Chambers & The Playoff Gameplan

[TomCat88]

MSU’s offense has scored under 40 points at home just five times out of a total of 16 since Matt McKay was replaced. They had five straight games overall of 27 or less prior to that.

In the five home games below 40 the Bobcats scored 26 on an incredibly windy day vs UT-Martin and had 387 rushing yards on the day.

They were held to 31 by SDSU in the semis but had 409 yards despite playing without Ifanse.

Held to 37 by ISU but gained 465 yards w/o Mellott.

Held to 33 by Weber in playoff game but gained 554 yards including 388 rushing.

Held to 38 by PSU this year but had 456 yards w/o Mellott.

[kennethnoisewater]

Maybe somebody has said this but I haven't been on here much because this place is a mess lately.

But in the Idaho and gris games, Chambers has had a couple chances to play in the first half and is has not gone well. In the Idaho game, he came in and instantly there was a delay of game penalty. In the Cat-gris game he came in and had that miscommunication with Davis. I'm not sure whose fault that was, but it seemed like that change of pace threw things off.

I get why, after those plays, it's hard to throw Sean back in. HOWEVER, it's like asking a guy who's been sitting on the bench the whole game to come in and shoot big free throws in the 4th quarter. He needs to be more engaged, IMO. Maybe that's partly on Sean for not being absolutely locked in. Maybe it's on the coaches for not making sure he's absolutely locked in. I tend to think it's on the coaches for not sprinkling him in just a little bit more so he's not cold or rusty or whatever. I think the coaches think Sean blew his chance early in those games and maybe he did, but they have to figure out a way to put him in a better position to succeed.

[luckyirishguy25]

Here's a game plan for tomorrow. Let Tommy be Tommy.

[thefrank1]

Here's a game plan for tomorrow. Let Tommy be Tommy.

Not sure how that fits in with the team concept.

[TomCat88]

"If they no show and look like total little bitches like they did against Montana, and don’t tackle and can’t communicate on the sideline and childish Housewright is ripping Tommy to shreds on the sideline and Chambers is sitting there moping and not playing it doesn’t matter what they run. But if they remember how good they are and just encompass their swagger and focus from September/October, they can make a run deep into December." Anonymous D-1 head football coach

 

[SparkCat]

"If they no show and look like total little bitches like they did against Montana, and don’t tackle and can’t communicate on the sideline and childish Housewright is ripping Tommy to shreds on the sideline and Chambers is sitting there moping and not playing it doesn’t matter what they run. But if they remember how good they are and just encompass their swagger and focus from September/October, they can make a run deep into December." Anonymous D-1 head football coach

 

Is this for real? If so, the key word is swagger. They played with a lot! Had a bye, played a cupcake team l, but the swagger seemed to disappear. This is a hell of a group and there has been crazier comeback stories than this, however, tomorrow they get to start their story!

[Trailbiker51]

I posted this on another thread. Not sure is everyone knows what's going on in this department, including me. That was a scary interview in the paper with the OC about Chambers. NDSU fans ate it up. Somehow their relationship needs to be positive and good so the "other quarterback" can help us win. How many touchdowns has this part time quarterback accounted for? A bunch. Perhaps the HC needs to step into this. If we can't get some production from both quarterbacks, they will probably wipe us off the field.

[nanacat]

"If they no show and look like total little bitches like they did against Montana, and don’t tackle and can’t communicate on the sideline and childish Housewright is ripping Tommy to shreds on the sideline and Chambers is sitting there moping and not playing it doesn’t matter what they run. But if they remember how good they are and just encompass their swagger and focus from September/October, they can make a run deep into December." Anonymous D-1 head football coach

 

Ouch!

[TomCat88]

"If they no show and look like total little bitches like they did against Montana, and don’t tackle and can’t communicate on the sideline and childish Housewright is ripping Tommy to shreds on the sideline and Chambers is sitting there moping and not playing it doesn’t matter what they run. But if they remember how good they are and just encompass their swagger and focus from September/October, they can make a run deep into December." Anonymous D-1 head football coach

 

Is this for real? If so, the key word is swagger. They played with a lot! Had a bye, played a cupcake team l, but the swagger seemed to disappear. This is a hell of a group and there has been crazier comeback stories than this, however, tomorrow they get to start their story!

I thought they started getting overconfident progressively after SDSU. I think the first half vs Idaho knocked them down a notch but they went right back to where they were going into Idaho when they went to UM after crushing NAU and EWU. Colter and I were always talking about how they would lose focus and screw up a lot but it “didn’t matter” we’d say because they’d just physically steamroll teams. It was crazy but they, even Vigen, started talking about their own exploits and the next thing you knew they would go 2-2 over last four games. All a matter of how they take that as the coach is saying…

[TomCat88]

Posted this in another thread but it fits here too:

…don't get over-confident, which begets staying focused OR stay focused, which repels over confidence. (this is where MSU is right now)

Good teams that miss tackles, miss blocks, drop passes are not focused due to over confidence. When they do those things, they bicker and pout and whine.

[GoldstoneCat]

"If they no show and look like total little bitches like they did against Montana, and don’t tackle and can’t communicate on the sideline and childish Housewright is ripping Tommy to shreds on the sideline and Chambers is sitting there moping and not playing it doesn’t matter what they run. But if they remember how good they are and just encompass their swagger and focus from September/October, they can make a run deep into December." Anonymous D-1 head football coach

 

-Bruce Barnum

[saintcat40]

Here's a game plan for tomorrow. Let Tommy be Tommy.

I fully agree! This is what we need.

[BleedingBLue]

"If they no show and look like total little bitches like they did against Montana, and don’t tackle and can’t communicate on the sideline and childish Housewright is ripping Tommy to shreds on the sideline and Chambers is sitting there moping and not playing it doesn’t matter what they run. But if they remember how good they are and just encompass their swagger and focus from September/October, they can make a run deep into December." Anonymous D-1 head football coach

 

-Bruce Barnum

Or Aaron not the Best

[GoldstoneCat]

"If they no show and look like total little bitches like they did against Montana, and don’t tackle and can’t communicate on the sideline and childish Housewright is ripping Tommy to shreds on the sideline and Chambers is sitting there moping and not playing it doesn’t matter what they run. But if they remember how good they are and just encompass their swagger and focus from September/October, they can make a run deep into December." Anonymous D-1 head football coach

 

-Bruce Barnum

Or Aaron not the Best

Yep that was the other but it sounds a bit like barney. He has a relationship with the skyline guys too.

[BleedingBLue]

Excerpt from Herder's predictions for the weekend. At least some of us Cats fans aren't the only ones!

"the curiosity behind why MSU QB Sean Chambers seems to be in the doghouse with his OC at times, and on and on.

Chambers gives MSU the best chance to go on a deep playoff run. It’s wild how much MSU fans, local media, and national media see that, and then see how little he played in MSU’s losses to Idaho and Montana. The Bobcats are more one-dimensional with Tommy Mellott behind center, no matter how elite of an athlete he is. Chambers is a more fluid passer, and he’s especially good on play-action as NDSU is likely going to sell out to stop the run. Re-inserting the package of Chambers and Mellott on the field at the same time also wouldn’t be a surprise."

[Bobcat4Ever]

There’s been several comments about how many touchdowns Chambers has accounted for — and it’s true, but let’s not forget the rest of the story. On many of those rushing TDs, Tommy has actually moved the team into the red zone. Then Sean comes on and batters it into the end zone. It makes a lot of sense, as Sean has been just about physically unstoppable on some of those red zone plays. The two-quarterback system at its best. (This failed miserably the first drive of the season when they got stopped 4 times first and short goal to go.)

Tommy and Sean have both finished off any number of drives that they started themselves, many on plays that just skipped right through (or over) the red zone. Who needs that thing anyway? They both have a big-time ability to score from 30 or 40 or 50 yards out.

Trouble seemed to crop up in the big games when the offense was held to three-and-outs and Sean never had an opportunity to crush one into the end zone. Doing that sort of seems to get him rolling and once he is, watch out. (Five-yard penalty problems took a toll as well.) I think it might have been these no-early-red-zone trips that Vigen was referring to when he talked about limited opportunities to get Sean into the game (after Idaho). Sean’s long game gets better after he warms up by running over a few ‘backers and safeties on his way to six early points.

The ‘Cat offense is extremely momentum driven. Let it get going and it’s like a big flywheel, almost impossible to start. Keep it sputtering for awhile and that same inertia seems to keep the ‘Cats from getting going.

Mike Kramer used to say give him four scrimmage plays and he could tell you who was going to win the game. I think the ability of the ‘Cats to get the big machine wound up vs. the Bison defense trying to keep it from gaining momentum — in the first two drives of the game — will tell the story.

Go, ‘Cats!!

[utucats]

Chambers will play a dozen snaps and Tommy will get the rest. Cats roll!