Sit Tommy against mercyhurst…?

[Long Time Cat]

Tommy’s a senior, just out of respect for all he’s done you have to start him. If things go as we all think they will you don’t have to play him very long but you do have to start him he’s earned that.

[grizzh8r]

Tommy’s a senior, just out of respect for all he’s done you have to start him. If things go as we all think they will you don’t have to play him very long but you do have to start him he’s earned that.

This is fair.

[Bobcat4Ever]

This honestly looks like a matchup of which very little good can come. I watched a good share of their game on Saturday. No crowd to speak of — Bobcat (Sales) Stadium will be a shock. QB is 5-9 175#. I think we need to sit Brody. Make a good lead if possible, then it’s got to be a scrimmage. Go, Cats!

[catsrback76]

These games suck for lots of reasons, but primarily there is very little upside and the potential for a huge downside. I would only play Tommy for 1 quarter and use him to work the passing game and to run the Offense. He gets amped for games and it takes 3 series before he seems to get into the right head space to play his game. Get him there, get a lead and sit him. Sorry, but IF he goes down on some fluke play will gut our season. It’s simply not worth it.

I would even sit Adam and Scottre and run with the other backs. Make this week a week to get game experience for the backups because it was clear from last week that they need it.

I don’t care about the score, unlike Bobby H who runs up the score on any team he can. 59-2 wins are embarrassing to everyone, even the team that wins…maybe more!

Use this opportunity to improve, not to put vanity points on the board!

[MSU01]

MSU will respect all their opponents. Mercyhurst is bad but they are still Div 1. I echo what everyone else is saying.

This is the correct answer. Respect your opponent and play the starters, but as with the Maine game pull them at halftime if the game is out of reach at that point. If this results in a 30 or 40 point margin instead of a 60 or 70 point margin, so be it. More rotation than normal would be appropriate, whether it's giving Reed/Wilson a series in the first half with the starters in or rotating through 3 or 4 RBs instead of just using Humphrey and Jones.

[wapiti]

Starters should play all of 1 and 2 quarters

[smith427]

Watching Mercyhurst last week, I think we could beat them by 50 with 10 guys on the field.

That said, I think it's unrealistic for us to ever sit our starting QB for an entire game when he's not injured just due to sportsmanship. I just can't imagine Vigen coming out in the Monday presser and saying "We're gonna give Tommy a break this week". Might as well just openly say "this team is garbage, and we have no respect for their players or coaches". Even if it's true, you just don't say that or act like it, that would be a bad look for the program.

I don't think it's too much to ask to pull Tommy after the first quarter if we're up by 28-35 though.

[Camo_Cat]

Respect your opponent. Play all 22 regular starters and give them your best. If and when the game gets out of control, play your 2s and 3s with your regular game plan. If there is one thing I hate is when teams put their backups in and then run vanilla schemes. Let the backups have full access to the entire playbook.

[RockyBearCat]

Respect your opponent. Play all 22 regular starters and give them your best. If and when the game gets out of control, play your 2s and 3s with your regular game plan. If there is one thing I hate is when teams put their backups in and then run vanilla schemes. Let the backups have full access to the entire playbook.

I agree wholeheartedly. These guys need game experience doing "real" football. I understand not throwing deep over and over but let them work the offense and get a great feeling of who our #2 is going forward to more difficult games.

[Cats92]

Respect your opponent. Play all 22 regular starters and give them your best. If and when the game gets out of control, play your 2s and 3s with your regular game plan. If there is one thing I hate is when teams put their backups in and then run vanilla schemes. Let the backups have full access to the entire playbook.

I agree wholeheartedly. These guys need game experience doing "real" football. I understand not throwing deep over and over but let them work the offense and get a great feeling of who our #2 is going forward to more difficult games.

I’m actually really excited for this game for this reason. Hoping to see the #2/3’s play a significant portion of this game not focusing on just burning clock. Although I’m not certain that’s what’s gonna happen, I’m hopeful for it.

[GoCats18]

Even though Bobby plays his starters until the 4th, I want to see Reed and Wilson get as many reps as possible. Never know when one of them is going to have to take some snaps that are going to actually matter.

[LoggerCat]

Even though Bobby plays his starters until the 4th, I want to see Reed and Wilson get as many reps as possible. Never know when one of them is going to have to take some snaps that are going to actually matter.

Agreed, I’m in the camp of not playing Tommy at all. Give Reed/wilson the start and the next guy the whole second half. These guys need to see real game action, running the full offense. Not just handing the ball off.

[BelligerentBobcat]

Why not play Tommy?

Everybody needs reps, and this is football. If you’re that worried about somebody getting hurt, how do you expect to manage a whole season? I’m not saying he needs to play the whole game, but at minimum, a couple series.

[GoCats18]

I play Tommy until we are up by 21 or 28….but I don’t play him after that or after halftime.

[CNC_Cat]

Tommy’s a senior, just out of respect for all he’s done you have to start him. If things go as we all think they will you don’t have to play him very long but you do have to start him he’s earned that.

I agree with this. Give Tommy the start. Let him play till we score and then hand the reigns over to the backups and have them play with the 1s till it is out of reach.