1. We still control our own destiny. If we win out, we clinch a share of the BSC title (I would imagine that we win it outright, because I don't think PSU can beat UM in Missoula).
2. Bye Week (Unless you're a Minnesota Viking...then it's a Bi-Week). We will get a change to take a deep breath and regroup. We get Lowe, Kolone and Bass back, and some of our tired and beat up player (especially on defense) will be able to heal up a bit.
3. 3 of our next 4 games are in Bozeman. We are a MUCH better team at home then on the road. Also, we start off with SAC and NAU...the two bottom feeders of a very even league so far.
4. We have a running back. I was very impressed with Evin Groves, and I think that he will provide a lot excitement before the season is over.
5. We still have Travis Lulay. 'Nuff Said.
All in all this was a crappy to lose a game, BUT we still have a lot of things going for us. I really think that PSU will falter at least once this season, opening up the door for us to come in and win the conference outright. We as fans need to realize that the world is not over (like some people on other boards), and need to continue to sell out the remaining home games, and will this team on to victory.
Even though we didn't look great last night (defense/special teams), I still think this team has a shot at being very special.
The Good News
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wbtfg
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El_Gato
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wbtfg,
I appreciate the optimism. My "sad day" thread is sort of the "glass is half empty" version of yours.
My biggest problem is that while I DO think we will beat NAU, SAC, and the Griz, based on our performance last night, I can't see us knocking off EWU in Cheney.
You are right; we have 3 weeks to get better before we take on the Eagles and we MUST improve defensively and on special teams if we hope to win the Big Sky. To be honest with you, I don't think PSU's running game beat us last night; it was our lack of pass rush and soft coverage that allowed PSU to score AT LEAST 17 points. Going into the game, I figured PSU would run for about what they did but I also assumed we would hold them to a less-than-average night passing. Their passing success was the difference in the game, IMO.
Offensively, how can you argue with what we did last night? PSU only gave up 21 to Boise State IN Boise and we hang 41 on them in their house? Groves IS the future of our running game plus we should be getting Bass back for the stretch run. From an optimistic standpoint, Lulay gives us a chance to win ANY game.
The problem is that the way our D and cover teams are playing right now, Lulay & Co. have to score on nearly EVERY possession against teams like EWU and the Griz if we hope to win, and that's asking a lot of our O, just as it was too much to ask last night.
I'm not writing the season off by any means but if we can't/don't improve a # of SPECIFIC things, we're going to have a hard time winning the Big Sky title.
I appreciate the optimism. My "sad day" thread is sort of the "glass is half empty" version of yours.
My biggest problem is that while I DO think we will beat NAU, SAC, and the Griz, based on our performance last night, I can't see us knocking off EWU in Cheney.
You are right; we have 3 weeks to get better before we take on the Eagles and we MUST improve defensively and on special teams if we hope to win the Big Sky. To be honest with you, I don't think PSU's running game beat us last night; it was our lack of pass rush and soft coverage that allowed PSU to score AT LEAST 17 points. Going into the game, I figured PSU would run for about what they did but I also assumed we would hold them to a less-than-average night passing. Their passing success was the difference in the game, IMO.
Offensively, how can you argue with what we did last night? PSU only gave up 21 to Boise State IN Boise and we hang 41 on them in their house? Groves IS the future of our running game plus we should be getting Bass back for the stretch run. From an optimistic standpoint, Lulay gives us a chance to win ANY game.
The problem is that the way our D and cover teams are playing right now, Lulay & Co. have to score on nearly EVERY possession against teams like EWU and the Griz if we hope to win, and that's asking a lot of our O, just as it was too much to ask last night.
I'm not writing the season off by any means but if we can't/don't improve a # of SPECIFIC things, we're going to have a hard time winning the Big Sky title.
Grizzlies: 2-5 when it matters most
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iaafan
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Before the season I posted something to the effect that MSU fans would have to be patient with this defense. At that time (b4 all the injuries) I thought MSU had the talent and scheme (3-4) and coach (Kwiatkowski) to steadily improve as the year went on. I was expecting the corners to be Eddie Smith and Hunter with Davis backing them up (that's a lot of speed and savvy). Instead it's Hunter and Fuller with Davis and Smith sitting onthe bench all year. I still the LBs are OK, but the line is just not good at all. Too young w/o Matakis and Cogley in there. Kolone has been a big loss, too. The combo of injuries and lack of experience is too much for this team to over come. It looked good through the first two games, but then Cal Poly and the injuries came along and its been declining ever since. Actually it got bad against C-P and never came back (at least not for a full game).
Kolone, Davis (I think Smith is done) and Lowe have to get back on the field at 100%. If not, expect more of the same. A loss to EW is a certainty and I can see them losing to one of the other three without those three back.
As for the spcl teams what can you say. The kicker (Hastings) is great, but the coverage against PSU was horrid. Did Bolton get hurt? He was kicking everything into the end zone. Why not put some starters out there on cover teams.
Kramer doesn't seem willing to give the defense a chance to make plays. Someone else posted that the blitzers get picked up easily and that's exactly right. You can't just blitz one linebacker and a safety in the 3-4 and call it good. A lineman picks up the LB and a RB get the safety with ease, because a) it's not disguised at all and b) its only 5 rushers against five linemen a TE and RB. So 5-on-7. A blitz is meant to get as many one-on-ones as possible and the more there are the better the odds of someone beating their man. There's only three chances in a 5-on-7 and two in a 4-on-7. And go man on the corners once in a while against QBs like Smith, SSU's and Washington/Bergquist. It's like keeping the offense honest.
Amazingly 7-4 might cut it this year. The BSC is considered the best conf. in football and the I-AA commitee desperately wants to get UM and MSU in the playoffs ($$$). The new format (on 1-4 get home games/seeds) give them some leeway with who plays where. UM/MSU would be 5-16s (which aren't seeded, it's just a batch of 12 teams) and still have first round PO games. The scenario would involve UM losing another game before Cat-GRiz and MSU beating UM in that game. Portland State could also finish at 7-4. If UM wins next four, it won't matter if MSU beats them, because they will be 8-3. If that happens, then 7-4 might not be good enough since the committee will be happy with two BSC teams. So MSU needs UM to lose another game before they meet. If MSU keeps selling out its home games it will also make their 7-4 mark better in the eyes of the cmte. The cmte will esp. do whatever it can to get UM in the playoffs at 7-4 and it will be impossible to take UM and not MSU if MSU beats them in last game.
Kolone, Davis (I think Smith is done) and Lowe have to get back on the field at 100%. If not, expect more of the same. A loss to EW is a certainty and I can see them losing to one of the other three without those three back.
As for the spcl teams what can you say. The kicker (Hastings) is great, but the coverage against PSU was horrid. Did Bolton get hurt? He was kicking everything into the end zone. Why not put some starters out there on cover teams.
Kramer doesn't seem willing to give the defense a chance to make plays. Someone else posted that the blitzers get picked up easily and that's exactly right. You can't just blitz one linebacker and a safety in the 3-4 and call it good. A lineman picks up the LB and a RB get the safety with ease, because a) it's not disguised at all and b) its only 5 rushers against five linemen a TE and RB. So 5-on-7. A blitz is meant to get as many one-on-ones as possible and the more there are the better the odds of someone beating their man. There's only three chances in a 5-on-7 and two in a 4-on-7. And go man on the corners once in a while against QBs like Smith, SSU's and Washington/Bergquist. It's like keeping the offense honest.
Amazingly 7-4 might cut it this year. The BSC is considered the best conf. in football and the I-AA commitee desperately wants to get UM and MSU in the playoffs ($$$). The new format (on 1-4 get home games/seeds) give them some leeway with who plays where. UM/MSU would be 5-16s (which aren't seeded, it's just a batch of 12 teams) and still have first round PO games. The scenario would involve UM losing another game before Cat-GRiz and MSU beating UM in that game. Portland State could also finish at 7-4. If UM wins next four, it won't matter if MSU beats them, because they will be 8-3. If that happens, then 7-4 might not be good enough since the committee will be happy with two BSC teams. So MSU needs UM to lose another game before they meet. If MSU keeps selling out its home games it will also make their 7-4 mark better in the eyes of the cmte. The cmte will esp. do whatever it can to get UM in the playoffs at 7-4 and it will be impossible to take UM and not MSU if MSU beats them in last game.
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rtb
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Just got back to town and I thought I would post my positive thoughts.
- Travis Lulay is a stud on the field and off the field. Last night after a heartbreaking loss he could have sulked, he could have headed to the locker room and hid, but he didn't. He was the last Bobcat to leave the field. He talked to the PSU players he knew, congratulated them, and then jogged off the field with like he is ready for next week. I was impressed
-Evan Groves played great. There were a few times during the game where he got hit and should have gone down, but he kept his feet and kept going. He is going to be a stud!
-Leaving the game I was really bummed we didn't win, but that was a game that we stayed in and had a chance to win. We have one so many in the last seconds, I guess it was time we lost that way. I think we still have a great team and we control our destiny. EWU will be tough, but we can win if our defense shows up.
Overall a fun game, a great crowd, and not as bad as it could have been!
I do have one negative thought.
-Our defense and special teams suck!
- Travis Lulay is a stud on the field and off the field. Last night after a heartbreaking loss he could have sulked, he could have headed to the locker room and hid, but he didn't. He was the last Bobcat to leave the field. He talked to the PSU players he knew, congratulated them, and then jogged off the field with like he is ready for next week. I was impressed
-Evan Groves played great. There were a few times during the game where he got hit and should have gone down, but he kept his feet and kept going. He is going to be a stud!
-Leaving the game I was really bummed we didn't win, but that was a game that we stayed in and had a chance to win. We have one so many in the last seconds, I guess it was time we lost that way. I think we still have a great team and we control our destiny. EWU will be tough, but we can win if our defense shows up.
Overall a fun game, a great crowd, and not as bad as it could have been!
I do have one negative thought.
-Our defense and special teams suck!
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cornbreadfred
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Groves is definetely going to be key to the Cats success, hate to say it but I just don't see Bass staying healthy, and Groves has proved himself thankfully. The Cats do still control their destiny, but what worries me is the road game at EWU, I believe almost a guarenteed loss, Eric Kimble is amazing and they don't have too bad of a run game either. Then home for the griz, which will be a great game I believe, although the griz are banged up, even outside of Talmadge, and if their injury problems continue it may end up not being much of a game
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Helcat72
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Bite your tongue! That's the kiss of death! Locker room wall material!cornbreadfred wrote:Groves is definetely going to be key to the Cats success, hate to say it but I just don't see Bass staying healthy, and Groves has proved himself thankfully. The Cats do still control their destiny, but what worries me is the road game at EWU, I believe almost a guarenteed loss, Eric Kimble is amazing and they don't have too bad of a run game either. Then home for the griz, which will be a great game I believe, although the griz are banged up, even outside of Talmadge, and if their injury problems continue it may end up not being much of a game
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mquast53000
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After watching Groves against PSU, I would have to say that I think he will be the main focus of our offense next year. Groves will be our offensive threat for the next three years. I just wish that we would hand him the ball more then 11 times in a game (especially when he is averaging 6 yards per carry). Something positive from the debacle in Portland…
FTG