Week 2: SUU

[talhadfoursteals]

I feel the Cats have a really potent offense. Felt the run game needed a little more juice, and some passes could have gone for bigger gains, or were off. Yet, that offense has the potential to really light up defenses. The defense...well, tackling was a serious issue, especially in the open field. To me, before the season began, the LBs were one of the weaker positions for the Cats. Injuries to starters will continue to hurt, but on field experience for younger players will pay dividends in the future. Regardless, the Cats could definitely take some lumps over the next few games. Unless the defense improves. Though, if the defense is struggle, as long as the offense is rolling, the Cats will continue to compete and be in the game. We might see some high scoring affairs.

On a side note, personally, I don't think Montana is going to be the same as a Hauck coached program. Just me.

 

[Chex]

I feel the Cats have a really potent offense. Felt the run game needed a little more juice, and some passes could have gone for bigger gains, or were off. Yet, that offense has the potential to really light up defenses. The defense...well, tackling was a serious issue, especially in the open field. To me, before the season began, the LBs were one of the weaker positions for the Cats. Injuries to starters will continue to hurt, but on field experience for younger players will pay dividends in the future. Regardless, the Cats could definitely take some lumps over the next few games. Unless the defense improves. Though, if the defense is struggle, as long as the offense is rolling, the Cats will continue to compete and be in the game. We might see some high scoring affairs.

On a side note, personally, I don't think Montana is going to be the same as a Hauck coached program. Just me.

I agree. Offense looked good and still had lots of room for improvement. I almost teared up when I saw a power run package inside the five instead of lining up in the damn pistol.

I think Weber State can keep themselves in games with the offense. I think the defense is going to have to try and ask a lot of their corners and need to throw in more blitz packages.

Sometimes coaches can get so worried about a big play that they are willing to give up 7 minute drives with several easier plays. I think they will have to crowd the line to help stop the rush game vs SUU and put that risk out there.

I agree that I think Montana will not be as good as they were with Hauck…but they should still hover near the top. Honestly, their defense is never been the dominant force, lest we forget Mickey Mental’s offense actually got a W in Missoula…immediately followed by the five turnover performance by Munoz to lose to Northern Colorado. I still want an investigation into that…I think money must have been exchanged there…or Mental was just as bad as we thought he was.

Maybe I’m not giving Weber State and Northern Colorado near enough credit. I still would pick SUU by 10…but who knows.

 

[oldrunner]

I thought it was the passing game that hurt UM throughout the game. UM kept SUU's running game mostly contained. Passing over the middle was SUU's bread and butter. Their QB did take off on a couple of occasions, but it didn't hurt UM's D as much as those passes, mostly to the TE, over the middle.

SUU's defense was made to look good by a UM offense that seemed out of sync for most of the game. UM did hit on some big, chunk, plays. Special teams was all UM.

Later in the year, UM beats them by 20+.

SUU's strength, to me, seemed to be their QB's running and passing to their TE. SUU's weakness on D looks like defending the pass and giving up the big play.

Not sure how the game down in South America will go, but teams usually show the most improvement between the first and second game of the year. Weber's errors were mostly correctable. I hope they can make those corrections. To win, we will need to keep a handle on that QB and the TE. Big ask, but doable.

 

[shelMr]

Before last week I thought it was a 50/50 game but didn't know much of anything about SUU.

I'd give them a 60/40 nod now. I do think that gap closes if Brown plays. Dahle did a great job coming in for a true freshman but definitely a more confident calm presence and higher potential to light it up with Brown if it does become a shootout.

31 - 34 with Brown
24 - 37 w/o

 

[talhadfoursteals]

One group has us as 16.5 underdogs. I'm not sure how good SUU is, but they did put up quite the fight in Missoula. Yet, in the same breath, I'm not sure if Montana is good. We will see. No matter, I feel whoever starts at QB, that the Cats will move the ball and score. This game has the potential of being a fairly high scoring affair.

 

[shelMr]

One group has us as 16.5 underdogs. I'm not sure how good SUU is, but they did put up quite the fight in Missoula. Yet, in the same breath, I'm not sure if Montana is good. We will see. No matter, I feel whoever starts at QB, that the Cats will move the ball and score. This game has the potential of being a fairly high scoring affair.

I personally think the close loss to Montana is being a bit over valued. It seems like Montana is always over ranked and struggles early.

 

[oldrunner]

I personally think the close loss to Montana is being a bit over valued. It seems like Montana is always over ranked and struggles early.

UM has a new coaching staff and they looked like it last week. Their O was out of sync for most of the game and their D looked confused quite often. They won anyway and that tells us something about SUU. First games are a crap shoot. We should know who everyone is and what they are about, in another couple of weeks. If UM can play that poorly and still win, they should improve a lot as they get more play under a new coach. The book is still out on all teams in the BSC.

We will be on the road with an old rival. Anything can, and probably will, happen. I think it's wise to throw the first games out the window and just look forward.

 

[Chex]

I personally think the close loss to Montana is being a bit over valued. It seems like Montana is always over ranked and struggles early.

I agree that the close loss in Missoula is being overvalued for SUU and the close win in Greeley is being undervalued by Weber State. Weber State took a new team and other than one pick played a near clean game with an in game injury to their QB while Northern Colorado was breaking in their first game under the lights. That’s pretty good stuff right there! Lining up in power run formation inside the five? WOOHOO!

Lest we forget a Mickey Mental team won in Missoula and then lost the Munoz Fumble Gate Bowl (still waiting for a federal investigation on that one) next week.

Another thing we may be pleasantly surprised is for actual game planning and play calling adaptations vs opposition instead of showing up flat with the same Techmo Bowl playbook. I remember Mental’s teams taking to the sidelines like they were waiting for a bus while opponents charged on to the field. I think this team will be fired up to play.

I still give the edge to SUU being more experienced and at home…we’ll see.