GAME DAY: Oct 11, WSU @ Montana State

[n.ogdencat]

Bobcats now!!!

Great win for Weber against Montana, but that is only one win. Weber's goal is to win the Sky, and to do that is to continue to win. Montana State is pretty tough, this game and the NAU game are the two that I'm most worried about. Weber may have owed Montana, but we owe State soooooo much more. Montana State has escaped three or four in a row, where Weber should have won the game. HOw can we get a bus to go up to the game??

 

[talhadfoursteals]

After beating the Grizzzzzzz (7 Z's for the 7 sac's the defense had against um), the boobcats don't look very intimidating. Cam and company will run right over the msu boobcats.

 

[bad news cat]

not so fast there ogden kat, MSU is not Montana, Our defense is superior to UM, our offense is really starting to jell, with quite an array of weapons, and we have a very strong fan base. You can expect a sell-out crowd of 12,000 plus, rain or shine, not the 600-650 faithful that show up at Weber. You can count on having a good time as Bobcat fans are for the most part enthusiastic and courteous. This should be a great game as both teams appear to be near the top of the BSC. This game will not be a blow out either way, and could come down to a field goal. We are very happy with our new freshman field goal kicker, named Sunshine. That was a nice win over Mt. which shows that they are weaker than there rating which will now fall dramatically. I'm sure that several Big Sky teams have smelled blood and are lining up to spank the Griz. We will get to in their house, which is icing on the cake. Come on up to Bozeman, bring your best game, and win or lose, have a great time.

 

[n.ogdencat]

Thanks for the invite bad news cat, I've always had good experiences in Bozeman. The MSU fans are gracious and fair, and Bozeman is a nice place to visit. I hope that some Weber fans are able to make it up to the game.
As for the fan base... I hate to break it to you, but Utah has Three D-I (Utah, BYU, and USU) programs... All three are within an hour of Weber State. Not to mention, also, that there are Six other four year institutions within five hours of Weber (SUU, UVU, Dixie State, Westminster, BYU-Idaho, and ISU). Weber is lovingly referred to as the Red-Headed Step Child of Utah.
Weber never gets any respect and fans only come when the team is a proven winner. In 2003 when the basketball team won 17 in a row, it took until the final few games of the season, to get decent home attendance at the games. Weber is, unfortunately, seen as a commuter campus with most of the student body supporting other schools in Utah before Weber. Most importantly, Weber has a really difficult time advertising. Oh, and Weber is located along the Wasatch front...there are a lot of other things to do. On saturday it rained extremely hard, utahans aren't accustomed to rain (desert), and it was Conference for the LDS church... It would be nice to be like Montana where there are only two schools, and I'm sorry Bozman isn't a metropolis, all there is to do is go to the games.
As for the game... Should be a good one...

 

[catatonic]

As an MSU alum, I appreciate your comments, but want to take issue with this:

"It would be nice to be like Montana where there are only two schools, and I'm sorry Bozman isn't a metropolis, all there is to do is go to the games."

UM & MSU may be the only D1 schools, but there is a thriving interest in football throughout the state. The Frontier Conference consists of NAIA schools, and up until recently, was exclusively Montana 4 year colleges. Montana has several colleges that compete in football, including Carroll College which has won 5 of the 8 national NAIA football championships in this decade. Carroll put nearly 8,000 people in the stands last weekend for a home game - more than ISU put up for our game there last weekend. So MSU and UM are hardly the only shows in town in the state.

And to say a football game is the only thing to do in town is just ignorant - you follow this up by saying you've been to Bozeman, enjoy it, act like you know it - then drop this bomb. Then you make the remark that Ogden is a recreation haven to make an excuse for why you struggle to put people in the stands. THE reason most people are relocating to Montana and the Bozeman area are for the outdoor opportunities. With skiing (water and snow), fishing, boating, hiking, biking, etc, etc all over within an hour of Bozeman, football is far from the only "game in town." Try again. MSU and UM sell out our stadiums every day because we put a quality product on the field, we DO effectively market our teams, and we have a fan base that is excited about football. All things, apparently, and unfortunately, your program seems to lack. Not intended as smack - just responding to your earlier explanations. As a matter of fact, I'm trying to get tickets for the game this weekend, but its sold out. They're setting up auxilliary bleachers, but most of those are sold out. I imagine SRO will be available the day of the game, but its looking like you can expect 15-16,000 on game day. Our expansion to 22,000 seats can't come soon enough.

 

[n.ogdencat]

As an MSU alum, I appreciate your comments, but want to take issue with this:

"It would be nice to be like Montana where there are only two schools, and I'm sorry Bozman isn't a metropolis, all there is to do is go to the games."

UM & MSU may be the only D1 schools, but there is a thriving interest in football throughout the state. The Frontier Conference consists of NAIA schools, and up until recently, was exclusively Montana 4 year colleges. Montana has several colleges that compete in football, including Carroll College which has won 5 of the 8 national NAIA football championships in this decade. Carroll put nearly 8,000 people in the stands last weekend for a home game - more than ISU put up for our game there last weekend. So MSU and UM are hardly the only shows in town in the state.

And to say a football game is the only thing to do in town is just ignorant - you follow this up by saying you've been to Bozeman, enjoy it, act like you know it - then drop this bomb. Then you make the remark that Ogden is a recreation haven to make an excuse for why you struggle to put people in the stands. THE reason most people are relocating to Montana and the Bozeman area are for the outdoor opportunities. With skiing (water and snow), fishing, boating, hiking, biking, etc, etc all over within an hour of Bozeman, football is far from the only "game in town." Try again. MSU and UM sell out our stadiums every day because we put a quality product on the field, we DO effectively market our teams, and we have a fan base that is excited about football. All things, apparently, and unfortunately, your program seems to lack. Not intended as smack - just responding to your earlier explanations. As a matter of fact, I'm trying to get tickets for the game this weekend, but its sold out. They're setting up auxilliary bleachers, but most of those are sold out. I imagine SRO will be available the day of the game, but its looking like you can expect 15-16,000 on game day. Our expansion to 22,000 seats can't come soon enough.

Honestly, Carrol College is a bit different from BYU or Utah... Are you kidding me?? Your entire argument rests upon NAIA schools?? That just proves my point that there isn't anything to do in Montana. Utah is the fastest growing state in the United States, with Ogden growing at a 4% every year (St. George is the fastest growing at 10%). Also, Ogden has been voted, for the past few years, as being one of the best outdoor recreational cities in the U.S., if not the WORLD! Our ski resorts are far superior to anything Montana offers, We have great whitewater, plenty of lakes to waterski on, and believe me the WASATCH FRONT are moutains (hiking, biking, climbing, backpacking, and yes you can legally kill animals in Utah, unlike Montana, Poaching is illegal)... OH and its a continuous city from North Ogden to Payson which is almost 100 miles to the south, thats a metroplois. Butte, Dillon, and Bozeman are small agricultural cities. I like Bozeman, but no I'm not from there so I don't know a lot about it, and I never said I did!! But please don't insult Weber State, or yourself, by claiming that NAIA schools compete against your only two major schools, UM and MSU, for fans... You Don't Have Anyone Else To Compete Against You For FANS!!! Also, its the only thing going on... To be honest, I'm a bit envious that you have a strong fan base, I wish Ogden, and the surrounding areas would support Weber more thoroughly; however, USU (1hr away), Utah (30mins), and BYU (1hr away) take away a lot of fans (don't forget our NAIA giant Westminster). Weber fans almost always support one of the other bigger schools... Did I mention, that Utah and BYU's games are always sold out (49,000 Utah & 69,000 BYU). Thats a bit different from Carrol or Montana Tech. Oh yeah... Weber has led the Sky in Basketball Attendance FOREVER!!! I will say your advertising is far superior to Weber's but then again a mortuary has better marketing than Weber's. With all of that being said, I really love being in the Sky, and playing UM and MSU! We are the veterans of the conference and have developed a strong rivalry, based on mutual respect and admiration.

 

[weberwildcat]

Cattonic,

I would have to agree with a lot of things you say. I've been to bozeman twice and thought it was a pretty cool little college town. I would love to spend more time up there or Big Sky. I was surprised how cool the Northwest is. I was expecting it to be like southern idaho...which is pretty lame, unless ur a fan of sagebrush.

I love the fan base of the montana schools, none of the other 'sky schools have good support, NONE.

I am hopeful WSU can still get a good home crowd this year, maybe UNC or PSU. Our last crowd of 15-16,000 or more was over 4 years ago. Our biggest issue is the lack of thriving interest from the students and alumni.

We dont have good marketing either, I belive that is one of the most important things a school can do. Its good to hear MSU has good marketing.

As an MSU alum, I appreciate your comments, but want to take issue with this:

"It would be nice to be like Montana where there are only two schools, and I'm sorry Bozman isn't a metropolis, all there is to do is go to the games."

UM & MSU may be the only D1 schools, but there is a thriving interest in football throughout the state. The Frontier Conference consists of NAIA schools, and up until recently, was exclusively Montana 4 year colleges. Montana has several colleges that compete in football, including Carroll College which has won 5 of the 8 national NAIA football championships in this decade. Carroll put nearly 8,000 people in the stands last weekend for a home game - more than ISU put up for our game there last weekend. So MSU and UM are hardly the only shows in town in the state.

And to say a football game is the only thing to do in town is just ignorant - you follow this up by saying you've been to Bozeman, enjoy it, act like you know it - then drop this bomb. Then you make the remark that Ogden is a recreation haven to make an excuse for why you struggle to put people in the stands. THE reason most people are relocating to Montana and the Bozeman area are for the outdoor opportunities. With skiing (water and snow), fishing, boating, hiking, biking, etc, etc all over within an hour of Bozeman, football is far from the only "game in town." Try again. MSU and UM sell out our stadiums every day because we put a quality product on the field, we DO effectively market our teams, and we have a fan base that is excited about football. All things, apparently, and unfortunately, your program seems to lack. Not intended as smack - just responding to your earlier explanations. As a matter of fact, I'm trying to get tickets for the game this weekend, but its sold out. They're setting up auxilliary bleachers, but most of those are sold out. I imagine SRO will be available the day of the game, but its looking like you can expect 15-16,000 on game day. Our expansion to 22,000 seats can't come soon enough.

 

[talhadfoursteals]

"MSU and UM sell out our stadiums every day because we put a quality product on the field, we DO effectively market our teams, and we have a fan base that is excited about football. All things, apparently, and unfortunately, your program seems to lack."

You may own a 7 game winning streak against Weber, but each of those games easily could have been won by Weber. Last year, you only scored one offensive touchdown. Hell, your best player was Jimmy Barnes, Weber's QB. And last I checked, when did you win your last Big Sky Championship in Anything? Every year Weber wins, on average 2 or 3. UM has been dominate football team over the past decade, but don't try to pass MSU off as being a superior football powerhouse, which they aren't.

 

[weberwildcat]

MSU and UM sell out our stadiums every day because we put a quality product on the field, we DO effectively market our teams, and we have a fan base that is excited about football. All things, apparently, and unfortunately, your program seems to lack.

You may own a 7 game winning streak against Weber, but each of those games easily could have been won by Weber. Last year, you only scored one offensive touchdown. Hell, your best player was Jimmy Barnes, Weber's QB. And last I checked, when did you win your last Big Sky Championship in Anything? Every year Weber wins, on average 2 or 3. UM has been dominate football team over the past decade, but don't try to pass MSU off as being a superior football powerhouse, which they aren't.

MSU was football tri-champ 2 yrs ago

 

[purplefogdog]

We'll be on our way up there Saturday morning.

not so fast there ogden kat, MSU is not Montana, Our defense is superior to UM, our offense is really starting to jell, with quite an array of weapons, and we have a very strong fan base. You can expect a sell-out crowd of 12,000 plus, rain or shine, not the 600-650 faithful that show up at Weber. You can count on having a good time as Bobcat fans are for the most part enthusiastic and courteous. This should be a great game as both teams appear to be near the top of the BSC. This game will not be a blow out either way, and could come down to a field goal. We are very happy with our new freshman field goal kicker, named Sunshine. That was a nice win over Mt. which shows that they are weaker than there rating which will now fall dramatically. I'm sure that several Big Sky teams have smelled blood and are lining up to spank the Griz. We will get to in their house, which is icing on the cake. Come on up to Bozeman, bring your best game, and win or lose, have a great time.

 

[celticcat]

Actually, your men's team put about 500 more butts in the seat on average than our women's team did... you were behind both men's basketball teams in Montana last year. Which is a shame because the Purple Palace is an awesome place to watch a game.

 

[native]

...This should be a great game as both teams appear to be near the top of the BSC. This game will not be a blow out either way, and could come down to a field goal...

Right on, Bad News Cat! Saturday’s Weber State at Montana State game presents some interesting match ups:

Weber State leads the Big Sky in PASSING EFFICIENCY with a rating of 170.2. Montana State is second in PASSING EFFICIENCY DEFENSE holding opponents to a rating of 125.10 per game.

Weber State ranks second in Third Down Conversion rate per game at 31-72 (.431). Montana State leads the Big Sky in Opponents’ Third Down Conversion rate holding opponents to just 22-73 (.301).

Weber State is second in Quarterback Sacks Per Game with 16 (-98) in six games (2.67 per game). Montana State leads the Big Sky in Sacks Against, having allowed just four (-34) in five game (0.8 sacks per game). On flip side, MSU is 3rd in QB Sacks averaging 3.00 per game and WSU is 2nd in Sacks Against having allowed just five (-61) in six games (0.83) per game.

Weber State is the league leader in First Downs with 127 (21.67 per game) while Montana State is second in limiting opponents’ first downs with just 73 (14.6 allowed per game).

The game features the TOP TWO RUNNING BACKS in the Big Sky. WSU’s TREVYN SMITH is the two-time Big Sky rushing leader and is currently leading the league this season at 95.7 yards per game. Montana State’s DEMETRIUS CRAWFORD is second at 86.6 yards a contest.

Should be a GREAT game!

 

[native]

...This should be a great game as both teams appear to be near the top of the BSC. This game will not be a blow out either way, and could come down to a field goal. We are very happy with our new freshman field goal kicker, named Sunshine. ...

In my view both MSU and WSU have been underrated up to this point. The game difference could easily come down to a field goal, but that's not good news for the Bobcats as Weber will commit fewer mistakes offensively and get more chances in the red zone. Yes, the Montana State defense is tough, but no more so than Utah's first team, against which Weber drove 240 yards in the first three quarters.

Montana State Freshman kicker Jason Cunningham has been impressive indeed! It will be fun to watch Cunningham and WSU sophomore Jon Williams compete this Saturday, over the rest of this season and the next two years. They have both demonstrated big potential to contribute in pressure situations. With Big Sky kickers Dehaze, Gamboa, Macias and Urrego graduating this year, the pair will be the cream of the crop in the years to come.

Which one will step up this weekend? :?:

 

[purplefogdog]

Ya know what... Same thing as talhadfoursteals said, that Weber has to compete with Brigham Young, University of Utah, and Utah State.

Actually, your men's team put about 500 more butts in the seat on average than our women's team did... you were behind both men's basketball teams in Montana last year. Which is a shame because the Purple Palace is an awesome place to watch a game.

 

[catatonic]

As an MSU alum, I appreciate your comments, but want to take issue with this:

"It would be nice to be like Montana where there are only two schools, and I'm sorry Bozman isn't a metropolis, all there is to do is go to the games."

UM & MSU may be the only D1 schools, but there is a thriving interest in football throughout the state. The Frontier Conference consists of NAIA schools, and up until recently, was exclusively Montana 4 year colleges. Montana has several colleges that compete in football, including Carroll College which has won 5 of the 8 national NAIA football championships in this decade. Carroll put nearly 8,000 people in the stands last weekend for a home game - more than ISU put up for our game there last weekend. So MSU and UM are hardly the only shows in town in the state.

And to say a football game is the only thing to do in town is just ignorant - you follow this up by saying you've been to Bozeman, enjoy it, act like you know it - then drop this bomb. Then you make the remark that Ogden is a recreation haven to make an excuse for why you struggle to put people in the stands. THE reason most people are relocating to Montana and the Bozeman area are for the outdoor opportunities. With skiing (water and snow), fishing, boating, hiking, biking, etc, etc all over within an hour of Bozeman, football is far from the only "game in town." Try again. MSU and UM sell out our stadiums every day because we put a quality product on the field, we DO effectively market our teams, and we have a fan base that is excited about football. All things, apparently, and unfortunately, your program seems to lack. Not intended as smack - just responding to your earlier explanations. As a matter of fact, I'm trying to get tickets for the game this weekend, but its sold out. They're setting up auxilliary bleachers, but most of those are sold out. I imagine SRO will be available the day of the game, but its looking like you can expect 15-16,000 on game day. Our expansion to 22,000 seats can't come soon enough.

Honestly, Carrol College is a bit different from BYU or Utah... Are you kidding me?? Your entire argument rests upon NAIA schools?? That just proves my point that there isn't anything to do in Montana. Utah is the fastest growing state in the United States, with Ogden growing at a 4% every year (St. George is the fastest growing at 10%). Also, Ogden has been voted, for the past few years, as being one of the best outdoor recreational cities in the U.S., if not the WORLD! Our ski resorts are far superior to anything Montana offers, We have great whitewater, plenty of lakes to waterski on, and believe me the WASATCH FRONT are moutains (hiking, biking, climbing, backpacking, and yes you can legally kill animals in Utah, unlike Montana, Poaching is illegal)... OH and its a continuous city from North Ogden to Payson which is almost 100 miles to the south, thats a metroplois. Butte, Dillon, and Bozeman are small agricultural cities. I like Bozeman, but no I'm not from there so I don't know a lot about it, and I never said I did!! But please don't insult Weber State, or yourself, by claiming that NAIA schools compete against your only two major schools, UM and MSU, for fans... You Don't Have Anyone Else To Compete Against You For FANS!!! Also, its the only thing going on... To be honest, I'm a bit envious that you have a strong fan base, I wish Ogden, and the surrounding areas would support Weber more thoroughly; however, USU (1hr away), Utah (30mins), and BYU (1hr away) take away a lot of fans (don't forget our NAIA giant Westminster). Weber fans almost always support one of the other bigger schools... Did I mention, that Utah and BYU's games are always sold out (49,000 Utah & 69,000 BYU). Thats a bit different from Carrol or Montana Tech. Oh yeah... Weber has led the Sky in Basketball Attendance FOREVER!!! I will say your advertising is far superior to Weber's but then again a mortuary has better marketing than Weber's. With all of that being said, I really love being in the Sky, and playing UM and MSU! We are the veterans of the conference and have developed a strong rivalry, based on mutual respect and admiration.

I didn't intend on my response to turn into a "mine's bigger than yours" argument; sorry you took it that way. If you read my comment, I'm not comparing BYU to NAIA schools. Your argument was, "the football game is the only thing to do" in Bozeman and that there was no competition for fans. I realize and I agree you compete for fans with a miriad of schools, but no offense, you don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about in Montana. The scale is much smaller, I absolutely agree, but you argue you're able to average only x number of fans because you compete for fans, but say the same can't be true here. Explain your logic - rather than just state its so.

Congratulations on BB attendance, although that's not what we were discussing. Oh, and by the way - how are you able to have high basketball attendance numbers, while I assume, you're competing with all the schools around you, but can't seem to do the same for football?

 

[native]

...Oh, and by the way - how are you able to have high basketball attendance numbers, while I assume, you're competing with all the schools around you, but can't seem to do the same for football?

Hey, Cat, are you available as a business and marketing consultant? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Actually, I think Coach Mac is doing a great job of trying to build a sustainable football program at Weber, but it will take more than one good season...

 

[demonofdarkness]

I like the back and forth banter. This is something you never used to see before a Weber State/MSU game.

But in all fairness, Weber State's fight song says, "WE ARE THE WILDCATS, SCRATCHING, SNARLING. WE'RE GONNA WIN THIS GAME". So it must be true.

 

[weberwildcat]

From the MSU board:


No. 22 Weber State (4-2, 2-0) @ Montana State (3-2, 1-0)
Looking at both teams’ records you might think this is not a great game, but each of the teams’ losses have been to FBS teams. Montana State lost back-to-back games to the Big 12’s Kansas State and the Big Ten’s Minnesota. As mentioned above, WSU lost to Hawai’i and Utah.

Also mentioned, Weber State will be looking for its first victory in the series since 2000 — which was a victory in Bozeman for the Wildcats.

A year ago, MSU returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a 21-5 victory at Ogden over WSU.

As mentioned, WSU has shown the ability to run and pass. The Bobcats have been able to stop the passing game — ranking first in the league in passing defense at 211 yards per game. The running game has MSU ranked fifth in the ‘Sky giving up 113 yards per game.

The MSU offense is more run oriented. The Bobcats rank second in the league with just over 167 yards per game but rank last in passing offense with just over 165 yards per game.

Given the Bobcat strong defense, led by Buchanan Award hopeful Bobby Daly at linebacker, this game likely will be lower scoring than what Weber State has been able to put up recently. It likely will come down to who can create turnovers.

Given the statistics, Weber State should be the choice, but I think Montana State will emerge the victor in Bozeman. MSU 24 WSU 21.

http://www.championshipsubdivisionnews. ... &tb=1&pb=1

 

[bad news cat]

Weather forecast for Bozeman, Mt. on Sat. Oct. 11th. High of 33 with a 60% chance of snow. Welcome to Mt. Advantage-no one
Early form of flu bug has hit the Bobcats hard. Advantage Weber
Playing on ISU's carpet covered concrete has created D line injuries. Advantage Weber
Bobcat's new recruiting class creating depth. Advantage Bobcats
Bobcat's newly emerged kicking and special teams play. Advantage Bobcats
Bobcats sell-out, loud, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, cold weather crowd helps carry the day. MSU-24 WSU-21

In response to an earlier post on Weber's advantage on skiing I must protest. I have skiied at all the major Utah resorts and many of the not so major and have extensive time in the Wasatch backcountry (200+ days) Big Sky and Bridger have some of the most challenging inbounds terrain in the nation. Mt. has more high pucker factor couilars than most people can ski in a lifetime. The quanity and quality of snow (depending on the year) are a push. While proably not superior to Utah the ski scene here is anything but inferior to what Utah offers.

 

[weberwildcat]

Weather forecast for Bozeman, Mt. on Sat. Oct. 11th. High of 33 with a 60% chance of snow. Welcome to Mt. Advantage-no one
Early form of flu bug has hit the Bobcats hard. Advantage Weber
Playing on ISU's carpet covered concrete has created D line injuries. Advantage Weber
Bobcat's new recruiting class creating depth. Advantage Bobcats
Bobcat's newly emerged kicking and special teams play. Advantage Bobcats
Bobcats sell-out, loud, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, cold weather crowd helps carry the day. MSU-24 WSU-21

In response to an earlier post on Weber's advantage on skiing I must protest. I have skiied at all the major Utah resorts and many of the not so major and have extensive time in the Wasatch backcountry (200+ days) Big Sky and Bridger have some of the most challenging inbounds terrain in the nation. Mt. has more high pucker factor couilars than most people can ski in a lifetime. The quanity and quality of snow (depending on the year) are a push. While proably not superior to Utah the ski scene here is anything but inferior to what Utah offers.

I dont think the ski debate is worth discussing...and I'm not just saying that because we hosted the Olympics. But come for basketball season and ski/board Snow Basin, home to the 2002 games' Down Hill and Super G - just 20 min from WSU campus.

I'll still go with WSU scoring over 30...our best game last year was in a snow storm against Sac. Our team seems to play well in bad weather for some reason. I think MSU will have to have a season high game in scoring to beat WSU.