked in the meeting,
especially as seniors. You know those guys as their football
lives are, you know, they're living day by day right
now as far as hey, how many more days do
I have to be able to put on.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
The shoulder pads and the helmet.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
So for those guys to walk in and and to
to get another week here together, I was really special
and exciting. And you know, the mood flipped right away
from one of you know, disappointment of you know, just
the frustration part of it of not playing you know,
your best football.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
All right, here we go. We got another chance.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
Now, let's do everything we can in our in our
power to be able to make the most of it.
And we started diving into to Tennessee Tech, who's obviously
somebody that we've never played before, didn't have a lot
of familiarity with or anything like that. But uh, but yeah,
I just started going to work on them. And and
then you know our guys too as well. They they
wrapped up their Sunday as far as going through all
the corrections and getting with our performance team and doing
(01:42):
all that, and then Monday was off and then this morning,
they were you know, back at it here and there
was a really a good I thought vibe about you
know them and the energy that they brought the practice today.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
So definitely definitely a new life for the entire club.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
So Tennessee Tech Saturday at noon, Cookville, Tennessee. You mentioned
about an hour from Nashville. Than what else do we
know about Tennessee Tech.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Well, their quarterback we have some familiarity with, just because
he played at Eastern Washington for the last two years
and transferred in there, and they really that's kind.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Of a theme of their team.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Have a lot of a lot of guys who have
transferred in from from all different levels of football, but
really good at quarterback. A guy who's you know, very
similar to h to Beau Bruant guard from from Youngstown
as far as smaller guy that's really shifty. He will,
uh you know, We're gonna have to chase him all
day long. He's just one of those guys that you know,
gets out of trouble a lot, makes a lot of
(02:29):
plays above x's and O is what guy like to say.
Once kind of the x's and o's breakdown, then he
just kind of lets his athletic ability, and he had.
Speaker 3 (02:36):
Lives really really well.
Speaker 2 (02:37):
So that'll be a challenge for us to to make
sure that we we do a good job in scrambled
drill and rush lanes and things like that, to make
sure that we try to neutralize him and make him
have to earn, you know, every blade of grass that
he gets. And then the other thing on offense I
think that really stands out is they have, you know,
two really good running backs.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
They have a big, a big physical back there.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Then they have another running back who transferred in from
Murray State who played at the Alras a year ago
and had a big touchdown run you know, in that game.
So those two guys that think do a really good job.
They both have about seven hundred yards on the year.
And then their receivers are really good. They're all transferred
guys in there. But uh but you know, bigger two
bigger receivers number fourteen and number three, kind of that
(03:17):
sixty two sixty three, you know, one hundred and ninety
pound type guys guys that.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Are they'll try to run through you and bowl you
a little bit.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
They're really good at at you know, high point in
the ball against smaller dbs and then they have too
a little bit smaller guys two and one.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
They're kind of their slot jet sweep type guys.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
So offensively, I think, really dynamic, really skilled defensively, play
a ton of guys. You know, there's probably fifteen guys
that play in their front seven consistently throughout the year.
Have you know kind of guys at all levels. I
think they're you know, at the at the first level,
the defensive defensive line, it's you know, their secret sauceage,
just the amount of guys that they can keep rotating
(03:52):
and bringing in there to keep attacking you. Both their
linebackers nine to nineteen, you can tell our veteran players
that kind of drive the drive the machine for them.
And then they got a couple guys in the back
row too as well that that are guys that can
run and hit and and really play physical and do
a good job of being able to play some manda man.
They play a lot of what we call match quarters
or man quarters off of it, and then a little
(04:13):
bit of cover three out there too as well. So
they've dominated their conference this year. They've they've probably been
in like three close games, one of them they lost
to Kentucky it was they got beat forty two to ten.
And then the other two close games were last week against.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
UT Martin they beat U. T.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Martin red at the end twenty to seventeen, and then
a few weeks before that against Gardner Webb. But besides that,
you know, they've been they've been pretty dominant in the
the OVC slash Big South sure is their league right now.
So at home playing down there, I'm sure they'll they'll
be ready to go. First time they've been in the
playoffs in a while, so it'll be it'll be a
really big event in a small town in southern you know, Tennessee.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Yeah, no doubt. You mentioned the quarterback. Is is there
a team that you could look at from the Missouri
Valley and kind of draw comparisons, at least for our
fans Saturday, if there was something like, boy, this looks familiar.
Is there somethinghere you can drive some parallels?
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah, I think just as far as his skill set
and athletic ability, Like I said, I think bo is
probably the Youngstown quarterback is probably the best comparison. Obviously,
that's you know, putting him in in really good company
because Bo's you know, probably going to be the player
of the year offensive player in our in our league,
you know him or or you know maybe uh maybe
the quarterback int NDSU you know, will probably have the.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Best chance to be able to do that.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
So really think, you know, like I said, with his feet,
he's really dangerous and he does a lot of things
to be able to extend plays, whether that's just flat
out running you or making guys miss too as well.
There's some design run stuff. They probably didn't do as
much in the regular season just to try to keep
him healthy. Although they have a good backup. Their backup
was the starter at Weaver State, you know last year,
(05:46):
so they got some guys there that that definitely can
play and have some depth at the quarterback position. But
I feel like they feel like he's the guy. So
we'll probably see a little bit more of that quarterback
run just when they needed here to have the ball
in his hands and and uh and get themselves the
best opportunity to be able to win.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
How big is it for your group then to not
only have a little bit of familiarity, but I had
some success with it too this year.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
Yeah, No, I think it's important for us just to
go down there once again. My message to the guys
all all week now, ever since Sunday has been, hey,
lock the doors, you know, close the windows, and eliminate all
the outside noise, whether you know people think you're in
or you're not in, all that kind of stuff. We
know we're playing a game on Saturday, so let's go
disappear in the work here all week long and then
(06:27):
let's reappear, you know, Saturday morning, you know, playing our
very best football of the year. And and it's really
going to come down to us. I just think, you know,
when you look at all the emotions of the last
you know, four weeks, and how much has gone into that,
it's it's really establishing your toughness, and that's your emotional
toughness handling you know, everything that goes on with playoff
games and and and you know, the the ups and
(06:47):
downs of a game. Like you know, I always say, hey,
so what now what good play?
Speaker 3 (06:51):
Bad play?
Speaker 2 (06:51):
You got to move on to the next one. You
got to own it, you gotta flush it, and then
you got to move on. And then I think our
mental toughness too as well. I always talk to guys like, hey,
never let a negative thought complete itself in your mind,
like you got to you know, you really got to
talk to yourself and not think to yourself and keep
you know, being positive and just keep you know, putting
one foot in front of the other. And then I
think physical death toughness is something that you know, I
(07:11):
would hope us being able to be calloused all season long,
playing in a lot of physical games, having a physical
training camp, having a physical spring ball like that part
has never really affected us, you know, all season long.
I thought in the line of scrimmage, every single week
we've competed and competed really really hard. But we have
to be able to you know, let these guys be
able to feel you know, our our pads on Saturday
(07:33):
too as well. I think is a big deal there.
So we know we have a really good opponent at
their place. We got to go down there and play well.
But you know, we've been in a lot of close
games and had to really you know, fight in a
lot of close games. That's something that we feel like, hey,
if we could get in that position with them, that
that would be an advantage for us. Just they haven't
played in very many close games all season long.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
And wouldn't say that you're necessarily playing with house money,
but you're going in you as a very good football
team in your spot on the road. Pressures on them,
isn't it. At eleven and one, you're the you're the
big dog, You're the you're the favorite, right Yeah, And
you guys, like I said.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
We can go disappear and just work, you know, for
the next five days here and uh, you know that's
what our guys are gonna do. They're they're excited to
be uh to be back, you know, practicing this morning
and uh and look forward to going out there. And especially,
like I said, on both sides of the ball, we
know that, you know, there's things and plays left out
there that we can continue to get better at. And
I think that's something that's you know that's probably not
(08:26):
talked about enough, is that you can still get marginally
better at this time of year as a program. You know,
all of our young guys get an extra week with
our performance team, get you know, they get to play football.
I think you want to be a good football player,
you got to play football. It's that simple. And for
them to be able to go out there and get
more reps and you know, continue to be able to
uh to have time on task and work on their craft.
It's it's going to help our program, not only for
(08:47):
this year, but it's going to help our program going
down the line. It's one of the benefits that you
get to be able to extend your season.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
One of the big things, maybe uncharacteristically from your group.
We saw last Saturday. It was just a hard time
running the ball. But I think you're gonna get a
little shot in the arm this week. And then again
it's something that will probably have to be key for
his Saturday.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Yeah, yeah, I think you're talking about z Bar on
top of it. Yeah, I think he practiced today for
the first time since since the injury. And you know,
he ran by me when I was sitting kind of
back in the secondary at at a pretty high rate
of speed. So you know, I think he's chomping at
the bit to be able to get back.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
I think he's right there.
Speaker 2 (09:20):
You know, he's been cleared now and all that stuff,
so we want to make sure, you know, I think
that's the the art of coaching is managing some guys
who are young and you know, want to get out
there and want to go hit, It's like, hey, there's
only so many you know, hits that you have in you.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
So he's awesome though.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
I mean, he just you know, one of those guys
that you know loves his place and and just wants
to wants to get back for the right reasons because
you know, as he can help our football team and
and you know, definitely a guy like you're talking about that.
You know, you get late in the season, you know,
those guys become harder and harder to tackle. When you've
had to tackle those guys for weekends and you know,
weekend and week out for a long time.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Man, it's it gets harder.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
So be excited, I think, you know, possibility to have
you know, be more back to as well.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
He broke his leg against.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
Against Montana early in the year, and uh, and he
was practicing today for for the first time. What I
mean by that, as those guys have always been doing
kind of indie and some of the non contact stuff
for the last maybe two weeks. Well now they're cleared
to be able to do all the contacts. So they
were you know, we uh, we got after a pretty
good here to today just doing some inside stuff against
each other and those guys were full participanting, so you know,
(10:20):
more than likely those guys will be able to see
the field on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
And sometimes that's just enough to raise the energy from everybody, right.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
Yeah, it's a shot in the arm. You know.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
I think you see those guys you know in uniform,
I think it, you know, I think Jerry and BJ
and and the offensive line that gets them pumped up
too as well to know that, hey, you're going into
this thing, uh you know, with a with a full clip.
You got all the guys that that you feel like
that you need in order to help you win a
football game. So so yeah, it'll be uh be good.
We got a couple other guys. You have to got
(10:48):
some bumps and bruises from last week that didn't go
today that that we need to get back here. And
like I said, our our athletic training people, our sports
medicine people do a great job. They're really busy at
this time of year, just as far as you know,
doing everything they can to get guys feeling as good
as they can. And that's part of our culture. You know,
when we talk about the junkyard dog mentality, it's like, hey,
we're going to ask you to to to play with.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Some pain and discomfort. It's it is what it is
this time of year.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Man.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
You gotta, like.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
I said, we're trying to restore some pride in the
colors here and we need you guys to to be
able to go and put it on the line out
there for the family business in order for us to
be successful.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Outside of more and one more point than them on Saturday.
What's key for your group?
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Yeah, I think we mentioned I think explosive plays for sure.
I think anytime you got a guy who can you know,
play above the x's and o's and extend plays like
that becomes dangerous for you. On defense. So I think
just being able to really, you know, do a good
job of always being around him when he's out of
the pocket and make sure that you know he's running,
you know, with somebody in close proximity to him, and
think is really important. We need to tackle their big
(11:47):
running back twenty eight. I think that's something that's really important.
And then this with their receivers, they're gonna they're gonna
really you know, test our corners, and our corners are
gonna have to fight in some fifty to fifty situations
they'll throw it into tight coverage. So we need those
guys to go out there and and make those you know,
ninety ten balls that we're we're defending them, you know,
ninety percent of the time.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
And I think offensively, it just.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Comes down to, you know, everything that we've you know
that we've been really really good at this year, it's
it's distributing the ball to all the different position groups
that we have. Keeping I think that's been our secret
sauce is keeping teams off balance, not knowing you know,
where the football is going to go, whether it's gonna
go to a running back or a tight end or receiver.
And then obviously, I think, you know, going on the road,
if you want to be successful at some point, man,
(12:29):
you got to really establish dominance upfront. We got to
run the football in between the tackles and establish that
part of our game. If we can do that, that's
going to help us control the clock, it's going to
help us control field position. It's going to keep their
best weapon off the field, you know, for a long time.
So I think that's that's always going to be our recipe.
And obviously, you know, going into an important playoff game,
you got to play to your strengths, and that's something
(12:50):
that we're going to have to be able to do
on Saturday.
Speaker 1 (12:52):
So all the x's and o's, everything's out there. It's
another big week, you know, sports our family, right football
maybe the biggest example of it. It's Thanksgiving. You guys
get a chance to maybe take a little pause later
in the week and celebrate that as a group.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
Yeah, we will, So we'll head over to the dining center.
There's you know, all of our families and and and
the guys, and it's something that you know, I think
it's always been a staple, you know, around here for
a long time, and that's something that we want to continue,
is that, Hey, you can you can expect to be
in Grand Forks over Thanksgiving when you play football here
because we're going to be playing in important games. And yeah,
(13:24):
it'll be fun just you know, to be around the guys.
It'll be something that they'll always remember too as well.
It'll bring them closer together. You know, they'll spend a
lot of time at each other's houses. Some of the
local guys will will have guys over, you know, me
and my wife will have some guys over too as well.
Just to make sure that they you know, they feel
like it's family. And it really, like I said, I
talk a lot about, you know, the partnership that we
have with our guys and how we're trying to pour
(13:46):
into them and make them the best versions of themselves.
But a big piece of why you do this, and
obviously the wins and losses are really important, but there's
a human side to it where you're trying to help
a young man really become the best version of himself.
And and you know, the guy always say, we're an
extra set of uncles for you guys up here in
Ground Forks, and we're gonna we're gonna be the real
uncles and and uh, you know, come come Thursday. It'll
(14:07):
be fun just to be able to spend some time
with the absolutely.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
All right, So before we let you go, the one
answer that you can't involve any coach speak. If I'm
behind you in line in the Schmid house and waiting
to dish up, what's what's the first side on Eric
Schmidt's plate?
Speaker 3 (14:20):
Side that turkey Really I'm rolling with stuff. He'll probably
be one like he just can't go wrong, right, can
it touch? Yeah? Oh yeah, it can all touch. I'm
good with with all that. So how about you.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
Uh, probably gonna wait patiently behind you and then make
sure I don't take the last group of stuff in it.
I'm coming in.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
I'm coming in right behindy mass potatoes. It's all good. Yeah,
you can't go wrong on Thanksgiving.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Absolutely well, SCHMIDI we appreciate the time tonight again, congratulations
on getting in and best of luck on Saturday. Looking
forward to a good playoff win for you down in
cook Build, Tennessee.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
Yeah, looking forward to It'll be fun obviously to give
the fans an opportunity on Saturday morning now for Thanksgiving
to be able to turn us on TV and watch it.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
So it's it's gonna be something that we're excited to
be able to do.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
A thanksg and best luck. Yep, thanks Eric Schmid joining
us to side Hawk talk on the Funding Knocks Radio networking,
the five oh six Potty Inside he Goes Peer Market,
North Dakota and Tennessee Tech High Noon from Cookfield, Tennessee.
You'll have it all along the Fonning Knocks Radio Network,
Jack and Mike Bird, Joel Hidekamp and the bud Light
Tailgate Shoel for you at eleven o'clock. Well, we continue
(15:21):
on with our program tonight. We'll take a quick pause,
come back and get caught up on North to Go
to Hockey, as it's an old familiar Thanksgiving weekend phone
North to Go to Bimigie State. We'll look back at
a nice exhibition win last weekend with the United States
Under eighteen team as well. We'll do that when we
return to the five oh six pub inside he goes
pure Market. You've got Hawk Talk tonight on the Fonning
(15:43):
Hawks Radio Network
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