Oct 18: UNC @ WSU

[Bearsfan24]

What's with running wide receiver sweeps when you're down by your own goal line and down by 14 points? Throw down field. Seriously.

 

[Phineas J. Whoopee]

I thought we played pretty decent but were a bit overmatched. Our offense was pretty much MIA all day and I think their QB threw for like a 99% completion percentage. But still a pretty decent performance overall we are not that far off if you consider Weber at the top of the conference.

 

[gobears2010]

I agree. If we hadn't done our best impression of the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX, we might have had a chance to tie the game.

 

[Bearsfan24]

I thought we played pretty decent but were a bit overmatched. Our offense was pretty much MIA all day and I think their QB threw for like a 99% completion percentage. But still a pretty decent performance overall we are not that far off if you consider Weber at the top of the conference.

True. Weber State is good no doubt, I was impressed with their QB. UNC did have some opportunities to capitalize on, could have tied the game a lot sooner. Too bad UNC's offense didn't get started a little sooner, but UNC's defense has definitely stepped their game up. When did Weber State get so good? I thought they were at the bottom of the big sky like UNC?

 

[Phineas J. Whoopee]

Ron McBride is the difference in my opinion. He is head and shoulders the best coach in the Big Sky. They run a smart, efficient offense. They shot themselves in the foot a couple times but beyond that they always seemed to have the right play called or defense called. But McBride is a legit, proven DI winner and nobody else in the Sky has that. It's taken him a couple years but they are just solid and they play smart and he get's the best out of the talent they have.

 

[gobears]

I do have to say what a difference a season makes, this was our biggest FCS loss and we only lost by 7 to the best team in the conference at their house.

 

[uncfootballrules]

Guys, guys, guys - don't be fooled by this score. Just look at the stats and this was done with smoke and mirrors. We were outgained by 430 yards (570 to 140). That is an ass kicking in every meaning of the word. This score should have probably been 38-10 or something like that. Hats off to the defense for getting those turnovers to keep them out of the endzone - that is plays we need. But that is not going to happen every week. For the Bears to get another win this year it will take a lot more than that.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy the score was close. That was a very concerning performance though. Probably the first really bad one of the year.

 

[Blofeld]

Ok well if we get to play the "if" game then that means we beat Texas State, NAU, and Davis! I'll be checking the Big Sky website all day to see the standings updated! :lol:

 

[uncfootballrules]

Ok well if we get to play the "if" game then that means we beat Texas State, NAU, and Davis! I'll be checking the Big Sky website all day to see the standings updated! :lol:

Not sure I am following you Blofeld. Help me out. All I said is we lost and the score was misleading. I thought that was the first really poor performance of the year. If you are encouraged by that performance that is concerning. The other games were close games we had a chance to win and the team was competitive. I didn't think this one was which is the point I was making.

 

[Blofeld]

Yeah I hear yah but what I'm saying is that as a UNC fan we've learned the lesson that regardless of what happens on the field the scoreboard is the real indicator. Sure, they gained a lot of yardage but you can also look at it and say we made the big plays in the red zone to create turnovers. I watched the game, they didn't just hand the ball over to us. Our defense should be credited with creating those turnovers. The fumble on the goal line, the QB reached the ball out and our guy knocked it loose, he was in position and made the play, he deserves credit for that, it wasn't just a Weber mistake.

So yeah they racked up yardage but only put 17 points on the board which is what matters most.

 

[uncfootballrules]

Allright, then what do you have to say about the offense?

 

[Ursa Major]

Guys, guys, guys - don't be fooled by this score. Just look at the stats and this was done with smoke and mirrors. We were outgained by 430 yards (570 to 140). That is an ass kicking in every meaning of the word. This score should have probably been 38-10 or something like that. Hats off to the defense for getting those turnovers to keep them out of the endzone - that is plays we need. But that is not going to happen every week. For the Bears to get another win this year it will take a lot more than that.

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy the score was close. That was a very concerning performance though. Probably the first really bad one of the year.

Thank you uncfootballrules. I was thinking the same thing. I've had my heart broken too many times to start getting all excited because we are losing by fewer points than usual.
My next big concern is that people are going to start justifing keeping Downing "because we've been close in so many games."

 

[uncfootballrules]

I know. It is so bad that we have resorted to arguing about "good" losses and "bad" losses.
I see some schools are getting the axe out. Not sure what Hinrichs will do. I just can't imagine any scenario that Downing gets a long term extension (i.e. 3 years or more) because we could never buy out the contract. Even if we won out I can't see that happening. Beyond that I have no idea where this one will go. It probably depends on what happens the rest of the year. I think maybe there are 2 wins in there. If I'm right (big if I know) what does Jay do with Downing at 3-8 this year and 5-29 overall?

 

[budbear]

Like I said before, the team will tell us when things are not going good with the coach and they want a new leader. I see a building team with a good future. Downing is not the problem, the problem is getting the best players to commit to UNC and that will take some time to develop. Florida Atlantic is a good example of a team that has probably one of the best coaches in the DI level and they are struggling in spite of a huge budget. They don't have the talent yet to be at the top. They will get better as time goes on and so will we. Many on this board seem to think Joe Glen would be a good replacement, but he is losing now too so does that make him a bad coach or does he just have a problem recruiting top talent wanting to go to Wyoming.

 

[Blofeld]

Downing will be back next year so everyone just get yourselves prepared for that.

I'm sort of in the "it's building" camp but if we now go out and shit the bed the rest of the season I'll turn on him quick.

A loss is a loss but there are better loses than others, I'd much rather lose 17-10 to Weber on the road when they are in first place in the conference than lose 26-0 to them at home when they are middle of the pack... so yeah, they are better than last year but when you are really really bad it's a long journey to just get to barely losing.

At halftime of the ISU game they asked Hinrichs what his grade would be for Downing after 2.5 years and Hinrichs said A+ so that told me what I needed to know about next year.

 

[BearCub]

Hinrichs also said that moving from DII to DI, starting with 38 scholarships, is like turning a battleship. I've seen it done before and it is a very long process. Would I give Downing an A+, no, but I'd probably give him a B -. I'd rather see us stick with Downing than start completely over and set us back another 2 years when I think next year we can be middle of the pack in the BSC and continuing a positive trend.

We've got a lot to be excited about; Volleyball is in 1st place, men's basketball should be in the hunt this year and women's basketball should be better than they were last year (which was pretty good), soccer is doing okay, baseball is always pretty solid as is wrestling and softball. All-in-all, everything is going OK, with a contending football team on the way in the very near future.

 

[Blofeld]

Moving up is a challenge but this program regressed, I mean we got blown out at home by an RMAC school that is pretty much rock bottom. Also, other schools seemed to handle the transition a looooot better... So this wasn't all about the transistion I think that is an excuse. But it didn't help that we totally went cheap on the scholarships and that held us back... but that's in the past.

We are on the up I do believe that!

 

[uncfootballrules]

At halftime of the ISU game they asked Hinrichs what his grade would be for Downing after 2.5 years and Hinrichs said A+ so that told me what I needed to know about next year.

Ughh. You have got to be kidding me. That is possibly the most ridiculous comment I have ever heard. I won't even bother to elaborate.

 

[Ursa Major]

Of course Hinrichs is going to say that Downing is A+...he picked him! I have this stomach churning feeling that Hinrichs is going to keep Downing around as long as he is around, and, Norton is going to keep Hinrichs around, as long as she is around. Unless Downing goes to a coaching class, or Norton let's her balls drop and fires Hinrichs, UNC is going to mired in mediocrity for a long, long time.

 

[Bearsfan24]

I'm just tired of the excuses in general, the transition, not enough money, etc.

People say we in the building stages, building what? If we were building, we'd be winning more than just one games a season. Ya there's been SOME improvement, but for those who watched the game today UNC still has a ways to go.