Bill and Mary @ Montana State 8:15pm Friday - ESPN2

[catatac]

watching W&M replay now.

Very excited for the Bobcats in this game.

I think we run for 400+

I watched their last game tonight as well. Totally realize I watched with bias and blue and gold lenses, but I don't think that was the same level of football as what we're seeing in the Big Sky conference. They just don't look any faster, more physical, or more talented than us. I KNOW they won't put forth more effort and fight (They might match it, but nobody will beat the effort the CATS are playing with right now).

I guess we'll know a lot more in a couple days.

[ilovethecats]

Worst part of this matchup is the time change. Not for the players. They’re young and athletic. But I was hoping to talk some football and realized it’s past midnight over there.

Doesn’t make for great banter before the game.

[BobcatDel]

I purchased a couple of hotel rooms right after I heard the game time announcement. I may stick around on Saturday to watch the basketball game too. I absolutely hate that this game is being played on a Friday night in December, but that's the NCAA for you. I'm thinking attendance is going to be around 10,500-12,000. If the game was on Saturday, I'll bet the attendance would be 15-17,000.

Oh, I purchased four extra seats to be given away to fans that can't afford to go to the game. Let's do this! Pack the stadium!!

Catch the Thursday night men BB game too if in town before 7 pm.

And I bought 4 community tickets too.

[ilovethecats]

I purchased a couple of hotel rooms right after I heard the game time announcement. I may stick around on Saturday to watch the basketball game too. I absolutely hate that this game is being played on a Friday night in December, but that's the NCAA for you. I'm thinking attendance is going to be around 10,500-12,000. If the game was on Saturday, I'll bet the attendance would be 15-17,000.

Oh, I purchased four extra seats to be given away to fans that can't afford to go to the game. Let's do this! Pack the stadium!!

Catch the Thursday night men BB game too if in town before 7 pm.

And I bought 4 community tickets too.

[DMMDCats]

Some important advice for travelers this week:

[PapaG]

There are a lot of open seats still. I think the 8:15 on a Friday night is going to keep a lot of people from showing up. We absolutely need at least 13k+.

I feel good about having more than that. But no doubt the 8:15pm on a Friday night is hurting us.

Which is odd because none of our fans really travel to watch our games....

I wonder how many MSU fans are missing this game that wouldn't have missed a quarterfinal game a couple years ago. I'm thinking some people are getting used to success and a QF game isn't quite the thrill it once was. I doubt there's much of that yet--it's probably more the Friday night deal. You see it with NDSU though seems like...they're not getting the crowds they once did. Hopefully it never stops being exciting and our fans keep showing up.

I think it's definitely the Friday night deal. Cat fans come from all over the state and surrounding states for the games. Having the game on a Friday night in December makes traveling pretty difficult for a lot of people.

We’re not going because of a planned Christmas party Friday night and also because my cousin’s kid is a good basketball player (and football - second in AA in receiving yards behind Melo as a junior on 22 ypr/37 catches @VimSince03) for Glacier and they’re in Bozeman next weekend.

[wml33t]

Popping in to say hi from the Tribe boards. I’m expecting an exciting game in the toughest conditions W&M has played in all year.

I believe we have a better chance than most on this board are giving us, but certainly it makes sense for MSU to be the favorite.

Look forward to just under 48 hours when we will start to know how we match up!

Welcome!

Are you making the trip? Would love to see a bunch of you guys.

You SHOULD like your chances more than most on this board! It’s what is all about. We love the Cats and will give you a million reasons why we’ll win. I’d expect nothing less from all of you.

Hope you’re making the trip but if not, best of luck to your guys!

Unfortunately a late Friday night in Bozeman, MT on 1 weeks notice with a 4 and 6 year old is not a good fit. Wish I could make it!

[PapaG]

Hey, isn't there a map somewhere of the tailgate, with many of the Bobcat Nation members located on it? That might be a good addition to this chat if anyone can find it. Mods?

Unfortunately we decommissioned our tailgate map several years ago. Would be an interesting project to try and resurrect, especially since the tailgate areas have really grown and changed over the past few years.

Are you still in the same spot?

[kmax]

Yep, same spot for the BN tailgate for the last 15 years or so. First 3 RV spots along Kagy on the west side (directly across entry driveway from the will call windows in the BAC).

[cats2506]

Somewhere there was a link to this article https://wmsportsblog.com/2022/12/07/5-w ... t-matters/
which says that only one stat matters,

Also this article https://406mtsports.com/college/big-sky ... 3daeb.html

seems to play up that B&K are 6-0 on the road.

I think Weber was carrying a 10 game road winning streak going back to 2019 before they came to Bozeman the first time this year.

[Team10]

Somewhere there was a link to this article https://wmsportsblog.com/2022/12/07/5-w ... t-matters/
which says that only one stat matters,

Also this article https://406mtsports.com/college/big-sky ... 3daeb.html

seems to play up that B&K are 6-0 on the road.

I think Weber was carrying a 10 game road winning streak going back to 2019 before they came to Bozeman the first time this year.

Checked weebs schedule and it looks like it was actually 8 consecutive wins. If it was just against FCS opponents the streak was at 10.

[cats2506]

Somewhere there was a link to this article https://wmsportsblog.com/2022/12/07/5-w ... t-matters/
which says that only one stat matters,

Also this article https://406mtsports.com/college/big-sky ... 3daeb.html

seems to play up that B&K are 6-0 on the road.

I think Weber was carrying a 10 game road winning streak going back to 2019 before they came to Bozeman the first time this year.

Checked weebs schedule and it looks like it was actually 8 consecutive wins. If it was just against FCS opponents the streak was at 10.

Thanks, I wrote that from memory and didn't look it up. I knew it was an impressive stat.

[WalkOn79]

Hey, isn't there a map somewhere of the tailgate, with many of the Bobcat Nation members located on it? That might be a good addition to this chat if anyone can find it. Mods?

Unfortunately we decommissioned our tailgate map several years ago. Would be an interesting project to try and resurrect, especially since the tailgate areas have really grown and changed over the past few years.

I thought it was a cool idea. Hard to maintain I'm sure but would help for visitors to find a friendly face to share a beer.

[WalkOn79]

I purchased a couple of hotel rooms right after I heard the game time announcement. I may stick around on Saturday to watch the basketball game too. I absolutely hate that this game is being played on a Friday night in December, but that's the NCAA for you. I'm thinking attendance is going to be around 10,500-12,000. If the game was on Saturday, I'll bet the attendance would be 15-17,000.

Oh, I purchased four extra seats to be given away to fans that can't afford to go to the game. Let's do this! Pack the stadium!!

I bought 5

[WalkOn79]

I purchased a couple of hotel rooms right after I heard the game time announcement. I may stick around on Saturday to watch the basketball game too. I absolutely hate that this game is being played on a Friday night in December, but that's the NCAA for you. I'm thinking attendance is going to be around 10,500-12,000. If the game was on Saturday, I'll bet the attendance would be 15-17,000.

Oh, I purchased four extra seats to be given away to fans that can't afford to go to the game. Let's do this! Pack the stadium!!

Catch the Thursday night men BB game too if in town before 7 pm.

And I bought 4 community tickets too.

I unfortunately have a Christmas party tonight. Hate missing basketball.

[BobcatDel]

Hey, isn't there a map somewhere of the tailgate, with many of the Bobcat Nation members located on it? That might be a good addition to this chat if anyone can find it. Mods?

Unfortunately we decommissioned our tailgate map several years ago. Would be an interesting project to try and resurrect, especially since the tailgate areas have really grown and changed over the past few years.

Are you still in the same spot?

Kmax……this interactive map has always worked for me to find tailgate spots. Open the link. Then you just have to “double tap” on the tailgate area of interest and it will show all the individual tailgate spots in that area. Example if you think someone is in the Gold Tailgate area….double tap it and it will open up to show every spot assigned there. Worked for me today just a couple hours ago searching for a spot.

https://msubobcatclub.com/tickets-parki ... arking-map


Edit: I know it just gives the letter/numbers location but I guess if BN folks want to share their location they could.

[Bobcat4Ever]

One things teams have done continually all year is take bad angles when Tommy is running horizontally, completely underestimating his speed. Weber did that even in round 2 and they knew how fast he was. W&M is gonna get caught several times I'd bet money on it.

Tenn-Martin did that real bad a couple times last year. People don't realize how fast he is until it's too late sometimes.

Actually I believe he’s even slower than he looks. No need to run very hard to go tackle him. No hurry.

[Bobcat4Ever]

They big mad.

That guy probably also says Green Bay shouldn't be allowed to host night games in December and January.

The “INTERGRITY” of the game will be intact. My dad and his siblings (probably like many others here) grew up on a homestead ranch in Eastern Montana without that fad we call electricity. They rode horseback five miles each way to school and never missed. (But no, it was only uphill heading home and into the wind one way.) They all survived with a full complement of fingers and toes. Good grief. It’s football. With heaters. And modern, warm clothing.

[Bobcat4Ever]

SAGARIN 2022-12-08

It was mentioned that there was no data that backed the confidence that the Montana State Bobcat Nation fans have. So, here is some dispassionate, unbiased, hard, cold, silicon chip data from Jeff Sagarin’s computer system which uses a mashup of three different score-based methodologies to produce a final rating. The ratings include all 261 NCAA D-1 teams. The difference in the ratings is the most likely value of the score differential in a game. I’ve extracted ratings of interest including the eight quarter finalists, and an interesting adjacency including Coastal Carolina, Weber State and Liberty which have been referenced frequently. Specific to Montana State and William & Mary I have included their ratings, their FBS games, and their lone losses of the season. Please enjoy.

Points to Ponder
1. For crying out loud, why does MSU always play a P5 FBS team, including Top-25 teams? I know, it’s $$$. But for one year could we please play #163 Charlotte and let someone else play #16 Oregon State?
2. The lone losses this year came for MSU to #16 Oregon State and for W&M to #157 Elon.
3. References have been plentiful to challenging FBS opponents Coastal Carolina and Liberty, and to suspect FCS opponent Weber State. Look at the ratings — they are #97, #98, #99 with Weber State smack dab in the middle. If they are challenging opponents, then they all are. If they are suspect opponents, then they all are.
4. Montana State is a 65.99 - 59.09 = 6.90 + 1.87 home field advantage = 8.77 point favorite.

[A = FBS, AA = FCS]

16 Oregon State A = 84.26 (Montana St. FBS game, MSU loss)

56 South Dakota State AA = 72.44 (quarterfinalist)
63 North Dakota State AA = 71.50 (quarterfinalist)
75 Sacramento State AA = 68.16 (quarterfinalist)
85 Montana State AA = 65.99 (quarterfinalist)

88 Incarnate Word AA = 65.30 (quarterfinals)

97 Coastal Carolina A = 63.95 (challenging or suspect?)
98 Weber State AA = 63.80 (challenging or suspect?)
99 Liberty A = 63.50 (challenging or suspect?)

117 Samford AA = 59.74 (quarterfinalist)
120 William & Mary AA = 59.09 (quarterfinalist)
135 Holy Cross AA = 56.20 (quarterfinalist)

157 Elon AA = 51.64 (William & Mary loss)
163 Charlotte A = 49.22 (William & Mary FBS game)

[Montanabob]

They big mad.

That guy probably also says Green Bay shouldn't be allowed to host night games in December and January.

The “INTERGRITY” of the game will be intact. My dad and his siblings (probably like many others here) grew up on a homestead ranch in Eastern Montana without that fad we call electricity. They rode horseback five miles each way to school and never missed. (But no, it was only uphill heading home and into the wind one way.) They all survived with a full complement of fingers and toes. Good grief. It’s football. With heaters. And modern, warm clothing.

I bet you know some Murnions.