First game take-aways

[bobcatbob]

Being Dakota's first game, everything had to be moving fast for him. Playing against the scout team in practice is not match for game speed. I thought he played better in the second half. I bet we will see a complete turnaround next week from him. I feel he is going to be a force by the time we get to conference play. I think Cramsey needs to open up the offense next week and let it go. No more of this conservative stuff. We have a lot of weapons on offense and now we need to use them.

[Common Cat]

I wasn't able to watch the game, but I listened to it. Cramsey's offense sounds like it is predicated on reads. Take what the defense gives you and go to the best option...obviously this is the basis of many offenses. Given the speed and first game scenario, I would bet the game was moving fast for Dakota. Like I said, I didn't watch it so it is hard to tell if he missed primary options. I am betting the game will slow down for Dakota and then our offense will explode.

On another note, after game one, I think it would be silly to make any bold sweeping predictions for our team or any other. It is such a long season and so many things change. Don't get too high or to low. It'll all play out. One thing I do know is the talent of players that we have been able to secure over the past couple of years gives me confidence that we will still be a solid team.

[catgrad05]

I wasn't able to watch the game, but I listened to it. Cramsey's offense sounds like it is predicated on reads. Take what the defense gives you and go to the best option...obviously this is the basis of many offenses. Given the speed and first game scenario, I would bet the game was moving fast for Dakota. Like I said, I didn't watch it so it is hard to tell if he missed primary options. I am betting the game will slow down for Dakota and then our offense will explode.

On another note, after game one, I think it would be silly to make any bold sweeping predictions for our team or any other. It is such a long season and so many things change. Don't get too high or to low. It'll all play out. One thing I do know is the talent of players that we have been able to secure over the past couple of years gives me confidence that we will still be a solid team.

I would agree with everything you said and add one more point with the speed of the game for Dakota. If in fact this was the fastest team the cats have played in at least the four years Coulter has been covering the Cats(and some are saying since Kanas State) then the game is going to seem much easier, and slower from here on out. I just don't like how we go from the fastest team to more than likely the slowest next week with Black Hills. Game three is when we see what we have. Next weekend the offense is going to look very very good imo as they should against DII

[bpcats20]

Dakota - for his first game, not too bad. Reminds me a lot of Saffron from Sac State.

Offensive line - no push what so ever in the run game which scares me a lot for the team overall going into the season.

Wide Receivers - we faced a very talented secondary, however precise route running ability creates that separation needed for completions and while it didn't look like we did anything there, part of it might how fast Prukop can get through his reads. Somebody better figure out how to get open.

Defensively - we are stout up the middle. Other than that, it seemed like we should be fairly solid.

We are going to struggle to make the playoffs this year. Need a ton more out of our run game (besides Prukop) for us to win many games in the Big Sky. I think that Portland State, EWU and Montana are just going to give us fits.

[TomCat88]

On another note, after game one, I think it would be silly to make any bold sweeping predictions for our team or any other. It is such a long season and so many things change. Don't get too high or to low. It'll all play out. One thing I do know is the talent of players that we have been able to secure over the past couple of years gives me confidence that we will still be a solid team.

I was just going to say that my first game takeaways are, "Nothing." I took nothing away from this game. It will be so unlike any game we play the rest of the season that you really can't take much away from it.

[cats2506]

Being Dakota's first game, everything had to be moving fast for him. Playing against the scout team in practice is not match for game speed. I thought he played better in the second half. I bet we will see a complete turnaround next week from him. I feel he is going to be a force by the time we get to conference play. I think Cramsey needs to open up the offense next week and let it go. No more of this conservative stuff. We have a lot of weapons on offense and now we need to use them.

I really hope that Cramsey doesn't need to open the playbook against Blackhills St, If he does then we may have some big problems

[catsrback76]

On another note, after game one, I think it would be silly to make any bold sweeping predictions for our team or any other. It is such a long season and so many things change. Don't get too high or to low. It'll all play out. One thing I do know is the talent of players that we have been able to secure over the past couple of years gives me confidence that we will still be a solid team.

I was just going to say that my first game takeaways are, "Nothing." I took nothing away from this game. It will be so unlike any game we play the rest of the season that you really can't take much away from it.

Tom, slight hyperbole! You took quite a bit away even though it is true that we played a tough team, it's still football and we saw some things to go on. I hope the coaches don't take your approach and trash the tape and say, "there's nothing here"!

[wbtfg]

Bolton is pretty damn fast for a punter

[TomCat88]

Bolton is pretty damn fast for a punter

OK there was one thing to take away from that game.

[TomCat88]

On another note, after game one, I think it would be silly to make any bold sweeping predictions for our team or any other. It is such a long season and so many things change. Don't get too high or to low. It'll all play out. One thing I do know is the talent of players that we have been able to secure over the past couple of years gives me confidence that we will still be a solid team.

I was just going to say that my first game takeaways are, "Nothing." I took nothing away from this game. It will be so unlike any game we play the rest of the season that you really can't take much away from it.

Tom, slight hyperbole! You took quite a bit away even though it is true that we played a tough team, it's still football and we saw some things to go on. I hope the coaches don't take your approach and trash the tape and say, "there's nothing here"!

I don't have enough football smarts to take anything from this game, how's that?

[SpeedCAT]

My first game takeaway is that I'm disappointed in not seeing the new (and, at this point, alleged) "lateral" attack - e.g., jet and orbit motions to spread the defense in two directions. My guess is that Cramsey knew that scheme wouldn't work against the ASU D for several potential reasons:

1) ASU schemed to take that away from our O, so we never even tried; and/or
2) Cramsey knew ASU's team speed on D would negate the lateral threat; and/or
3) We didn't have the personnel to run it.

With respect to 3, I didn't see Gates or Davis play at all. Perhaps I missed them on TV. Davis may still have a balky knee. Don't know about Gates, other than the repeated coaching concern that he can't line up correctly. Paige obviously has the speed, but he probably isn't ready yet. Suspect he will be running the fly as his primary pattern through the first several games.

Also, the trainers took the helmet away from the only other guy who has the 5th gear to be a real side-to-side threat.

[Hawks86]

Gates was suspended for the first game and Davis is having problems with his injury.

I'm surprised Herbert didn't play.

[Mr Lisle]

My only concern is...why are we still at the state of hoping our offensive line gets all their stuff together? IF they do and IF they can get it together NOW, then EWU could be in for a bad day when they play the CATS. In fact, right now that's the way I see the whole season. I saw enough things last night to feel good about, and I'm waiting for the OL to get to the party.

[Darth Yoda]

My only concern is...why are we still at the state of hoping our offensive line gets all their stuff together? IF they do and IF they can get it together NOW, then EWU could be in for a bad day when they play the CATS. In fact, right now that's the way I see the whole season. I saw enough things last night to feel good about, and I'm waiting for the OL to get to the party.

Horn had his first start. Flynn had his first left handed start and Catalano hasn't been back at RG for very long (at least for 2014). I saw some chemistry stuff that will need to come first. It will. This will be a very good unit for us.

[Helcat72]

I would bet that when the coaches look at the film it shows that the linebackers didn't respect our ability to hit passes ddown the middlecof the field and were out numbering our OL at the pointof attack. It's not that we couldn't get a push, it's that they were in the gaps. That's what defensive speed will do. They leave the CB's out on an island and playing a 4-2-5 have more than enough personell to cancel our running game.

[Darth Yoda]

Just one final comment from me before I go full into Week 2. I'm watching SMU @ Baylor and after the first quarter it's 24-0 Baylor. Baylor has 144 yards and SMU has -1. My point is that sometimes a team goes on the road and plays a better team and loses, and it's really tempting to throw everything under the bus (the coaches, the play calling, the QB, the OL, and everything else that's rolled onto here in the last day), but it's really just that we played a better team. Just for fun, I jumped on the Ponyfans forum and I wasn't disappointed. That hot mess is at 30 pages and they have all the neurotics of BN times 100. They believe they would be competitive in this game, and a few short years ago they would have been, and now this. If anyone wants some perspective just spend some time on that game day thread.

[Common Cat]

Just watched pieces of the game...thoughts...
-Justin Paige is going to be outstanding, wow he is fast- we get him for the next four years! Prukop missed him on a deep ball in the third that would have been a touchdown if hit in stride. Perhaps he can be a return man as well.

-SJ's hit was brutal. I hope he is ok.

-Prukop got blindsided and it hurt watching it as well. To his credit, he popped back up. You can tell he is a gamer. I love that.

-Greibel will probably be a "blue collar" work horse for us.

-I hope we use Knight more, he has some leverage.

-We missed some passes that were in the breadbasket that would have kept drives alive.

-Lastly, If they know we are base defense on first and second and blitz on third, we gotta mix it up.

[tonysrookies]

I'm absolutely amazed to read these post and see how educated and inspired you Bobcat fans really are! It's just great to see! What a great foundation
you give to MSU football. My take away from game one is every team on the schedule is going to have a very difficult time beating MSU!! If the offensive line can consistently open holes for the backs and get them in space they wont lose a game! Go Cats!!

[loggy]

Catsrback76-


Last Thought- At this point.... I am scared to death to play EWU.... That game could get reaaaaally ugly. Everyone keeps saying Ark St is the fastest, most athletic team we will face... I disagree.

Seriously? There is no way EWU is as fast as Ark St. Especially on defense.

[mslacatfan]

Catsrback76-


Last Thought- At this point.... I am scared to death to play EWU.... That game could get reaaaaally ugly. Everyone keeps saying Ark St is the fastest, most athletic team we will face... I disagree.

Seriously? There is no way EWU is as fast as Ark St. Especially on defense.

Yeah, I agree about the defense. I would take ewu offense over ark state though