Playoff Stuff - Griz Stuff and More

[Grizfan7]

This is what UM QB Clifton McDowell said when he first signed with UM:

"Competing for the starting job and making the team better, bringing a national championship to the team," he said of his goals before expanding on what gives him that confidence."

""If I was guaranteed a starting spot, that probably wouldn’t be the school I wanted to go to because I’m just a fierce competitor," McDowell said. "As far as me choosing Montana, it was the O-line is deep, it was more than just what school is going to pay for my scholarship.

"You got to think of longevity, what team is actually going to have a chance to win a national championship. After visiting and seeing the guys, it really motivated me to see some guys that care about it just like I do."

McDowell had committed to Southern University on April 30 after he entered the transfer portal on April 15. He decommitted on Friday and flipped his commitment to UM on Saturday, citing the team environment, the "top-notch facilities" and his meeting with head coach Bobby Hauck: "The energy that he had was hard to deny Montana. I feel like he has the team going in the right direction."

McDowell also had NCAA Division I offers from Norfolk State, Savannah State, Texas A&M Commerce and Delaware State. He had originally chosen Southern because of his familiarity with coaches who previously recruited him, he said.

"I’m here to stay," he said of UM, noting that he's working to set up a QB coaching camp this summer in Missoula. "To flip my commitment, I feel like that was a pretty big move for me. It took a lot for me to do that. I’m a real loyal guy. If I have a situation that’s best for me, I got to take it and stick with it."

McDowell was a 3-star recruit by 247Sports and was rated as the 34th-best dual-threat quarterback in the 2019 recruiting class. He passed for 1,820 yards and 18 touchdowns, and he rushed for 1,330 yards and 19 scores as a senior at Spring High School in Class 6A, the largest classification in Texas."

Source: 406 Sports.

[Grizfan7]

Cats got higher seed than I expected. Davis must be disappointed. Haslam was good and articulate on the tv show.

The Cats at home against NDSU will be interesting.

I don't know what the Cats will do to fix the weaknesses they showed yesterday, but I expect the Cats to be "back" and rolling.

[Grizfan7]

DE, UM's likely first opponent, got thumped by Villanova yesterday, and also lost their top 2 QB's during the game. I don't know what happened to the qb's.

[Grizfan7]

UM has 4th best red zone D in the nation. MSU is not in top 50.

MSU's rushing O is 294 per game and 2d in nation. NDSU is 4th at 233. UM is 17th at 194.

UM's rushing D is 8th in nation. NDSU is 18th. MSU 31st.

UM's scoring D is 3d at 14.45. NDSU's is 16th. MSU's is 23d.

Total D is 9 for NDSU, 18 for UM, and 30 for MSU.

None of those 3 teams are in the top 50 for passing offense. MSU is 4th in yards per completion. UM is 36th and NDSU 38th.

[Grizfan7]

I liked seeing the photo of Bobby at the Cats’ prayer circle after the game.

I heard Missoula was rockin after the game.

“Thanks, 7. Thank for the nice text my friend. It’s been bedlam here!! Just wild. What a great job by our guys. Really proud of them. It doesn’t get any better than that in Grizzly land!! Go Griz. Bobby”

Where did Cats stay in or around Missoula?

[iaafan]

This is what UM QB Clifton McDowell said when he first signed with UM:

"Competing for the starting job and making the team better, bringing a national championship to the team," he said of his goals before expanding on what gives him that confidence."

""If I was guaranteed a starting spot, that probably wouldn’t be the school I wanted to go to because I’m just a fierce competitor," McDowell said. "As far as me choosing Montana, it was the O-line is deep, it was more than just what school is going to pay for my scholarship.

"You got to think of longevity, what team is actually going to have a chance to win a national championship. After visiting and seeing the guys, it really motivated me to see some guys that care about it just like I do."

McDowell had committed to Southern University on April 30 after he entered the transfer portal on April 15. He decommitted on Friday and flipped his commitment to UM on Saturday, citing the team environment, the "top-notch facilities" and his meeting with head coach Bobby Hauck: "The energy that he had was hard to deny Montana. I feel like he has the team going in the right direction."

McDowell also had NCAA Division I offers from Norfolk State, Savannah State, Texas A&M Commerce and Delaware State. He had originally chosen Southern because of his familiarity with coaches who previously recruited him, he said.

"I’m here to stay," he said of UM, noting that he's working to set up a QB coaching camp this summer in Missoula. "To flip my commitment, I feel like that was a pretty big move for me. It took a lot for me to do that. I’m a real loyal guy. If I have a situation that’s best for me, I got to take it and stick with it."

McDowell was a 3-star recruit by 247Sports and was rated as the 34th-best dual-threat quarterback in the 2019 recruiting class. He passed for 1,820 yards and 18 touchdowns, and he rushed for 1,330 yards and 19 scores as a senior at Spring High School in Class 6A, the largest classification in Texas."

Source: 406 Sports.

How come bobby didn’t start him right away? What did he see in vidlak that made him think he was better than McDowell?

[Grizfan7]

Quality Losses:

"Though he wasn’t in the room for the MSU seed discussion, Haslam noted that the Cats’ losses to UM, Idaho and top-seeded South Dakota State significantly helped their case, as did their 42-30 win at Sac State.

“I’ve said before that you can’t have a resume full of quality losses. You’ve got to have some quality wins,” Haslam said. “Montana State’s win at Sacramento State, that’s a good win. And then you have three losses to teams that are seeded in the top four. Not a lot of schools can say that.”

Missoulian.

[Grizfan7]

This is what UM QB Clifton McDowell said when he first signed with UM:

"Competing for the starting job and making the team better, bringing a national championship to the team," he said of his goals before expanding on what gives him that confidence."

""If I was guaranteed a starting spot, that probably wouldn’t be the school I wanted to go to because I’m just a fierce competitor," McDowell said. "As far as me choosing Montana, it was the O-line is deep, it was more than just what school is going to pay for my scholarship.

"You got to think of longevity, what team is actually going to have a chance to win a national championship. After visiting and seeing the guys, it really motivated me to see some guys that care about it just like I do."

McDowell had committed to Southern University on April 30 after he entered the transfer portal on April 15. He decommitted on Friday and flipped his commitment to UM on Saturday, citing the team environment, the "top-notch facilities" and his meeting with head coach Bobby Hauck: "The energy that he had was hard to deny Montana. I feel like he has the team going in the right direction."

McDowell also had NCAA Division I offers from Norfolk State, Savannah State, Texas A&M Commerce and Delaware State. He had originally chosen Southern because of his familiarity with coaches who previously recruited him, he said.

"I’m here to stay," he said of UM, noting that he's working to set up a QB coaching camp this summer in Missoula. "To flip my commitment, I feel like that was a pretty big move for me. It took a lot for me to do that. I’m a real loyal guy. If I have a situation that’s best for me, I got to take it and stick with it."

McDowell was a 3-star recruit by 247Sports and was rated as the 34th-best dual-threat quarterback in the 2019 recruiting class. He passed for 1,820 yards and 18 touchdowns, and he rushed for 1,330 yards and 19 scores as a senior at Spring High School in Class 6A, the largest classification in Texas."

Source: 406 Sports.

How come bobby didn’t start him right away? What did he see in vidlak that made him think he was better than McDowell?

McDowell did start 1 of the first 4 games, and played in the other 3. UM was searching for its starter, or starters if they went with a 2 QB system. Watching their progress and seeing how they performed in games. Giving both QB's a chance.

McDowell's stats in the first 4 games were fine, but modest. His passing was only okay, and was mostly shorter passes. His running was good. He seemed to run the team fairly well. He didn't throw any picks. He had a fumble or two.

Vidlak was and is a better passer, probably much better in terms of overall passing, accuracy and arms strength. That was evident in fall practice.

Vidlak was around for spring ball and all summer, and had a good head start. McDowell arrived during summer practice. In the fall, Brown was getting significant reps too. Most observers, including me, thought that Vidlak would be the starter, and he was at first. This was based mainly on how he threw the ball in practice. Obviously, that's only part of the equation.

Butler - McDowell 1-3 for 5. Vidlak 15-25-1-2. McDowell 11-80 rushing.

Utah Tech - McDowell started and was 7-10-94. 9-26 rushing. Vidlak threw 6-9.

Ferris - Vidlak 9-15-105-1 pick. McDowell no passes, and 2-4 rushing.

NAU- Vidlak 23-37-210-1-1. McDowell 1-1 passing.

Then, McDowell started, played well and became the starter. He's improved greatly. His passing has improved. He's thrown 1 pick. His running has always been good, but has gotten better. He's picked up alot of 3d downs running, as well as passing. He's pretty good at getting away from sacks. He's strong. He's started to throw the ball away better. Marty Morninweg apparently started referring to him as a Super Star QB, according to what Colter Nunez told me (MM appears on Colter's show every week or most weeks). MM said that on the air on Saturday.

I hope McDowell can keep up his good and improving play. He's becoming the straw that's stirring the drink for the O. He's a big athletic kid. I've met his parents a couple times. They say he and they love Missoula, the people, and the team. He's got another year after this one. The family is from Houston.

Ah Yat moved to no. 2 in practice after NAU, but didn't get a chance to play for about 4 games. He can really sling the ball and plays with confidence. I've been told that's he's "got it".

[Grizfan7]

From Hero Sports:

"Favorites To Win The 2023 FCS National Title, Ranked 24-1"

"4. Montana State (No. 6 seed)
MSU has a week off to heal its wounds physically and mentally after getting whipped by rival Montana. It also gives the Bobcats time to figure things out internally. At one point this season, the Bobcats looked to be on a collision course with SDSU in Frisco. But after two losses and a concerning effort last weekend, their season can go many ways. It can end right away in the second round as the red-hot Bison come to town. Or MSU can wake up and rally after a humbling loss at Montana, similar to 2021, and make a run. NDSU is the most beatable version of the Bison in years, and then a quarterfinal matchup at No. 3 seed USD or at home vs. UND/Sac State isn’t a terrible draw. A week off, a home crowd next weekend, and a talented roster with a ton of playoff experience gives us a glass-half-full approach on where MSU goes from here.

2. Montana (No. 2 seed)
No one’s analysis of Montana in September aged well. Although one could argue the analysis of the Grizzlies not being very good in the opening month was a correct viewpoint, which means the kudos just continue to increase as Montana has gotten better every week. A marvelous coaching job and a locker room taking ownership over how the year will finish. Whether it’s the QB play going from bad to serviceable to terrific, the o-line getting better, the playmakers stepping up, or the defense upping its play and generating more pressure, the Griz have gone through a sensational in-season transformation. And now they get home-field advantage until Frisco? Good luck, visiting teams. This squad looks built to meet up with SDSU in the natty.

https://herosports.com/fcs-football-fav ... e-24-bzbz/

[Grizfan7]

More Hero Sports:

"Drake at North Dakota State

NDSU is playing in the first round (not including the spring season) for the first time since 2010. The Bison had an argument for a seed, although they did get the easiest draw in the first round. Perhaps a “Sorry, but here you go” thing from the committee helped by regionalization.

Drake is a good Pioneer Football League team, obviously since it won the AQ, but it is a non-scholarship squad that lost 55-7 to UND and 70-7 to SDSU this season.

The Bison are playing their best football entering the postseason. The defense is getting better. And Cam Miller is vastly improved from last season, where he underwhelmed in three of the four playoff games. He’s been the dude for NDSU, graded as the top FCS QB on PFF while finishing the regular season completing 75% of his passes for 2,049 yards, 14 TDs, and four interceptions, plus 563 yards and 11 scores on the ground.

It’ll be a fascinating postseason for the Bison, an annual Frisco resident in January. Their season could very well end next week at No. 6 seed Montana State. NDSU could also very well be back in Montana in a few weeks for a semifinal matchup at No. 2 seed Montana. What won’t be fascinating is this first-round game.

Prediction: NDSU 45-7"

[Grizfan7]

NDSU attendance today: 7798

[Grizfan7]

FCS first-round playoff attendance:
Drake at North Dakota State: 7,798
Chattanooga at Austin Peay: 7,249
Sacramento State at North Dakota: 6,522
Nicholls at Southern Illinois: 4,576
Gardner-Webb at Mercer: 4,500
North Carolina Central at Richmond: 4,103
Lafayette at Delaware: 4,039
Duquesne at Youngtown State: 3,866

[Grizfan7]

I would like to see the Cats beat NDSU, and there is no reason they can't win. But I'm not sure the Cats can get it done. NDSU seems to be playing well, or fairly well at least. The NDSU offense is balanced. In the 3 losses, the QB threw 2 (SDSU), 1, and 1 picks, which were his 4 for the season. NDSU had better stats in 2 of the losses than the opponent. In the ND game, NDSU gave up a 100 KO return to start the game, and 3 TD's in the first quarter.

My guess is that NDSU will be motivated to prove that they are a very good team, even though they lost 3 games. The Cats will be motivated to proof that they are way better than what they showed against UM.

It's true that the Cats didn't play well against the Griz, and the Griz played very well. The Cats can certainly clean up some easy stuff and eliminate some mistakes that they should never have made. The Cats seem to be getting some players back. However, I wonder how good the Cats really are and don't think the Cats have been playing well in recent games. Did the Cats play their best football too early in the season, and now can't seem to get back to a high enough level?

My concern for the Cats is more the Cats, and not how good NDSU is. The Cats certainly couldn't pass against UM, and I wonder if the Cats are going to be able to develop a good enough passing game overnight. I assume NDSU, which has a very good D and good rush D, is going to load the box and force the Cats to pass. I don't see much in the Cats' receivers either. The Bison are ranked higher in scoring D, Total D, rush D and passing D, than the Cats. While I think UM has a pretty good pass D and has been getting good pressure on QB's in the last part of the season, UM's pass D has given up considerable yardage and isn't ranked in the top 50 nationally. How are the Cats going to be able to pass against NDSU?

MSU's D is good, but not great. The MSU D tackled poorly against UM, especially in first half. Don't know how MSU tackled during season. MSU has some good defenders, but some of them are not overly athletic. 2 on D were first team all conference, 1 on second team. No secondary on first or second team.

The Bison qb Miller is no. 1 in the nation completion percentage, with 75.4%. Has a high passing rating too. The Bison kicker is 15-18, with 2 misses from 50. His long is 44. The Bison have lost 6 fumbles. The Bison have a fullback and 2 o-lineman on first team all conference. And 1 d-lineman, 1 lb, and 1 secondary on first team. The QB is second team.

While I like Vigen and know he has done very well at MSU, I'm not sure that his coordinators are very good. Also, not sure Vigen has the experience enough to turn the Cats around enough to beat NDSU. I base some of this and having looked at comments of Cat posters on the main board. I have always thought Mellott was better than Chambers, but I have also seen the comments of Cat posters on the main board saying Chambers should be playing much more. Don't know if that is a possibility for improving the offense, if NDSU is shutting down the run.

I don't know if mediocre weather would affect NSDU. I assume their round playoff game didn't take much effort. I didn't check to see if they had any injuries. The Cats are obviously very tough at home, and I''m sure the crowd will be great. But the Cats don't come into the game with momentum, which is important at this time of the year.

While I don't want the Griz to have to play the Cats again (hard to beat a good team twice in row), I don't want UM to have to play NDSU either (especially if they get on a roll).

[Grizfan7]

I see that a number of Cat fans in the main forum agree with my post NDSU game post.