Worst griz team since……?

[TomCat88]

Who knew losing to a mediocre team was better than losing to a good team.

Not that PR needs defending, but I didn’t read it that way. Only as a factor, which is true. The Cats have losses against strong teams, one of which the gris beat. But the gris have only one loss, but to a mediocre team.

There’s a 35 point swing in the NAU games counting a last second TD or it’s be 42. MSU beat SAC on the road. There’s only a six point swing in the Idaho game. None of MSU’s wins have been close games. UM only has two decisive wins this year. One against a winless UNCO, the other against a team that might be falling apart. SAC is 3-3 since beating Stanford. Two of the three wins weren’t impressive.

Psu has nothing to play for after losing to Davis and if they get behind early they’ll just mail it in. PSU only had about 80 yards rushing vs Davis and 300 total.

But you need to judge each team by how they are playing lately, and now. UM hasn't lost since Sept. 23, to NAU on the road in its worst game of the season, which was before UM picked McDowell as it's starting QB. Vidlak played at NAU. MSU lost to Idaho on Oct. 28, on the road. UM beat Idaho on Oct. 14, on the road. MSU beat Sac St. 42 - 30 on road on Oct. 21. UM beat SS by 34-7 at home on Nov. 4.

To me, the most relevant games are Idaho and SS, not NAU. You can disagree. UM also beat Davis on the road when they were ranked. Davis is 5-4. Weber is 4-5. Davis could still make playoffs with win over SS at home.

Do the Cats have any impressive wins, other the 12 point win over SS? You seem to believe the Cat loss is no big deal, nor is the UM win over Idaho. If that's true, I disagree completely. Huge difference.

The polls are picking UM over MSU now. Since we have talked about where the games will be played, obviously the Griz/Cat game is in Missoula. I believe that will be a significant factor. Bobby has lost to the Cats only once ever in Missoula, and that was the timeout game which switched from Griz win to Cat win at the end.

The team you say may be falling apart is no. 9 in the Stats poll. If SS does fall apart, Davis will beat them and likely make the playoffs. That would then surely be another good win for UM.

All this being said, I am just laying out what I see as the facts. I am not even trying to say UM is better than MSU. I really don't know who is the better team. That will be determined in 2 weeks.

The Cats have been good all season, except for the Idaho loss, and UM has been playing very well lately. 74-7 in the last 2 games, with almost no yardage given to either opponent. It should be a great game. I look forward to it, win or lose. This is what sport is about. Thanks for the discussion.

Yes, UM has come a long way since playing NAU. There was nowhere to go but up if the Griz were going to be competitive.

What UM is doing well is making huge plays and believing in themselves.

Over the last four games: two pick6 vs UNCO; three huge O plays vs SAC; two huge O plays vs Idaho; two huge O plays vs Davis. As long as they keep doing that they’ll have success. Even if you take all those big offensive plays out, they’ve improved on offense I just don’t think they’re close to MSU yet on offense. The defense is playing as well as it did last year but until I see it stop MSU, it’s tough to envision them stopping the Bobcats’ offense which is more diverse than it was a year ago.

I thought the most impressive UM’s offense has been was vs ISU, especially in the second half. Lots of long, sustained drives.

I think UM is better than Idaho so I’m not going to say UM can’t beat MSU. MSU’s biggest hang up in the Vigen era is winning close games vs good teams on the road. (Wyoming, idaho, SDSU). Only win in that scenario was Weber in 2021. So if UM keeps it close, it has a good chance of winning.

UM’s good. Better than I thought they’d be. I didn’t think the defense would be as good as last year, which reinforces that their scheme is really good.

[Grizfan7]

TC, good post.

My view is that UM had good potential all along too, and before NAU. But they needed to figure out the QB's, get the o-line going, get more experience on D (especially with younger players who had been mostly special teams and clean up last year), and improve a lot. I don't think the UM offense is as good at the Cats either. MSU's offense is not always clicking, but it clicks more the the Griz O. UM's D is very good and better than the Cats' D, in my view. I have seen the Cats play only 1 game and 2 halves, so have only a limited sample. I agree that UM's D is playing better than I had been expecting too. The D has been really good in recent games and at other times. I've posted elsewhere on why I believe the Griz D will do much much better against the Cats this season, but, yes, that remains to be seen. Good discussion.

[TomCat88]

TC, good post.

My view is that UM had good potential all along too, and before NAU. But they needed to figure out the QB's, get the o-line going, get more experience on D (especially with younger players who had been mostly special teams and clean up last year), and improve a lot. I don't think the UM offense is as good at the Cats either. MSU's offense is not always clicking, but it clicks more the the Griz O. UM's D is very good and better than the Cats' D, in my view. I have seen the Cats play only 1 game and 2 halves, so have only a limited sample. I agree that UM's D is playing better than I had been expecting too. The D has been really good in recent games and at other times. I've posted elsewhere on why I believe the Griz D will do much much better against the Cats this season, but, yes, that remains to be seen. Good discussion.

Yes, UM’s defense should do much much better. It couldn’t have played any worse last year. Relative to how the defense was doing against the run last year that was the worst defense that MSU faced last year. I think UM came in averaging about 2.5 ypa and gave up well over 400 in the game and around 7 ypa. MSU’s first two drives were all running plays, but just 13 plays got two TDs and 150 yards. That’s well over 10 per carry. By comparison MSU stayed on the ground its first drive vs NAU last week and it took 12 plays to go 75 yards and score. Marty Morninweg was hilarious after the Griz had a stop on a four yard gain he said something like, the Griz just held that run to four yards and that seems like they stuffed the run on that play. Hauck is going to have to come up with a different game plan this year on defense. MSU scored on every possession except for Victory Formation at the end.

[Grizfan7]

Hauck was given a loud and long standing ovation when he went up to the podium at QB Club this week.

[91catAlum]

Hauck was given a loud and long standing ovation when he went up to the podium at QB Club this week.

Funny the difference a month makes. Some of your fans were about to run him out of town, now he's the toast of the town lol.
He should certainly be commended for the turnaround he's engineered in Missoula this season, no doubt about that. Your season was on the brink of collapse after losing by double digits to NAU, and now you're highly ranked. Honestly, really impressive. But I think most Bobcat fans hope that um retains him as coach. Not only is he 1-3 against MSU since his return but he's also presided over 2 of our most lopsided victories in the history of the rivalry.

Whats your opinion, do you want to see um retain Hauck? or do you want to see how the season plays out first?

[Grizfan7]

Hauck was given a loud and long standing ovation when he went up to the podium at QB Club this week.

Funny the difference a month makes. Some of your fans were about to run him out of town, now he's the toast of the town lol.
He should certainly be commended for the turnaround he's engineered in Missoula this season, no doubt about that. Your season was on the brink of collapse after losing by double digits to NAU, and now you're highly ranked. Honestly, really impressive. But I think most Bobcat fans hope that um retains him as coach. Not only is he 1-3 against MSU since his return but he's also presided over 2 of our most lopsided victories in the history of the rivalry.

Whats your opinion, do you want to see um retain Hauck? or do you want to see how the season plays out first?

Hauck is a very good coach with a very strong staff. UM needs to work hard to sign him. They tried to expend him in the offseason, but he wanted to keep his options open. I don’t know what he is thinking or wanting. He apparently turned down a 7 figure NFL ST offer. He has had the NFL interested him for years.

Hauck is competitive against the Cats. One Cat win is Missoula was pretty fortunate for the Cats. Don’t know what happened last year. Surprised me. His recent Cat record doesn’t concern me at all.

I believe the Griz will win this year. We shall see. He and his staff has done a great job this season. Most of the players like him and the assistants. He raises a lot of money for UM football and athletics. He has great support among most of the top UM supporters.

I have supported him all along and told Haslam that a couple weeks after the NAU game. Cat fans better be careful what they wish for. A lot of Griz fans are clueless, in my view.

[BelligerentBobcat]

Hauck was given a loud and long standing ovation when he went up to the podium at QB Club this week.

But was it cold?

[coloradocat]

I love fan fiction.

[nanacat]

I feel like C4L has morphed into G7. Anyone else think that?

[Grizfan7]

I love fan fiction.

Actually, all non-fiction.

[RickRund]

I feel like C4L has morphed into G7. Anyone else think that?

Have wondered the same thing. The two styles are very alike.

[RickRund]

Hauck turned down 7 figure salary???

[BelligerentBobcat]

I feel like C4L has morphed into G7. Anyone else think that?

Have wondered the same thing. The two styles are very alike.

Not at all.

[coloradocat]

I love fan fiction.

Actually, all non-fiction.

[Bobcatsinmso]

I feel like C4L has morphed into G7. Anyone else think that?

Have wondered the same thing. The two styles are very alike.

Not at all.

Agreed with BB. C4L is a subliminal troll, who continues to fool various posters and a MOD. G7 is a Jack (hoops, PR, or whatever this weeks ejiz handle is) wanna be.

[Grizfan7]

Hauck turned down 7 figure salary???

That’s what I was told by several people who would know. Also, that he gets offers for 2 to 3 times his current comp from time to time. When he first came back to UM, he turned down 7 figures long term to be the San Diego St head coach. That one I know for a fact.

[91catAlum]

Who knew losing to a mediocre team was better than losing to a good team.

Not that PR needs defending, but I didn’t read it that way. Only as a factor, which is true. The Cats have losses against strong teams, one of which the gris beat. But the gris have only one loss, but to a mediocre team.

There’s a 35 point swing in the NAU games counting a last second TD or it’s be 42. MSU beat SAC on the road. There’s only a six point swing in the Idaho game. None of MSU’s wins have been close games. UM only has two decisive wins this year. One against a winless UNCO, the other against a team that might be falling apart. SAC is 3-3 since beating Stanford. Two of the three wins weren’t impressive.

Psu has nothing to play for after losing to Davis and if they get behind early they’ll just mail it in. PSU only had about 80 yards rushing vs Davis and 300 total.

But you need to judge each team by how they are playing lately, and now. UM hasn't lost since Sept. 23, to NAU on the road in its worst game of the season, which was before UM picked McDowell as it's starting QB. Vidlak played at NAU. MSU lost to Idaho on Oct. 28, on the road. UM beat Idaho on Oct. 14, on the road. MSU beat Sac St. 42 - 30 on road on Oct. 21. UM beat SS by 34-7 at home on Nov. 4.

To me, the most relevant games are Idaho and SS, not NAU. You can disagree. UM also beat Davis on the road when they were ranked. Davis is 5-4. Weber is 4-5. Davis could still make playoffs with win over SS at home.

Do the Cats have any impressive wins, other the 12 point win over SS? You seem to believe the Cat loss is no big deal, nor is the UM win over Idaho. If that's true, I disagree completely. Huge difference.

The polls are picking UM over MSU now. Since we have talked about where the games will be played, obviously the Griz/Cat game is in Missoula. I believe that will be a significant factor. Bobby has lost to the Cats only once ever in Missoula, and that was the timeout game which switched from Griz win to Cat win at the end.

The team you say may be falling apart is no. 9 in the Stats poll. If SS does fall apart, Davis will beat them and likely make the playoffs. That would then surely be another good win for UM.

All this being said, I am just laying out what I see as the facts. I am not even trying to say UM is better than MSU. I really don't know who is the better team. That will be determined in 2 weeks.

The Cats have been good all season, except for the Idaho loss, and UM has been playing very well lately. 74-7 in the last 2 games, with almost no yardage given to either opponent. It should be a great game. I look forward to it, win or lose. This is what sport is about. Thanks for the discussion.

I think that's all fair and if I was a griz fan I'd be feeling the same way. As a Cats fan I would say that the Idaho loss was mostly due to them catching us at the perfect time. Their head coach even said that. They lost a very close game to the griz and then had a bye week to be pissed off about that and prep for MSU. Meanwhile, MSU had a road game at Sac, home at 5am, prep for a 2nd ranked team in a row on the road, and then a blizzard in Bozeman on Wednesday which hindered getting good practices in. Team started the game sluggish. Had 2 missed FGs at the end of each half and a wide open dropped TD at the end of the first half, could've easily won the game with a break or 2. Credit Idaho for doing what they needed to win but if MSU played Idaho 10 times I think we win 7 or 8 of them. Just my opinion.

As for Cat griz, Missoula is a tough venue and either team could certainly win it. But on paper, MSU is the stronger team IMO. Games are usually won in the trenches and MSU is stronger there on both sides of the ball. If MSU is able to run the ball even half as well as last year, the griz are in trouble.

The griz are a hot team right now and always tough at home, so I would expect to see them favored in the game. But honestly I think it's a pretty even matchup given how um seems to have things rolling now and are at home.

[Cataholic]

Hauck turned down 7 figure salary???

That’s what I was told by several people who would know. Also, that he gets offers for 2 to 3 times his current comp from time to time. When he first came back to UM, he turned down 7 figures long term to be the San Diego St head coach. That one I know for a fact.

Of course!!! Because he was so successful in the Mountain West at UNLV!

[Grizfan7]

Hauck turned down 7 figure salary???

That’s what I was told by several people who would know. Also, that he gets offers for 2 to 3 times his current comp from time to time. When he first came back to UM, he turned down 7 figures long term to be the San Diego St head coach. That one I know for a fact.

Of course!!! Because he was so successful in the Mountain West at UNLV!

He was very successful and well-liked at SDS and was the Associate Head Coach, and SDS is who wanted to hire him. Do you think you know more than the SDS AD and President?

[coloradocat]

Hauck turned down 7 figure salary???

That’s what I was told by several people who would know. Also, that he gets offers for 2 to 3 times his current comp from time to time. When he first came back to UM, he turned down 7 figures long term to be the San Diego St head coach. That one I know for a fact.

Of course!!! Because he was so successful in the Mountain West at UNLV!

He was very successful and well-liked at SDS and was the Associate Head Coach, and SDS is who wanted to hire him. Do you think you know more than the SDS AD and President?

No, just more than you.