• Hi Guest, want to participate in the discussions, keep track of read/unread posts, upgrade to remove ads and more? Create your free account and increase the benefits of your BigSkyFans.com experience today!

Bobcats @ Hornets

SDHornet

SDHornet

Moderator
Staff member
Preview

The Hornets will have their hands full yet again as they face another top ranked team. This time the 10th ranked MSU Bobcats will fly into town fresh off of a dominating win at home against EWU. This MSU team is in the driver’s seat of the BSC so they will be tough to beat, but the Hornets are going to have to pull the upset if they want to see the playoffs. MSU features a well balanced attack and a stout defense. The Hornets will have to live up to the big stage yet again and will have to minimize mistakes and execute on offense if they want to win this game.

Offense:
I am not familiar with the type of offense MSU runs but according to a poster on CS.com they run out of the spread but have many threats. As far as BSC rankings go, MSU has the 3rd best passing offense with 276.5 ypg and they are 1st in rushing with 203.3 ypg. They are 1st in the BSC with 479.8 ypg in total offense. Davis is their shifty RB while Palmer is their power back. Their QB McGhee has been very efficient going 69/103 (67.0%) for 977 yards with 6 TD’s to 4 INT’s. The Cat posters say this guy has the goods and has some mobility to go with his passing ability. This is a well balanced offense so the defense will have to be on top of its game.

The Hornet defense is going to have to shut down their running attack and I think this Hornet front is up to the task. MSU has some injuries on the interior of their OL so they will be a little thin. If the Hornet defense can continue to be aggressive and swarm to the ball, they should be able to control the line of scrimmage. It could very well be a matter of getting some pressure on McGhee. Again, with a banged up OL, they could very well have some protection and communication issues. The Hornet secondary is really going to have to get it together and show up against the pass. They have too much experience in the secondary to give up the big play like they have been, it’s time for them to step up and make some plays.

Defense:
MSU’s defense is one of the best in the BSC. They are 3rd in the BSC in total defense with 305.5 ypg allowed and are 2nd in the BSC with only allowing 76.3 ypg on the ground and 6th in the BSC with 229.3 ypg allowed through the air. It’s going to be tough for the Hornets to get their ground game going, but MSU is coming into the game banged up along the DL. They have 2 DE’s out with injuries and I thought I saw a post saying a DT will be nursing a leg injury heading into this week.

It’s probably safe to say Sperbeck is going to go into this game with a heavy running attack. The sad fact is we have nothing else. Sperbeck was hesitant to throw the ball last week and I don’t see why he would be any different this week. The advantage the Hornets will have is the banged up DL of MSU. A power running attack will wear them down and if the Hornets can convert 3rd downs and keep that MSU defense on the field, the Hornets could very well control this game. I’m hoping Fleming can get it together and have a solid performance through the air. A one dimensional attack is no way to win games and Fleming will have to step up and make some plays through the air.

Special Teams:
MSU’s leading kick returner is Gilbert and he is averaging 21.8 yards per return. They don’t have a punt returner with any big numbers. Their kicker Cunningham is solid; he is 10/11 and has a long of 55 yards. Their punter Perez is averaging 40.4 yards per punt and has a handful of punts downed inside the 20. Last week the Hornet special teams made some plays that set up some great scoring chances; hopefully the Hornets can continue to do so. Diniz and Heath have continued to be solid so I would say the kicking game is evenly matched this week. I’d love to see Monson take another punt return to the house.

Intangibles:
MSU has turned the ball over a total of 7 times (3 fumbles and 4 INT’s) and has only committed 18 penalties for 157 yards (4.5 penalties per game for 39.2 ypg, fewest in the BSC) so they are a well disciplined team. The Hornets are going to have to minimize their mistakes and not turn the ball over as MSU will not be anywhere near as sloppy with the football as UM was last week.

In my opinion this is a must win of they want a legit shot at the playoffs. The Hornets have proven they are an aggressive bunch so I don’t see them backing down at all in this one. MSU has played a fairly weak schedule (non-scholarship Drake, non-D1 Fort Lewis and perennial Pac-10 doormat WSU) so their numbers are inflated. If the Hornets come out and take it to the Cats, there is no telling what can happen. The Hornets will have to be able to execute if they want to win and I’m sure Sperbeck will have this team prepared and hungry for the win. I’m going with a Hornet win in this one.

GO HORNETS!!!
 
great write-up; pretty dead on.

as far as the o-line is concerned, 2 of our injured/ill starters are likely to play this weekend. if they don't, our reserves have filled in admirably(i think our "patchwork o-line has only allowed 3 sacks this year) both mcghee and davis make it easier for the big guys as they are both very shifty when running the ball. you'll see a lot of roll-outs from mcghee, too.

d-line: while it is true we're down 2 "starters" on the d-line, one of those guys has been down since last year. we lost o'connell to a broken collarbone, but as i mentioned in the other thread, our d-line rotates like 7-8 guys. ALL have been productive. also, jason d'alba will be returning from suspension(late hit). our tackles make this defense tick.

to address our "weak" schedule, both "cupcake" games were complete blowouts and were over by the middle of the 3rd quarter, and we basically dominated a pac-10 team for 58 minutes, albeit washington state(they still get at least 20 more schollies than EVERY FCS team). completely dismantled EWU 30-7. score is not indicative of how bad it really was. the cats were bigger, faster, and stronger than the then-conference favorite eagles. many had us losing that game.

this is truly a different bobcat team with few notable weaknesses. while i think sac state is an improving team, i don't think they have the balance on offense to hang with the cats. because of that, i think the sac defense will be on the field too much and will eventually break; cats have too many weapons on offense and no one has stopped us yet. cats pull away late, 33-12
 
ash_army said:
great write-up; pretty dead on.
Click to expand...
Thanks.

as far as the o-line is concerned, 2 of our injured/ill starters are likely to play this weekend. if they don't, our reserves have filled in admirably(i think our "patchwork o-line has only allowed 3 sacks this year) both mcghee and davis make it easier for the big guys as they are both very shifty when running the ball. you'll see a lot of roll-outs from mcghee, too.
Click to expand...
Should be interesting to see what defensive blitzes/schemes are used to knock the MSU O out of rhythm.

d-line: while it is true we're down 2 "starters" on the d-line, one of those guys has been down since last year. we lost o'connell to a broken collarbone, but as i mentioned in the other thread, our d-line rotates like 7-8 guys. ALL have been productive. also, jason d'alba will be returning from suspension(late hit). our tackles make this defense tick.
Click to expand...
The Hornets have struggled at converting 3rd downs this season. If they can get it rolling this game, the MSU D could be in for a long one.

to address our "weak" schedule, both "cupcake" games were complete blowouts and were over by the middle of the 3rd quarter, and we basically dominated a pac-10 team for 58 minutes, albeit washington state(they still get at least 20 more schollies than EVERY FCS team). completely dismantled EWU 30-7. score is not indicative of how bad it really was. the cats were bigger, faster, and stronger than the then-conference favorite eagles. many had us losing that game.
Click to expand...
I didn't mean it as a diss, that is just how I see it. Cupcake games should be blowouts and hanging with any Pac-10 team for 9/10 of a game is impressive. But as of right now, the most impressive win/game is the EWU game. Shutting down TJ is no easy feat.

this is truly a different bobcat team with few notable weaknesses. while i think sac state is an improving team, i don't think they have the balance on offense to hang with the cats. because of that, i think the sac defense will be on the field too much and will eventually break; cats have too many weapons on offense and no one has stopped us yet. cats pull away late, 33-12
Click to expand...
It will be all about time of possession this game. Two solid running attacks going head to head will be something to see.
 
The Big Sky suspended Montana State safety Jordan Craney for Saturday's game at Sac State for a hit above the shoulders on a defenseless Eastern Washington receiver.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2010/09/29/3064455/regional-digest-sac-state-kicker.html#ixzz10vo9HQui
 
Greetings Hornet fans from Big Sky country! Looking forward to a great game this weekend. Your Hornets are much improved team, with physical talent on both sides of the ball. Watched your game against UM last week, and that was one you could have won. Not an easy task to roll into Missoula and play that well.

SD Hornet - good rundown on the upcoming matchup. Always refreshing to hear from a knowledgeable fan rather than just smack talk. Here's my thoughts from a Bobcat perspective:

Offense: The Cats run a spread formation, and everything starts with RS freshman QB Denarius McGhee. Yes, he still makes some freshman mistakes (see last week's INT he threw against EWU down deep in the red zone), but he is the most dynamic QB I have seen lead the Cats in the last 25 years. While he can hurt you with his feet, he would rather beat you with his arm. A lot of poise and patience in the pocket for such a young guy. RBs - Orenzo Davis might be every bit as good as Taiwan Jones from EWU. Not as fast, but still a gasher and hard to bring down in the open field. Palmer could be starter for any other BSC team. However, injuries to our O-line may make it hard for them to open up holes in the running lanes. Look for coaches to get McGhee out of the pocket and to create throwing lanes to our WRs. Speaking of, MSU has the most talented corps of WRs I have ever seen. Elvis Aklpa really came into his own last week, Everett Gilbert continues to be the explosive playmaker, and Julius Lloyd & Tanner Bleskin are sure handed guys who can make the first down.

Defense: The Cats still posses a great D, but may not be as good as we have had in the past. We are hurting from injuries among the D-line, but fortunately have good depth. Before the season started, LB appeared to be a weak spot, but the emergence of freshman Aleksei Grosulak and steady play from Jody Owens have provide quite a boost. Clay Bignell has recovered well from staph infection last season. However, we lost a key playmaker in DE Dustin O'Connell to a broken collarbone last week. Also, you may have heard that this is the second week in a row we have had a defensive player suspended for an illegal hit. Two weeks, Jason D'Alba hit the Drake QB late with a helmet-to-helmet hit. Both our head coach and the league suspended him, and justifiably so. This week, we lost strong safety Jordan Craney for a hit he put on an EWU receiver. The hit was deemed helmet-to-helmet, however, I don't think Craney was trying to hurt the guy, rather he was trying to dislodge the ball. But, it's just another thing the Cats will have to deal with.

Key observations:
-- The stud: For the second week in a row, the Cats face a Buck Buchanan award candidate on defense, this time coming in the form of DE Christian Clark. Clark could have has way against patch-work MSU offensive line. The Cats need to find a way to keep Clark out of our backfield.
-- The Hogs: the Hornets posses a physical, big offensive line. The Cat defense is aggressive and good, but undersized. The Hornets could have their way with my Cats here.
-- Red Zone: while the Cats have been prolific in the red zone this season, the points have not often come in the manner we would like. We have settled for a quite a few field goals instead of TDs when getting it inside the 20. That needs to change.
-- Climbing the chart: The Cats are ranked #10 this week, and have not been that high since 1984, when we won the National Championship. Great to see, but climbing in the polls has not been good to the Cats, as we tend to choke anytime we can see success on the horizon.
-- Special teams: we have been anything but special here. While we have one of the best kickers in the country in Jason Cunningham, we have struggled on extra points (an offensive line problem). Our kick cover and kick return teams struggle, which is bizarre considering the team speed we have this year.
-- The intangible: the bugaboo for the Cats over the past several seasons has been consistency. We have typically fallen flat on our faces in big games, or peed down our legs the week after a big win. EWU was a HUGE win for us, the first time we have beaten them in 8 seasons. The Eagles have probably been the #1 obstacle for the Cats in terms of getting to the playoffs. The Cats spent a lot of energy and emotion on that win last week; it would be easy to come flat against you guys. But something about this year's team has been different so far. They have a swagger to them; confident but not cocky. The believe in themselves this season. We will see if they can rely on that attitude this Saturday.

Sorry this is so long! You guys scare the crap out of me!! You are physical, fast, and playing with a chip on your shoulder. This has been a let-down game in the past for the Cats, but I am hoping this year is different. Anyway, here's to a good game with no injuries. May the best team come out on top!!
 
Welcome Old School Cat,
Great post, appreciate your honesty and wish you the best of luck. We hope you enjoy your visit to Sacramento. Bring your sunblock as the temp should be about 95 degrees and enjoy some cold beer with us before the game.
 
FamousBaller said:
Welcome Old School Cat,
Great post, appreciate your honesty and wish you the best of luck. We hope you enjoy your visit to Sacramento. Bring your sunblock as the temp should be about 95 degrees and enjoy some cold beer with us before the game.
Click to expand...

Its not normal, but we had the same weather in Bozeman yesterday.
 
I don't think you guys will lose another game all season..

Nothing like a 7 on 7 pass skeleton to work out the kinks in your passing game. Should serve you well going forward.
 
bpcats said:
I don't think you guys will lose another game all season..

Nothing like a 7 on 7 pass skeleton to work out the kinks in your passing game. Should serve you well going forward.
Click to expand...

Thanks bpcats, we hope not. Hope you pound the snot out of the Grizzlies! I am still trying to figure out who the kid was that come out 2nd half wearing Fleming's uniform. :lol:
 
Recap

I was unable to see much of the game but I did see some of the first half so for those of you who have more input, feel free to add it. The Hornet offense seemed to move the ball quite well but had some drives stall due to turnovers. The defense struggled to slow down MSU after the first quarter and the Bobcats opened up a 37-10 lead. I was unable to watch more after that but this game was a shootout and ended with the Hornets getting the short end of the stick with the final score being an unimaginable 64-61 overtime thriller. The Hornets never gave up and battled back to take the lead. Unfortunately it just wasn’t enough down the stretch. Thanks to a Sac Bee article, Diniz was jinxed and missed a tying field goal in OT. This team has shown that the talent is there to compete with any team in the BSC. The Hornets just need to get over the hump and win these types of games. If Fleming can continue to move the ball through the air as effectively as he did this past week, and if the defense can play up to the level they have shown in the WSU and UM games, this team can be dangerous.

Here is a link to the Big Sky Box Score for the game:
http://www.bigskyconf.com/custompages/football/2010/stats/sacmsu.htm

The Hornets lost to a 10th ranked MSU team who up to this point is the dominant team in the BSC. The playoff hopes for the Hornets took a huge hit with the past two losses but all is not lost. The Hornets got through the toughest stretch of the schedule and if they can put together a complete game on both sides of the ball, there is definitely the possibly to run the table. It’s time to focus on UNC, a team the Hornets have never lost to, and get a much needed win.

GO HORNETS!
 
here's something that leaves me scratching my head....Sac loses 64-61 in OT to the 10th ranked team in the nation, a week after losing by a handful on the road to the 12th Montana Grizzles, and two weeks after beating then-ranked Weber State...and...you receive NO zeros in the coaches' poll? Don't these guys pay attention to the scores? I was expecting to see you guys sneaking into the poll...not disappearing from the votes.

crazy.
 
There are 2-3 teams in the Top 25.

Going back to D2, we never got any respect then either. Probably because we have never done anything in football. Until we have a multi year winning record, look for this to continue.
 
I find it amazing that we had VERY close losses to two ranked schools AND a better offensive performance against a high bowl-bound team than two other FBS schools and we don't even get a WHIFF of the FCSFans Poll, much less any of the other major polls.

I think it comes down to ECB.
 
Green Cookie Monster said:
ECB?
Click to expand...

with the exception of Montana....they are 2-2 in FCS games, one of them over N. Colorado, the other a 3-point win over you guys AT HOME! 12th ranked..and..Sac gets not one vote! maybe the 1-3 record vs. D1 teams kills ya. should get two easily this week, and then that back-to-back road trip is gonna be the key. if you somehow get through those two undefeated, running the table isn't that much of a stretch and could get a playoff invite.
 
There are a few things to understand with the polls. If you are in the CAA and beat a high school team it means that you are a top 10 team in the nation.

Other factor is that polls start off where last season ended and getting ranked in the polls in the preseason is really important and you spend the season proving or disproving. For most teams in the Big Sky besides Griz you have to put together a string of wins and the Hornets haven't done that yet. Eastern and Weber have a history of making the playoffs in the last couple of years so they get a bump. MSU has had 8 winning seasons and returned the most starters from last season (before injuries) so was thought of highly.

Go and beat EWU, Weber, NAU and you will be ranked..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top