Weber State game

[mrg85]

How does everybody feel about this Saturdays matchup vs. Weber State? I feel good about our chances, coming off a strong offensive performance(consider who we were playing) last week. Henderson looked really good and went for 108 yards I believe. I just hope our defense can get a few stops because scoring will not be a problem for us.

 

[wildkyle]

How many of you will be making the trip to Odgen this week

 

[mtjack]

Wildkyle -

I'd love to trek up to Ogden but work and finances won't allow. As a matter of fact, I'll be hiking in southern Arizona on Saturday and will miss my first NAU game on the internet or radio this season.

The running three-way conversation that goes on here between myself, king and mrg85 composes the sum total of consistent post-ers here on the NAU forums. Neither King nor I are students anymore. I'm kinda, sorta (?) sure that mrg85 is still a student in Flagstaff. Mrg85 - you or anyone you know going to Ogden?

You may want to try to contact the Jack Pack: http://www.naujackpack.com/

If anyone from NAU (student wise) is going it'd be them.

I've been thinking this game over and will wait to post my thoughts later this week.

Go Jacks!

 

[mrg85]

I am actually the current president of the jack pack and yes eight of us are going up there for the game. It is going to be great.

 

[wildkyle]

That is good to hear. I would dress warmly because it is supposed to snow during the game.

 

[mtjack]

I"m too lazy to post anything new or groundbreaking so here's my take that I put up over at Weber State's site.
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NAU has actually played well this year while dealing with inclement weather. It was brutal cold in a win in Bozeman (MSU) and driving rain in a win in Portland (PSU). If NAU loses, I doubt weather will be the reason.

Being worn out with their third road game in a row may affect them but the team seems to have come out of the U of Mississippi game (from what I read in the news) with, thankfully, no new injuries to go with the slew that have already occurred this season. NAU's been down something like 6-7 starters on defense since the beginning of the season.

The Lumberjacks have played one truly bad half in a game this season - the second half @ Sacramento State. They struggled at times @ the U of Arizona and @ the U of Mississippi, which is to be expected, but kept those games competitive. NAU played well throughout the game vs. U of Montana too.

I'd have to say that NAU is in the same boat that Weber State regarding possible playoff bids: with no room for error. In both cases, two games remain but after scheduling two games vs. FBS schools neither team can lose again. If WSU or NAU scheduled two lower to mid-level FCS or DII schools guaranteed wins then they'd have less worries. FBS schools just don't get any credit/reward for challenging themselves in non-conference scheduling. I don't know WSU's reasoning ..... amp up the level of competition.... a means to fund the rest of the athletic department....but NAU likes their yearly in-state BCS games vs. UofA/ASU but the Ole Miss game was done strictly to create some financial leg room for the athletic department as a whole.

I will say that I'm sad that one of these teams will be on the outside looking in after Saturday afternoon.

Game prediction:

I think these two teams are close in talent. Both should put up yards and points. Your defense seems a bit better. I don't see the utter collapse that occurred last season happening with this year's team. NAU's faced their share of adversity early and didn't roll over and die after getting down early vs. UofA, UofMississippi and UofM.

So I have to go with my team, without being a complete homer, in this one.

Lumberjacks 33
Wildcats 27

Wish I could make the trip. I'm sure the JackPack members making the trip will play nice. Chat em up if you cross paths. Sadly, I won't be able to catch this game on the internet/radio due to a prior arrangement for a hike.

Best of luck. Go Jacks!

MTJack

 

[king]

Soooooooooooooo..... Who's ready for some basketball huh?

 

[mrg85]

Well the trip was awesome regardless of the fact that it was a complete blizzard the whole game. The snow completely changed our game, and I believe had it been dry we would have had a much better chance. But some of the Weber State Fans were really obnoxious and out of control. There must be some rule in the big sky that the student section cannot be behind the visiting team. They were throwing snowballs and hitting our players!!!! They showed no class whatsoever.

 

[king]

I believe that! I've been to a basketball game in Ogden and the Weber st. fans are so classless and vulgar. I'm all for cheering for your team, but when you start yelling the F bomb at the opposing teams and their fans that's crossing the line. I payed good money to go see NAU play Weber and I could not believe how abusive and classless some of those people are. The worst are the middle aged men who lack an education and think they can say whatever they want to other people. I've been to games in Montana St., Eastern Washington, Idaho St. and Montana. Grizz fans can get pretty nasty, but not even close compared to the Weber fans. Idaho st. fans can also get somewhat agressive, but nothing close to the lack of class from Weber fans. Montana st fans and Eastern fans are very classy.

In Bozeman, I actually had a great conversation with the Bobcat fans sitting next to me and eventhough NAU won that game at their house they were very gracious and many of the people sitting around me shook my hand after the game and told me how good of a team we had and wished me good luck. I wish the Weber fans would take some lessons from Montana st. fans on how to be classy. Sorry about the bad experience in Ogden, but it doesn't surprise me at all.

 

[mtjack]

mrg85 and the rest of the Jack Pack -

I saw the pictures from your trip to Ogden. Simply put....your support is awesome.

Keep it up through the rest of the school year.

I met a few Weber State Purple Pack members at the Big Sky mens bball tournament in Portland a few years ago and they seemed like pretty stand up guys. They were really unhappy with the referees from that semifinal game vs. NAU but being frustrated at the refs is something all Big Sky team fans can take ownership of.

No excuses given for WSU's fan/student behavior though. Anytime you get a crowd together that's composed of 18-25 year old then stupid stuff will be said and stupid things will be done. I've always felt it's the rest of the crowd's job to self-govern/police their own. WSU's students needed to step up and tell the guilty parties to quit it now or get the f' out. It was by no means fun but I got in the face of two NAU student bball fans years ago at a home bball game who were screaming right in the face of an MSU coach during a time-out. I got cussed out but it stopped. I wrote a letter to the student paper afterward and received harassing/threatening phone calls to my dorm the week following for "not being a true fan". Screw that. A jackass is a jackass, regardless of what school logo on their shirt. WSU's fans need to realize that the behavior of a few jerks paints everyone else in the same light. If I know WSU fans, though, they were probably taking out their misguided aggressions after a loss to rival USU in mens bball.

I was down in Tucson this weekend and only caught the football pre-game on the radio during the drive down. I wasn't able to watch the game on bigskytv.org and was sad when I saw the score later Saturday night.

It sounds like the first half of the game was competitive but the pass game just never got going. A big special teams play by WSU seemed to turn the tide. I agree - better weather and I think NAU's in the game til the end but it wasn't meant to be.

An abundances of injuries and a rough schedule helps ease the fact of not getting a shot at the playoffs now but I'm sure the players and coaches are down. One more at home for senior day. Play hard. Spoil EWU's playoff hopes. Go out with a win. I'll be following on the radio.

Go Jacks.

 

[weberwildcat]

Well the trip was awesome regardless of the fact that it was a complete blizzard the whole game. The snow completely changed our game, and I believe had it been dry we would have had a much better chance. But some of the Weber State Fans were really obnoxious and out of control. There must be some rule in the big sky that the student section cannot be behind the visiting team. They were throwing snowballs and hitting our players!!!! They showed no class whatsoever.

good to hear the trip was awesome, as a student when i went to wsu some of my best memories were wsu road trips! way fun!! most were more fun than the home games! its too bad though that we are so far away and are your closest road team. we are pretty lucky having ISU less than 2 hrs away and even the montanas 6 hrs away.

sorry to hear about the fans buggin, i saw some throwing snowballs at the players and thought it was uncool, i did however at halftime go tell the police who did talk to a guy who was doing it. at the game i was saying to a friend, imagine if this game was at Montana, us and the players would probably be in the hospital due to snow ball beatings. lol

the good news though there was about equal amount of wsu students to jackpackers at that game lool!

btw, i was the one that met you guys! i even brought you a case of soda, so there was at least one fan that showed class! lol

as for road big sky games i have been to - isu, um, nau, msu - nau fans were the nicest. i can honestly say ive never experienced a single rude comment from nau or msu.

as for our student section behind your players thats the way its always been at WSU. the players and regular season tkt holders are on the west side due to the locker room location and shaded stands. so I wonder if WSU is a unique setup i cant recall any other stadium setups. the east side stands are students and GA.

also that is the only game ive seen road fans on the student side. they usually are always on the west side by the opposing team lockerroom tunnel.

 

[weberwildcat]

i love these pics!!! is this first one real or photoshopped?

 

[weberwildcat]

This pic was just an hr and a half prior to kickoff, amazing how quick the snow came!

 

[WILDCAT]

If all the statements about WSU students are true, then I am sorry. Most of us Wildcats fans truley do take pride in being respectful and classy to other teams fans, unfortunately there are always those few pricks that have to make the whole fanbase look like crap by acting like a bunch of immature teenagers.

Once again, Im really sorry that a some of the students treated you guys so bad. You could always come and sit next to me if ever you come to a game in Ogden again, and we'll have a great time watching some good college football.